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A LEGACY OF BARBECUING, GRILLING AND FRYING<br />
White Diamond Grill<br />
Take a Seat in <strong>Houston</strong> <strong>County</strong> History<br />
s you head to the east end of <strong>Houston</strong> <strong>County</strong>, past<br />
<strong>At</strong>he railroad tracks that were once the town’s main<br />
thoroughfare and into Bonaire, you’ll find an old<br />
one-story building off of Georgia Highway 247.<br />
The old white brick that makes up the storefront<br />
is humble. The sign above that stretches above the<br />
building simply says, “White Diamond Grill,” in plain white text.<br />
As you enter the building, you’re greeted with warm lighting, a<br />
few simple booths and tables and several members of staff working<br />
behind the counter, cooking food and ringing up tickets. Red seats<br />
welcome new customers, and bottles of homemade barbeque sauce<br />
welcome newcomers to try something they haven’t had before.<br />
This humble setting hides a secret: a legacy of barbecuing, grilling<br />
and frying that has kept this business in operation since 1949.<br />
Nancy Childree, White Diamond General Manager, spoke a bit about<br />
the cultural point’s history.<br />
“It’s been in Mr. Charlie Jay’s family for generations after generations,<br />
way back when,” Childree said. “It’s always been in the family. It’s<br />
a family-run business. They started years and years ago, and it’s<br />
really good.”<br />
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY TYLER MEISTER<br />
Being one of the county’s oldest restaurants, plenty of memories<br />
have been made within the eatery’s walls. All of those memories<br />
center around White Diamond’s menu.<br />
Childree highlighted their catfish plate, their award-winning<br />
hamburger — but above all, Childree said their barbecue is what<br />
sets them apart.<br />
The barbecue is smoked on site in a pit attached to the building,<br />
one that’s been with the establishment for years. The meat is coated<br />
in a homemade mustard-based barbecue sauce, and then served<br />
alongside a bun or a roll, in addition to several options for sides.<br />
Often, Childree said that those ordering the meal often grab coleslaw<br />
and Brunswick stew to go along with it.<br />
“The barbecue is outstanding,” Childree said. “The barbecue is our<br />
best seller — people love the barbecue.”<br />
From the combination of the restaurant’s historic nature and the<br />
unmatchable quality in food, Childree said that the community has<br />
supported them “very, very well.”<br />
“We stay busy all day, all night long,” Childree said. “They love<br />
White Diamond, they really do. Even when the pandemic hit and<br />
everything, we closed the dining room, but people still came to the<br />
window. They’d be stretched out to the street — they wanted it.”
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