Pinnacle Grill versus MDR

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I think the PG is more than a steakhouse such as Outback, at which I have never had a decent meal or Ruth Chris. I think it is more like the best fine dining restaurant in your hometown. The meat is always tender and the service excellent. My only negative comment about the PG is that they never seen to be able to get the main course served hot when we dine there. And as I have said many times, I think the lunch is better than the dinner. But we do go to the PG at least once a cruise.

[Bearnaise]

I would consider the PG in approximately the same class as Morton's, Ruth's, The Palm, etc. as far as the beef goes. It's aged prime, far better than the choice stuff at Outback. Appetizers and salads and desserts are about the same quality too. We were somewhat disappointed by the side dishes, however.

[Hawaiidan]

The pinnacles is an average steak house, somewhere a tiny bit above Outback, but well below Palms, Totter, Ruth Chriss or Mortons.. ( all of which are way-way better). It is, or rather tries to have better atmosphere and sells its self as a gourmet palace. It is not... Fine china, cozy atmosphere, good service, larger portions, and lobster but no... food not all that different.

Once was enough, as I could not see, for me, the value. More hype than I cared for. And a very limited very plain menu... no classics etc Like tornedos rossini... Just a regular nice american steak place

 

The Main Dining, is while more crowed and less exclusive feeling, has food that is equal to what they have you pay $25PP for. Now they are hyping Le cirque... for $39 pp. eager to give shipboard social climbers a new summit to bag.

 

My advice is stick to regular dining...its more than good and without having to drop $100 a meal for 2.

 

Stick with the regular dining and save your pennies for something else

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks soldham & Boytjie!

 

I am one of those people sail7seas is talking about that doesn't have many dining choices in my hometown.... that is one of the reasons I travel most of the year :D I love trying new foods and trying to cook some of them when I return home!

 

Does the PA work like the MDR and you can order multiple dishes in each course? Can you try something and return it and order something else if you didn't like it?

 

You can have as many appetizers, soups, salads, side dishes and desserts as you want -- no limit there.

But you can only order one entree for the $25 fee.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have eaten at Ruth Chris both here in Pittsburgh and San Diego -- none of the steaks I had there were good -- the quality was very poor -- we like filets.

Even the filets that I buy at a speciality grocery store are better than Ruth Chris.

Mortons is GREAT.

[Wayfairers]

I can't see spending my money on the PG, I'd rather save it for The Palm, Ruth's Chris, etc. But, I got a coupon from my TA so suddenly I'm curious and (obviously) have lots of questions. I am very happy to learn that they serve aged, prime beef.

[sail7seas]

We had dinner at Morton's the other night and it was outstanding in all ways. So was our bill. :D

 

For the price, Pinnacle does a very good, very comparative job when compared to the top tier steakhouses IMO

 

Ruth Chris, Morton's, The Palm, Capital Grilll, Outback .... all the chains vary one location to another, one evening to another. Pinnacle on one ship to another probably varies one night to another. So does personal taste. ;) What I think terrific, someone else may not.

 

[mastergator]

As I expected and true to past posts on the subject, the cc'ers are divided. It is a very personal question about food in general and pg in particular. One thing you do see the folks here agree on is the experience. I have a hearing issue which is exacerbated in noisy places....mdr is very noisy ....also had to go to the Little boys room and finding a path out with all the tables filled was hard. Those things alone made me love the pg. And I judged the food outstanding...clearly superior to.mdr in my mind. We went on night two of ten days to pc on the z and after that night I quickly made a resv for another night and lunch...lunch is really great and only ten bucks....they must be doing something right .....you have a hard time making resv after the first couple of days.....I am doing circle hawaii on the. Odam in april and I plan to do atleast two dinners and two lunches ......maybe mdr twice and the others in canaletto or room service. I choose pg because I like the food but I love the experience...quiet spacious romantic...everything the mdr can't be. Hell twenty five bucks won't buy me three budweisers. Dw would eat there every meal if I let her. Envious of the suite folks that get breakfast there....not for the food...eggs are eggs....it's the ambiance I find value in.....and oh by the way...you can't get the ribeye on the plate...and the shrimp on the appetizer list are maybe 15 count.....atleast four times as big as the mdr. I respect the others opinions here..it is very personal what folks find value in. I'll take the pg and pass on the budweisers...ok...maybe I will do both.

 

My recommendation is to try it and see for yourself. Book it on line and do it for an early night on the cruise...then if you like if you may be able to go another night or do lunch. No bad decisions here. Have a wonderful time.

[peaches from georgia]

We have had good and not-so-good steaks in many visits to the PG. If I get beef I always order the rare filet mignon and I can't remember being disappointed. However, my DH has had ribeye many times and it varies- he has had good ribeye and also had some that were very fatty and grizzley.

 

So I looked up what is said on the website and under PG it says the beef is Sterling Silver Premium brand. I googled that and the SS brand website says their beef is aged Prime or Choice. That may well account for how DH's steaks have varied from excellent to not so great. Our last few cruises DH has had lamb chops which were excellent and I also have tried shellfish which has been good. Sides vary. I never would compare the PG to The Palm though, at least not the one here in Atlanta. But neither can you compare the prices.

[Typhoon1]

The PG is well worth the $20.00 up charge. Give it a try sometime.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The PG is well worth the $20.00 up charge. Give it a try sometime.

 

 

As of August 1st -- Pinnacle is now $25 per person.

[SwissMyst]

If PG only used USDA Prime it would be worth taking a chance. Instead it uses some fake "Silver Label" bulk hotel purveyor brand. That is mistake number one. Total inconsistency is mistake number two. Surly middle European management is mistake number three.

 

But other than that, the whole idea of PG offering premium dining is great - but premium means there is no room for the inconsistency PG is now infamously known for.

 

I hope they work this out because the setting and concept and even the menu with a little more restraint on the portion sizes would be very welcome. Think on our upcoming TA, I will try it one more time but only for lunch.

[Opinions]

Times, people and traditions change over time. If society remains stagnant, it doesn't survive.

 

]

 

I think this member of society will survive without eating in the Pinnacle...I preferred it when the best dining on a HAL ship was in the MDR...However I accept that extra charge restaurants are here to stay and probably will increase in the future...A extra charge for special entertainment could be next...Perhaps even a extra charge restaurant for those who want a more formal dining experience...The MDR could become all casual everynight since people and traditions change overtime.

[DiploTraveler]

I don't mind the extra charge restaurants as long as the MDR exists and I have the option of choosing not to spend the extra money. My biggest concern when the extra charge restaurants started was that eventually that would be the only dining options on board. So far, that isn't happening.

 

Not just that. A more realistic scenario is that as the lines make more money off the specialty restaurants, the MDR quality may end up plummeting.

[soccerpapi]

I was on the 12 July 2011 New York to Rotterdam transatlantic crossing on the ms Rotterdam and had dinner at the Pinacle Grill four times and thoroughly enjoyed each meal.

 

I found it to be well worth the extra $20.00 for dinner, it is a elegant four star restaurant in my opinion. The food, staff, service and atmosphere were great, I would definitely recommend the Pinnacle Grill on the ms Rotterdam without any hesitation.

 

Gerald, the Mariner Society Director hosted special guests on three of the four nights that I had dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. I also saw guest lecturers, entertainers, ship artist Stephen Card and many others during my visits. It has a nice clubby, refined atmosphere that I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

soccer

[Who knew?]

Think on our upcoming TA, I will try it one more time but only for lunch.

 

Can someone give me an idea what their lunch menus are like? Do they differ from dinner only in portion size, or ???

 

Thanks -- Linda:)

[SwissMyst]

Can someone give me an idea what their lunch menus are like? Do they differ from dinner only in portion size, or ???

 

Thanks -- Linda:)

 

This link has a copy of the PG lunch menu - don't know the date but it looks similar to others I have seen:

http://www.guidetocaribbeanvacations.com/cruise/holland_america_pinnacle_grill_lunch_menu_2.html

[Who knew?]

This link has a copy of the PG lunch menu - don't know the date but it looks similar to others I have seen:

http://www.guidetocaribbeanvacations.com/cruise/holland_america_pinnacle_grill_lunch_menu_2.html

 

Thank you!:)

[jkrislc]

I'd go back for the bone-in rib eye steak and the sauteed mushrooms, but everything else at the PG was mediocre at best, including the desserts. The service was pretty poor as well. For me, though, I don't indulge in steakhouses at home, so it's worth it to me.

 

My best experience so far has been at Palo on Disney. The week we sailed, they were offering grass fed, organic beef and couldn't do enough to please us. When I wanted to take a left over side dish for my son to try, they insisted on making an entirely new dish and packaging it up with silverware, linen napkins, etc. On HAL, I needed an act of congress just to take the left over portion of my steak back to the cabin. I'm guessing that this is part of the inconsistencies that others have spoken about.

[Wayfairers]

We had dinner at Morton's the other night and it was outstanding in all ways. So was our bill. :D

 

For the price, Pinnacle does a very good, very comparative job when compared to the top tier steakhouses IMO

 

Ruth Chris, Morton's, The Palm, Capital Grilll, Outback .... all the chains vary one location to another, one evening to another. Pinnacle on one ship to another probably varies one night to another. So does personal taste. ;) What I think terrific, someone else may not.

 

 

Soooo true.... just one example...IMO The Ruth's Chris in Huntsville is not very good, Knoxville, San Diego, Palm Desert (Palm Springs) and Troy (Detroit) are all great. However, my in-laws, who haven't eaten at the other Ruth's Chris love the one in Huntsville... so opinions vary widely based upon tastes and experience. I'm picking on Ruth's Chris but have found this to be true for all chains except fast food chains.

 

That is why I asked for comparable on-shore restaurants... it doesn't matter so much what someone's opinion was of the restaurant since I have my own opinion. I have found that, while the quality of the food varies between location, overall the restaurant chain has a general atmosphere and quality of food. :)

[ironin]

Can someone give me an idea what their lunch menus are like? Do they differ from dinner only in portion size, or ???

 

Thanks -- Linda:)

 

Click here for a pdf file of the Pinnacle Grill menu (current as of May, 2011):

Pinnacle Grill Lunch Menu. We enjoyed two lunches there. Very relaxing, too, as there were very few others dining there either time.

[m steve]

but they use aged prime beef and not the usual commercial grade like Silver brand. It's like buying beef fro Omaha Beef that might be a bit better than your local supermarket but not the quality of beef that you get at The Palm, etc. These restaurants will vary from city to city due to the staff. I remember growing up in NYC and seeing all the beef hanging in refrigerated windows at Chandler's and Gallagher's dry aging. I don't think they dry age for the Pinnacle.

[ironin]

That is why I asked for comparable on-shore restaurants... it doesn't matter so much what someone's opinion was of the restaurant since I have my own opinion. I have found that, while the quality of the food varies between location, overall the restaurant chain has a general atmosphere and quality of food. :)

 

Can't help you with on-shore comparisons -don't think any of them are applicable as the entire experience/atmosphere are just too different. (JMO, of course. YMMV - as the opinions already expressed demonstrate! :D).

 

We've dined at PG 16-18 times (including special evenings like Le Cirque and Wine Pairing Dinners) on three different ships within the past twelve months. Our meals ranged from very good indeed to positively outstanding. We've sampled most, but not all, of the menu offerings.

 

The plank cod is the weakest link, IMO, unless you are cruising Alaska. While in Alaska, the cod is probably fresh-caught. I know that is true for the Canaletto, as the chef himself told me it would be, and that that was the only time he would personally recommend the cod on his menu.

 

While keeping in mind that everyone has different tastes, expectations, and experiences, I'll just say we've never left the Pinnacle Grill feeling our $20 (now $25) was wasted, we always had good service (usually outstanding, in fact), and the food was well-prepared and delicious. Some "branches" are better than others at timing and server/kitchen communication, but we're never in the mood to "dine and dive" so the odd delay between course servings has never been a problem for us.

[Wayfairers]

ooooohh.... PG has wine pairing dinners???? How do you find out when these are?

[marc62]

Just back off the Ryndam and we had two evening meals in the Pinnacle which to be fair we thought the MDR was better. Maybe we had a poor week in the pinnacle and the MDR had a great week. we honestly felt that Chops Grill on RCCL left the Pinnacle standing.

 

My thoughts only

 

Marc