Cavalier Inn
(About Us section of website)
Serving the North Hammond neighborhood and Polish Community for generations
Known simply as The Cav by those who frequent it, this Polish restaurant and bar has served the North Hammond neighborhood and Polish community for generations. The Cav is owned and managed by Wally and Mary Kasprzycki and their son, Wally. Wally Sr. arrived in the United States in 1938 and opened the Cavalier Inn 1949. The Cavalier Inn thrives not only because of the consistently wonderful Polish food (best pierogis and potato pancakes in town), but also to the welcoming atmosphere instituted by Wally and Mary, and carried on dutifully by their son.
There is something for everyone at The Cav. It accommodates the after-work dinner crowd, who fill up the paneled back room in the rear of the building, sitting in the cafeteria style tables, chatting with neighbors and friends, and waiting for their food. There is also the evening bar crowd who come in after 5 for a boilermaker. Then there is the late-night straggler who sits at the bar and keeps Wally company (or is it vice versa?). Finally, there is the Saturday afternoon crowd, who stop in for a plate of pierogis and game of pool.
The atmosphere in every scenario is the same-welcoming and accommodating. Located off the intersection of Gostlin and Torrence in Hammond, across from the Roller Dome, The Cav is easier to find these days due to outdoor ornamental lighting, facade improvements, and a new blacktop parking lot. The Hammond Urban Enterprise subsidized those improvements through the Business Facade Rebate Program. The City of Hammond contributed to the neighborhood by repaving Torrence streets and sidewalks and adding ornamental street lights. The decor includes wood carved Polish eagles, figurines in traditional folk dress, pictures of cavaliers, and a photograph of Wally Jr., a High School All-American in his Northwestern football uniform. The eclectic jukebox features Bear Down Chicago Bears Polka, God Bless Our Polish Pope, In Heaven There is No Beer, as well as tunes from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, John Cougar Mellencamp, and NSync.
There is more than just old-fashioned quaintness to The Cav; there is a history inherent in the walls of this building. Wally is not only a business owner and an immigrant, he is also a sponsor of many other immigrants since World War II. Wally sponsored hundreds of families from Poland and enjoys his patriarchal role in the community. The Cav serves as a comfort zone for those immigrants and their families, because it is the business owned by their first friend in the United States, and a familiar gathering place for many unsure new American citizens. The food is generous and filling. The menu includes pierogis, potato pancakes, czarina, stuffed cabbage (golabki), sausage and sauerkraut (kielbasa z kaputsta), lake perch, and American dishes such as burgers and chili. Mary Kasprzycki runs the kitchen with Dina and Teresa. She works approximately 12 hours per day six days a week or a total of 76 hours per week with her husband, intermittently greeting friends that come to eat. Two nights a week, Mary stays up until the wee hours of the morning making pierogis with her kitchen help.
A cavalier is a symbol of pride for Polish people. A Cavalier's Cross of Merit is Poland's highest civilian honor and a mark of distinction. Therefore, the Cavalier Inn is a gallant and proud name for a small-town restaurant and bar. When you visit, look for the kindly bartender with soft eyes and his friendly and stylish wife, who is responsible for so many well-fed Polish immigrants, their children and grandchildren in Northwest Indiana. On the cold winter days ahead you'll want plenty of meat and potatoes, pork chops, fish, and "kraut", and the Cavalier Inn does them just right.
