3 stars for Kendall's "sexy, delectable" Devon Seafood + Steak

Victoria Pesce Elliott3/27/2013

It’s rare that I review a chain restaurant, but with the buzz about Devon Seafood + Steak in Kendall, I had to check it out. The kitchen is commanded by a real pro, executive chef Scott Barrow, who has been with the Kansas City-based chain for a dozen years and relocated here from Chicago. His cooking is confident and skillful, even if some dishes fall into the obscenely rich restaurant-food category.

Ambience: The 300-seater is hardly intimate, but it’s somehow sexy with subdued lighting, a hip soundtrack and private dining nooks.

What Worked

• Decadent, dense, warm biscuits slathered with creamy honey butter
• Mini lobster rolls - sweet, toasted rolls loaded with claw meat in spiced-up mayo
• Crispy Old Bay-seasoned fries
• Textbook perfect meaty crab cakes with a spicy Creole rémoulade
• Creamy shrimp and grits withaged Cheddar, a swirl of tomato, bacon and espelette pepper
• Creole gumbo loaded with tongue-tingling andouille sausage, chicken, pork, ham, bacon, steak, crawfish and shrimp
• Roasted duck flatbread with great flavor contrasts of fig barbecue sauce, sliced red onion, Granny Smith apple chunks and three kinds of melty cheese
• Impressively fresh, large & varied salads
• Crave-wothy lobster cobb salad
• Strawberry, spinach and arugula salad with red onion and Parmigiano
• A kitchen that's happy to customize or create a dish for guests with allergies or just a hankering (including gluten-free and vegetarian menus)
• Perfectly grilled, pencil-thin asparagus
• Sliced Wagyu flank with mushroom demi-glace,
• Velvety Australian butterfish
• Costa Rican mahi grilled to perfect juiciness
• Crunchy jicama-lime salad
• Gooey molten chocolate cake
• Delectable carrot cake with buttery pecan praline filling, tangy crème anglaise and cream-cheese frosting

What Didn't Work

• Overcooked, overly cheesy shrimp enchilada