Lambert's Downtown Barbeque

Fun location in downtown Austin. Cool old building. Not a lot of seating, so wait was long - 40 minutes on a Wednesday night. Food was good - Brisket was a bit fatty, but the 3 different sauces it came with were delicious and interesting. Side options were great - I recommend the mac and cheese. Chocolate ice box pie worth saving room for. The upstairs has a stage with live music and a bar for a more relaxed atmosphere. Server was attentive although he was busy with many tables. Definately would consider this place to bring someone from out of town to get a taste of Texas BBQ and downtown Austin atmosphere. Pros: Interesting atmosphere Cons: Long wait more

...that's about it. Snooty service, greasy / luke-warm food (short ribs tasted like they had sat around for a while). Such a disappointment since I was expecting so much more from the re-hab of the historic building. Who designed the interior? If you're sitting downstairs and facing West, you get to see all the staff moving in and out of the kitchen constantly. If you were concerned that the 2nd street district was becoming ""Dallas"" this place brings the tone down, but unfortunately, without the good ole Austin friendliness and warmth - I doubt locals will subject themselves to this, perhaps out-of-towners will? Pros: beautiful building (from the outside), corn bread Cons: snooty service and lack-lustre food more

I have visited Lambert's twice, once for lunch and more recently for a New Year's Eve dinner. I was impressed with the food quality at both visits. I sampled my companion's smoked in-house chicken at lunch, it was unbelievably tender and had a wonderful natural, woody flavor. I also tried the oyster appetizer, which was prepared unconventionally with a sweet potato puree and flavored butter, whose richness balanced the lightly salty flavor of the oyster. I had the tuna tartare as a main, an incredibly filling salad, no skimping on the beautifully prepared tuna, served with avocados and a freshly prepared tostada shell. Another member of my group had the brisket, which was a favorite among the red meat eaters (which does not include me). At the New Year's event, I was thoroughly impressed by the thoughtful wine pairings with each of the courses (I had a peek at the wine list, which seemed equally thoughtful, varied, and reasonably priced). I wont remark on everything, but I especially loved the salad, which had an amazingly tender, sweet selection of beets. Lambert's atmosphere is equally impressive, in a historic building that has been decked out with traditional, yet modern furnishings and a striking staircase leading to an upstairs bar/music area. Overall, a great place that warrants repeat visits. Pros: Food quality, upscale yet relaxed atmosphere, location, drinks Cons: Extremely crowded at times, few vegetarian dishes more

A return trip to Lambert's was a mistake. Had a great time the first time (opening night), the second time was a disaster. It all began with an 8:30 reservation. We weren't seated until 9:20. The waiter didn't take our order until 9:40. I didn't get my drink until almost 10. We had to request bread after having been seated for about 20 minutes. Our food arrived and the brisket (which I ordered the first time and it was great) was incredibly fatty, bordering on totally disgusting. The prime rib was nearly raw when medium was requested. We sent it back to be cooked some more and it returned not much less raw. We had to ask for BBQ sauce and salt and pepper (which was, of course, brought to our table automatically last time). The waiter never asked us how everything was - even though a full piece of meat (minus the first bite) was left on my plate at the end of the meal. The best part? We were fully charged for everything - despite the 50 minute wait to be seated, the terrible service and the not-at-all-good food. To bad - it was great fun the first time, but I don't think I'll be going back again. Pros: It's in a great building Cons: everything about the second trip more