The last complimentary restaurant at which we dined during our 5 day cruise was American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas.  Another restaurant we thoroughly enjoyed on Quantum of the Seas, we made some special arrangements for this final restaurant. Knowing the menus ahead of time, we knew that the Princess’ favorite meal, the turkey dinner, was not offered on this menu but rather the menu that would be available tomorrow, so we requested it with the head waiter the night before, and he was happy to accommodate us.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

Review: American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

We had become pros at Dynamic Dining Classic by now. Arriving around 5:45pm, we walked past the small line of Choice guests and headed in the general direction of our assigned seats, Table 108. The inside of American Icon Grill has less of a traditional main dining room feel than the other venues.  The metallic finishes and Americana style artwork give this venue a home style feel.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

As promptly as we sat down, our waiter Manilow came by with menus. He knew by this point that we would be ordering drinks, so there was already a drink menu on our table.

For specialty drinks, I went with an old fashioned and the Princess did a new fashioned. There was not much selection in terms of cocktails as the venue really features iconic American beers.  By passing the bar server this time, Manilow just got us the drinks himself. The drinks were exactly how we remembered them from our cruise on Quantum of the Seas.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

A very standard bread basket was also delivered to the table. While not a major deal, one thing we did miss on this ship compared to Quantum of the Seas was the customized bread basket for each venue. It just gave you the feeling that you were eating at a completely different restaurant each night.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

To start, the Princess went with the Iceberg Wedge Salad. Boy, it certainly was a wedge. I had a couple bites as the salad was just so massive. It was probably one of the best salads we had on the ship.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

Salad is too healthy for me. Instead, I went with a double order of shrimp. Starting with the staple Shrimp Cocktail, which was served chilled with a tangy cocktail sauce.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

That was followed by the Breaded Shrimp. A very basic fried popcorn shrimp, there was not too much batter, so you could actually taste the shrimp. So far, American Icon Grill was delivering, just with different menu items than the last time.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

Service tonight seemed a bit more prompt, but there were still some delays between courses. Our waiter again acted like our assistant waiter as well, filling water and clearing plates in addition to serving.

The Princess’ dinner arrived, thick slices of turkey on a bed of homemade stuffing.  All was good, and it ranked as her favorite complimentary meal of the cruise. I actually did not even get to try any of her turkey as she gobbled it all up.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

There were many Classic and Featured selections that I could have gone with for dinner tonight. But, wanting to try something different, I ordered the Almond Crusted Mahi-Mahi. I normally do not eat much fish on a cruise, as it just doesn’t compare to New England seafood. The fish was baked and served hot but did not have much flavor. The slight crunch of the almonds gave it a different texture, so I did enjoy a few bites but did not want to fill-up before my second entree.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

Entree number 2 was one of my cruise staples, Roasted Rack of Lamb. Usually featured one night in the main dining room, this serving at American Icon Grill was warm and cooked medium just as I requested.  I am always pleased with this dish on a cruise ship, and this time around was no exception. Good thing I ordered it as a backup.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

So far, dinner was going well, but we really didn’t come here for the entrees and starters. American Icon Gill is really all about the dessert!

In fact, instead of just eating dessert, we decided to drink it too! These dessert cocktails were covered in the drink package, so why not try them? I went with the Apple Pie martini, and the Princess went with the Blueberry Creamcycle. These sweet cocktails did not miss the mark, but we actually ended up switching drinks as we each liked the opposite drink better.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

While all of the desserts sounded delectable, I got the Apple Pie a la mode, and the Princess went with the Warm Doughnuts.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

We should have saved more room as these were among the standout desserts of this cruise.

American Icon Grill Anthem of the Seas

To recap, if you enjoy some comfort food then you will love American Icon Grill. The menu has changed a bit since our cruise on Quantum of the Seas, but there are still some really well done dishes that have a home-cooked feel and taste. This is definitely a restaurant we recommend trying whether you have Dynamic Dining Classic or Choice.

Keep in mind that the menu does change part way through your cruise, offering completely different dinner selections. On our 5 day Bermuda cruise, the Anthem of the Seas American Icon Grill “menu A” was offered on nights 1-4 and “menu B” on night 5. You can see all the menus here. And if you see something on the other menu rotation that you like better, it doesn’t hurt to ask if you can get that instead; it worked for the Princess.

Summary

• Type of Food- American Comfort Food
• Meals served- Dinner
• Dress code- Smart Casual
• Cost- Complimentary

Comments

Have you had dined at American Icon Grill? What were your favorite dishes at this restaurant? Drop us an anchor below to let us know your favorite meals. We would love to hear about your experiences with the restaurants on Anthem of the Seas!