The Mossfire Grill is closing after 27 years of serving Tex-Mex dishes, margaritas, homestyle menu items and more in Five Points.
An Oct. 14 post on the establishment’s Facebook page said it would close at the end of business Nov. 9. The two-story restaurant is at 1537 Margaret St.
“You’ve filled these walls with memories that we’ll cherish forever,” the post said. “It is with heavy hearts that we share with you that it is time for our own farewell party.”
The post, signed “The Mossfire Grill,” did not offer a reason for the closure.
Married couple Drew and Kristen “Scooter” Cavins started the restaurant, originally called the Tumbleweed Grill, in 1998. They changed the name to pay homage to the 1901 fire that burned much of Jacksonville’s Downtown. The blaze started in dried moss that was used during the era for mattress stuffing.
The couple sold the restaurant in November 2022, saying they were ready to retire. The sale involved the business and recipes but not the building, which the couple retained.
In May, owner Ben Franco discontinued lunch service in favor of serving dinner and weekend brunch. At the time, he told the Daily Record that lunchtime dining had changed.
“No one goes for a sit-down lunch anymore,” he said.
Dinner hours are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The restaurant is open 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, serving brunch until 4 p.m.
Other Mexican dining options in Five Points include bartaco, a Virginia-based chain that opened in 2024 next door to Mossfire in the former Black Sheep Restaurant space at 1534 Oak St.; Taqueria Cinco, 809 Lomax St.; 904 Tacos, 1068 Park St.; and Tijuana Flats, 2025 Riverside Ave., No. 4.
