Catch 10

2 stars for a colorful SoBe seafood shack

The historic coral rock house at 10th and Washington has been transformed into Catch 10, a colorful seafood shack of the sort Miami Beach has long lacked. The 1922 home of pioneer Henri Levy is one of the oldest surviving structures on this barrier island, and its recent redo is adorable. The setting is a good match for the casual fare at Catch 10, a three-meal-a-day restaurant for the next-door Wyndham Garden hotel.

Lusty seasonings and portions are courtesy of Cuban-born chef Odell Torres while servers are vintage Miami - often missing, with limited English skills and seemingly put out by simple requests. On one visit, one of our entrées went missing, the salad we requested with dressing on the side came drenched instead, and our glasses were not refilled. On another visit, however, the manager offered us free soft drinks while we waited for takeout.

Ambience: The room is wrapped in beach-towel-striped booths set against walls the colors of orange and lime sherbet. Rustic hardwood floors, bright neon signs and a steel drum soundtrack contribute to the Key West vibe. But it is the spacious front patio that lures out-of-towners and locals for al fresco dining. Brushed aluminum tables shaded by bright blue umbrellas are spaced nicely along stone pavers.

What Worked

• Bready, but tasty biscuit-sized crab cakes
• A satisfying basket of hand-cut fries and bread-crumb coated cod sticks
• Well-seared, skin-on snapper fillet seasoned with loads of garlic and served alongside smashed plantains and a tangle of salad greens
• An overflowing bowl of buttery, competently cooked angel hair scampi with plenty of tiny, tender shrimp, grated cheese and a side of garlic bread
• A blackened mahi sandwich on a toasty bun
• Garlicky chicken wings
• A dense chocolate cake
• Simple sweet, cinnamon-dusted flan - as low-frill as you can find on South Beach

What Didn’t Work

• Slightly clunky calamari – tender, but heavily coated and served with a sweet marinara sauce
• Thick as cottage cheese crab bisque made with more butter and flour than crab
• A fairly generic selection of fish - mahi, snapper, salmon and dishes with mussels, clams and shrimp
• A wine list with 20 or so generic wines that could be had at the grocery store for a quarter of the price