I just wanted to make a reply in response to this thread - in particular, Freddy's Steakhouse, which we visited last Saturday on our way to a Total Fight Challenge event in Hammond.
Upon pulling up to the place, I was a little skeptical; the neighbor is not exactly booming, and the restaurant definitely has the appearance of a place that's been in business for 50 years. Still, good food is good food, so we headed in...
I went with my husband, brother-in-law, and my husband's notoriously picky Jeet Kune Do partner. We were sat in a booth that was a little tight, though, to be fair, most of the restaurant was booths with some bigger tables in the middle of the room we were in. (We were sat in the back room of the restaurant.) I did not notice any smoke when we were in there. I've become particularly sensitive to it lately and definitely would have noticed.
Our waitress was a hoot; especially when our picky companion asked if they carried Hangar One vodka. She gave him a look and asked him where he was from exactly. Lucky for him, they had Grey Goose, which he deemed "acceptable," but -- you know. Us picky Chicagoans!
They brought out a small crudite plate and bread before the meal. I tried the famous honey butter, and thought it was all right. I appreciated the different butter - I'm always a fan of different spreads and condiments, so.
We ordered calamari for an appetizer, which wasn't extraordinary, but wasn't bad, either. Pretty much what you'd expect. It was fried and came with marinara sauce. The entrees all came with soup and salad, so I had a French onion soup and a salad with ranch. Despite asking for the dressing on the side, it came on the salad, and I have to say, they really
poured on the dressing! (I was afraid to ask for another salad after the cocktails incident earlier, though, haha.)
I ordered a "queen" filet for my entree, and can report that it was cooked perfectly and that the meat was good quality. We like to order steaks a lot, and I consistently have issues finding a decent steak. My brother in law had the NY strip, our friend had the Special as did my husband. Everyone got their entrees at once except for my husband's, whose came out a few minutes later, sizzling hot, but undercooked. He ordered it medium and it definitely came out medium-rare, closer to rare. We sent it back to be cooked slightly longer, and luckily, it came out just right when we got it back. I asked him how he felt about his steak, and he said, "Adequate."
We didn't have time to order dessert, but overall, I'd have to give them a fairly favorable report. It's not some place I'd make a special trip to go to again, but if I was in the area and wanted a decent meal, I'd go here. It's hard to find places that serve good steak. It's definitely not cheap -- I think my steak was around $27, but all things considered, the meal came out to $190 with tip at the end, so I suppose that's not too bad.
Anyway, I appreciate all your feedback on this thread because I had no idea where to go when we were headed out this direction! It's great to know I can usually count on LTH to help me decide where I'm eating when I'm in unfamiliar territory.
Freddy's Steak House
6442 Kennedy Ave
Hammond, IN 46323
219-844-1500
-- Nora --
"Great food is like great sex. The more you have the more you want." ~Gael Greene