Lamberts Downtown Barbecue
Coffee
Thick Cut Brioche French Toast – Bananas, Blueberries, Strawberry Butter, Vermont Maple Syrup
Natural Pulled Pork, Brown Sugar & Coffee Rubbed Natural Brisket, Maple and Coriander Crusted Natural Pork Ribs, Baked Mac n’ Cheese
Butter Pecan Bread Pudding with Maple Black Pepper Sauce, Tangerine Ice Cream
Hailing itself as “Fancy, Barbeque” and located in a historic building on 2nd I knew walking in the door of Lambert’s that the trendy spot likely wouldn’t match the ‘cue at Franklin, La Barbeque, Snow’s, or Black’s but more intrigued by the brunch than the smoked meats anyhow I decided to take my chances – a single seat with disheveled service behind the front door my reward for arriving during a SXSW tech mixer spilling over from upstairs. Slick in design with modern lighting and exposed beams over distressed floors and dark woods it was with good coffee unfortunately reliant on an overburdened bartender/server for refills that I began and with an order substantially delayed for the same service reasons it was with good fortune that Austin’s free WiFi kept me occupied through a nearly hour long period of blaring noise and a door repeatedly bumping my seat before food arrived, the resulting plates largely justifying the wait, if not the seat. Starting savory before trending sweet it was with the three meat plate that my tasting kicked off and although brisket was dry and muddled with sugar both the pork options were quite good – the aromatic pulled version in particular when taken bite for bite with the best mac n’ cheese I experienced in the state. Moving next to the French Toast, a buttery crisp block of brioche resting in a golden pool I personally would have preferred the bread sliced slightly thinner or further infused with custard but featuring top quality berries and pure maple syrup this was a small quibble, the result good enough to sell me on a seemingly similar dessert that improved on the concept in every fashion with the same bread base completely saturated with butter wrapped around toasted pecans and baked to molten before being doused in lightly peppered caramel and crowned with a ball of smooth citrus; a multitude of discrepant flavors proving to be one of the most dynamic takes on the rustic dessert that I’ve had to date.
http://www.lambertsaustin.com/
