Lambert's Cafe

Today I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in Springfield, Missouri, and our conversation turned to a wonderful place that I love to visit whenever I'm near Springfield-- Lambert's Cafe in Ozark. Lambert's actually has 3 locations, the other two being in Sikeston, Missouri, and Foley, Alabama. I first visited Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston in 1988 at the suggestion of a family friend when we were on our way to vacation in Branson, Missouri.

Pretty much anything I have had at Lambert's is delicious, but there are a couple things that make it noteworthy and worth a visit if you're ever nearby. First, the restaurant's nickname is "Home of the Throwed Rolls." This is because, during your meal, a waiter will come out of the kitchen with freshly-baked hot delicious rolls and call out to the customers asking if anyone wants a roll. If you want one, rather than handing it to you, he will actually throw the roll across the room to you. He will then be followed up by someone offering delicious sorghum molasses to put on the rolls. You have to be careful lest you fill up on the rolls alone!

The second notable and fun element of the Lambert's experience is the "pass arounds." As soon as you sit down at your table, servers come by carrying pots of various side dishes that you can eat while waiting for your meal to arrive. In fact, you can actually order an empty plate and make the pass arounds your entire meal. The pass arounds include fried okra (my favorite), delicious fried potatoes with onions, macaroni & tomatoes, and black-eyed peas.

If you have not filled up on all the extras, you can get great main entrees as well. I recommend the meatloaf. It's all "down home" cooking, one of the only things I like about the South. So, if you're ever in Missouri or Alabama, skip lunch and plan a big dinner at Lambert's!