Lamberts Downtown Barbecue

There was about an hour wait on a Tuesday for a table for 2 but we managed to grab a spot at the bar and had a couple of appetizers an cocktails while we waited. The food was great — highly recommend the brisket and deviled eggs. We tried a few cocktails and all were delicious! Wish I lived closer so I could eat at Lamberts more often!

My life has been changed. This place was SO good! We arrived right when the restaurant opened at 5:30 and from that moment on it got busier and busier until the place was finally packed by about 6:15. I definitely recommend reservations, which we didn’t have.
To drink I ordered a sangria, which was great. Unique and very refreshing. We started with the spicy deviled eggs, which were amazing. They are garnished with jalapeños, pickled onions and olives, which really compliment the eggs wonderfully. My husband and I shared the country style pork ribs and ooooooohmygosh! Ribs will never taste the same again. They were so good that I didn’t even want to use the barbecue sauce. I didn’t even bother trying two of the sauces that were on the table. We shared a side of Mac and cheese and I almost died. So good. For desert we had the s’mores bread pudding and it was delicious. Perfect texture, temperature, combinations of flavores… Yes!
Oh, and the atmosphere and service were good too!
Wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

The best BBQ I’ve ever had. SO GOOD! I don’t eat much bbq, but this was really delicious. I had the pulled pork — and the sauce really made it. It was a little spicy, yet sweet. It’s hard describe, you really have to try it for yourself! This came with a dinner role and pickles on the side.
For three of us, we split the family style grilled corn, and potato salad. This was plenty of food for three, really too much for me. Our bill was $ 100 and included two drinks. While I normally don’t spend that much $ on dinner, it was worth it. Talk about Texas BBQ.

We are visiting from out of town and many people recommended this «fancy bbq» joint. The entire menu looked mouth/​watering so we took our server’s recommendation and split a few of the two meat plates between three of us, and my other friend got the hangar steak and wedge salad.
We ordered the jalapeño link sausage, brisket, and pork ribs and the meat was deliciously smoked and tender. The waffle fries, jicama and carrot slaw, ranch style beans and baked Mac and cheese sides were all tasty. My favorite was the brown sugar and coffee rubbed brisket. My tastebuds were a fan of the flavor.
My only recommendation is to come here for dinner and not lunch. The food is so good and rich that we came here for lunch and ended up being so full and satisfied that we couldn’t eat dinner!
Oh, and their BBQ sauce is on point!

I think the food is good. But I am not a big fun of oil. There are too much oil. Or maybe it just it is

Great place, love the atmosphere and Adam the bartender is knowledgeable about what he is serving. So felt so comfortable I sat at the upstairs bar and had some mouth watering food! Very creative menu and a big thing with me it’s not a chain locally owned !

We went to Lambert’s for dinner. The food was good, but the server was absolutely horrible. We had a condescending waiter that had us do the math for 20minutes to figure out the bill… So much for that automatic 20% gratuity included, which is not a problem when we receive good service (but it wasn’t the case tonight).
I do want to point out that the men refilling the water and assisting the waiter were very nice and accommodating throughout the night.

Came to Lambert’s in Austin due to its perfect location and good reviews. Also for barbeque.
Initially, I thought that it’s mostly a barbeque restaurant (read: mostly barbeque items on the menu). Nope. It has a pretty good generic menu of other dishes as well, a number of small bites, also with vegetarian options.
We first ordered a two meat with sides, wanting to share the food. Unfortunately, the foods were of very very small portions. We were given one rib and 3 slices of coffee infused briskets. The sides are of good portions, however. It would have been nice if we were told that while ordering, but no worries, we simply ordered more!
The barbeque food was done well. The coffee briskets was soft, flavorful and rich, my favorite. Ribs were so so. The sides were all done well, not mind blown quality for the price, but not bad.
In all, I would say they need to be more affordable and or increase the portions of their barbeque goodies.

The brunch is awesome, though a pricey all you can eat ($ 40 per adult, $ 20 per kid). So I think it’s an indulgence/​special occasion — and you have to prepare yourself by starving out the night before. Oh… the anticipation!
They have a buffet with your standard assortment of fruit, grilled asparagus, deviled eggs with caviar, whole smoked salmon, bacon, sausage, grits, and home fries. There’s also a meat selection of brisket, pork ribs, and prime rib. Each of these items are fantastic (yes, I had each item — for you guys).
They also have to order plates of hanger steak benedict, Frito’s Pie, fried chicken thigh on a biscuit, french toast, buttermilk biscuit & jam, brisket hash. and some more. These aren’t an additional cost — and they are well portioned to share.
The service is great, and the waitstaff will give you their favorite dishes. Though again, everything we had was awesome.
JW Marriott also has a high end brunch that runs around $ 50. If I had to pick, I’d go with Lambert’s, only because those to order dishes are a bit more unique than JW’s fare (but has items like oysters and King Crab legs).
You won’t be disappointed! A bit lighter in the wallet, but that’s balanced with your heavier belly.

Was in Austin last year and we ate at Lambert’s. The bartenders were extremely nice and made great drinks! My friend and I split a few things. For the most part the food was average. Maybe we ordered the wrong items but nothing was memorable and we both left a little deflated. The fried green tomatoes were good, but the short rib fell flat. It was tough, chewy and had little flavor other than char. The ambiance was nice and the place was lively, but I was not overly impressed with the meal we had. Since the short rib was recommended I’m not sure I’d return if in town again.

Lamberts. I will miss you (as I live in Los Angeles).
I don’t even know where to begin. Fortunately when my bf and i walked in, 2 groups had walked out so we had no wait (score already, right?) we sat down, and our waitress Shay? Shae? i’m sorry I cannot recall, was a fantastic and friendly server. she recommended us her favorites, and we dug in!
The downside, we had rather a huge lunch so we couldn’t order too too much… but here are what we got:
appetizer wild boar crispy ribs:
–caramelized in full deliciousness, and if you love buffalo, tangy, sweet sauce, this is for you. the meat are crispy perfection (small pieces but theres about 10 ribs). would def recommend
brisket:
oh, my god. the meat was tender and juicy, and that was already pretty satisfying. BUT. BUT! the charred ends, holy goodness, it was the best brisket end ever. burst of flavor every bite, i couldn’t get enough of the ends! I had originally surrendered big pieces to my bf since I was full already, but once i chose to eat a «small piece» which was the end… i couldn’t help but to go back for more. and I normally do not fight for food with my boyfriend, i usually give him the best… but this was on another level, i didn’t want to back down!
side dish, broccoli with jalapeño and garlic:
I had expected this to be what it is, but there were hints of lemon (perhaps white wine reduction) as well. so delicious and yet simple, I recreated best I can at home already. our server had said, this was her favorite as well.
If i ever return to Austin, I swear, I will be coming here instead of other places. this is WAY worth than Franklins, especially if you are taking out your special someone be it your significant other, family, bosses, etc because it also has a great atmosphere. just a shame, we were already so full.
regardless, thank you lamberts for being so amazing!

A little overpriced for my liking, but it’s a good spot to grab some BBQ if you are confined to downtown Austin and don’t have 6 hours to kill on a day to stand in line for BBQ. The service was excellent, the food was solid and the drinks were actually amazing. Had an awesome old fashioned.
Oh, do yourself a favor, and get the mac ‘n cheese side. It’s crazy delicious. You’ll thank me later.

Tasty bbq — tried ribs, pulled pork and brisket. All were tasty with their own twists. Enjoyed their savory corn bread. Sides were good too — tried Mac n cheese along w potato salad & collard greens. Also had the fried pie.
Sauce is a vinegary so wasn’t our palate. Otherwise good eats. Parking can be challenging so be prepared to circle or go for indoor lot.

We met up with a friend of mine for dinner here when we first arrived in Austin — she lived really close to downtown so I picked this place for its great rating/​reviews on Unilocal (and she’s never tried this place before even though she’s been in Austin for much longer)! I booked a very late reservation because I wasn’t sure if we would have made it on time since we were flying in that afternoon/​evening.
We ended up being much earlier than expected and when we arrived, they put my number down and I received a text as soon as a table opened up — so convenient! I wish all other restaurants have this system because then I wouldn’t have to stay at the actual restaurant and wait around doing while doing nothing.
Since none of us have been there, we relied heavily on Unilocalers’ insight and ordered the following:
— deep fried boudin fritters
— crispy wild boar ribs
— smoked briskest + pork ribs + pulled pork
— Mac & cheese + Brussels sprouts
Everything was super delicious — this is our first Texas BBQ meal and I have no major complaints about anything! Granted, this isn’t the «traditional» style but it’s still amazing!

This is a solid four star BBQ place but you will see why I dinged a star…
We were able to get a reservation at 5:30 p.m. on spur of moment… And the restaurant had plenty of empty tables the whole time we were there.
We had the cross cut short ribs, which didn’t look like what we thought we ordered, but, wow, they were delicious!
We also ordered the brisket as our main course. Again, great taste. But whoa, what an itty bitty portion cut super thin. Don’t order this if you are hungry, it’s like an appetizer size. The size was the reason I had to take away a star.
On the other hand, the slaw side, with jicama, cabbage, etc is HUGE and for two people it’s just ridiculous. The waiter should have warned us. We also got the brocolli side and it was too much too, but more that it just got boring.
I took big cartons to go of the sides and I hope the maid in our hotel room enjoys them.
We walked here from the Capitol and we also went to the Congress bridge with the bats. It was a very balmy 75 degree night, later came the downpour.

Of all the BBQ places I went to in Austin, Lamberts definitely gets a thumbs up for being the only one without a wait. However, that’s not a knock against the quality of their food at all. It’s just much bigger (an actual restaurant) and open for lunch and dinner.
Stopped in a bit early for lunch on a weekday and sat at the bar. It started getting busy towards the end of my meal, but that didn’t really affect me. Bartender was a cool guy, both with beer and food recommendations.
I went with the two meat lunch special, which came with two sides. It was one hell of a plate. I had the brisket (half fatty, half lean) and the jalapeño sausage with the collards (with bacon) and the baked mac and cheese. The brisket was good, but not the best I had. The sausage was great, especially with their BBQ sauces (of which there were two, accompanied by a mustardy sauce). The collards were great, and the mac and cheese was great, though pretty heavy as a side. Not ashamed to admit I couldn’t finish it (okay, a little ashamed).
A handful of good beers on tap, including their house brew.
The upstairs area is clearly meant for watching live music (and bathrooms). Didn’t have time to stop by at night, but maybe next time!

Service at bar is awesome
Food is great
Mac is cheesy and flavorful
Deviled eggs are delicious
Home fries are spicy but awesome
Lambo’s Benedict is perfect
Smoked salmon is perfect
Desserts are scrumptious
Mimosa makes it a perfect brunch, which is only served on Sunday. Saturday is regular menu unfortunately. (not my favorite part of their servings)
Food is really filling, come hungry

BBQ was a top priority when I visited Austin for ACL and I’m sure glad I made a reservation at Lambert’s Downtown for lunch. A) We didn’t have time on this vacay to spend hours waiting at another BBQ venue in the limited time we had and B) more importantly, it was AWESOME!
The fella and I both opted for the Two Meats lunch because you gotta try at least a couple BBQ options, right?! I went with brisket and the pork ribs plus mac & cheese and jicama slaw. The slaw was tangy, crisp and lightly dressed — a welcome complement to the heavier selections. The mac and cheese had a jalapeño tang and was very creamy with good flavor. The pork rib was great — just one rib but with lots of meat on the bone and flavored perfectly with a sweet maple glaze. The oh-​so-​tender brisket stole the show, I just can’t even describe it, but boy was it good!
I’d definitely return here again, especially for lunch when selecting multiple BBQ meats is an option although dinner with the live music they have available sounds it’d be a blast too. Totally reasonably priced (I thought), generous portions, and good service!

Another top happy hour in the area!
Spicy Deviled Eggs
Smoked Paprika, American Caviar, Pickle Salad
Crispy Wild Boar Ribs — Honey & Sambal, Cabrales Blue, Celery & Daikon Slaw
Not your typical ribs. These tiny ribs are covered deliciously in this sauce. Even if it’s a piece without meat you suckle it. Finger lickin’ gooooood!
Broiled Gulf Oysters — BBQ Butter, Creamed Poblanos, Lump Crab Toasted Bread Crumbs, Buttered Saltines
Temperature hot! Delicious! Even just the bread crumbs lol
One Meat Barbecue Plate:
Brisket with — and we chose to replace the two sides with just their mac n’ cheese
Brisket so soft and tenndderr. Mac so cheese and fried!

I’ve been to Lambert’s twice for happy hour. The most recent time was on a Saturday and I do have to say that I always appreciate when restaurants offer happy hour on Saturdays. The food happy hour at Lambert’s is awesome. Half priced bar food and by bar food, I don’t mean salted nuts, I mean hanger steak and frito pies. The drink prices on happy hour… just ok. It’s $ 2 off all booze (not too bad), but they don’t list any drink prices, except for wine, on their menus, which is fine, but you start to feel like a ninny when you have to ask the waitress over and over again how much their different cocktails and beers cost. Just my opinion.
In regards to the food, I think that the frito pie has so far been my favorite item. Now mind you, I’ve only been for happy hour. This most recent trip, we had their green chili queso, which was actually really good. Their chips are a little thicker than most tortilla chips. I also ordered the boudin fritters. They were just ok. It was really my first time to try any sort of boudin balls and I think maybe they’re just not my thing. Boyfriend had the One Meat Barbeque Plate with chicken. I thought the chicken was amazing. It was smoky and so flavorful. For drinks we both ordered Palomas. They kept disappearing way to quickly. Against our better judgement, we ended up ordering confetti cake for dessert. Yum.
I forgot to mention that our waitress was really great. She came by right before happy hour ended and asked if we wanted more drinks before it was over (I don’t know why all servers don’t do this). Smart on her part and good for us, since we’d lost track of time.

Worst experience… I usually like this place .but for new Year eve they were the WORST ! 125 $ for a concert with Champaign and breakfast tacos.
Concert was great but NO CHAMPAIGN and never get breakeast tacos. They really sick ! !!!@