We live in the South now, so we don’t seek out Southern cuisine because we can get it at home. For instance, we absolutely love Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs. We were hoping the Mason Jar on Wonder of the Seas would be reminiscent of that. TK was excited to try some of their Bourbon cocktails.
I started with the Mississippi Moonlight which was made with blackberry moonshine, soda, muddled berries, and mint. I thought it was sweet and refreshing, and my only gripe was that I kept sucking muddled fruit up the straw. I had several of these while on the cruise because we returned to the lounge to listen to a live country band called the Country Crew Trio and enjoyed the rocking chairs. It was an ideal chill spot.
TK enjoyed a Pretty as a Peach Tea to start his dinner and even though it was pretty, he did not love it. He drinks Manhattans and other Bourbon-based drinks, so he tries whatever sounds good and includes whiskey.
Aunt Rosie ordered the PB&J Old Fashioned because she thought that the mini sandwiches were adorable. We were surprised that she finished it because it was strong. TK also ordered one later on and said it was underwhelming because he wanted it to be a little sweeter, and said it may have been better to swap the real jelly for Chambord so that he would get more of a PB&J taste instead of a strong cocktail with a sandwich garnish.
For my appetizer, I was really excited to try the Crab Beignets. The beignets were warm and pillowy and had a little sprinkling of Old Bay, so you won’t confuse them for dessert. The crab dip was pretty mellow and I got a hint of crab, but mostly it was thick cream. I love Old Bay, so I was happy.
We also ordered the Smoky Deviled Eggs because we love this dish. They were cool and creamy, but I could definitely taste the smokiness of the peppers and paprika. Even though we enjoyed them, this dish wasn’t ranked up high with others we’ve had, unfortunately.
Aunt Rosie ordered the Blueberry Johnnycakes as her appetizer. I tasted it and thought separately, they were good, but seemed like an odd pairing. She wasn’t thrilled with them. I thought that maybe a corncake or corn muffin might have paired a little better.
Dad ordered the Lobster and Crawfish Gumbo, as he always does. He enjoyed it and it was done rather quickly. We don’t love seeing the crawfish eyeballs, but that’s what you get whenever you order crawfish no matter where you go.
Jax ordered the Lil Southern Burger with Sweet Potato Fries. He enjoyed it, but on the menu it said it would be “stacked high,” but you can see that’s not the case. However, he liked it all and gobbled it up.
My entree was Shrimp N Grits and I order this as much as I can when it is available. I really liked my meal because the shrimp were cooked well, it included bacon, and there were plenty of cheesy grits. I will repeat … there’s bacon.
Mom ordered the Meat N Two Fixins and her choices were Meemaw’s Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Collared Greens. I know she didn’t finish it because it was a lot of food for her, but I didn’t hear any complaints until she told us she was so full.
Upon completion of our meals, I couldn’t pass up on the Gone Bananas! It included light and airy vanilla pudding speckled with roasted bananas and topped with whipped cream and crunchy toffee pieces. I loved it because it wasn’t heavy and was sweet enough for dessert, but not too sweet.
My parents ordered the Warm Bread Puddin’ to share and it was slathered in vanilla sauce. My Dad hates cooked raisins, so he would have preferred it without them, but they ate it in a few bites.
I know it is unfair to compare the Mason Jar to Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ in Disney Springs, but we had to because it is one of our favorites. We enjoy southern cuisine so much that we were excited for this new eatery on Wonder of the Seas. There were some dishes that missed the target, but there were some that I would love to eat randomly for takeout or while rocking on one of their chairs in the lounge.
Mason Jar, Wonder of the Seas, Royal Caribbean
Yumness 