After “weeks of nerve-wracking, head-to-head voting brackets,” Diamond Jim’s and Mrs. Donna’s, a family-owned-and-operated restaurant in Livingston, has been crowned the winner of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) 2023 “Bama’s Best Beef” contest with its dish, Diamond Jim’s Famous Ribeye.

The well-known West Alabama favorite, a hand cut 16-ounce ribeye marinated for hours, seasoned with the Dial family secret blend, and grilled over charcoal, “captured the attention of more than 394,000 Facebook users and left their mouths watering,” the ACA said.

Diamond Jim’s and Mrs. Donna’s famous ribeye beat out the other finalist, also a ribeye, from the Ole Gin Steakhouse in Section, Alabama.

Diamond Jim’s is an “ongoing legacy” of the Dial family, the ACA said. The restaurant opened its doors 18 years ago, but many of its recipes have been around far longer. Some are family favorites that have been passed down through generations. And according to Jim, Donna, and their grandson and grill master JJ, that will continue in the years ahead.

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association has spoken, and they say this Livingston restaurant serves up “Bama’s Best Beef.” (Alabama Cattlemen’s Association)

A closeup of the winner. (Alabama Cattlemen’s Association)

“Jim taught JJ to cook from the time he was just a little boy,” Donna said in the ACA’s Facebook post. “Now we have a great-grandson that comes into the restaurant, and we hope that he will learn the same way.”

Jim, Donna, and JJ Dial, along with the Diamond Jim’s crew, were visited by Cattlemen’s Association staff and judges on Oct. 25 when the dish was judged, and a finalist plaque presented to the family. The win brings with it Facebook advertising, roadside signage and coverage in the Alabama Cattleman magazine.

Alabama Cattlemen’s Association isn’t the only one to recognize the steak at Diamond Jim’s and Mrs. Donna’s as great. The Alabama Tourism Department listed it among the 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama.

Steaks at Diamond Jim’s & Mrs. Donna’s on list of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.

In all, the contest drew more than 200 entries from restaurants across Alabama. The two most-nominated dishes from each of the contest’s four regions moved on to Facebook photo challenges that put competing dishes head-to-head. Almost 7,000 fans voted for their favorite restaurant’s plated meal, with the contest garnering a digital reach of more than 394,000 Facebook users through October.

In the semifinalist round, Diamond Jim’s maintained its winning streak with an almost 200-vote lead over Tabby D’s Family Restaurant in Andalusia and its Southern Style Beef Roast. That put Diamond Jim’s against Ole Gin in the final showdown, which was decided with an in-person tasting of both dishes.

“We started strong with a delicious meal at Ole Gin’s, so I knew that Diamond Jim’s would have to really impress me,” said one contest judge, “and they definitely did.”

The other semifinalist was the “Big Daddy Don Burger” at the Greasy Spoon Kitchen in Gallant. Other notable competitors included the brisket at MaePop’s Barbecue in Tallassee, more brisket at BBQ Haven in Enterprise, the Hamburger Steak Plate at Lynnie Bo’s in Lineville, and the Brisket Dinner at Mitchell’s Smoked Meats in Muscle Shoals.

The annual contest is sponsored by the Cattlemen’s Association and funded through the organization’s Alabama Beef Checkoff Program.

Information for this article came from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association.