A small restaurant chain, currently with locations in Sikeston and Ozark, Missouri, and Foley, Alabama. Lambert's main "gimmick" is its "throwed rolls"--when the bread cart comes around, the waiter actually throws the rolls to willing patrons (there is a method by which unwilling patrons may signify they'd rather be handed them).

Lambert's tries for a "down home" style atmosphere, to go with its home cooking style food. The "napkins" are a roll of paper towels; all drinks are served in 32-oz insulated travel mugs (which may also be purchased to take home); food portions are large, and if you clean your plate, they will set another one just like it in front of you at no extra charge. Appetizers (such as breaded fried okra and other vegetables) are free and plentiful, and come around frequently on carts.

As restaurants go, Lambert's offers a unique experience; if you're in the area (perhaps to visit nearby Branson) and hungry, try it at least once. Lambert's website is www.throwedrolls.com.

I happen to live within sight of the Ozark's branch of this "cafe". The place is more of an annoyance than anything. I attend school with three quarters of the staff, and have had the unfortunate experience of eating there on several occasions.

First off, if you want to eat at Lamberts, arrive an hour early and dress appropriately, because you'll be waiting outdoors until they find you a seat. Also, do not expect a cozy little atmospere for a quiet dinner with your family or a date. The place is chaos. Some employee is always yelling out asking if anyone wants some complementary sidedish, or rolls are being thrown, or some tourist's child won't shut up.

Understand, this place is a tourist trap. There are usually one or two tour busses in front of the place at all times. The food, although plentiful (all you can eat, but not buffet), is nothing special. Their main goal is to filter people through as quickly as possible. But do be nice to the employees, they don't like it there, it's just Lamberts is the biggest employer of teens in the area.

Also, if it's your birthday while you are visiting, show them your liscence as proof and your meal is free.

Lambert's Cafe is well known as "The Home of the Throwed Rolls"

People flock in droves to get into Lambert's Cafe just to catch a roll for dinner.  The waiter comes out yelling "HOT ROLLS!  HOT ROLLS!" and it catches the attention of everyone in the rustic atmospheric room.  The ambiance is that of an old log cabin with license plates from all over the country nailed upon the walls.  You enjoy your old fashioned home cooked meal while listening to an older woman playing her heart out at the piano. As the waiter sets down his large tray of hot rolls and calls out to the crowd, hands go up to catch a roll that is thrown to them from about 20 feet away.  The rolls are absolutely mouth watering. 

The origin of the rolls is due to the fact that more than half the people in the world depend on wheat as one of their basic food groups and more of the earth's surface is covered by wheat crops than any other food crop. Their ovens begin to crank out the rolls at 9:15am and continue until 9:00pm without interruption.  "Last year we averaged baking 520 dozen rolls per day, for a grand total of 2,246,400 individual rolls.  The rolls are 5 inches in diameter and if they were to lay out all the rolls they made in a year it would cover 177.27 miles. 

Earl and Agnes Lambert established Lambert's Cafe on March 13, 1942 with 14 cents between them.  They borrowed $1500 from Tish Jones and hired 5 employees to open their business in a small building on South Main Street in Sikeston, Missouri.  They had a total seating capacity of 41 people.  They began the policy of serving vegetables, meat and dessert immediately.  The years were very trying for everyone as World War II and severe rationing made the operations of the restaurant extremely difficult.  Even though meat and supplies were very limited, the Lamberts managed to keep the Cafe open.  Earl died in 1976, and his son Norman and wife Patty began working at the business as partners to Agnes Lambert, who even though she was in her golden years continued to work eight hour days, six days a week.

In April of 1981 the building wore out over time, so the establishment was moved to 2109 East Malone and opened for business.  Seating capacity increased and the building was a little more modernized but the principles were still the same.  Employees treated everyone who entered the building the way that they would want to be treated and vowed to keep the high quality of service that they had always offered.

Lambert's dream lives on.  "We have always been proud to say, Yes!  We're the One and Only!"  But now we have taken the challenge".  March 1, 1994 the second Lambert's Cafe opened near Branson, Missouri.  Construction for a third Lambert's Cafe in Foley, Alabama began in November 1995 and opened June 24th 1996.

All locations serve the same types of food and have the same ambiance that was initialized when they opened the first business.  If you miss your chance to grab a bite to eat at Lambert's Cafe, you've missed a real treat!

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Source: Lambert's Cafe - The Only Home of Throwed Rolls. Lambert's Cafe. 22 Jul 2004 <http://www.throwedrolls.com/>.