Cavaleiro’s Restaurant

«This was by far, the BEST meal I have ever had in my life» Princess Chicken over Penni pasta.
You have to try it!!!

Husband and I had the Portuguese steak, they were both cooked to our liking and were very flavorful.
Liked the Portuguese fries that came with them along with rice.
Dumplings were tasty and Chocolate mousse was delicious.
Nice atmosphere for an Friday night date.

We decided to try Cavaleiro’s. We arrived on a Friday evening and while the ambiance of the restaurant was nice, there were only 3 other tables filled. After we saw the menus and the pricing, the absence of other people made sense. My experience with Portuguese food is pretty good. So we decided to give it a try.
We were greeted with one of the experienced waitresses who explained a little about the restaurant.
We ordered the skewers and a few other things, Having limited appetites, we didn’t order anything else before the entrée arrived. They made sure we had plenty of Portuguese bread & butter, I love hot bread, this was cold, nothing beats hot bread, we waited — and we waited — and we waited — probably a total of 45 minutes. That seemed a little excessive, I think.
The food was ok, not great, compared to places like stregga prime, landanas, tuscon kitchen I didn’t expect, but for the price I expected a little more than what I got.
In the end, we took about half of what they served us home having been lovingly packed away in take out boxes labeled so we knew what was what.
While I admit knowing the Portuguese culture and cuisine, I’d have reservations about taking others there. The menu is very limited — and if you don’t like a lot of meat, stay away. And if you’re not prepared to pay as much as we did, this isn’t the place for you.
we liked the staff, some of the food and none of the pricing which seemed to us way outside of the area’s other portuguese places. Maybe that’s why the place was as empty as it was, now a days people that eat out as much as we do are expecting more, better, cooler foods.

My wife and I decided to try Cavaleiro’s on 5÷22÷15. We arrived at 7:15 on a Friday evening and while the ambiance of the restaurant was impressive, there were only two other tables filled. After we saw the menus and the pricing, the absence of other patrons made sense. Also it was Memorial Day Weekend (Friday). My experience with Portuguese food is severely limited. So we decided to give it a try.
We were greeted by Holly, one of the experienced waitresses who explained a little about the restaurant’s history, the family who runs it, the recipes they use — and made suggestions as to dishes we might enjoy. She left us with menus, wine lists and desert information.
My wife ordered the Paella and I ordered the skewers. Having limited appetites, we didn’t order anything else before the entrée arrived. Holly made sure we had plenty of Portuguese bread & butter (which we didn’t eat). We waited — and we waited — and we waited — probably a total of 30 – 40 minutes. That seemed a little excessive considering the number of patrons.
My wife enjoyed the Paella spending a lot of time getting it «just right». She expected something similar to what we have eaten at various Spanish Restaurants. There was practically zero Saffron seasoning. She worked at it for almost another 45 minutes. The portion size was large — too much as is the case of restaurants trying to keep up with the «American serving size «norm» My skewered meat was good — done just the way I like it — rare and tasting like a very good steak.
What surprised me was the fact that I was also served RICE (not saffran but rice cooked in Chicken stock) AND FRENCH FRIES. No vegetables at all. This didn’t make any sense to either my wife or myself.
In the end, we took about half of what they served us home having been lovingly packed away in take out boxes labeled so we knew what was what. The waitress, Holly, was terrific.
While I admit not knowing the Portuguese culture or cuisine, I’d have reservations about taking others there. The menu is very limited — and if you don’t like a lot of meat, stay away. And if you’re not prepared to pay upwards of $ 30−40/pp without wine to eat, again this isn’t the place for you.
Bottom line, we liked the wait staff, some of the food and none of the pricing which seemed to us way outside of the area’s appetite to spend $‘s. Maybe that’s why the place was as empty as it was last night.

My wife and I had an appetizer and a few drinks at the bar. Seems like a really romantic and clean environment. Located in a lovely old building in Lowell. Beautiful interior and appropriate service. We will go back again for dinner to investigate more.

The steak on iron was delicious and the sauce for the carnitas alejante was spectacular. Our waitress was super attentive and friendly. Will definitely come back.

Manny and his brother do a nice job here. The food is really solid, and they’ve done extensive work renovating the inside. Its a great place to get a table or just sit at the bar and have some drinks. I recommend either the Portuguese steak or the steak on a skewer, both are fantastic. The steak on a stone sounds like a good concept but it ends up being a pain in the ass! They have a patio outside and frequently have live music and comedy shows on the weekend. Prices are similar to what you would find at a slightly upscale joint ($ 25-​$ 35 entrees). I’ve never had to wait for a table so reservations probably aren’t necessary but on comedy nights they do sell tickets ahead of time.

I want so badly to give this 5 stars. They miss the boat on a few simple things.
Veggies are frozen. I really hate that. I know it is cheaper and easier but the difference in the taste is HUGE. Dessert looks like it has been sitting around for a bit. I don’t think it is made daily by them or a pastry chef.
There are a lot of good points… they are a small family owned restaurant. The atmosphere is great. The bar is friendly and very casual. Steak on a Stone is expensive but a unique experience (marred only by the frozen veggies served with a $ 30 filet).
I like it here. not everything is Portuguese, there is something for everyone’s taste. I had the Portuguese steak, served just like my friend’s Mom used to make her when we were kids (she was from the Azores) with an egg on top. My daughter had chicken Parm.
I will go back, relaxing easy night.

As half of my genes are of the Portuguese sort, after being long gone from the Northeast, I asked my folks to bring me to a Portuguese restaurant since no one felt like cooking. I’m not really knowing where the super bad reviews are coming from, but I“m just basing my review on eating there last week.
Is this place in the middle of a ghetto? Yes. Are you going to be dumb and make yourself a target? I hope not. Besides the not so nice outdoor scenery, the inside of Cavaleiro’s is classy and has the nice Portuguese tiled art on the wall and a decent wine selection.
The appetizers came out quickly and we devoured our chourico and bread. My meal was actually quite heavenly– bife a portuguesa – the meal I would like to eat if I’m ever on a death bed. The meat was so wonderfully tender and tasty and the fries and rice made it perfect; not to mention the egg on top.
All of us really enjoyed ourselves and our meals at Cavaleiros. The waitresses we have had are very pleasant and eager to help. The desserts are also delicious as they make pudim de arroz in such a perfect way.

Really not worth going out of you way for. Prices: High. Food: OK. Service: as you would expect for what you are paying. Ambiance: Meh

This was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had in a restaurant. I had a
gift certificate that I bought quite a while ago and never used. NO EXPIRATION date on it. We went there to try the steak on a stone (30.00) The place was empty, manager sitting at the bar and 2 other guys at the bar. 1 table of 6 in the restaurant. I told the waitress it was our first time there and we had a
gift cert, immediately she tells us they don’t accept them anymore and that she hopes we will still stay and she will give us ½ off an app or a free dessert «or something». Never clearly outlining what she was offering. Then proceeds to go back and forth to the manager that couldn’t be bothered to come to our table. First she said the website was fraudulently using their name, then she said the coupon was expired. Our bill would have easily been 100.00 the manager should have come to our table and said, I’m sorry we don’t take these anymore, since clearly you purchased this before we ended our agreement with them I would like to offer you XXXX. Had he done that we would have stayed and I’m sure loved the food, even as pricey as it was. Since he couldn’t be bothered, we were made to feel very uncomfortable about staying and eating there. I recommend the owners provide better customer service training to their employees. I would not recommend this restaurant to ANYONE.

steak on the stone is delicious. For those of you who have not been there it is a raw filet delivered on a fired peice of granite so you can cook each piece to your liking… Amazing! My number 1 suggestion when I want a steak! great service and authentic food.

I went there with friends last week as I had heard rave reviews about the steak on a stone since they opened a few years ago.
The location is horrible to say the least. I was with people who aren’t from the area and they were mortified when we drove through the neighborhood to get there. They were afraid to leave thier car in the parking lot.
Afraid of not getting a table, we had made a reservation. Upon arrival, we were 1 of 3 parties in the restaurant. During our 2+ hour meal, only one other party walked in. Only staff members occupied the bar area.
Service was OK, the waitress was very nice, but not too quick to get our drinks or check in on us.
The food was very good. My husband got the steak on a stone and said it was wonderful. I got the Paella and it was also really good, however the prices are way too high.
While the quality of food was good, I will not return.

I’ve heard about Cavaleiro’s for the longest time and finally had the opportunity to give it a try… twice in a week! I love the historic building that houses the restaurant. Although the interior in comfortable, it does not have the historic charm of the exterior. The menu did not have the Portuguese focus that I thought it would; a few ‘authentic’ dishes, other with Portuguese influences. Still, I thought the food was good.
We both had their Caldo Verde and found it hearty and delightful! Thick and rich, it hit the spot on a cool Spring evening. Although the steak on a stone looked interesting (steak of steroids?) we stuck to other dishes. I had Carne Alentejana and found it quite good, although not much in the way of clams. My husband had the seafood casserole… he liked it but I thought it was bland. Overall, a satisfactory meal.

I went to Cavalerio’s on a Saturday afternoon with the express purpose of checking them out for a work place gathering. I know lunch is not their forte but figured I could get an idea of quality of food, location, ambience and service.
The décor is very high end. I would have been pleased if the food and service had lived up to the décor. It did not. Although they have parking… the lots are small so it might be difficult if it was a large group in individual cars.
There were 4 of us for lunch and there were only 2 edible items among us. The Portugese dumplings were very good as was the coconut shrimp. But the Linguica Sausage sandwich was Horrible. it was dry and almost non existent on the roll. A sandwich with one tiny sausage. Are you kidding me? Oh, the Portugese roll was good. My companion had ordered a chicken Cesar salad that also was inedible. The romaine was soggy and old, the chicken dried out. Every lunch came with french fries that were cold and appeared to be sitting under a heat lamp for an hour before making it on to the plate.
The waitress did tell us that lunch was not their «thing» but if you aren’t going to do it right, why bother? Oh and the service. There was practically no one in the restaurant yet she was no where in sight. I think part of the problem with the food may have been that it sat there while she was in the lounge area chatting with other staff.
The whole experience was unfortunate. Needless to say I did not use them for the work function. We went Greek instead.

Before heading out to Cavaleiro’s I read a few reviews and they all seemed to say the food was good but pricey, so I figured I would give it a shot despite the price tag warnings.
I can honestly say I had one of the WORST meals EVER at Cavaleiro’s!
First, we ordered two beers, a Blue Moon and a Sam Adams Oktoberfest. I took a sip of mine (Blue Moon) and cringed as a bitter and disgusting flavor flooded my mouth. I looked over at my bf and he had the same disgusted expression on his face. We later found out from the bar tender that the owners are responsible for cleaning the taps, and that they don’t get cleaned very often.
We ordered Little Necks Bulhão Pato Style for a starter, and decided to split the Paelha Valenciana entre. BIG MISTAKE! The little necks were overcooked, chewy, and if I got 10 I was lucky. I could have had better little necks from Long John Silvers. After getting a bitter beer, and old and chewy little necks I wasn’t expecting much of the paelha. Needless to say I was very disappointed. The paelha was flavorless, watery, and most of the seafood was frozen. I was even more annoyed that I paid $ 25.99 for frozen seafood and rice that I could have got in the TV Dinner section at Stop and Shop for $ 7.99.
I won’t be heading back to Cavaleiro’s anytime soon. Bad food, bad beer, and insanely over priced!

This place is nice and food is good. Parking is ok and the waitstaff is attentive. Menu is large. If you are looking for 5 lbs of food for $ 15, go elsewhere. Nice interior.

I agree with the previous reviewers about the prices here. I’m giving a 4 star rating, but lean toward 3.5. I’ve eaten here once and had a nice meal. I don’t know enough about Portuguese food to vouch for authenticity, but everything was tasty. The servers were friendly, but for the prices of the entrees, I would like a slightly classier experience. If I’m paying over $ 20 for an entrée, I don’t want to have to re-​use the silverware that I used on the appetizer. We had a nice bottle of wine and it was reasonably priced, but the server wasn’t able to offer an advice.
Still, I have good feelings about this place and will probably go back.

I’ve been to Cavaleiro’s twice so far. The first time I had the Espetada á Casa. This was a beef shish ka bob served with rice and fries. The meat was tasty and the rice was pretty good. Wasn’t too crazy about the fries. The second time I was there I had the Peito de Galinha á Chefe. This was a chicken dish that was served with rice and veggies. I enjoyed this dish. I thought the sauce the chicken was served in was really good. I also had the mussels for an appetizer. The sauce they are served in is also really delicious.
I’ve tried some the Paelha Valenciana from my guest’s plate as well. This was good too. He swears by it and would give this place a great rating based on this dish alone.
The interior is decorated nicely and it’s a cute little restaurant to go to if you want to go somewhere a little nicer for a date or something. I do agree with the previous post that the place is pretty small, though. It makes the table setup a little awkward. I’m not sure if they serve food in the bar area, but I may try that next time if they do.
The only thing keeping me from giving this place 4 stars is the pricing. I think it’s too expensive for what it is. The paehla is worth it since there’s lobster involved and a bunch of other seafood, but I don’t think a beef shish ka bob is really worth $ 20.95. I guess you’re paying for the atmosphere and stuff too, but still. Overall though the food is good and I’d go back here for special occasions, etc.

After spending my day in Lowell, I had dinner at Cavaleiro’s Restaurant which serves up authentic Portuguese cuisine, dine-​in or takeout. I knew the place was on the pricier side, but I felt I earned it! The casual upscale atmosphere is nice with a fully stocked bar area and a dining room with hardwood floors, decorative artwork and colorful plates on the walls. The dining room is a bit crowded with tables situated close together. Candlelight at each table.
When I arrived here, there were several older couples in groups already enjoying dinner. I went over the menu which offers authentic Portuguese specialties including filet mignon, fish (peixe), chicken, pasta, steak on a stone, sandwiches, and more. See the full menu and prices at
I was given house water and a basket of Portuguese rolls with butter. For an appetizer, I was going to order just one shrimp dumpling and one cod fish cake to sample, but the waitress did the upsell, try a sampling of those items plus fried shrimp and linguica. I had the Pic-​Nic a Casa (House Appetizer Sampler-​$ 9.95), which had 2 cod fish cakes, 2 breaded shrimp, 2 shrimp dumplings, 2 linguica, black olives, and lemon, small bites of food for the price, like tapas, nonetheless all very tasty. The shrimp dumplings and cod fish cakes, both lightly fried were excellent.
For dinner, the Peito de Galinha a Chefe ($ 18.95) was a pretty good tasting dish, nothing fancy though for the price. The dish had thin pieces of fried chicken breast chef style with shrimp, mushrooms, & a savory sauce with a side of yellow rice and a vegetable medley. I skipped dessert and got the check.
The service was pretty good, but only at the beginning of the meal. I received my appetizer in 10 minutes and 4 minutes later received my dinner, less than the quoted time of 30 minutes prep time since everything is cooked order. A large family arrived here as I was finishing up my dinner and asked for my check. After that, the service took a dive as the waitress began helping the large family, getting their drink orders and standing over them while they looked over the menu. Meanwhile, I waited and waited for about 10 minutes for the waitress to cash out my check, need to prioritize better, take care of closing out existing diner’s checks first, then take care of the next party when I’m all set. Finally, I went to the takeout counter and the manager cashed me out. This situation should not happen at a nice restaurant like this place. While my check was being processed, I checked out the chilled desserts in the glass takeout case looked very good including the poached pears, several cakes, and tiramisu.
Overall, I would’ve given this place 4 stars for the good tasting food at Boston prices and good service at the beginning of dinner, but service at the end fell flat. Sorry for bucking the trend of 4 stars or better on other sites.