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A good hotel restaurant is nearly as difficult to find as a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but when you're staying at the fantastic Cavalier Oceanfront Resort, in San Simeon, CA, you don't need to look any further than the Cavalier Restaurant, to enjoy delicious food, served by friendly people, at reasonable, by San Simeon standards, prices. If you're moblilty-challenged, or don't feel like walking, rejoice! ... as Cavalier Restaurant is located near the office of the Cavalier Oceanfront Resort. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Cavalier Restaurant is located adjacent to Cavalier Oceanfront Resort, in San Simeon, CA. Unlike many other hotel restaurants, Cavalier serves delicious food at reasonable prices.
Photo: It's early Tuesday evening, October 15, 2019, and we've arrived to a very busy dining room at Cavalier Restaurant, and we're ready for dinner. Cavalier Restaurant is co-located with Cavalier Inn, and a couple other hotels, but unlike many hotel restaurants, Cavalier Restaurant serves excellent food at good prices, especially considering the out-of-the-way location on California's central coast, and the fact that San Simeon is a tourist destination. It's well after dark, but the windows look out toward the nearby ocean, and offer a great view of the sunset.
Photo: Our waiter, Jordan, mixes a drink for a patron. Cavalier Restaurant includes a small bar, and makes all common drinks, but the bar does not include seating, as all guests are seated in the dining room.
Photo: The first page of the dinner menu features many classic offerings. The menu at Cavalier Restaurant is constantly evolving and changing, and every time we've paid a visit, we've been treated to an updated menu.
Photo: Neither my wife nor I were in the mood for a "full" dinner, so we settled on the second page of the dinner menu, and both of us ordered the "Hears Ranch Burger," along with an order of fries.
Photo: When you order a burger from the dinner menu, for only $2.00 more, you can add a small Caesar salad, a house salad, or a cup of soup. Such a great deal, and a great enhancement to dinner... This is a small version of the famous Caesar salad, complete with romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, with a touch of olive oil and garlic. It's all fresh, carefully prepared, delicious, and makes a great appetiser to dinner.
Photo: After placing my Caesar salad on the table, our host, Jordan, came by to add some pepper, using a grinder and peppercorns, for a nice touch. Jordan provided good enough service, but he requested I didn't take his photo, which didn't win him any compliments from me.
Photo: Thanks, Jordan, for taking this photo of Sharlene and I, as we prepare to enjoy identical dinners of "Harris Ranch Burgers."
Photo: From the "Sandwiches and Burgers" section of the dinner menu, we both chose a "Hearst Ranch Burger," and an order of fries. Cavalier's menu offers many choices of sides if you're not in the mood for fries, as besides fries, you can choose from sweet potato fries, coleslaw, diced fruit or quinoa. We both chose fries... The burger starts out with a large - possibly one third pound - beef patty. This is no ordinary beef patty, as it comes from the nearby and local Hearst Ranch located just across the highway from San Simeon, known for their grass-fed beef, free range and all natural beef. The beef patty is juicy, perfectly seasoned, and perfectly cooked. It's placed on a large, fresh, buttered and toasted roll, and features just the right bun-to- meat ratio, which is one of the crucial factors for a great burger. Between the meat and the bun, you get fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle slices. We couldn't resist ordering optional bacon... you can't blame us, as we were on vacation! When you bite into this burger, you know you're enjoying an amazing burger, as the flavor and juice just oooozes out! Not only was the burger a taste sensation, but the meat, bacon and bun were warm, while the lettuce, tomato onion and pickle slices were cold... the combination of hot and cold helps to make this an outstanding burger. The smoky goodness of the bacon added to the overall great taste sensation of the "Hearst Ranch Burger,' but didn't overpower the meat, and the fresh farnishes. This burger was so good that neither of us added any mustard or ketchup. The fries were large cut - steak fries - and cooked to a golden brown, and a tender, white inside. My wife didn't care for the large size of the fries, but I absolutely went crazy over my fries, and, along with the burger, completely demolished them. Such a great burger and fries at Cavalier Restaurant!
Photo: It's Monday, October 13, 2014, and we're ready to enjoy dinner tonight at Cavalier Restaurant, located in San Simeon. The spacious dining room features booths around the perimeter, and tables in the middle. The staff dresses quite formal, but the restaurant is very informal, as tee shirts, shorts and flip flops are perfect for causal dining.
Photo: Our friendly hostess, Nora, pours Sharlene's glass of wine. Cavalier Restaurant features a full-service bar.
Photo: In mid-October, 2014, we stayed four nights at Cavalier Oceanfront Resort, which turned out into four nights and five days of pure pleasure! Monday, October 13, 2014, we enjoyed dinner at Cavalier Restaurant, as the food is delicious, it's reasonably priced, and the restaurant is a minute away from our room. We ordered dinner, and a salad is served with dinner, as an appetizer. Such a delicious salad! I even enjoyed the pickled beet slice! That's really saying something, as I'm not a fan of beets, but with Cavalier's salad, beets are good!
Photo: Our server, Nora, places Sharlene's dinner on our table; my fried chicken has already placed at my spot. We recognized Nora from our previous visit, back in February, 2013, and told her we were happy to see her again. She appreciated the welcome.
Photo: Monday, October 13, 2014, Sharlene and I prepare to enjoy a delicious dinner. Thanks to our friendly hostess, Nora, for taking the photo.
Photo: Every evening, Cavalier Restaurant offers a special, and tonight, the special was a pasta and shrimp dish, which was Sharlene's choice for dinner. I took a taste of it, and I loved it, as did Sharlene.
Photo: Maybe I'm a bit weird, but tonight, fried chicken sounded good. Yes, Cavalier Restaurant is a football field away from the ocean, and, yes, fish would be appropriate, but after scanning the menu, fried chicken seemed like the right choice for this Monday evening dinner. It had been YEARS since I'd enjoyed a fried chicken dinner in a sit-down restaurant, and I definitely enjoyed tonight's dinner. The food was as delicious as it looks in the photo!
Photo: Monday evening, October 12, 2015, I ordered "Fish and Chips" from the dinner menu. I was amazed at the quality of the dinner, and the quantity, as by the time I finished my dinner, I was FULL. The fish and chips plate even included a touch of coleslaw slaw, which was such a nice touch.
Photo: Tuesday morning, October 13, 2015, I enjoyed a light breakfast of eggs over easy, home style potatoes, and sourdough toast. The home style potatoes are some of the best potatoes that I've ever eaten, as each piece is quite large, and deep fried crispy, golden brown on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside. Grilled pepper and onion accompany the potatoes. Delicious!
Photo: Thursday evening, October 15, 2015, Sharlene decided to celebrate our last night in San Simeon by ordering prime rib, rice pilaf and cooked vegetables. She ordered the prime rib cooked to medium, and in retrospect would have probably ordered it cooked "rare," as it wasn't as juicy as she would have liked it. Next time, rare it will be! The slab of meat was 8-ounces, and I had to help her finish it, which was not a problem!
Photo: On the same evening, I ordered a "Cavalier Burger" and fries. The burger consists of 1/3 pound of beef, cooked to order - in my case medium - and lots of juicy, fresh veggies. As far as sides, you have your choice of fries made from russet or sweet potatoes, potato salad, a garden side salad, or coleslaw slaw. I chose fries from russet potatoes. All I can say is the meal was delicious!
Photo: Saturday, February 23, 2013, Sharlene enjoyed a roast beef dinner at Cavalier Restaurant.
Photo: Breakfast at Cavalier Restaurant on Tuesday, October 14, 2014.
Photo: Cavalier Restaurant's menu features a section, called "Breakfast Favorites," which I zeroed in, as the word "favorite" always gets my attention. The "Breakfast Favorites" starts with your choice of country potatoes or hashbrowns, continues with toast, and one, or two eggs. You can add meat, including such favorites as bacon, ham, sausage and linguica. Today, I chose linguica, which the menu advertises as "Local Cattaneo Brothers linguica" which sounded good to me. The breakfast was cooked perfectly, and it was delicious. Note the attractive presentation.
Photo: Sharlene ordered "Eggs Benedict" from the breakfast menu. For some reason, I've been on a hashbrown kick, and she ordered Cavalier's famous country potatoes, which were delicious. I didn't get a chance to sample Sharlene's breakfast, but she said it was wonderful. I believe her, judging from the photo.
Photo: Saturday, February 23, 2013, our server, Marcella, places breakfast on the table for family friend Chris Yeaman, along with Robbin Word. We enjoyed Marcella's great service for our latest breakfast, in the previous photos.
Photo: Saturday, February 23, 2013, I went "vegetarian," and enjoyed a delicious breakfast, without meat. Besides delicious food, Cavalier Restaurant serves outstanding coffee, and your cup never goes empty.
Photo: Friday, October 17, 2014, I ordered sausage and eggs for breakfast. I always order eggs cooked over easy, and one of the benchmarks of a good restaurant is that the eggs are cooked, "over easy" and not broken, hard, or otherwise not cooked to order. Cavalier Restaurant knows how to cook eggs to order, as in this photo, and previous photos. I ordered "link" sausage and eggs, and was expecting to receive a small link of sausage, but look at the links! Beautiful! The sausage featured casings that SNAPPED when I cut them with my knife! Magnificent! Today, I chose to enjoy the homestyle potatoes, and the kid in my dipped them in ketchup. Oh my! Such a delicious breakfast... We've been staying at the Cavalier Oceanfront Resort and eating at the restaurant for many years, as it's "our kind" of place. Take a trip down memory lane by clicking on this link to pay a visit we posted at the Cavalier Restaurant, circa 2004. The Cavalier Restaurant is a gem, as it's at the hotel, so there is no walking, the food is delicious, it's reasonably - by San Simeon standards - priced, and the people are friendly. No wonder when we stay at the Cavalier Oceanfront Resort, we enjoy several meals at the Cavalier Restaurant! Cavalier Restaurant Copyright(c) 2019 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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