Donald BucoloRoyal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas has just set sail. The line’s newest and largest cruise ship, has a number of new features. Among the additions is the new Southern-style restaurant, The Mason Jar. Home to a bar with live country music, sea day brunch, and nightly dinner, we made it a point to experience everything the venue has to offer. Is this specialty restaurant worth the up-charge? We share all the delicious details in our Wonder of the Seas Mason Jar Review.
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The Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas Review
Pre-cruise, we did not have the ability to book dining reservations at this restaurant. So, we originally thought the restaurant would be first come, first serve, similar to the Portside BBQ on Oasis of the Seas. Yet, once onboard, the app indicated that the restaurant did indeed require reservations.
While we knew our media group had a brunch planned at this venue, we also made sure to book a dinner reservation on our own.
The only time slot we could get at this highly sought after restaurant that worked with our entertainment schedule was 5:45 pm on Day 3.
Inside the Restaurant
The Mason Jar is located in front of the Windjammer on Deck 15 of Wonder of the Seas. However, you do not need to enter the buffet to access this restaurant.
When exiting the elevators, make sure to head all the way to the starboard side of the vessel to find the restaurant. Upon entering, the large bar area is to the left and the restaurant is to the right.
The Mason Jar’s entrance greets guests with a farmhouse-style front porch. This rustic décor continues throughout the rest of the venue. Neutral colors and wood accents pair with pops of color to create a home-like cozy and warm feel. During the day, there is plenty of natural light making the space even more inviting.
Similar to Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, the setup at The Mason Jar feels more like you are dining in your best friend’s kitchen. This welcoming atmosphere provides the perfect setting for you to enjoy the rich and hearty menu items.
The Mason Jar Bar
The Mason Jar Bar spans the back wall of the venue. The area also includes additional tables, rockers near the window, and even a porch swing.
Further, there is a small stage is this area that features live music. During our cruise, the Country Trio played regular sets in the evenings.
While it might be difficult to secure a reservation at this newly popular restaurant, the good news is that the bar is first come, first serve. Unfortunately though, you cannot order food at the bar during meal times.
However, there is The Mason Jar Late Night Eats menu. This menu includes select snacks and sandwiches, as well as the must-try Gone Bananas dessert. This menu is a la carte.
Yes, the Unlimited Dining Package does work at both the restaurant and bar.
For those who enjoy whiskey and bourbon, The Mason Jar Bar menu features several delicious cocktails that are made with fresh ingredients and are big on flavor. I sampled the PB&J Old Fashioned. Made with peanut butter whiskey, it was a smooth and rich cocktail that you should try. The Mississippi Moonlight is a sweeter cocktail made with moonshine that shouldn’t be missed either.
Brunch at The Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas
The Mason Jar Brunch menu is a combination of sandwiches from the dinner menu, along with breakfast favorites. The Eggs and More and the Chicken and Waffles are popular choices.
I went with the chicken and waffles, which was the perfect combination of lunch and breakfast.
It consisted of two large pieces of boneless fried chicken served on a bed of fluffy waffles. The lightly breaded and juicy chicken paired well with the doughy waffles. Served with both hot honey and maple syrup, you can customize this dish to your tastes.
For the table, we also ordered the Johnny cakes, a breakfast staple in the south. This version was topped with pulled pork and finished off with chicken skins. The skins had a flavor similar to bacon, and the added crunch gave this small plate plenty of dimension and flavor.
The Princess loves breakfast, so she focused on the Somethin’ Sweet menu items. With so many great options, she finally decided on the stuffed French Toast, though the Red Velvet Pancakes were also a contender.
The thick pieces of toast were stuffed with peanut butter and bananas and topped with bacon. This dish was a serious upgrade to the basic French Toast normally found on cruise ships.
We also decided to order two of the Sweet-Tooth Cinnamon Rolls for the table. These delicious confectionaries are dusted with the ideal mixture of cinnamon and candied pecans. Further, each cinnamon roll is served with a side of icing, so you can customize the sweetness to your tastes.
Dinner at The Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas
As mentioned above, we had a reservation for dinner at the Mason Jar on Night 3 of this inaugural Wonder of the Seas cruise.
Not long after being seated at our table, we met our waiter for the evening, Nikhil. His service throughout the meal was friendly and well-paced.
At first glance, the dinner menu at The Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas can be a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of different options.
So, while deciding just what we wanted to sample, our waiter delivered our drinks along with the restaurant’s signature jalapeno cornbread and biscuits. While both were good, the biscuits were our favorite. They were warm and buttery, and served with Cajun and whipped honey butter.
We Are Just Getting Started
For starters, the Princess went with the Smoked Deviled Eggs. Luckily, they were not very smoky. Topped with chicken skins, the eggs had a well-balanced texture.
I ordered two apps. Although, I could have done more. I started with the gumbo. The stew was a large bowl full of pork sausage, lobster, two crawfish, and plenty of spice. It was fantastic.
Also, on the waiter’s recommendation, I ordered the crab beignets. The light and airy fritters came dusted with Old Bay seasoning. Additionally, the beignets came with salty lump crab salad that was a nice compliment to the more subdued fried dough.
For dinner, again, I did two selections. The shrimp and grits came with a hearty portion of shrimp. The sauce was very similar to the broth in the gumbo. Topped with a few sprinkles of bacon, it too was delicious.
I also ordered an oyster po’boy since fried oysters are something you don’t often see on a cruise ship. This sandwich did not disappoint. It was an admirable version of another classic dish from the Gulf Coast. The oysters were large and freshly fried with a light bread crumb coating and served with a bag of well-seasoned fries.
For dinner, Heidi did the chicken pot pie. The crust had a popover consistency which gave this dish a unique twist. The filling was a classic mixture of veggies, potatoes, and chicken. While not much of a food critic, she did give the dish two thumbs up, but admitted the veggies could have been cooked a bit more.
The Final Round
By now, we were both stuffed, but we just couldn’t skip dessert at what was possibly becoming one of our new favorite Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants.
So, we somehow found some extra room. As an Oreo lover, I had to do the Fried Oreos. True to form, this carnival staple was hot and gooey, with that classic cookie flavor. Though, the Princess’ Gone Bananas might have been the winner.
This signature dessert was layered with vanilla pudding, bananas, and graham cracker, along with swirls of caramel sauce and chocolate. While sweet, it was certainly lighter than my dessert which was rich and heavy.
In addition, we split a scoop of the Bourbon Butter Pecan ice cream. It was smooth and creamy, with a slight hint of bourbon and a nutty finish.
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Recap of The Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas Review
Mason Jar Brunch Menu | Mason Jar Dinner Menu | Mason Jar Dessert Menu |
Mason Jar Bar Menu | Mason Jar Late Night Snacks
The Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas excels at delivering savory homestyle cooking that is nothing like typical cruise food. The menu selections have a sincere, made-from-scratch look and taste. With several hearty brunch and dinner items, you will certainly leave the restaurant full.
Further, the restaurant offers something unique that you won’t currently find anywhere else at sea. We both really enjoyed the Southern selections at this new Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant.
Like other specialty restaurants, the Mason Jar does come with an up-charge. Bunch is $24.99, and dinner is $39.99 per person. In addition, there is an 18% gratuity when purchased on the ship.
For our cruise, the brunch was only offered on sea days, Day 2 and Day 5 from 10 am to 2 pm. The restaurant was open every night from 5 pm to 9:30 pm for dinner. Additionally, late night snacks were offered on pre-sea day nights at the bar until 1 am.
The good news is that the Royal Caribbean Drink Package does cover all of the signature cocktails at the restaurant. So, even if you don’t want to splurge to dine at The Mason Jar, you can still enjoy the drinks and live music at the bar of this new venue.
While we were not able to book this restaurant pre-cruise, it appears cruisers will be able to do so for future sailings. So, if you definitely want to dine at The Mason Jar on your Wonder of the Seas cruise, check your cruise planner often and book early.
We would certainly dine here again and suggest you do too!
Comments
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