NoJa: Our History

Nestled in what looks like a townhouse on North Jackson Street is actually one of Mobile’s finest restaurants—NoJa. Since 2005, we have provided a unique blend of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine to our local community.

Founded by Master Chef Chakli Diggs, NoJa provides a culinary experience that took many years and many miles to create. Chef Diggs began his professional career as a fighter pilot, but then afterward transitioned into the culinary world. He threw himself into his culinary dreams and traveled across the world to experience the cultures and local delicacies of the globe. He settled in Mobile in 1991 and named the restaurant based on its location in Downtown Mobile (North Jackson). The time was ready to introduce the city to NoJa and the rest is history.

A lot has happened since Chef Diggs first opened his doors and started serving up the first NoJa dishes in 2005. After a strong initial opening in May 2005, we then had to face Hurricane Katrina just a few months later. Despite the storm’s damage, Mobile became a refuge for many businesses in the I-10 corridor between New Orleans and Biloxi and our restaurant was there with warm, unique meals. During this time we were able to continue to grow and flourish in the community, and also develop our own personality and identity as a restaurant.

Our unique selection of incredible dishes has become what we’re best known for. We pride ourselves in constantly evolving and incorporating new flavors of our unique Mediterrasian identity to new dishes. We love blending together the health benefits of Mediterranean fare with the spices and flavors of Asian cuisine, and our customers love it too! The taste is unlike anything many Mobilians have ever had before, and we’re always happy to see a friendly face come back in for their new favorite dish. While we have a more robust menu now, when we first started out we kept things pretty sparse—we only served Italian pasta dishes and a filet mignon sandwich! Now we serve anything from Chicken Karaage to Maple Leaf Duck Breast to Panko Crusted Fish! Our chefs are constantly working on improving our menu and adding new delights.

Times have changed, yet our attention to flavorful details and appetizing combinations has never faltered! Our customers agree, too, and that’s why Mobilians love coming into NoJa’s for great company, savory wines, delicious food and the unbeatable ambiance of our beautiful 1840s-style townhouse venue or our enclosed courtyard draped with romantic lights and vines. Mobilians know when they come to NoJa that they’ll be able to have an all-encompassing experience that caters to their every need.

There’s a lot to look forward to in the future for NoJa, too. We’ll continue to break the mold of trends that other restaurants follow and keep doing things our way, the NoJa way. We will continue to serve up the best Mediterrasian cuisine in the city. And in 2020, we’re expanding our location in Downtown Mobile so even more of your friends and family can enjoy everything we have to offer. Want to stop in soon? Call or click to make a reservation. We can’t wait to see you!