FAMILY TRADITION: Popular steakhouse expands to Meridian

Sep. 26—Local steak lovers will no longer have to travel to Alabama as a popular Livingston restaurant is expanding to Meridian.

With the blessing from his family, Blake Dial is excited to bring Diamond Jim's & Mrs. Donna's Ole Farm Beef House to the city.

The new restaurant, which is expected to open Oct. 19, is located in the renovated Ole Farm Beef House on Hwy. 39.

For Dial, his new venture follows a family tradition of good food and excellent service.

"My grandparents raised us in the restaurant since I was eight years old," Dial said. "They gave us a great work ethic and the business mindset to take on the world."

"We all just fell in love with it, obviously, and it's been really great to us and has been very successful as well," he added.

After receiving his degree from Mississippi State, Dial said he wanted to branch out with Diamond Jim's.

Sure enough, his vision would come to life with an opportunity available at the former Ole Farm Beef House, which closed its doors a few months ago.

"I was contacted by the owner and was given a great deal that I couldn't really turn down, but of course, I wanted to run the idea past my family," Dial said. I had a very serious conversation with my grandfather, and with his blessing and my grandmother's, I was ready to get to work."

"I know my family is behind me 100%, and we're going to not only make ourselves happy but hopefully the community of Meridian," he added. "They've been asking us for years to expand, but by the grace of the good Lord here we are," he added.

Dial plans to offer the same quality of steaks that are popular at Diamond Jim's.

"I believe people love eating at Diamond Jim's because of our consistency," Dial said. "We understand what it's like to have good meat and how important it is for the taste to be just right."

"You can expect one of the best home-cooked steaks over a charcoal grill that you can put your hands on in a restaurant," he emphasized. "I've been eating steaks all over the country, and there's honestly no better place to get one than through these doors."

A few items that locals can look forward to are Diamond Jim's world-class premium beef of the 16/18 oz ribeye, the porterhouse t-bone, 14/16 oz New York strip, and bacon wraps center fillets.

Dial also plans to incorporate the salad bar and soup station along with a brand new bar.

"The previous steak house didn't serve alcohol here, so we're looking to change that," he said. "To anybody fresh off work looking to unwind from the week, can swing down to Diamond Jim's and get their cocktail with a steak of their choice and seafood or barbecue."