The legendary “home of the throwed rolls” has been serving up American home-style cuisine in a very folksy, down home atmosphere at its Sikeston, Missouri location since 1942. Lambert’s Café distinguishes itself from other restaurants in its policy of providing large thirty-two ounce drinks, side items or “pass arounds” which are passed to all customers, free refills for nearly all entrees, and of course, for throwing their famous homemade rolls to their customers.
Lambert’s also has locations in Ozark, Missouri (click here for review) and Foley, Alabama. As is the case with those restaurants, buses and large groups are welcome at the Sikeston location as well. The restaurant does not accept reservations, but it is still most helpful to call ahead and inform a manager when you and your group plan to arrive.
The menu at Lambert’s includes entrees ranging from golden fried chicken to steaks; pork chops to fried catfish filets. The restaurant has a kid’s menu for children ages ten and under, which includes the choice of a hamburger, chicken leg, chicken and dumplings or roast beef with two vegetables and a soft drink.
Servers make their rounds supplying their guests with pass arounds, which include fried okra, fried potatoes and onions, black-eyes peas, macaroni and tomatoes and apple butter. And then there are the rolls. A server will walk through the dining rooms throwing the rolls to patrons while another follows closely behind with sorghum molasses.
While Lambert’s Sikeston location has the better pass arounds, the Ozark site has the better entrees. Sikeston does have far more servers-one group serving only food while the other set handles the beverages-which helps make the service much quicker.
Lambert’s Café first opened on March 13, 1942 on South Main Street in Sikeston. The restaurant, owned and operated by Earl and Agnes Lambert, was small, with a total seating capacity of 41 people. Earl Lambert’s son Norman and his wife Patti entered into the family business with Agnes Lambert. Other restaurants have copied the “throwed roll” concept over the years, but Lambert’s maintains that they originated the practice. The tradition began in 1976 at the Sikeston location. Norman Lambert would walk through the dining area and hand rolls to his customers. One day when the restaurant was packed, Lambert had trouble get through the crowd to hand out the rolls. One customer, who was eager to receive a roll, yelled at Lambert to just throw the roll to him. He did, and a tradition was born. Lambert’s Café moved to 2109 East Malone in 1981, and then moved again in 1988 to a location convenient for travelers along I-55. The business expanded with the opening of the Ozark location in 1994, followed by the Foley site in 1996.
When you’re visiting southwest Missouri, or if you’re just passing through, your trip isn’t complete without a visit to Lambert’s Café in Sikeston. The food is great, and at reasonable prices. The down home atmosphere and friendly service also make a visit to Lambert’s lots of fun. This is a place that I gladly recommend to couples and families. Having visited the Ozark and Sikeston restaurants, I am so eager to make the trip to Foley, Alabama to visit the Lambert’s Café location there.
Contact Information
2305 E. Malone
Sikeston, MO 63801
573-471-4261
FAX: 573-471-7563
