Love the ambiance, very nice curb appeal. Love their pies they are wonderful. The service was good however that's where it all stops. We have been there 3 times and every time expecting different results. What I have to say is the food is just so so. Everything I have ordered is just lack luster with no great flavors. I have ordered walleye which I'm sure was not what I ordered no way tasted like walleye! I have also ordered chicken which was MEH! Not sure what the 3rd was but I do know it was not memorable. I sure think this could be a fantastic place if the entrees were better. read more

My sister-in-law told me about this place, so I decided to give it a try. Diamond Mineral Springs was established in 1892. Now that's a lot of history right there. There is a main dining room and a back porch dining room during the summer. It's kind of hard to find because it's out in the country North of Highland, Illinois. There is a nice big asphalt parking lot. The building looks like a beautiful old farm house to me. I love big ole porches! When you step inside, you can really feel the history. I adore the old wooden floors and beams. The hostess was so nice and told us to sit wherever we wanted. I love booths, so I headed to the back wall and snuggled into a tiny wooden booth. Hubby wasn't too happy because the booths are small, but I loved it. We had a young man as our server and he was so friendly, helpful and took very good care of us. Now the food is served family style. Each person is allowed to pick an entree and then the sides are served family style. You don't get a choice for sides, it's pretty much whatever is on the blackboard on the wall. I'm not a big fan of that, but I was ready to just roll with whatever and enjoy the experience. Hubby ordered the pork and dressing and I ordered the fried chicken. The first thing to arrive was a small bowl of Cole slaw. It was the vinegar kind and it was really good. Then our dinner came. We received bowls of mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon and onions, gravy, biscuits and a big squeeze bottle of apple butter! Then of course, hubby got a big plate of shredded pork and dressing covered in gravy. I got a plate full of fried chicken! The fried chicken was great! Hubby ended up eating half of mine. He said the pork was just okay. The mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits were also great! I didn't try the apple butter, but I'm sure it was good. This place is kind of known for its pies, so we had to get pie...right?! Hubby got cherry pie and I got chocolate meringue pie. Okay, unfortunately the pie wasn't that great. They had the dreaded 'soggy bottom.' They probably weren't that fresh and that's okay. I still ate most of mine. The meringue was yummy. We had a fun, delicious experience in a very old historic restaurant. My only complaint is how expensive it was. But as hubby keeps reminding me, that's just how everything is right now. Any place you go to eat seems to be so expensive. Every time I go to the grocery store I about have a stroke. So I understand why it was expensive, but my frugal side just doesn't like it. Hopefully, prices will come down again in the future. If you're in the area, give this place a try, it might just bring back some wonderful memories of days gone by. read more

Diamond Mineral Springs - American Near Me - Highland, Illinois

Before I get started, you must note that this restaurant only takes cash. There is ATM in the restaurant by the way. Outside of that this is a very fun dining experience with friends or family as everything is serve served family style. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The vegetables are even fresher than what you would get at Eckerts. It's a little bit of a drive from Belleville where we live but it's certainly worth the drive. The price is very reasonable for everything that you get and they have amazing desserts on top of all of it. Enjoy. read more

Delicious home cooked food featuring long - time favorites and more recent dishes. Tremendous homemade onion rings and endless sides of potatoes, beets, beans and Cole slaw. Homemade pies that defy comparison. My Servers were clean cut, clean, well spoken young people who attended to my table often., politely. The bar dining area is woody and quaint. There are also a dining room and seasonal porch. The place's nature is such that loud and unkempt people don't come here. I am an enthusiastic diner and recommend this exceptional restaurant. read more

Brisket was so good you didn't need a knife to cut and eat. Very good smoked flavor and not dry. The brisket came with sauce that was good but it was so good you didn't want to ruin the amazing flavor. Fried chicken was great. Mashed potatoes and gravy was good and not instant. Deserts were unbelievably amazing. The carrot cake was phenomenal. We really enjoyed the apple crisp or cobbler pie too. The biscuits and apple butter were exceptional and we are sad we forgot to buy some apple butter on our way out. read more

Diamond Mineral Springs - Food - American Near Me - Highland, Illinois

How have I went so long without going to this hidden gem!?! Go hungry! We met up with some locals to celebrate a milestone birthday and a retirement. There were 6 in our party. It was suggested we go around 4pm on a Saturday and good thing we did as the tables were really filling up as we were leaving. This restaurant is served family style on the sides. Everyone picks their own entree. I had the Salmon with a bourbon/brown sugar glaze. A couple of people picked their favorite chicken fried steak and we had a few other entrees. We also added their yummy homemade onion rings. While we were waiting, our server brought out pickled beets and vinegar slaw to share. Then the homemade biscuits with apple butter. With our entrees also came out with mashed potatoes/gravy and green beans. Everything was down home comfort and amazingly delicious. Even though we were stuffed we still all ordered pie. I wish I would have gotten our waitress' name. She was great. Kept the water and teas filled. Cleared the table as needed and had a cute little smile and giggles the whole time. I kept forgetting to take pics until we were already digging in. My daughter-in-law announced this is where she wants to take her parents when she graduates from college this spring. We are an hour + away. But, it is worth the drive. read more

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We both had the Brisket the special for the day and it was so tender and delicious. Plate had so much on it we both took some home. The service and drinks were also wonderful. Would definitely go back. read more

If you like home cooking this is the place to go. You choose your entree and they serve the sides home style and as much as you want to eat. They also have great apple butter to go on their biscuits!! Their service is good and server were friendly. Ambiance neutral to a little lacking, but my family goes there for their good food!!! read more

Great chicken! Great atmosphere and prices aren't terrible! The campus is historic and picturesque.

Where to start? We've been coming here for years, it's a bit of a drive from west of St. Louis, but well worth it! Lately our go-to entree has been chicken livers. My wife and I split one order (small charge for a shared meal, which is only fair because the sides are all-you-can-eat) and we still take livers home. Everything is delicious and the service is perfect. Get out and support a local business. read more

Fantastic food & service! Gaylen & Amy Michael have updated this historic local gem. They still offer the amazing family style fried chicken & fish, but have also added the Windsor Room offering delightful foodie fave options featuring steaks, seafood & seasonal options. read more

This is my favorite place in the whole world. I've been coming my whole life with my parents. My grandparents went before that. Best fried chicken, incredible pies, and the owners are wonderful people. I grew up in edwardsville and now my husband and I drive all the way from St. Louis to get this incredible meal. We even went there the weekend we got married! Oh and the biscuits....I could eat the whole basket. Love you DMS! read more

I almost don't want to alert everyone to this hidden away gem. Family style country side restaurant set in the rural Midwest rolling hills. Covered in wood accents this is the place for fried chicken, prime rib and so much more. Good value for a picturesque setting. Try the porch. read more

Was here on a Friday night recently. Have been here before. Gotta say, not a good experience. Say on porch, not many customers, so they weren't crowded. Took over 10 minutes to get a waitress, another 10 to get the drinks, and on and on. We were there 2 hours. Part of my meal was room temp. Our group discussed the lack of service and length of time to get our food, benefit of the doubt, maybe kitchen help short that night, who knows? Just not a good experience. read more

Diamond Mineral Springs - The "Porch" - American Near Me - Highland, Illinois

Always will recommend this Gem. I first came here with my boyfriend's family my first time in Illinois. It was also the first time I was introduced to family style dinning. I instantly fell in love with the concept. I love the large portion sizes that you pass around the table and make sure everyone is included in the meal. You can not go wrong with any choice you make. And you better not forget the PIE! they are huge and so yummy! I tried to eat everything I could in one sitting. I wanted to try it all. I now live in Illinois and I make sure to introduce everyone to enjoy the family style dinning. You will love the sweet charm from the whole staff from the moment you walk in the door until you leave. It's always been a wonderful experience read more

Again another great time at Chicken Poop Hill! Thanksgiving dinner Again, our waitress Tally, was above and beyond friendly, fast and courteous. Great food, atmosphere, friendly staff, friendly people. If you leave here hungry it's your own damn fault! Love this place! read more

Really good food especially the fried chicken and the desserts. You can get complete meals to go if you like.

Quaint atmosphere & wonderful food, even the biscuits were made from scratch, I had ribs & they very tender. The wait staff were friendly & accurate in our orders & checks. Definitely worth the trip! read more

Memories, Like the corners of my mind....... My family use to gather here years ago. It was such a fun place to meet on a Sunday. The adults (aunts and uncles) could visit and the cousins could do the same at a separate table. The family style service made it feel as if we all were at our Grandmother house for Sunday dinner. So when it was time to celebrate my Uncle O's 95th birthday, we knew this had to be the place, because it was filled with memories. Some of us have not been in years and I do mean YEARS. When we arrived, it was as if we had never left. The ambiance was still the old rustic farm house. To be honest, I don't think it has changed since the late 70's and that was fine with all of us. The plastic green gingham tablecloths added to the warmth of our fond memories. DMS offers about ten different entrees with all the sides being served family style. They are known for their fried chicken which most of our diners enjoyed. We had a few who strayed and experience Pork Roast, Fried Walleye and Grilled Pork Chops. The chicken got the most raves, so that is what I'd recommend when you go. The sides are beets, cole slaw, green beans with bacon and "real" mashed potatoes with milk gravy. Plus a basket of dinner rolls with a bottle of Apple Butter. Once all the food arrives, it looks like a true farm house dinner being served. The thick creamy gravy, beet juice bleeding over to make pink potatoes and fresh green beans with bacon, just screams comfort food. Desserts are unbelievable and all are house made. They serve incredible cheesecake and a variety of Foot Hi Pies. The meringue easily looked a foot high on top of lemon, chocolate and banana creme. Each slice was the perfect ending to a comfort food dinner. The staff was very accommodating of our large group of 10. They didn't mind when my cousin Sue and I arrived early to decorate the table to celebrate the occasion. Adam was our primary server and made sure we all were taken care of and paid special attention to my uncle. The other servers who were hustling to take care of their tables, took time to stop by and wish my uncle a very special birthday. Good food and fond memories, will have me coming back to Diamond Mineral Springs. read more

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Food and service was excellent! Fried chicken, chicken and dumplings and cod and walleye were delicious !

Went to diamond mineral Springs for Thanksgiving at 3 o'clock. Waited almost 30 minutes to get seated then it took the waitress at least 15 minutes to take our drink orders. Yes, they were very very busy ordered turkey and was told you could not order just white meat when our order arrived our meal looks like they scraped the bottom of the pan, I couldn't eat it. My sister didn't eat it and neither did my husband. It looks absolutely terrible. We have eaten there before but we ate chicken which was pretty good. What a terrible terrible meal. read more

Had dinner on Saturday evening. 15 of us. Outstanding service. Wonderful food. Although I'm not a fan of candied beets, there was plenty of food and we all left full and satisfied! Wonderful wine selection as well. read more

Went here for Thanksgiving this year and loved it. My father has been coming here for years and can't say more. The food was delicious from the pork sausage to the salmon to the mashed potatoes and gravy. The pies are endless and to die for. Sad to see some of the past reviews that only rated this place with one stars. Everyone has a right to give there opinion but don't believe everything that is said. I live in San Diego and haven't had this good of food in awhile :) Thanx Diamond Mineral Springs!!! read more

Fantastic country style food. Superb and large and delicious desserts. Friendly and hard working and efficient service. Charming original decor. read more

Apart from being a historic location, the family-style meals are fantastic. Fries fish and chicken are my favorites. And the selection of pies is quite impressive. Only reason for 4/5 is the out of place poker machines. Looses the historical impact of the place. read more

My husband and I had dinner here tonight. It was not our first time-- we've been here before and it's always great. Tonight, my husband ordered the 1/2 BBQ Chicken and I got the Chicken Fried Steak. These were served family style with bowls of cole slaw, beets, green beans, and mashed with milk gravy. They also brought biscuits-- fresh from the oven-- with apple butter. They were so delicious. Our waiter's name was Jack. He was friendly and efficient. We always get great service. We typically sit in what is the main dining room. It's an old building and has a great vintage feel to it. There are a lot of tables but you don't feel too crowded. It's has a lovely country feeling to it. Good food, service, and setting-- highly recommend! read more

eveeything great. family style restsursnt with great ftied chicken as well as other things. prices readonable service excellent. check hours before going. keep in mind they are cash only read more

What a hidden gem. This restaurant has been in business for what seems like forever and it really is as good as ever! They offer steak, seafood, pork, chicken, ribs, frog legs served many different ways. I ordered the baked chicken with dressing and my husband ordered the fried chicken. The beets and slaw came out first. The beets were sweet and sour and the slaw crunchy and sweet. Great way to start the meal. Both entrees were wonderful. The fried chicken had a light breading and was so moist. The baked chicken was equally moist and both were fall off the bone good! The biscuits were light and fluffy with a bonus of sweet apple butter. Delicious! The mashed potatoes were just as a farm wife would make with just enough lumpiness to make you smile. The green beans had flavor and were ok. Our waiter, Blaze, was attentive and offered to refill any side but we were both comfortable without being stuffed! They also offer " mile high " meringue pies, fruit pies along with 2 cheesecake options and carrot cake. We decided to get pieces of pie to go (1 lemon meringue and 1 coconut cream). Excellent meal in a country atmosphere. You cannot go wrong with whatever you order. Next time you are in the area you must stop by. read more

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Good family restaurant Diamond Mineral Springs is family style. The Windsor room is Fine Dining & is open Fri, Sat, & Sun. Night fine dining , Spring through Fall The Back Porch is a weekend must with Fine dining and an assortment of specialties. All 3 are an awesome experience. Gaylan and Amy Michael along with Michelle are the perfect host and hostesses. We will see you on the Hill. read more

I got married here in October of 2017 and it was amazing. We had the ceremony on the hill outside and the reception in the large hall. With the glass doors open, we had a refreshing fall breeze as we danced the night away on the spacious dance floor. Our guests enjoyed lounging on the wrap around patio while listening to music and refreshments. The food was excellent, especially the seafood pasta, fried chicken and the house salad. The staff was the best, they were so helpful and fun. We couldn't have had our wedding at a better location. read more

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Come hungry cause it's family style. All the fixings included. You choose your entrée from the blackboard and they do the rest. Coleslaw, beets, mash taters, gravy, green beans, biscuits and apple butter. Oh and don't forget the homemade pie for dessert! read more

This is the greatest family style restaurant ever!!! I have been coming here my whole life and have never been disappointed! The owners are amazing! The staff is wonderful! Don't even get my started on the worlds greatest pies!!!!!!!! I would encourage anyone and everyone to stop in for a great experience!! Trust me you will not be disappointed!! read more

I am still so very angry and disappointed over our experience today, I can't even bring myself to write about everything that was wrong with Diamond Mineral Springs. Service: AWFUL Food: AWFUL Attitude when it was brought to manager's attention: AWFUL..not to mention she was a smart ass. COST: GOD AWFUL EXPENSIVE. If you chose to eat here. Remember you have been warned. I should have stayed in St. Louis and ate a bologna sandwich. It would have been less expensive and more satisfying-and I don't like or eat bologna. GO TO THIS RESTURANT AT YOUR OWN RISK....If you choose to go ahead and try it..... bring YOUR bank roll and be prepared for crappy food and service. read more

Went here for Fathers day with no reservation, no problem! The place has an old farm house feel to it complete with a painted wood board front porch. Many times on a warm summer night the AC can be very underpowered! Read sweat your ass off! They have comfort food down. Everything is served family style. The best sides are beets. They are awesome. Not too syrupy. The cole slaw is great as well. Other sides worth mentioning include: homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans that came with ham and onions. For the entree, I had the chicken fried steak. Very good and crispy even with the gravy. This is how I like it. The fried chicken was seriously good as well. Another member had a perfectly cooked strip steak. Kelsie did a super job taking care of a party of 6. Finally you need to save room for the pies. They have some monstrously high meringue. read more

My family has eaten at Diamond Mineral Springs for years. In fact, ten years ago this week, my wife and I had our wedding reception there. And we've done several Thanksgivings there, usually when we've had more than one Thanksgiving to celebrate, and we didn't want to cook on multiple days. And as pretty competent home chefs with eclectic tastes, and having eaten in about every category of restaurant there is, from hole in the wall greasy spoons, to places like Emeril's, I finally decided it was time for me to review one of our old and faithful standbys. Diamond Mineral Springs (and their sister restaurant, Blue Springs) serves up really, really good homestyle comfort food in a very nice traditional atmosphere. Our consistent favorite is the fried chicken, which is (based on its quality as well as consistency over many visits) probably the best we've ever had. (btw, for some reason we like Diamond Mineral Springs a little better than Blue Springs, even though the menus are the same.) Their fried walleye is also great, as are the roast pork and roast turkey dinners. (My only criticism on the latter two is the dressing... it is often overly moist and glommy/gluey... I like my dressing a little firmer. This has always surprised me, because most everything else there is so competently prepared.) We like the family-style service for the sides... pickled beets, cole slaw, homemade apple sauce, biscuits, great mashed potatoes and gravy, and delicious green beens. You basically order your choice of protein, and the sides are the same for each meal, and if you want more sides, they bring them. The portions are generous... we almost always take some home. And if you have saved room, the pies never fail to please.... They also have a bar, so wine, beer, and cocktails are available. This isn't their strong suit, and the list isn't extensive, but again, this is a family restaurant, and although alcohol is certainly available, the wine choices, etc., are modest in scope. Bring cash or check... they don't take credit cards. And bring an appetite! This is down-home country style at its best. read more

This place was a real treat! My friend grew up in a small town near here, so we met her parents for lunch on our drive from St. Louis home to Chicago. The food was FABULOUS! The fried chicken was really delicious! The best I have ever had! The sides were great (coleslaw, beets, green beans, mashed potatoes, and biscuits). I am dreaming of another serving of mashed potatoes and biscuits----yummm. I had praline cheesecake for dessert! It was superb! The service was a disappointment. Slow, with errors, and not attentive. However, the FOOD was so good, I have to give this spot 5 stars! YUMM. Worth the diversion if you are between St. Louis and Chicago! read more

This is a nice family-style restaurant with pretty good food. It isn't amazing, but you have to remember where you are. You aren't near a big city, it isn't meant to be a fancy dinner. I think the plastic dinnerware adds a little charm. The fried chicken is great as well as most of the sides. I've eaten here many times with large groups and we are always treated very well. If you want some simple comfort food. Try it out! (don't forget to get a foot-high pie!) I have not been to "the backporch" which is supposed to be the more upscale area. So, I can't comment on Teri D's experience. However, looking at the menu, prices aren't THAT high. read more

Amazing food! Pie to die for, the best apple butter over unlimited biscuits, and a great family style atmosphere. read more

Diamond Mineral Springs - American Near Me - Highland, Illinois

Food was great. Service was great. I had the filet and it was the best steak I've ever had.

It's not what is used to be. We ate at the buffet twice last month and the famous fried chicken was rubbery and tough and the rest of the food wasn't that great either--room temperature and pretty much prefabricated crap. It's like expecting grandma's cooking and finding out the in-law who can't cook did Sunday dinner instead of granny--and it's freshly reheated from the Sysco freezer. The lemon filling in the lemon meringue pie was so undercooked it still had that pasty cornstarch taste, sickeningly over-sweet and was like liquid--horrible. I could have cried. We've had our last meal here, and I'm not sure if we will eat at Blue Springs again either. They're on their way to being out of business--unless the new slot machines produce a bunch of revenue. Seems like as soon as the slots show up, the food become inedible anywhere you go. read more