Lambert’s Cafe

Absolutely disgusting food. I had chicken fried steak that was gross, the side of green beans was basically mush, some salty canned corn all served in cafeteria type plastic. And they put that in a skillet to pretend like it was cooked in it I guess, since that is how it was in the original restaurant. The original restaurant used quart mason jars, they use plastic thermoses that are very worn and seem unclean.
I cannot believe all the great reviews for this restaurant. If you love this restaurant you also might think Burger King makes the best hamburgers, Subway is fresh and healthy, Casey’s makes the best pizza, and fashionable clothes come from Walmart.
Absolutely every menu item I tried was either directly out of a can or a frozen then fried product. I have eaten at this restaurant once every couple years since it was built and many times in the past at the original restaurant in Sikeston Missouri and actually knew one of the founders, Norm on a personal level, he would be rolling over in his grave about the food quality currently. This restaurant was built on the idea of delicious home cooked meal’s served to the public and sadly it has been reduced to canned goods reheated and served on a massive volume scale. If you like to gorge yourself with disgusting food and do not care about food quality at all whatsoever and all that really matters is getting as many calories as possible then this is the perfect place for you. If you know what a Chartreuse kitchen is, then you will absolutely hate this place.
Next time I will try to remember how horrible this place is and just stay home and make some rolls and throw them to myself.

I was there Saturday night last week. 4 meals on the table were all fantastic! The country fried steak was the size of my head, and as good looking! Candied yams were amazing. Anything potato based was great. The steak was stellar. Surprisingly low wait considering it was a big name place on a saturday night, I think 35 minutes.

First time visiting and my family and I enjoyed the experience. There was a a wait but they call your name over a loud speaker so you can wait in your car. Once in the restaurant there is tons of interesting décor. The restaurant is huge. This is the «home of the throwed rolls». They literary toss rolls around the restaurant to different customer who ask for them! You r ally gotta watch your head. We were able to enjoy and catch a few rolls.
The menu has tons of selections of good comfort food. The rolls are delicious and hot I had several. The pass around a were a favorite at our table. The sweet tea was delicious. The cups are huge and you won’t need a refill. There are so many moving parts in this restaurant. The serve was tentative our good came out quickly and it was hot! The portions were huge we all had to go boxes. Worth the wait!

Fun atmosphere! I’m really not crazy about bread but I LOVE the rolls here! They are warm and delicious! The entrees are HUGE! I really like the salads. Cinnamon rolls are sooooo good and huge too! If we are close, we’ll definitely be stopping in GREAT staff too

Go hungry, we make a tradition of going when we have a birthday in the family!

I went to Lambert’s while on a business trip in the heart of Springfield. I arrived at prime time and had to wait for a long time, but I had a nice talk with a strange man who was also waiting.
The host seated me in the heart of the restaurant, where I was able to catch several rolls. A small child attempted to intercept my thrown roll, but my 8 years as a wide receiver paid off; I ended up as the one who made the catch. Stay away from the kids or face them head on.
Coming from the bayou, it can be tough to meet my standards for fried foods. However, I enjoyed the fried chicken here. Also check the gift shop on your way out for a t-​shirt, or perhaps a harmonica.

I’ve eaten here 3 times now when traveling in Missouri. It’s been great every time. It’s always busy but worth the wait. LOTS of food. Be hungry when you come !!

Came in on a Saturday at around 7pm. This is not my first Lambert’s rodeo. Its practically a family tradition. What you care about… The food is Ah-​mazing! I’m a fan of the burger with the upgraded side of pineapple walnut salad. All together its about $ 13 with the upgrade. Come hungry… the pass arounds are where it’s at! The food comes oober fast. The fried okra comes around usually first. Grab a paper towel and dig in!!! The other pass arounds are not usually offered until your plates hit the table. Obviously in the summer this place gets crazy and the wait can get lengthy. My rule of thumb is 30 – 45 minute wait is totally acceptable for this place.
Nutshell: moderately priced, down home cooking of epic proportions, and staff that are beyond hospitable. Its worth the wait.
Bonus tip: fried potatoes… get em eat em love em!

Outstanding!!! We arrived just before 11:00 for lunch and had no wait at all! Incredibly friendly service with a home style feel. The pass around sides, hot rolls and sorghum molasses were incredible! We left stuffed beyond reason! Our check for a table of six was less than $ 60, which is incredibly affordable considering the portion size, high-​quality tastiness of the food! We were super impressed and will definitely be back when passing through the area again.

This place is a good stop if you are in Missouri. The food is tasty and the atmosphere is fun /​energetic. The wait is the biggest deterrent. I don’t believe any place in the world is worth a wait longer than an hour but to each his own.

All I can say is this is an ABUNDANCE of food!!! Go in here hungry and leave with a ton of leftovers! My first time here, good experience overall and good comfort food. Time to go jog some miles now! Lol

Bring your stretchy pants, this place is not for tiny appetites. Everything is huge, and the pass around items are ‘all you care to eat’. Gotta save room for those famous «throwed rolls»! Our very first visit here we witnessed some timid roll throwing — not this time! They meant business, throwing clear across the restaurant, and surprisingly all of the rolls were caught. I had a few fly right by my head, so I started ducking when I thought I might be in the line of fire lol. I’m sure I looked a little crazy.
The restaurant’s décor is kitschy in a hillbilly/roadhouse/grandma’s farm kitchen sort of way. I like it, it blends in great with the touristy stuff in the area. There are a ton of booths scattered between 2 areas (I believe there are only 2, this place is huge) and they even offer a private dining room in the back for parties. There are 2 restroom areas: one by the entrance, and one by the cash register. Speaking of cash registers, they don’t accept credit or debit cards. Bring cash or a check (I know, who uses checks anymore?).
My first visit, I ordered the Chicken and Dumplings. Omg I loved it! This time I tried to eat a little healthier and ordered the grilled chicken plate. It came with 2 decent size chicken breasts, my choice of 2 sides, and the pass around items. Hubby ordered the «Hen size Chicken Fried Steak»…it was so big they plated it in a large metal skillet. I would hate to see the full size CFS! Everything was good, no complaints. I will mention the drinks come in large travel mugs, which I believe helps them with refills because they are huge. If you love the mugs, feel free to purchase one at the gift shop/​register on your way out. PS, they sell an even bigger one than the size that’s served at the table! It’s like a bucket with a handle on the side lol.
Fast service, roll throwing entertainment, good food. We will define be back!

All the food was delicious and the plates are huge so if you’re not a big eater… SHARE! The sides are all wonderful and all you can eat! Pork chops, wether fried or smoked, are soft, juicy, and delicious; chicken fried steak also cooked to perfection; chicken pot pie is completely homemade and the taste is just like the one grandma used to make… If grandma was the BEST Southern cook in the world. Oh… And get ready to catch the freshest, warmest rolls ever!

The food was delicious and the serving size was huge. You can get seconds in whatever youth order but the walk arounds (endless free sides) get you so full I don’t know how anyone could have room for more. Of ‘mcourse you can’t forget the rolls. Yes they throw them! Thigh not much of an athlete I caught two and they where good. They don’t taste like an O’Charley’s roll but good nontheless. Neat place.

There is a lot of food & fun to be had at Lambert’s so get ready to dig in & have a good ol’ time! Oh, & get ready to have some yummy hot rolls «throwed» at ya too :-)
We were there on a Monday night in June for the final dinner of our family vacation. The wait wasn’t too long at all for our party of 8. We just kicked around the gift shop for a little bit to pass the time & next thing you know, they were seating us. That’s when the fun & never ending food began…
I didn’t know much about Lambert’s before dining there. Just heard that they «throwed rolls» at you throughout dinner. And they sure do! Be warned — they are «hot rolls», as they state before the toss, so be sure to have your paper towels ready in front of you to place the rolls on as there are no plates on the table. Everything is pretty «super-​sized» too from the beverages to the main meals (most of ours were served in skillets). Then there are those pass arounds coming at ya as well… All I can say is that it was quite an experience. A fun one! No one had any complaints & everyone seemed to enjoy the food. Also, prices are pretty reasonable for the amount of food you get!
We drove a little over an hour from Joplin & didn’t really know what to expect. Now that we know would we do it next time around? Yes… definitely!
You should go to Lambert’s if: you are a laid back type of person with a sense of humor who likes to eat (REALLY eat), pay decent prices & have a good time! In other words. if you have a stick up your ass and/​or have a restricted diet, you might wanna pass this place up… just sayin’…
*Note — NO CREDIT CARDS! Cash or checks only!
Also, be careful of the bathrooms… Some of us city folk forget which farm animals lay eggs. I really hate when restaurants do this to be cute. It’s ok to spell out men /​women somewhere on the door & stop with the stupid cutsie pics. I will remember HEN for next visit as I almost walked into the Rooster/MEN’s room. UGH!!! *blushing*

There I was shocked and amazed by the amount of cars in the parking lot and the people waiting in line. When we finally got inside the place was just as busy. The food for me was just okay and actually a little to much to eat. The pass around a were good. I had the JLT which was good, however the J part or bacon was a little to salty for me.
Simply put this place and did not live up to the hype.

I don’t know why I haven’t written a review. I come her often, almost every time we go to Branson, which was once a month last year…:/ I know!
We love their bacon here (pork jawl) The rolls are amazing and always hot! I love the food that comes around to the tables, the fried potatoes, macaroni, and black eyed peas! I got their fried chicken wings last time I was here and its as so good! Oh and for some odd reason they have the best apple sauce in the whole wide world! I don’t even like apple sauce and theirs is to die for, yup, I can die now! I can’t wait to come back!
You have to try it at least once and they’re family friendly :)

The home of the thrown rolls! Haha! This place cracks me up. It’s as country hillbilly and southern food as you can get. A great experience. Everyone has to try it at least once!
Want it salty, buttered, and fried? Close your eyes and pick anything on the menu. All of the sides are exactly how they should taste. Nothing special. There are a lot of choices. From mashed potatoes to peaches (not fresh).
If you’re going to go here pick something very classic on the menu. The pot pie is amazing. The chicken fried steak, great! I’d recommend sticking with those. The salmon or any salads are going to leave you sad you didn’t pick something you know would have slowed down your heart and clogged your arteries.

This was my first visit, heard a LOT about this local fave for a long time, always meant to go but never made it. We arrived for dinner later to beat the rush, 7:30pm-ish on a Saturday and were seated quickly, which was a relief to me because that was one of my biggest hesitations, the long wait. SO glad I did not wait long at all because I would have been very disappointed.
I caught my first roll and even had them glop some sorghum on it, it was decadent for sure, so I stopped at one.
When you place your drink orders, know that it will arrive in the equivalent of a 7 – 11 extreme gulp size container, notice I did not use the word cup. That right there should set the precedent for what is to come.
Dinner portions are absolutely monstrous, everybody was carrying leftovers out of this joint. You could easily get at least two meals out of one. If you want to play it smart and split a plate with your other, it will cost you an additional $ 9 to do so. :(
I will freely admit that I did not order anything that would be considered appropriate for this venue because I was trying to keep it on the lighter side and not completely cripple myself. Plus I am not a big fan of fried food.
So I ordered a caesar dinner salad with chicken thinking that I was safe. Boy was I wrong. You know those food challenges where they bring out a burger that is as big as a house? My salad was served on one of those burger buns, no lie, it was bigger than the plate. I knew I was not eating any of it so what a waste of bread.
In addition, my salad was absolutely drenched in dressing, practically inedible to me. In fact, my wife commented that you could add an entire new romaine heart and still have too much dressing. I tried a few bites but did not make it much further.
I heard that sides were supposed to be walked around but they were mysteriously absent for us, the most we saw were the fried okra and the black eyed peas. We had the fried potato guy come once and I think that was only because we specifically asked for him to come. The fried potatoes were actually good.
My wife said that her chicken fried chicken was good.
My son was happy with his ham and beans, but his corn bread was super dry, almost stale, and tasteless.
My daughter’s chicken and dumplings was inedible and very salty, I was shocked! How could a place like this screw up chicken and dumplings? Cracker Barrel is more consistent. I should have asked for our money back on the dumplings, they were that bad.
The service was not overly friendly but more matter of fact which I found interesting for the type of place it was, I think any given Cracker Barrel is actually more friendly.
The atmosphere seemed festive, but as I was walking out, the combination of our dining experience and gazing at the size of others portions and the nature of the food, I just felt gross as I lined up to pay good money for this.
For all the leftovers that were taken home, we barely touched them.
In my younger days perhaps, but these days, I’m afraid the lure of such an experience is lost on me. Thanks Lambert’s but I believe my first time will be my last. Pass the Tums.

Who doesn’t like hot rolls thrown at you and great food. My first time eating at this Lamberts and the menu is a little different than the one in Sikeston MO.
This Lamberts has the chicken fried round steak Rooster cut. A 16oz round steak topped with mashed potatoes covered with milk gravy. Comes with two sides and all the pass arounds you want.
The only pass arounds I’m a fan of are the HOT rolls, fried potatoes and onions and the fried okra.
The other pass arounds are macaroni & tomatoes, black eyed peas and sorghum which is molasses.
Any time we are driving by this place we will be stopping.