Lambert's Downtown Barbecue

Fancy Barbecue? I would consider Lambert's Downtown Barbecue as fancy barbecue. Freedmen's Bar and them. This is where you look for quality service with a sophisticated cocktail in hand. There is nothing wrong with that by any means. Good barbecue is good barbecue no matter where you eat it. Amber McGee and I have gone here before to celebrate an anniversary so it is not an everyday restaurant for us. Lambert's is located in the historical Schneider Brothers building downtown. Their barbecue is good enough to make it on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list. Some people believe they do no belong because they use a gas smoker. I cannot fault them for that because of the space they have. I have not had good BBQ in a month so I was excited for this visit.

We went to brunch this time. I am an all you can eat brunch type of guy on the weekend. Just eat one big meal and make it through the rest of the day without eating. I can put away a lot of food. Surprised? Lambert's used to have all you can eat brunch on the weekend, but that has stopped recently. Sad face. I ordered the three meat plate with two sides. The meats I got were the brown sugar & coffee rubbed natural brisket, the maple and coriander crusted natural pork ribs, and the homemade jalapeño hot link. Yeah that is a mouthful. Although the moist brisket was cut with the grain, it was fantastic. It was tender and smoky, and the fat was well rendered. The bark was a little sweet so it was like meat candy. I wish got a bigger portion of brisket because I could have eaten a couple of pounds. No joke. The pork ribs were good and tender. It was not as smoky as I would like it to be. The glaze was sweet, but the flavor was a little off. The homemade sausage was decent. It had a heavy grit and good fat ratio. It was spicy and had a nice snap from the casing, but the flavor was a little boring. Instead of two sides, I got a large order of baked macaroni and cheese. It was really good, but it might be too cheesy. Is it that possible? Amber got the brisket hash. It was pretty tasty.

Lambert's Downtown Barbecue is great plain and simple. Sure it is fancy and on the pricier side, but sometimes I feel they are a little underrated. I want to try the beef rib and pulled pork next time I go. Lambert's also serves more than just barbecue which is good for my wife. Burgers, sandwiches and steaks. The menu does vary by the time of the day. They also have a live music space located upstairs. Is everything worth it? Yes. Grade: B+

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 401 W 2nd St, Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 494-1500
Website: http://www.lambertsaustin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lambertsbbq
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lambertsbbq