American Bar & Grille — Restaurant in Atlantic City

After our Christmas in Concert show, The American Bar & Grille was the spot to cap off the evening. Intimate, trendy, beautifully designed, and perfectly lit, this restaurant practically whispered, “Yes, here… this is it,” as we strolled past others. And it absolutely was.

We kicked things off with drinks. My partner ordered the Heineken Zero—the only non-alcoholic beer option on the menu. He’s easy to please and had no complaints, but a little more variety for the sober crowd wouldn’t hurt. I, on the other hand, ordered a New Mexico Sparkling Brut wine , Beautiful to photograph? Absolutely. But the taste wasn’t for me—it was either too refined or too bitter for my palate. That’s a me problem, though, not the restaurant’s fault.

The team execution? Impeccable. It felt choreographed—like watching a perfectly synchronized ballet. The table concierge and managers clearly take pride in what they do, and it shows. Every step was thoughtful, smooth, and left me so impressed I could clap for them right at the table (but I settled for an internal standing ovation). Hospitality artistry like this is what draws me to dine out, and American Bar & Grille went above and beyond in this category.

For appetizers, we chose the White Bean Bruschetta and PEI Mussels-Frites. While both were delicious, the mussels stole the spotlight. Picture this: tender mussels in a garlic white wine sauce, paired with cannellini beans and served over a luscious béarnaise sauce, complete with truffle fries. It was a culinary masterpiece, crafted so intentionally it forced us to put down our phones and savor every bite.

For the main course, we shared the evening’s special: Wild Atlantic Cod in a brown butter sauce with radishes and green beans. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone with this dish was the best decision of the night. The cod was cooked perfectly—light, flaky, and melting in your mouth with no trace of “fishiness.” Each element on the plate complemented the others seamlessly, and before we knew it, the plate was wiped clean. Bravo to the kitchen for such a standout entrée. 👏

We ended with dessert: Cheesecake Crème Brûlée. Delicious, though admittedly a bit heavy for me. If I were an award-winning chef (and I assure you, I am not), I might scale it back—maybe 75% smaller, round it out, and give it a more “less is more” look. But hey, this is American Bar & Grille, not a tapas bar, and indulgence is the name of the game. Still, the taste was undeniably on point.

The Final Word: For $125 (including apps, drinks , entrées, dessert, and coffees), we enjoyed a flawless dining experience in a stunning atmosphere. The food was exceptional, the service was unmatched, and the ambiance was exactly what we needed to end our night.

If you’re looking for a restaurant that doesn’t just serve food but elevates the entire experience, look no further than American...

I was there April 21st at approximately 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. I was there with my two teenage kids. We were sat quickly but then waited for a server to come over for a decent amount of time. The three of us got water and ordered the food that we wanted. Our Waters work consistently filled and that was considered good service to me. However, nobody really talked or smiled or engaged with you from the staff. I did have an incident where your water glass had to chip the top and it sliced my lip. I was bleeding and I was finally able to call somebody over to have them take my glass. This one person took the glass. Looked at it. Set it down and then didn't bring me another one that was very confused by the situation Eventually somebody brought over a new glass which was fine. A little while later an older gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down next to me, which threw me off. He had no name tag on or credentials for me to even know that he worked here until he mentioned that he had heard that I had cut my lip from a glass, so then I assumed he was a manager. He asked if he could have security come over do a report. I told him it wasn't necessary as the bleeding had stopped at this point and didn't seem necessary. He asked which glass it was and I just said it was one of the water glasses. That was basically the extent of our conversation. This was my first time to Atlantic City and my first time staying here. I was here for my birthday. I am not somebody who expects to be given anything. However, I also work in hospitality management. And I feel that this conversation lacked a lot of hospitality. You just had a guess cut themselves on a glass from your establishment and you don't even offer to bring over a free dessert or something to rectify the situation. I feel most places and people would try to make up for the fact that there was a negative experience that happened at their establishment. I was drinking water so I understand not being offered a cocktail. But a salad, an appetizer, a dessert. Something that you know is not a huge cost that could make a situation better. Even the conversation just seemed very strange to me. No introduction was even made by this person. I couldn't even tell you his name because I wasn't given one. Overall the food was good though. The service is just not what I'm used to. And maybe that's typical...

No reservations but 1 hr wait Monday night at 7:45 … finally was sat at a table next to the kitchen and Server stock tables. Eh that’s fine - waiter was good- efficient and polite Took our order and correctly. Offered up the chef specials. Ordered the bread/rolls appetizer for $9? Usually table bread is free but ok. Warm Rolls served w cheese butter was delicious. And also chose the bbq ribs served Asian style. The sauce was good but ribs were kind of dry and very small not a lot of meat- Waited about 55 minutes from sit down until dinner was served which seemed a little long. Got 2 entrees Pork Milanese which had a decent flavor, breaded and sauced - served with a side of arugula (it’s a vegetable!) and I ordered the half chicken Marsala served over a few green beans. I chose an extra side of the creamy mashed as well. All items are Ala carte so nothing comes with dinner. The chicken was overcooked with a super crispy skin. The 2 pieces were flattened out and separated- which was interesting- It was edible so I just let it be. I heard the waiter telling the couple next to us who had received a hockey puck of a burger that the chef was busy preparing for the week so the assistants were cooking and they were a little overwhelmed in the kitchen. So why send food back to wait even longer. The staff was very attentive and came back often and checked with us. Didn’t order dessert as the choices were not to my taste. Coffee was very good though. All in all there are better tasting food options in the Borgata- probably would not dine again . 2 appetizers 2 entrees. 2 non alcoholic drinks and 2 coffees. $140 for dinner was a little over priced for...