Diamond Jim’s Restaurant

I was afraid walking into this place with 2 kids, but the food was decent after a trip up in the snow, the kids were hungry, we had to feed them, we all got the burgers which were prob frozen, but it did the trick and was good.

As of Present (December 2015) the Main Restaurant is «Temporarily Closed» for several months of «Remodeling» & Could be «Closed» for Almost a Year. But, their Bar Is «Open» & Does Serve More of a «Lunch Menu»:
Burgers — Fries — Sandwiches. .etc. And, Although I live here in Marin County. .I Can Testify That Any of their Lunch Menu Items as Well as their Cocktails Are Great! & Worth the Stop When you’re traveling in the High Sierras.
I Can Hardly Wait Till They «Re-​Open» for some of The Best Peime Rib in the State!

Probably closer to three stars overall, but I’m rounding up for a mountain town establishment.
The front half of the building (the restaurant to which the sign out front is referring) has been closed for some time– but there is a small menu available in the bar at the back.
We stopped here because it was new to us and had people in it. I wouldn’t say we were ‘welcomed’ so much as tolerated, but it wasn’t a real problem that us city-​folk-​who-​play-​in-​the-​mountains didn’t really belong– just a feeling I noticed when we walked in.
The all-​in-​one bartender/​waiter/​cook saw us, realized we weren’t bikers or big truck drivers (judging by the vehicles in the parking lot) and gestured to the booths near what was to later become the karaōke stage. On all the basic levels, she rocked handling a rotating cast of 15 bar flies and us. However, she was pretty visibly overworked to be by herself (maybe someone was on break or out sick), and we complicated things as her only food-​ordering guests. I overheard her sarcastically say to a regular that we ordered her «favorite» menu items to cook, so we spent the remainder of her visits to our table making a more concerted effort to be really nice customers. Either we won her over by the end, or she was really good at pretending.
Otherwise, this place is a pretty standard cash-​only dive– Saturday karaōke setup, and about 5 TVs (only one is a flatscreen) scattered around. ATM fee is a very reasonable $ 2, but uses dialup internet so it can be a bit slow. Food is okay– I think my cheeseburger was the best over the BBQ beef and chicken «cordon bleu» sandwiches (grilled chicken breast with cheese and ham). Chips that come with the sandwich are just small bags randomly selected (lays, doritos, etc) unless you substitute potato salad for $ 1. Pretty decent beer and full bar selection, too. Prices a _​wee bit_​high for the ambiance and quality (and cash only), but not absurd for being on the highway.

We ate here one winter night when the skies were pukin massive amounts of fresh pow pow. We saw all our friends from Twain Harte had battled their way up 108 as well. These Wonderfull people had made a bath tub of pasta sauce with noodles and sour dough garlic bread. We all feasted and my wife whipped out her special pineapple upside down cake. No check was ever presented but a grateful town became life long fans

Bar review only — as another reviewer noted, the restaurant side has been closed for over a year now.
It’s a good place to have a beer.
Respectable selection of booze and bottled beer, plus 6 beers on tap. Limited wines, as you would expect. We’ve had good service from the owner, and lackluster from others. It’s a low key mountain bar, with a jukebox and some tables. It’s also kind of expensive for — at least the whiskey is – for a low key bar outside a major metropolitan area.

Diamond Jims!!! A true diamond in the rough within Mi Wuk Village and the Sonora foothills. I can remember as child growing up, my mom would often take me for the seafood buffet as I was a huge fan of seafood and prime rib. I have not been back for several years but the food has always been amazing and the staff is very attentive and helpful. A definite stop for a good meal!

Knotty pine interior, plenty of space, lovely atmosphere, complete separate bar, bizarre bathrooms that get a point for quaintness and design in a cramped space, but loose a point due to the size. Excellent menu selection, especially for such an isolated location, including the ‘Feathered Flock’ chicken dinners, ribs, prime rib and seafood galore. Friday night Buffet is famous.
A long wait but well worth the effort. Besides, you can have a drink and a cigarette on their deck while you wait. Incredible buffet, always busy!
Our third visit was a Sunday at 4 pm, we were the first diners, seated immediately, scallone (served with a caper sauce to die for) was on the menu! Thanks to Lauren (who would not let us lick all the spoons) and the chef, the visit was fantastic and became one of our few three pointers. No useless vegies, either!
2013 note: We bought a cabin in Mi Wuk, walking distance to Diamond Jim’s — life does not get any better. THEN, they closed. They are back open in the bar but that’s it. Rumors abound.

Great place for prime rib, but the restaurant portion of the building has been closed for over a year now. :(

Saturday nights are the bomb here for karaōke. There is a great energy with the locals and those who are just up for the weekend! The karaōke DJ (Tim Fay) does a good job on the rotation.
*** A MUST FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO SING ! ***
(Say hi to J-​Dawg)

Unless you grew up in a local cabin nearby, this place has no value for you.
But if you did, this was where you got steak, pork chops or whatnot when you were a kid. Haven’t been there since ’99, so hard to say…

Been going here for 12 years. was sad to see them closed –hopefully temporarily this last trip. Food is great. Looking forward to seeing them up and open again !

I was expecting much more after reading the reviews. I was very disappointed. The steamed clams were not good. (I’ve had better clams from grocery outlet that are frozen). My prime rib was good. My roommate’s filet mignon with Mushroom Demi-​glacé was nasty. The mushrooms looked like they had been sitting all day simmering and tasted even worst. Would NOT recommend it. We both ordered baked potatoes but were informed there was only one baked potato left so my roommate had to order french fries that tasted fishy like they were fried in old oil. (We were there at 7:30, so how they only had one potato left is beyond me). My martini came without an olive. The house wine at $ 5 a glass was at most 3 oz. The only reason I gave it two stars was the prime rib was decent. Would I return? No.

Stopped for the prime rib, was that a mistake. Ordered medium Rare, got Medium Well. Cook called herself a chef but she is just cook, she tried to persuade me that the meat she served me was Medium Rare dipped in Au Jous. My GF had the cajun Shrimp, she said more pepper than needed and clumps of Parmesean cheese. By the way, the name suits the place, better cash in your Diamonds before you go, you will need the cash to pay for your meal. The bartender/​waitress tried to charge me $ 5.00 for the salad that came with the meal, some nerve. You guessed it, we won’t go back.

Love hitting up this spot after a long day of snowboarding at dodge ridge. Everything I’ve tried here is delicious! But what stands out the most is there cheese burger. Oval shaped and served sausage bun. Love it!

Sadly this place seems to have been hit by the economy! No more seafood buffet on Friday night. Went for dinner last night. The salads were very good, bread was good and my husbands prime rib was decent. My rib eye with peppercorn sauce left a lot to be desired. Very inferior meat! Not many people in there and there were empty boxes stacked right out in the open (Are you moving)? The bar can be a fun local spot, but be sure to call your brand of alcohol, if you’re at all picky about what you drink. Probably won’t be going back, anytime soon! Maybe an ok spot to stop in for a burger and brew!

Without saying names… Her first name starts with a G. Is a theif! She is a greedy and a raving bitter b%^*h! If you dont tip her what she thinks she deserves, then she’ll either yell at you and call you a cheap ass or if you paid with a credit card she’ll change your $ 1 to a $ 10. She has been caught red handed but still works there so that can only mean one thing. She is blackmailing the owner or screwing him on the side. Beware, she will take your half finished drinks while your in the bathroom and finish them for you!!! She is a raging alcoholic and tries to go to the other bars but ends up getting kicked out because she rude and obnoxious! When you ask her to leave she refuses. Thats embarassing… She needs to go to prison or rehab! No one likes her.

We have a family cabin in Mi-​Wuk Villiage in walking distance to Diamond Jim’s. We always stop in for drinks in the bar and also dinner. I would highly recommend their dinner, its mouth watering. Very nice home town feel.
For lunch, the burgers are to die for. Mmm!

My girlfriends and I come here every year for our annual getaway to Twain hart. We go skiing, hang out, go to Jim’s place eat and drink. They have great music and the service is fantastic. If you are lucky enough to hang out with Jim you will see what a great man he is. THIS IS THE BEST PLACE EVER. Thank you Jim for all your hospitality when we are in town. Paras, Kelly and Serina

I will admit that I have a soft spot for Diamonds Jim’s. I have been coming up to the Twain Harte and Pinecrest Lake area since I was a kid and now take my son up here for vacations. It is one of the few places that you can get a good meal at.
I have had some of the best Prime Rib here. Their steaks are also very good considering you are up in the mountains.
You have to keep in mind that all the food is of the «hearty» variety. They do have a few light items on the menu.
Their Sunday brunch is wonderful. Typically have King Crab legs that are as fresh as you could expect from being frozen.
The service has always been good to excellent.

I had a hard time remember the name of this dive bar off the highway… somehow I thought the bar was called Drunken Jim’s because drunk is exactly how everyone acted inside.
Diamond Jim is EXACTLY what I expected from a dive bar in the middle of nowhere. redneck karaōke, strong drinks and an abundance of testosterone.