Lambert's

So yesterday for lunch I went to Lambert's with some work colleagues. We all ordered the one meat two sides lunch plate for $12 and then proceeded to share a coconut creme pie for $8 (which they described as individually sized but after lunch the three of us ate it up and it was more than enough!).

We went for a late lunch, around 1:45, so the restaurant was virtually empty so service was fast and our waiter was super nice and helpful, recommending the pie and greens (he was right on both counts).

I ordered the brisket (supposedly rubbed with brown sugar and coffee), the bacon braised collard greens and the carrot and jicama slaw.

When you first arrive they bring you little miniature cornbread muffins, the two bite kind, served with butter. They were moist and flavorful with little bits of jalapeno here and there.

The entree came and it wasn't as big as I had heard it described. The servings of the sides were each maybe 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup and the meat itself was maybe 5-6 oz. The collard greens were hands down the best part, perfectly wilted, perfectly seasoned, so delicious. I ate those right up! The slaw was really nice too, super crunchy because of the carrot, jicama and cabbage. The dressing was super light, nothing drenched in a creamy sauce. It was almost citrusy and minty, really refreshing complement to the spicy bbq.

Now onto the bbq. They serve house and hot bbq sauce at the table for you to use at your leisure. I went for the house and it was a nice blend of sweet and hot although a little too tomatoey for me. The meat itself tasted nothing of coffee, I'm not sure it was meant to, and although it was flavorful it was... dry. And that is unforgivable. Brisket is a meat which because of it's high fat content should never be dry, it should be juicy. And although the pieces I got were quite lean with just a little fat around the edges it still shouldn't have been as dry as it was! I doused it in house bbq sauce which made it absolutely delicious, though.

The coconut creme pie came not as a slice but as a mini whole pie. The crust was quite thick and had a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate before the coconut pudding filling which made it extremely difficult to cut through - the three of us were grappling with our forks and spoons drying to get through it! The pie had a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. Overall it was delicious. The crust was flavorful, not too sweet, not the best I've had since it wasn't flaky or buttery or melt in your mouth amazing, but it was nice. The caramel and chocolate layer added a delicate flavor, not overpowering. The coconut custard was amazing. The pieces of coconut in it were to die for (I'm a coconut lover!) and it wasn't too sweet which I appreciate. The whipped cream on top was simple and delicious.

Overall, from reading this post one would assume that I'd give this place a raving review, and I would, except that... the brisket was dry. Now, yes the sides were phenomenal and the dessert was good but... it's a bbq joint. It's star should be it's meat. You can go elsewhere for delicious collards, good slaw and you can definitely go to a million other places with as good as and better coconut creme pie. So for a bbq place... it failed me. I am still on the search for perfect brisket. Next stop one of these days: Salt Lick, I think.

Next up? Goat cheese ad corn quesadillas for lunch, Pot roast (in my slow cooker as we, or I rather, um, type) for dinner, Tabbouleh sometime tomorrow or Saturday. And then in the spirit of Austin Restaurant week either Friday night or Saturday night Amy and I will be going to one of the restaurants offering a special menu. We've got it narrowed down to Judge's Hill, Zax, Siena and Chez Zee. I narrowed it down from the long list by first eliminating anywhere we had already been or places that were very mainstream and we'd probably end up going to one day (Perry's, Truluck's). Then I went through the menus and eliminated anywhere with a boring sounding menu and without a chocolate dessert! Right now I'm leaning towards Judge's Hill or Siena, we'll see!