Lambert’s Market
“Sandwiches, soups, salad. For foods like this, you could go to the grocery store and to a wine shop and a butcher shop and a bakery or you could get everything you want right here. Lambert's Market in Westwood, a legendary family run business that somehow keeps getting better after 75 years.”
“It goes back to 1942-43 during the war. My two oldest brothers, they went in the Navy right away and when they get out of the service, they bought a place on Clarendon Street in the South End.”
“It was like a little convenience store. It just kind of grew from there.”
“The original store was in Dorchester. They sold fruit and vegetables out of the market and after they bought the property, they developed the property, built the store made it a little bigger, a little better, added a deli, salad, soups, prepared meals, and made it like a lunch, dinner, plus supermarket so it's a little bit original. And then in 1973 they bought this property and opened up the store in 1973.”
“This is completely family operated and they all work hard.”
“My father, he was in the fight like he always was working. He was always on top of things he ran the store and I kind of just watched him and observed the way he did things and the way he went about things and kind of took after him much like my cousin Anthony did with his dad.”
“When you walk into Lambert's as a first timer, honestly it can be a bit overwhelming. Your senses are just firing in every direction because there is something delicious around every corner. You got the salad bar, you have the deli, you have all the groceries, the fresh produce, a burrito bar, a Calzone station, a soup station, honestly, it's almost too much to take.
This is definitely the number one attraction at Lambert's, their legendary salad bar. It is the biggest salad bar in New England and I would argue the best salad bar in New England. It is gigantic. It is insane. It is four sided packed with fresh fruit and veggies and pre-made salads and croutons and dozens of salad dressings totally over the top.”
“It's a lot of prepping, all our employees are back to doing prep and all the way they start at five o'clock in the morning and then they start setting the salad bar itself at seven and there's like over 150-160 items.”
“So you start with the lettuces and the mix greens so that's your base and then you go to the tuna salad and the seafood salad and the chicken salads.”
“You can put the chicken or you can put ham or artichokes whatever you want on it and then around the corner we have over 30 dressings and then we have the fruit salad on the other side.”
“You can be as healthy or as decadent as you like.”
“No matter what you're going to get what you want. You're going to get it quick and it is always fresh and delicious.
Every sandwich at Lambert's is definitely a winner but my go to is definitely the chicken parm.”
“The chicken parm is definitely the most popular.”
“That's everybody's favorite.”
“Fresh chicken cutlet nice and golden and fried. Awesome homemade tomato sauce, provolone cheese, a great roll. Hot, gooey, sweet, cheesy, juicy. That is what a chicken parm is supposed to taste like my friends.
The burritos are always made fresh right in front of your eyes and these babies are big and the key is you get a taste of every ingredient and every bite at least that's what they tell me. I'll put it to the test. Tortilla, rice, beans, cheese, chicken, salsa, guacamole, pico, jalapenos all in one bite. The burritos are big, they are bold and they are filling. That’s good guac too.
This is the only place I've ever been to that has its own calzones station and there are so many different varieties I want to taste every one.”
“We make Italian calzones, we’ll make ham and cheese calzones, we’ll make roast beef calzones, we’ll make chicken parm calzones, meatball, and then we'll make it to order too, anything special, any certain type of calzone you want. We'll do that.”
“Look at that warm toasty crusty bread. Look at the melted cheese. Look how gooey and delicious the whole thing looks.”
“It’s just so good. Everything melts together and the bread gets crispy and it's like I can't explain it, you got to try it, very good.”
“One of the most popular calzones is the Gobbler, your turkey, your cranberry, your cheese, all stuffed in there. But if you ask me the number one calzone gotta get is the Italian calzone. Imagine like the greatest Italian sub you've ever had. And by the way, they make a good one of those here too, and put it inside of a Calzone, that is how Lambert's does lunch.
You go to most restaurants they might have the soup of the day, at Lambert's they have 15 homemade soups available every single day. Chicken Noodle always extremely popular. The New England Clam Chowder is legendary and I think the chicken pot pie is incredible, hearty and absolutely steaming hot deliciousness.”
“It's literally the inside of a chicken pot pie as a soup. As soup. That's crazy. Good. That's my favorite.”
“So you walk in here expecting to get some groceries and a bottle of wine and you end up walking out with the best soups and salads and sandwiches and calzones and burritos you've ever tasted and you can only do that at Lambert’s.”
“My father said when he started this out if you give someone more than they expect, they'll always come back and that's what we've been doing since 75 years.”
“So if you come to Lambert’s for the first time it won't be the last time I promise.”
