If you’re looking for an out-of-the-ordinary dining experience, Lambert’s Cafe should be on your radar. Our family dined at this popular tourist attraction this summer and boy, was it quite the experience! Find out what’s so unique about this extraordinary restaurant.
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What is Lambert’s Cafe?
Lambert’s Cafe is a restaurant in the Ozarks that serves Southern cuisine. The kicker is that their servers throw rolls to you while you dine. It’s a place to come for lots of food and a unique experience. They have two locations in the Ozarks and one in Alabama.
What’s Special about Lambert’s Cafe?
Lambert’s Cafe got our attention after seeing videos of servers throwing dinner rolls across the dining room inside a cramped-looking restaurant with booth-style seating. “Home of throwed rolls” is their catch-phrase and there’s a reason for that! Everything here is themed around the rolls.
This quick video above captures the atmosphere and spirit of Lambert's Cafe (even though this is actually for the Foley, AL location).
What it’s like…
It’s a place like no other that we’ve ever been to. Upon pulling into the parking lot at the Ozark, Missouri location—we realized this adventure was going to be a little different than we originally anticipated. Our first surprise was how big the place actually is.
Boy, was it busy! This place does a LOT of volume and the parking lot is huge. We actually had to walk quite a distance to get to the hostess from where we parked. Once we checked in, our wait time was around an hour. I was actually surprised that the wait wasn’t longer due to the amount of people there!
There is plenty of porch-style seating in front of the restaurant and there’s also a small gift shop that you can peruse while you’re waiting to be seated. You can review the menu as you wait so that you can be ready to order when you reach your table.
The gift shop includes mostly promotional gear like Lambert’s Cafe throwed roll tee shirts, coffee cups, key chains, and more. We ended up buying a coin purse and fridge magnet to sport our support. You can also shop online.
The dining experience was.. interesting. Our host actually lost us while attempting to guide us to our seats. The photo below sums up the experience quite well...
It’s LOUD, it’s chaotic, and there are rolls flying through the air. We got our first round of rolls throwed at us pretty quickly and the rolls were nice and fluffy and warm. We ordered our food and our server was super!
Now, let’s move on to the food (and drinks)…
The Food at Lambert’s Cafe
You're here to eat! And when it comes to great food, Lambert's is on-point.
Drinks
Our drinks came out in obnoxiously large insulated Lambert’s mugs that looked like they’d been used quite a lot since the labels were mostly worn away. It was fun and loud!
Plates & Sides
There is something on the menu for everyone, whether you're looking for comfort food, traditional American cuisine, or something unusual.
The menu reminded us of Cracker Barrel, with selections like:
Chicken Fried Steak
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken & Dumplings
Golden Fried Chicken
Hot Beef Sandwich
But with a spin on the norm, Lambert’s Cafe also offers up these interesting menu items:
Frog Legs
Hog Jowl
Chicken Livers
Chicken Gizzards
But don’t worry, they have some normal stuff for the kids, including:
Hamburger
Chicken Tenders
Grilled Cheese
Mac & Cheese
Giant Cinnamon Rolls
While you’re in your booth, the cinnamon roll people will be wheeling around a cart full of giant cinnamon rolls! They’ll ask you if you want one added to your ticket, which you can eat in-restaurant or get “to-go.” We opted to buy one to-go because we knew we’d be too full to enjoy it during dinner. It was neither the best nor the worst cinnamon roll I’ve ever tasted, but probably worth the $5.
Is Lambert’s Cafe Worth Your Time (and Money)?
Yes, Lambert’s Cafe is worth it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But… not as a regular thing. Here’s why.
✖ 1 hour wait time to be seated
✖ Lots of noise and activity
✖ Walk a distance for parking
✖ Spend $100 + for a family of 4
✔ Eat Lots of tasty food
✔ Get A unique experience
Our food was delicious, but the temperature wasn’t quite hot enough for some of our sides which were on the cooler side. The fried okra was “OK.” The black eyed peas looked unappealing, but I'm not sure who eats black eyed peas? The price of the food was quite expensive. Expect to shell out $25 per person after taxes.
While we probably won’t return for a second visit, it was worth checking out once! We recommend that you experience it for yourself.
More Things to Do Nearby
If you're planning a trip to the Ozarks, check out these things to do near the Lambert's Cafe in Ozark, Missouri. This location is just outside of Springfield, Missouri. Here are our favorite things to do in town:
It's also conveniently located a short distance from Branson, Missouri.
>> If you're kids loved eating at Lambert's Cafe, check out this bucket list of unique and fun dining experiences in the Ozarks <<
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