I love the Hunny. Someday that love may become mutual again. And with today being Valentine's Day, it's a time for both to express that love to each other, especially going out to eat. And because we can't do like a recent country song and have a fancy date night at Applebee's - the nearest Applebee's is 100 miles away - we did something a little different while the girl was at school: we drove to China. No, I'm not kidding; Southeast Texas has a town of 1,200 named China. And we ate at the Diamond S Diner. Some proprietors try to be stereotypical in their presentation. Others just be natural, this is who they really are. You get the sense that those who own & operate Diamond S have set it up like they really are, a cafe to eat your breakfast or dinner (note to outsiders: "dinner" is actually lunch, and "supper" is actually dinner.) There's a mural of rolling Western hills, a few longhorn skulls, an 80 year-old Dr Pepper decoration, calendars for the Hardin Jefferson HS sports teams, framed newspaper clippings, and country music on the stereo. And wooden tables to eat at. This is NOT Applebee's. The menu is a double-sided 8.5x11 piece of paper, that's how casual this place is. The Hunny had a large chicken fried steak, which may not be in her eating plan, but she made a point to finish it all instead of getting a to-go box, she liked it that much. I had a double meat cheeseburger, and the taste of the tomatoes and onions was overwhelmed by the beefy, meaty taste of two quarter-pound patties. Pork and catfish are also available. This is a place for carnivores. Prices are normal. Service was prompt and friendly. It didn't stand out as top-notch, but that wasn't necessary here anyway. She was what you'd expect in a little restaurant in a tiny Texas country town. Great food, great atmosphere, great service - it all adds up to a five-star experience. China is several minutes drive on the old highway west of Beaumont, on the way to such "destinations" as Liberty and Dayton, so it's nearly certain that you'd need to make a special trip to eat at the Diamond S Diner. Believe me, it's worth the trip. Including on Valentine's Day. read more

I'm guessing the breakfast is better than lunch. The lunch is basically school food, but it's the only game in town in that area of East Texas. read more

Excellent breakfast and lunch. The food is good and reasonably priced. The service is excellent. Small town atmosphere. I highly recommend

Nice little diner, especially in light of them being the only game in town. I had the pork tenderloin option on the plate lunch menu. Very satisfactory. Worth a stop if you are in the area. They are open for breakfast and lunch (and I think also dinner part of the week). I would return here. read more

Nostalgia rules the roost at this comfort cooking diner, that puts out the best breakfast since the ones prepared in my mom's kitchen. I'm talking about the breakfast I had this morning at the Diamond Diner located on Hwy 90 in China, Texas. My grandson has been urging me to go. So this morning we met and all I can say is this is a true hidden gem and a great place to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner. When I walked in I saw Mr. BigRich Courville sitting inside, so I knew I was in a good place. I had breakfast with Big Rich (well kind of, sort of). I sat at the table next to his, does that count. :) I started my breakfast with a hot cup of Community coffee as I studied the menu. No fancy entrees, just anything you would prepare in your own kitchen. I chose two eggs scrambled soft, hashbrowns (they were crispy), bacon (they were thick), grits and wheat toast instead of a biscuit. My grandson ordered two pancakes, three eggs and a slice of ham that was grilled and thick. The entire breafast was perfect, hot and filling. The country atmospher was clean and comfortable. The staff was couteous and kept the coffee cup full. When it comes to the most important meal of the day, Diamond Diner in China, Texas serves up plenty of delicious options that I guarantee won't break your budget. So if you are hankering for a good country breakfast, comfortable atmospher and great coffee, roll out of bed and take a drive to China on Hwy 90. A great place to bring out of town guest and food that will stick to your ribs most of the day. Open Mon-Sat. 7am-2pm, 5pm-9pm. Closed on Sunday. This place is a recommended #BestBites. #HettyBrownapproved. Support Locals First. Update 12/29/17 About ten miles west of Major Drive on Hwy 90, in the small town of China, Texas you will find some of the best breakfast and lunch food in the area. Where you ask in this small town would you find this great food? Why at the Diamond S Diner of course. When you come to the first red light in China, from Beaumont, look to your left. This newly remodeled diner is owned by Sandra Sherman. She and her family have had this diner for seven years. It was given to her as a gift from her late husband on their 50th wedding anniversary. It is run by a dedicates staff and family which includes her son-in-law Jimmy Samaha, and grandkids, when available. Along with the usual lunch menu of hamburgers and fries (that looked phenomenal), chicken tender, hot sandwiches, and salads, they also have a steam table which provides their daily luncheon special for $8.95. On Thursday the special of the day is two pieces of fried chicken, two sides, cornbread or a roll. I asked for the dark meat with greens and mashed potatoes with brown gravy. The whole meal tasted like my mom's cooking. Mr. A.J the cook knows what he is doing and it shows. He is a master at the grill for sure. The chicken was crisp on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside. Your palates will detect flavors from your childhood. Each bite provided a forkful of comfort and good taste. Everything was just plain good. The restaurant also provides a soft serve ice cream machine where you can get a serving for free after your meal. On that day Kim worked the steam table and Tessie was my waitress. They are hard working ladies, always moving to help accommodate the needs of their customers. At lunch they are very busy serving farmers, construction workers, and the locals, coming in to eat. Why even the UPS man scheduled his delivery at noon so he could grab him a homecooked meal, smart man. It may be a little bit of a ride down to China for breakfast or lunch, but I guarantee you won't be disappointed. I go for breakfast every chance I get. And after seeing their burgers and fries, I know what I will be ordering next. So next time you're hungry for some good home-style cooking, take a short ride to the Diamond S Diner located on Hwy 90 in China, Tx. You won't go home hungry or disappointed. Hours M-S 7am-2pm, evening hours 5-8 (evening hours only provide take-outs). I included a menu for your convenience. Check them out on FB. Remember to support your locals first. This is definitely another #BestBites. read more

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Went there for breakfast today. It took 40 minutes for half of our party to receive our food. Were told the 1 cook that was there messed our other order up so he was having to remake it and it would just take a few minutes. After another 25 minutes we still had not received our breakfast. The rest of our party was through eating at that time and our food was STILL not ready. We ordered and omelette. Eggs DO NOT take an hour to make. We told the server to just forget it as we have a 6 year old that was done eating and didn't want to wait however longer it would take to even receive the food much less eat it. It was our first and last time coming here (I would say eat here but you already know I didn't even get to eat at your restaurant). If it takes this long to get breakfast I can't even imagine how long it takes to cook a burger. read more

Its a small town dinner that has great burgers and breakfast. Catfish poboys are my favorite with homemade onion rings.

The food here was ok, but the staff was horrible! The waiter was extremely disrespectful, but the service here was moderatly slow. Really not the best. read more

Hometown cooking! Great friendly service. Convenient drive through for call ahead orders.

Passing through town, we stopped off here as the parking lot was full of trucks for the lunch hour. Wasn't disappointed as they had some great catfish and good chicken fried steak. Friendly service and free ice cream at the end, makes for a good down-home dining experience. read more

Love the luncheon specials, great home cooked meals(like grandmas). When my grandchildren are over we have a set luncheon date at Diamond S Diner! We love the food and the bonding time, great fried chicken and fried fish on the luncheon menu, and walking out the door with a big old vanilla ice cream cone to round it all off! read more