The solution I'm going to detail makes use of ActionLayout of MenuItem , which is available from both Android 11+ and earlier versions, but with the use of the support library v7% with%. Soon the solution can be applied to all devices.

Configuration of AppCompat in AndroidManifest

<activity
    android:name=".app.activity.MenuActivity"
    android:label="Exemplo Menu"
    android:uiOptions="splitActionBarWhenNarrow"
/>

As you mentioned, you must set Activity to android:uiOptions="splitActionBarWhenNarrow" to appear.

Menu ( SplitActionBar )

<menu
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">
    <item
        android:id="@+id/ed_save1"
        android:title="@string/action_save"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_save_dark"
        android:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        app:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        android:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom"
        app:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/ed_save2"
        android:title="@string/action_save"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_save_dark"
        android:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        app:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        android:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom"
        app:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/ed_save3"
        android:title="@string/action_save"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_save_dark"
        android:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        app:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        android:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom"
        app:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom" />

    <item
        android:id="@+id/ed_save4"
        android:title="@string/action_save"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_save_dark"
        android:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        app:actionLayout="@layout/menu_item_layout"
        android:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom"
        app:showAsAction="withText|ifRoom" />
</menu>

In it we see some repeated attributes, with schema menu_activity.xml and schema app . I do this because the attributes with schema android are for app and those with schema AppCompat for android native. If you do not use ActionBar you can remove it without any problems.

Definition of AppCompat

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="center"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:focusable="true"
    android:paddingTop="4dip"
    android:paddingBottom="4dip"
    android:paddingLeft="8dip"
    android:paddingRight="8dip"
    android:textAppearance="?android:attr/textAppearanceMedium"
    android:textSize="6pt"
    android:textColor="@color/white"
    style="?attr/actionButtonStyle" />

Common layout, just a menu_item_layout.xml , where we will configure the icon and text. If you want, you can customize it as needed.

MenuActivity

/**
 * Created by wakim on 28/09/14.
 */
public class MenuActivity extends ActionBarActivity implements View.OnClickListener {

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.menu_activity, menu);

        for(int i = 0, c = menu.size(); i < c; ++i) {
            MenuItem item = menu.getItem(i);

            // A linha abaixo é para quem usa o AppCompat.
            //TextView actionLayout = (TextView) MenuItemCompat.getActionView(item);

            // Recuperando a View que representa o Menu
            TextView actionLayout = (TextView) item.getActionView();

            // Atribuo o text baseado no title do Menu
            actionLayout.setText(item.getTitle());

            // Atribuo o drawable de acordo com o ícone.
            // Estou usando o drawableTop, mas poderá usar qualquer um dos:
            // drawableLeft, drawableTop, drawableRight, drawableBottom
            actionLayout.setCompoundDrawablesWithIntrinsicBounds(null, item.getIcon(), null, null);

            // Somos obrigados a configurar manualmente o OnClickListener
            // Ja que estamos configurando uma View Customizada para o Menu 
            actionLayout.setOnClickListener(this);
        }

        return super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
    }

    @Override
    public void onClick(View v) {
        switch(v.getId()) {
            case R.id.ed_save1:
                // Tratamento para click no item ed_save1
            break;
            case R.id.ed_save2:
                // Tratamento para click no item ed_save2
            break;
            case R.id.ed_save3:
                // Tratamento para click no item ed_save3
            break;
            case R.id.ed_save4:
                // Tratamento para click no item ed_save4
            break;
        }
    }
}

My TextView inherits from Activity because I'm using ActionBarActivity , which forces me to inherit it to have access to AppCompat . If you are using only the native ActionBar , you can inherit from ActionBar without any problems.

Result

Edit

InthecaseofthemenubuiltinActivity,youmustadaptthesolutiontostorethestateofActionModeanduseittoretrievetheActionModecreatedandMenuclicked.SobycallingtheMenuItemmethod,keepingthesamelogic.

MenuActivity

/***Createdbywakimon28/09/14.*/publicclassMenuActivityextendsActionBarActivityimplementsView.OnClickListener,ActionMode.Callback{ActionModemActionMode;@OverrideprotectedvoidonCreate(BundlesavedInstanceState){super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);startActionMode(this);//SeestiverusandoabibliotecaAppCompat,parainiciaroActionMode//éprecisochamarométodoabaixo,emvezdométodoacima.//startSupportActionMode(this);}@OverridepublicbooleanonCreateOptionsMenu(Menumenu){//OmenuserácriadonoActionMode...returnsuper.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);}/***MétodoqueconfiguraoActionLayoutdomenu,comosatributosdopróprioMenuItem*/voidconfigureActionLayout(Menumenu){for(inti=0,c=menu.size();i<c;++i){MenuItemitem=menu.getItem(i);TextViewactionLayout=(TextView)MenuItemCompat.getActionView(item);//TextViewactionLayout=(TextView)item.getActionView();actionLayout.setText(item.getTitle());actionLayout.setCompoundDrawablesWithIntrinsicBounds(null,item.getIcon(),null,null);actionLayout.setOnClickListener(this);}}@OverridepublicvoidonClick(Viewv){//TentafazerotratamentocasosejaumMenuItemdeummenucriadonoActionModeif(handleActionModeIfPossible(v.getId())){return;}//Tratamentopadrão,casonãosejaumMenuItemdoActionModeswitch(v.getId()){caseR.id.ed_save1://TratamentoparaclicknomenuLog.i("tag", "ed_save1");
                break;
            case R.id.ed_save2:
                // Tratamento para click no menu
                Log.i("tag", "ed_save2");
                break;
            case R.id.ed_save3:
                // Tratamento para click no menu
                Log.i("tag", "ed_save3");
                break;
            case R.id.ed_save4:
                // Tratamento para click no menu
                Log.i("tag", "ed_save4");
                break;
        }
    }

    boolean handleActionModeIfPossible(int menuId) {

        // Se nao temos um ActionMode no momento podemos parar 
        if(mActionMode == null) {
            return false;
        }

        // Recupero o possível MenuItem do Menu atual do ActionMode
        MenuItem menuItem = mActionMode.getMenu().findItem(menuId);

        // Se nao existe um MenuItem com id "menuId", não podemos continuar.
        if(menuItem == null) {
            return false;
        }

        onActionItemClicked(mActionMode, menuItem);

        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateActionMode(ActionMode mode, Menu menu) {
        mode.getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.am_menu_activity, menu);
        configureActionLayout(menu);

        mActionMode = mode;

        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onPrepareActionMode(ActionMode mode, Menu menu) {
        mActionMode = mode;
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onActionItemClicked(ActionMode mode, MenuItem item) {
        mActionMode = mode;
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public void onDestroyActionMode(ActionMode mode) {
        mActionMode = null;
    }
}