So, about Pinnacle Grill...

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, cbr663 said:

The Pinnacle Grill unfortunately suffers from HAL's reputation of being consistently inconsistent.  We have enjoyed wonderful meals at the PG in the past and some less than wonderful.  

 

Very true.

 

I was on Rotterdam in late August and had two dinners at PG included. Otherwise I wouldn't have eaten there as I'm not much of a steakhouse fan. 

 

The first meal was terrible. The filet mignon was cooked well over asked-for temperature and had a funny taste. I sent it back and received one cooked right (well, still a tad above temp) but almost ludicrously small, which I assumed was out of spite since I asked for it to be redone. 

 

I also received no breadbasket until I finally asked for it, halfway through my salad. And I ordered the baked potato as a side -- what I received was half of a baked potato. I'm not kidding. It had been sliced in half and placed on a plate with the sliced side down as if to disguise that it wasn't whole. If HAL can't afford to give a whole potato, then they are really in bad shape....

 

Finally, either the waiter purposely set out to con me or was woefully ignorant of the wine menu -- which happens now and then. I had the SBP and asked for a suggestion for a glass of red that fit or was close to the SBP limit, since the ones on the Pinnacle menu are all more expensive. He gave me a patter about a great bottle of wine, a variety I like, that was worth purchasing as a bottle with my discount. I thought, why not try it? It was actually quite good. But...I found out the next day that it is available by the glass and would have been free under my package. I felt I'd been had. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt except that he was clearly a very experienced waiter and not new to HAL either based on our conversation.

 

I almost didn't go back for my second night, but I finally made a last-minute decision to go one night when I couldn't face the noise and rushed MDR service. It was night and day. Food and service were both very good.

 

Go figure....

 

 

[Sea42]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

And I ordered the baked potato as a side -- what I received was half of a baked potato. I'm not kidding. It had been sliced in half and placed on a plate with the sliced side down as if to disguise that it wasn't whole. If HAL can't afford to give a whole potato, then they are really in bad shape....

We have seen this recently in land based restaurants also, My husband was not pleased!

[3rdGenCunarder]

I can't remember being unhappy with the food in Pinnacle, but I've had terrible service and excellent service. One of the worst experiences was breakfast in the Pinnacle one of the times we had a Neptune suite. Several mornings items were missing. One morning, I never got my main course. She set down DH's plate and walked away. I thought she went to get mine, but no. She disappeared. At another table, a man waited so long for syrup that his pancakes were cold.

 

The worst was the morning the server spilled a glass of OJ all over me. The next morning, we had breakfast in the MDR to make a point. And, yes, they noticed. The manager of Pinnacle called to ask why we went to the MDR. So I told her. Next morning, we tried Pinnacle again, and a young woman we hadn't seen before came to our table to apologize for the problems we'd had. She had NEVER been our server, but the horrible manager sent her to face us. Quality of service starts at the top. Sometimes Pinnacle has good managers and sometimes not. 

[albingirl]

It's always been quite upscale, in my opinion.  Of course, I'm not eating at some little dive bar in Florida, so I tend to be happy when I visit the Pinnacle.  Sad to say, I'm fairly ignorant about cuts of meat, since I rarely indulge, but at the end of the day, maybe that's a good thing. Now, Italian food, that's another story...... lol.

[esimon]

Wow just wow. I’ve never had a bad meal in the pinnacle. Maybe I’m lower class or don’t understand. Good food. I’ve never had an experience bad enough to post on here about how horrible it was. But I’m glad you warned us all. Thinking about canceling my next cruise on Holland because pinnacle so bad. Not.

[Shmoo here]

18 minutes ago, esimon said:

Wow just wow. I’ve never had a bad meal in the pinnacle. Maybe I’m lower class or don’t understand. Good food. I’ve never had an experience bad enough to post on here about how horrible it was. But I’m glad you warned us all. Thinking about canceling my next cruise on Holland because pinnacle so bad. Not.

I'll admit that I've not eaten in Pinnacle a whole lot, typically once per cruise.  Most recent cruise twice.  Probably a total if 7-8 times over the past 14 years.  And I'm not a foodie.  I always get the filet mignon and it's been great.  The only thing I've ever ordered I didn't really like was the asparagus side, just wasn't to my liking.

 

 

[*Miss G*]

On occasion, we have eaten exclusively in the Pinnacle Grill in order to avoid the MDR. The petite filet was always perfect. 

[IAcruising]

15 hours ago, HUNKY said:

I’ve never seen a ribeye in the US that did not have the cap, tail and all of that wonderful marbling!  Why would you trim all of that off?

 

This is correct. At 99% of meat counters in the US, there is no difference between the OP's "rib steak" and "ribeye". A ribeye steak, at least in North America, is a full steak cut of the rib roast, with only the outside fat trimmed, if needed.

 

[grannyshell]

We've dined at Pinnacle twice; once having rib eyes, which were tough and so the next visit we tried scallops which were overcooked. So I'm not impressed and will dine there only if it's included in HIA. For this current cruise I pre-booked the 2 included HIA dinners at Pinnacle and Tamarind. There was a little snafu with a reservation time so I went to the reservations podium and they allowed me to substitute Canaletto for Pinnacle, which wasn't an option online pre-cruise. 

[Hlitner]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Very true.

 

I was on Rotterdam in late August and had two dinners at PG included. Otherwise I wouldn't have eaten there as I'm not much of a steakhouse fan. 

 

The first meal was terrible. The filet mignon was cooked well over asked-for temperature and had a funny taste. I sent it back and received one cooked right (well, still a tad above temp) but almost ludicrously small, which I assumed was out of spite since I asked for it to be redone. 

 

I also received no breadbasket until I finally asked for it, halfway through my salad. And I ordered the baked potato as a side -- what I received was half of a baked potato. I'm not kidding. It had been sliced in half and placed on a plate with the sliced side down as if to disguise that it wasn't whole. If HAL can't afford to give a whole potato, then they are really in bad shape....

 

Finally, either the waiter purposely set out to con me or was woefully ignorant of the wine menu -- which happens now and then. I had the SBP and asked for a suggestion for a glass of red that fit or was close to the SBP limit, since the ones on the Pinnacle menu are all more expensive. He gave me a patter about a great bottle of wine, a variety I like, that was worth purchasing as a bottle with my discount. I thought, why not try it? It was actually quite good. But...I found out the next day that it is available by the glass and would have been free under my package. I felt I'd been had. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt except that he was clearly a very experienced waiter and not new to HAL either based on our conversation.

 

I almost didn't go back for my second night, but I finally made a last-minute decision to go one night when I couldn't face the noise and rushed MDR service. It was night and day. Food and service were both very good.

 

Go figure....

 

 

WOW.  Truly a "half baked" experience?  We have never been to any restaurant that served half a baked potato.  Not positive how I would react, but it would be tempting to send it back and ask for both halves!    Take care and happy cruising :).

 

Hank

[wdw1972]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

WOW.  Truly a "half baked" experience?  We have never been to any restaurant that served half a baked potato.  Not positive how I would react, but it would be tempting to send it back and ask for both halves!    Take care and happy cruising :).

 

Hank

Before they went to the "half" of a baked potato the full one would be ridiculously large - enough to feed 4 people! We laughed when we saw it, as it was way too big to be one person's side. Suddenly they started cutting them in half, and in my opinion are now a very decent portion (not skimpy). Unless you've seen it, don't assume people are getting some miniscule little portion of baked potato. Not saying that hasn't ever happened, but it hasn't been my experience at all, and we typically eat at Pinnacle 2-3 times per cruise, twice a year, on various ships.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[StLouisCruisers]

14 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

Before they went to the "half" of a baked potato the full one would be ridiculously large - enough to feed 4 people! We laughed when we saw it, as it was way too big to be one person's side. Suddenly they started cutting them in half, and in my opinion are now a very decent portion (not skimpy). Unless you've seen it, don't assume people are getting some miniscule little portion of baked potato. Not saying that hasn't ever happened, but it hasn't been my experience at all, and we typically eat at Pinnacle 2-3 times per cruise, twice a year, on various ships.

 

Sue/WDW1972

I agree. Those potatoes would be the size of a small football if left whole. Even a half is way too much. I don’t want to fill up on baked potato when I have a tender filet mignon to eat. We are used to small portions. 

[IAcruising]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

WOW.  Truly a "half baked" experience?  We have never been to any restaurant that served half a baked potato.  Not positive how I would react, but it would be tempting to send it back and ask for both halves!    Take care and happy cruising :).

 

Hank

 

On what planet does anyone need an entire baked potato as a side? I don't think I've ever eaten more than half, if that, even smothered in butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, etc. 

 

That's a throw away side, like broccoli.

 

[Sea42]

7 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

On what planet does anyone need an entire baked potato as a side? I don't think I've ever eaten more than half, if that, even smothered in butter, sour cream, cheese, chives, etc. 

 

That's a throw away side, like broccoli.

 

I don't think anyone needs it but many enjoy it. At least you can always request another.

[cruisemom42]

33 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

Before they went to the "half" of a baked potato the full one would be ridiculously large - enough to feed 4 people! We laughed when we saw it, as it was way too big to be one person's side. Suddenly they started cutting them in half, and in my opinion are now a very decent portion (not skimpy). Unless you've seen it, don't assume people are getting some miniscule little portion of baked potato. Not saying that hasn't ever happened, but it hasn't been my experience at all, and we typically eat at Pinnacle 2-3 times per cruise, twice a year, on various ships.

 

Sue/WDW1972

 

It was not big. And I enjoy a baked potato, it's the only side I order. 

 

If they're only going to serve you half, shouldn't they call it a "Half-Baked Potato"?

 

🤣🤔

 

 

[Navybikermom]

I stopped eating the steaks at the Pinnacle before Covid even. They just weren’t all that spectacular so I tried the other dishes. The Jidori chicken was good, as was the vegetarian tomato and eggplant dish. Next time I’ll try the pork chop. The lamb chops are great, so that’s what I get when I’m not in the mood for the other items. I don’t usually get a side because the main entree fills me up. The one time I tried the baked Alaska it was disgusting. 😣

[wdw1972]

11 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

It was not big. And I enjoy a baked potato, it's the only side I order. 

 

If they're only going to serve you half, shouldn't they call it a "Half-Baked Potato"?

 

🤣🤔

 

 

That's a tough one, lol - as it could imply not baked fully 😉  Before the sides were listed as shareable side, and they were huge. When the baked potato became a half, I noticed the mashed potatoes had shrunk significantly as well - they're now a single portion, but still pretty large given everything else provided as part of the meal. After probably more than a 100 Pinnacle dinners I tried the mashed potatoes one time and couldn't believe how delicious they were - that was the end of baked potatoes (or half-baked) for me! 

 

Sue/WDW1972

[3rdGenCunarder]

21 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

After probably more than a 100 Pinnacle dinners I tried the mashed potatoes one time and couldn't believe how delicious they were - that was the end of baked potatoes (or half-baked) for me! 

 

This just reminded me of something I didn't like at Pinnacle last winter (Volendam). The mashed potatoes tasted like instant. Cheap instant, the powdery stuff. I was shocked that they could stoop so low, especially when the rest of the meal was very good.

[ottahand7]

5 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I can't remember being unhappy with the food in Pinnacle, but I've had terrible service and excellent service. One of the worst experiences was breakfast in the Pinnacle one of the times we had a Neptune suite. Several mornings items were missing. One morning, I never got my main course. She set down DH's plate and walked away. I thought she went to get mine, but no. She disappeared. At another table, a man waited so long for syrup that his pancakes were cold.

 

The worst was the morning the server spilled a glass of OJ all over me. The next morning, we had breakfast in the MDR to make a point. And, yes, they noticed. The manager of Pinnacle called to ask why we went to the MDR. So I told her. Next morning, we tried Pinnacle again, and a young woman we hadn't seen before came to our table to apologize for the problems we'd had. She had NEVER been our server, but the horrible manager sent her to face us. Quality of service starts at the top. Sometimes Pinnacle has good managers and sometimes not. 

We had a similar experience on the Eurodam.  We had B2BS in a Neptune and the service was terrible both breakfast and dinner.  If the menu sits on the table that means the order hasn't been taken.  After a couple of times of having to ask to order we decided to go to the Lido for breakfast. The ship was so crowded we walked right through the Lido and enjoyed a simple breakfast with perfect cappuccino in the Neptune Lounge.  Our service was bad at dinner and we moved all of our reservations (5 star dinners) to 5pm so that we could get our orders in while we could get wait staff attention.  Wait time for a 6:00 reservation took us until 8:30 to finish our meals.  I was ready to go into orbit.  OP some of that may be a Eurodam problem.  We never had such nonchalant service on a BHB other than the Eurodam.  Service in the MDR was flawless and food always fast and hot.

[coolbluegreenseas]

5 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

And I'm not a foodie.

Actually, neither are the complainers. They think they are, but when they make absurd statements that claim PG is worse than Outback, Ponderosa, Golden Corral or Sizzler, they just sound ridiculous. PG is NEVER going to match a killer steakhouse in OKC, but it is not going to be bad. It is a cruise and over 2000 passengers have to be fed every day, several times a day. There are going to be screw ups so the best thing to do is get it fixed and chill out.

 

By the way, the absolute best steak I have ever had was a Waygu NY Strip purchased at the Public Farmers Market in OKC. It was from a local rancher. Medium-rare on the grill with just salt. Now, that was a steak.

 

[dogo88]

13 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Very true.

 

I was on Rotterdam in late August and had two dinners at PG included. Otherwise I wouldn't have eaten there as I'm not much of a steakhouse fan. 

 

The first meal was terrible. The filet mignon was cooked well over asked-for temperature and had a funny taste. I sent it back and received one cooked right (well, still a tad above temp) but almost ludicrously small, which I assumed was out of spite since I asked for it to be redone. 

 

I also received no breadbasket until I finally asked for it, halfway through my salad. And I ordered the baked potato as a side -- what I received was half of a baked potato. I'm not kidding. It had been sliced in half and placed on a plate with the sliced side down as if to disguise that it wasn't whole. If HAL can't afford to give a whole potato, then they are really in bad shape....

 

Finally, either the waiter purposely set out to con me or was woefully ignorant of the wine menu -- which happens now and then. I had the SBP and asked for a suggestion for a glass of red that fit or was close to the SBP limit, since the ones on the Pinnacle menu are all more expensive. He gave me a patter about a great bottle of wine, a variety I like, that was worth purchasing as a bottle with my discount. I thought, why not try it? It was actually quite good. But...I found out the next day that it is available by the glass and would have been free under my package. I felt I'd been had. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt except that he was clearly a very experienced waiter and not new to HAL either based on our conversation.

 

I almost didn't go back for my second night, but I finally made a last-minute decision to go one night when I couldn't face the noise and rushed MDR service. It was night and day. Food and service were both very good.

 

Go figure....

 

 

 

So you got the half a potato too. It's been about two years since we got treated to this and thought HAL got over being so cheap. Guess not.

 

 

  

[dogo88]

Wonder if the "a whole potato is too much to eat" group would be so tolerant if their filet or rib eye was cut in half. Really do you need to eat the whole thing? 

 

I want a hot whole baked potato. I want to be able to load it up with whatever extras I want and enjoy it with my steak. I don't need to explain to others why or that it's more than I should have.

I don't care. I'm paying extra to eat in what the line calls a premium steak house. 

 

Oh, by the way MDR always gives me a whole hot baked potato. No extra charge.  

[IAcruising]

11 minutes ago, dogo88 said:

Wonder if the "a whole potato is too much to eat" group would be so tolerant if their filet or rib eye was cut in half. Really do you need to eat the whole thing?

 

Comparing a baked potato to a filet or ribeye is a bit of a stretch, don't you think? Just ask for two halves. I bet you get them -- no charge.

 

[Haljo1935]

3 hours ago, Navybikermom said:

...Next time I’ll try the pork chop.

The couple times we've gotten the pork it's been very good and HUGE. But I think it's been removed from the new menu.

[Blackduck59]

So I decided to re-read the OP. Either they fancy themselves as a butcher or decided to insert some book "definition" of the various cuts, as to how they think they "should" be. In my experience a "Rib eye" is a boneless steak and there is always a large mass of fat in it and the good ones are well marbled (fat is flavour). The complaint that the steak was too thin is a legitimate point, unfortunately they are working to a raw weight specification. If you're looking for that high heat flame seared char characteristic of top steak houses, remember they don't have flame broilers. Another poster in an attempt to sound like an expert was talking about "temperature" when describing doneness. Nobody at the table has a thermometer to measure doneness. It is a visual thing we look for colour not temperature. I will agree with those who thought half a large baked potato is fine, if you need more, ask for another half.

I'm sorry the self proclaimed foodies aren't satisfied with Pinnacle Grill. We dine there as included with our HIA fare; I doubt we would pay the tariff as a "Specialty" experience. We understand it is not (insert name of Premium Steakhouse on land) and there are certain logistical issues that ships operating hundreds or thousands of miles away from the butcher shop have that the shore based places don't.