Cavalier Inn

My first time here after a friend of mine recommended Cavalier Inn. I’ve lived in the area for years and still have family in the vicinity and wondered why I’ve never dined here. To my surprise, my sisters have been here many times in the past, but not me. Cavalier Inn has been here since 1949 so they must be doing something right! I love Polish food too!
The food was very good and filling, fresh Polish sausage and kapusta. The Polish beer, Okocim, went well with my entrée. I even took an order out for someone at the end of my first visit here.
I ate in the back hall, which was in dire need of renovation. The very tired and worn service counter in the banquet hall corner was a total disgrace for patrons to view. The kitchen appeared quite organized and clean but the cook appeared to be a very young Hispanic guy and the wait staff consisted of American girls in jeans that spoke little or no Polish… Welcome to 2016 Hammond, Indiana, I guess. Gone are the starah-​babas (old Polish ladies) cooking up a storm in the background.
I will return and maybe sit up in the colorful bar area next time. I guess I was a bit taken back by the dingy and dated in a bad way, banquet hall. You guys need to spruce up things without ruining the nostalgic atmosphere of Cavalier Inn. You probably could attract new business in the process!
The food was very good… but I will hold further judgement until after I return to try something else from the menu.

True neighborhood place. I must confess that i have known Wally the host since we were in grade school together (St.Cas). However the food and personality of this place cannot be beat. Everything here is home made. I should know in Polish. The Mushroom soup is the best i ever had. My server did a great job and i left very satisfied. Cavalier Inn has the personality that the chain restaurants lack. Dont change a thing Wally! SMACZNEGO!

When I used to work there I did a pretty good job and the place was nice and clean now it needs some work.

I really wish I could recommend Cavalier Inn because the food is so good, but after waiting more than an hour for it, I cannot. Out of all the times I went, I think 2 were very good, but that was when our favorite waitress was still there. After she quit, the service has deteriorated and running out of simple things like cottage cheese or coleslaw on more than one occasion is inexcusable. I happened to see our former waitress a little while back, and she said she ordered a take out hamburger and waited an hour for it. It seems the problem is in the kitchen. The owner? is so stubborn, things won’t change unless she says so. Those golabki sure are great, though.

Someone recommended this place for perch dinner. I almost killed myself with the bones they left in the perch filet they served. I had to dig around in my mouth to pull out one bone that got caught betewenn my tooth and gum. Pass this place by.

I ordered takeout pierogis for my work crew and they went over big. You could tell that three different people assembled them. Today however I stopped for lunch and was so disappointed. I ordered the Polish platter and found that they did not have the potato pancakes. A stuffed cabbage was substituted. They arrived warm but not hot and I sent them back. The cook seemed upset. The rest of the dish was poorly seasoned and rather tasteless and overcooked. The service was abysmal and that seems to be a problem with any of the restaurants in this area. I will probably only order pierogis to take out from now on and not stop for a sit down meal.

Went again last night. Still wonderfull. What laks in service is made up in the great homemade food. Very old school, give it a try.

The perch dinner was fantastic, can’t remember when I had one so delicious. I would recommend this place for dinner oh yea the polish plate is to die for I hear that is my next meal :)

Best food in a Diner/​Dive in the region. Forget ambiance, this is an old school neighborhood bar with a dining room that looks unaltered since the ’60’s. Not much to look at but the food is terrific. I think the fact that it is a dive adds to the charm of the place. (Except for the bathrooms– wish they would remodel the bathrooms) The polish food is top notch. Tell them how you want your pierogis, sautéed or pan fried. The stuffed cabbage and stuffed peppers are great and the kraut is the best anywhere. They also have great sandwiches; pan fried perch and other comfort food favorites. The place is family run and the workers wait tables and help in the kitchen. Service can be slow but they will get you what you ask for. The proprietors treat costumers like family and greet you as though they have known you for years.

Very easy to give the Cav 5 stars because it IS as good as it gets for what it does: home-​cooking Polish food par excellence! Great selection of Polish and global beers and vodkas in the bar, where you can also enjoy a meal in one of the cozy booths. In back, lunch and dinner are served at the tables in generous portions. All the Polish dishes are perfectly prepared, and the quality of ingredients is high; e.g. very lean kielbasa. Stuffed cabbage, pirogi, and lake perch are my favorites, and fried chicken and pork chops are among my friends’. In the bar, Wally, who played football while at Northwestern, is a friendly barkeep who knows his trade — and a lot more; smart boy, he! — and makes everyone feel welcome. In all, a unique place that I’m happy to visit every time I’m in the Region.

Hello FOOD SNOB here,
This neighborhood place has been the same since 1963. I drank Beer here for many years. Sometimes I have lunch here. GREAT BLT sandwich and Delicious TUNA MELT.
Just tried the POLISH PLATE. It is big enough for 2 and is excellent. All HOME MADE, OLD WORLD comfort food.
Family owned since 1947 I believe. Many regulars sit at the bar and eat.
Nothing fancy just GREAT food,

Great, authentic polish food!
I got the platter and it was more than I could handle. I tried to finish it because it was so good, but my stomach could hold no more. Great polish beer on tap. Be sure to get a shot of the ‘ox grass’ vodka, the smoothest vodka ever to touch my lips. The help is friendly and I swear a baba actually made the meal. My co-​worker had a polish grandmother and he had not had a halupki since she passed on. He literally inhaled it while ate it! Kept saying, ‘just like my grandmothers’. It is also a classic corner bar. I can’t say enough good about it. Don’t be misled by appearances. This place has great food.

The food was great. Every meal starts off with a bean salad, coleslaw, and cottage cheese relish dish. I ordered the lake perch which exceeded my expectations, however the customer service was a deal breaker. We went on ash wednesday waited 10 minutes for a waitress to bring our menus. They apparently ran out of menus so we had to share one. We ordered our meals, and an HOUR later they came out. All we got was fried perch. The waitress was semi rude. I only left a 10% tip, because of the customer service. I look at my credit card statement and see that the waitress added an additional $ 2 to her tip. I am calling the owner to see what he can do. I have no intentions of going back. Avoid at all costs!

The Cavalier is a typical North Hammond neighborhood place. I love the tiny two person booths in the (smoking) bar — very 50’s. The dining room is not fancy but is usually full on Friday night. The specials board never seems to change — Lake Perch, Walleye and Shrimps. They added the s on shrimp, not me.
Each meal starts with cottage cheese, cole slaw and bean salad. I love the dilled beans! Stay away from the breaded pork chop. It is too thin. Also skip the canned green beans. The fish is quiet good and the fried chicken is the best I have had.
Dinners are inexpensive and imported beers are $ 4.
There is a lot of fried food on the menu. I’m anxious to try the Polish Platter. The waitress says it is plenty for two at $ 17.
Service is a bit slow but friendly.

Excellent food at an affordable cost