eVolve Restaurant

Really wanted to try this place out… but it was closed. No sign. No nothing? I’m really disappointed!

This is one of the more questionable and unpleasant restaurant experiences I’ve had.
My brother and I planned to take our mother here for dinner as a Christmas present. When we walked in the door, I was immediately struck by the sticky, humid environment in the restaurant. It was uncomfortably warm, and it smelled damp and musty, a bit like a wet dog. We had a reservation from OpenTable, but the restaurant was mostly empty, which seemed strange given it was 7pm on a Saturday night. The décor is some paintings/​photos hung on the wall, all for sale with little prices written on cards next to them. The restaurant is just one big room, but doors were open to side rooms that looked like a storage closet and maybe a laundry room. Some interesting lighting was added to offset the blank walls and tile floors, but overall very poor ambiance.
The waitress asked us if we’d like anything to drink. I hadn’t seen a drink menu, so asked to see one, to which she replied, «oh, we don’t have one yet». They’ve been open more than 3 months it turns out, so I didn’t understand why they didn’t have a drink menu, but it became clear after she listed the options for us. Two types of red wine, one type of white, miller lite, bud lite, dos equis, and shiner bock. That’s it. My mom got a chardonnay (no details on the wine were available) and I got a shiner bock.
They brought out bread to the table, which was nice but pretty expected for an upscale-​American type restaurant like this. Strangely, the bread is served with olive oil instead of butter. No spices or seasoning in the oil, though — typically dipping oil will have parmesan/​garlic/​basil/​etc.
The menu had plenty of dishes that sounded tasty. Under appetizers they offered a charcuterie board — one of my favorite things to munch on before a meal, so we ordered it ($ 10). The menu listed «market cheese & meats, pickled veggies, voodoo mustard, and fresh bread». At best, it *actually* had only two of these things. When we received the board it had: three pieces each of sliced & rolled salami & capicola, three chunks of hog head cheese, some pickled asparagus & carrots, a tub of mustard, and 3 or 4 pieces of crunchy bread. The meat I would hardly call «market» — the sliced meats were bland and looked like they came from the deli at Kroger, and the head cheese was GROSS (head cheese is kind of inherently gross, but I’ve had good ones before that were rich & moist and melted in your mouth — this was chewy and rubbery like cold bacon fat). There was *no cheese* at all on the charcuterie board. The pickled veggies were OK. The mustard was OK, but nothing groundbreaking. The bread was super disappointing — exactly the kind of thing you’d get out of a grocery store «toasted crostinis» bag — hardly fresh.
I was moderately panicking at this point, since I felt my Christmas present to my mom was going to be a disaster. We asked for the check (grand total of $ 25) and left. We had passed a place on our way there that looked promising — Nobi Public House. This was definitely downscale compared to what we had been hoping for, but it was extremely pleasant and delicious. I’d recommend that place to anyone, and I hope to be back.
Look, I’ve been to plenty of restaurants with mediocre ambiance and crappy food. But I’ve never been to a place where the expectations so drastically mismatch the delivery. They’re going for an upscale-​American-​bistro reputation, but the whole experience was just so unpolished and thrown-​together. Other people on here comment that the entrees were good, which may be the case — but honestly we couldn’t get to that point. Definitely won’t be back, and will be telling folks in the area to avoid this place.

Wow. We have a new favorite. Meant to come here and try it a couple of times, but things came up. So glad we made it. We will be back with friends. My wife loves the place! It’s been a location of many places, gutted by fire, some might say cursed. No more.
The appetizers were great. Crab cakes were mostly crab with delightful 3 pepper sauce around them. Mild roasted jalapeño, the chef explained, is milder because the roasting tames the hotness of the jalapeño. Salad with roasted root vegetables was very well done.
We shared the braised short ribs and the market seafood plate. Ohmigod. The meat was perfect, the sides just as good. We left nothing on our plates. I especially loved the salmon. Sauces are excellent, not just color on the plate. Seafood done right! No, you haven’t had this before.
We ordered desserts and still everything was awesome. If you’ve ever liked pecan pie, then you will fall in love with the pecan dessert here. Sweet, gooey, and perfect. My spouse is gluten-​free so dessert can be a challenge but she ordered the Texas Junk, caramelized bananas, vanilla pudding, and crusty meringue, I think. We both enjoyed it a lot.
Start to finish, a great experience. Yes, they are just starting out, but you should go there and have a great time. No liquor license yet so bring your own bottle, no corkage fee. Nice setting of about fifteen tables with other rooms for the future wine tastings. They have a mailing list and online presence. We’ll be back. Soon, I hope.

Ordered a blackened snapper and chicken sandwich. Both equally bad. Have no idea where and why all the so positive reviews came from.
Update ¹⁸⁄₁₂
Adam,
I was there on August 11^th for lunch. I am not for giving bad reviews; but ppl like me try out new places after checking the reviews and I belive it is fair enough to give ratings as per quality of food/​service.

We love locals so we found them on Unilocal.Crab cakes were noted as the best in the city by the waitress. While they had good flavor they and every other restaurants rendition pales in comparison to killems. We prefer crab cakes not stuffing with some crab. the steak had great flavor and had a nice crust and the potatoes were good as well. We also had the shrimp and grits shrimp also had four flavor the grits were soso. The waitstaff was pleasant. All in all it was good but felt a little over priced especially so when you look at the lack of décor I think the menu could be improved upon and it would be more appealing. I probably would not get the shrimp again but we would get the steak again.

This is exactly the kind of restaurant we need in the Clear Lake area. Great service and fresh food. Still waiting on their liquor license (hurry up TABC!) so BYOB. The waiter explained that there were not very many menu items because they change so often. The crab cakes were great and cooked just right (most places over cook them). My wife had the shrimp and grits and I had the snapper and both were very good. The smoked pecan dessert was awesome!

Brunch was AMAZING! Steak/​eggs and Grits/​grillards: steak was cooked perfectly, grits were super creamy with the perfect amount of cheese, carmelized onions, and roasted red peppers. Oh, the bread! Homemade bread, lightly roasted. Service was impeccable and we loved having the chef visit our table. Looking forward to going back many times.

It was ok. I’m not one to complain but I had high expectations after reading the previous reviews. As I walked in the hostess asked me if I had reservations. I looked around and there where only two other occupied tables. She then asked what menu I wanted liked I’ve been here before. I explained that this was my first time here and the waiter recommended that we take a look at both menus. Which were by the way Xerox copies. The food was good but the scallops were way too salty. The pecan cobbler was way too smokey. The atmosphere was nice.

I went on a Tuesday night for dinner and was a little nervous about going in because there were only about 5 people in the whole place. I took the risk and wasn’t disappointed with the quality of the food.
The waitress was very timely but lacked an engaging personality that you normally see at restaurants. Maybe it was due to the fact that it was so dead.
If your looking for alcoholic drinks for dinner you currently need to BYOB for the time being.
If your looking for top quality /​fresh food look nowhere else. This has been by far the freshest top chef quality food I’ve had in a while. You can tell that each dish is a work of art and there is true love and passion creating it.

Went back for our second time with another couple. We were just as pleased. The menu was little changed but they had added homemade bread that was very good. All 4 of us enjoyed our meals trying 4 different entrees. Still slow but crowd picking up (they need to advertise). As of mid October it was still BYOB.

Great food — fresh, well prepared and creative. Great service with friendly and attentive staff. BYOB until mid November. But Specs is just 2 minutes away. We’ll be back soon.

Really enjoyed my experience here. The food was pretty delicious and the décor was quaint. We came in a whim and were under dressed in think. Somewhere on the Unilocal page I had read that it was casual but it felt nicer than that. We stayed anyway haha
We order the date night special which was 3 courses and a full complementary bottle of wine. They were a little under staffed I guess but everything still came out in what I felt was a timely manner. This place felt like somewhere I would plan on spending some time at. Higher end food should really be savored in my opinion. The only thing really keeping this from 5 stars was the waiters constant apologies about being the only waiter working that night. I really didn’t mind and his constant reminders became annoying after awhile. There was no need for apologies and I got tired of saying it was ok.
Other than that everything was very nice and the meal was fairly priced!

A culinary treat for your taste buds and staff that make you feel like family! We will be going back. Loved it!

Great food and great atmosphere. What a great new place to come to for my first visit in Clear Lake/​Seabrook area. Service staff was very knowledgeable of the menu and also food was prepared based on your completion of prior meals. Not disappointed with my choice of restaurant and entrée.

A gem in Seabrook — love the «farm to table» concept! The fresh brioche they brought to the table was divine — think I could eat that daily and never tire of it. Our meals — fresh bay grouper/​oyster ramen & the pork belly and scallops — were delish! We finished with the «Texas Mess», a deconstructed banana pudding that had just the right amount of sweetness. We’ll be back often to see what they create next.

It’s only been open 3 weeks and is still working on its liquor license. But you can BYOB. Our service was excellent in this casual, fine dining restaurant. Everything we ordered was presented beautifully and was excellent. The Chef/​Owner Adam Scott came out to introduce himself and see if we were enjoying our meal. We especially appreciate the fact that they use fresh not frozen and locally grown if available. The Chef changes the menu to include what is available that day. We had the salted cod appetizer, scallops & pork belly, and the special fish dish — sauted grouper.
For dessert the panna cotta & 3 cheese chocolate bark cheese and cream. All were delicious. Will definitely be back.

We went to eVolve before they officially had their grand opening and on grand opening night. I want to go back a couple of times before I give a final review, but in the meantime, here’s my preliminary review of the new place in Seabrook:
Appetizers: The charcuterie plate is standard with cured meats, but the ‘eVolution’ is sweet mustard, pickled veggies, and in-​house made cheese. The appetizers that knocked it out of the park were scallops and crab cakes. Scallops were perfectly seared, flavorful, no grittiness-​melted in your mouth. The only issue with them was the night of the grand opening, they ran out of app scallops. We were served one large one with a tiny one next to it. Crab cakes were simply perfect, full of sweet crab, good moisture level. The chef’s tasting caprese was beautiful but the caprese was considerably smaller and not as attractive entrée night (inconsistency) and differed from pics on the website. The first night was 6 multi-​colored heirloom tomatoes & cheese, but on the entrée night only 3 of each with no color. The andouille sausage & smoked mussels look pretty but the mussels were stringy and ‘meh’ (fishy) and sausage was a dry.
Charred watermelon and tuna carpaccio were both hits – beautiful plating. These are gorgeous dishes. The tuna was a little bland and the sesame crackers were soft, perhaps needing to be sealed like humidity had gotten to them? They taste wonderful.
Entrée positives: The cabritas or cabra served four ways for the family tasting, I’ve known to be a tough meat, so I wasn’t sure how it would come out – it was perfect. So perfectly cooked, all the different ways. Served with fresh pasta, the estafado was fantastic. All of it was fantastic.
Entrée negatives: Originally, I thought prices were good, but portions are more tasting menu size. For the full-​price menu items, I expected a more substantial meal. For example, the market steak served with ‘appropriate accompaniments’: my experience, that’s usually a whole piece of meat, unless otherwise stated, a potato dish and a side veggie. But what we got was approximately 6 bites of sirloin strips mixed in with veggies like a stir-​fry. When you order a steak, you don’t expect something akin to a stir-​fry. The meat was cooked perfectly, had excellent flavor and gorgeous color, but it was cold – like it had been sitting before being served – and it was literally 6 bites of meat. There were 2 crab cakes and some veggies with it, but I doubt it was even 4 ounces of steak.
Dessert is where eVolve shines brightest, IMO. The desserts are playful, non-​traditional, and gorgeous – quite artistic. Oh, and they taste great! They’re FUN. We went all out and tried every one of the desserts they had available to share (I understand they change regularly): Their signature deconstructed smoked pecan pie is amazing – comes in a ceramic rarebit dish, served piping hot with a praline pecan syrupy inside that is heavenly. The smoked pecans keep this pie from being cloyingly sweet, adding just the perfect touch of smoky flavor and scent that it completely transforms the dish. An absolute must try.
After the meal, we met chef/​owner and sous chef, along with the waitstaff who took extra good care of us all evening – we never wanted for anything! (though the second night, pacing and serving times between courses were awkward, as was placing our order in stages) – and the chef even brought out some house-​made cheese for us to try gratis.
The whole meal was more than just dining – it was an experience, engaging all senses, including great music selection that was the right volume. Chairs are comfy, and as with all my review, wheelchair accessibility is acceptable. There is a ramp to the dining room, easy access from the patio (though it’s bumpy), and the tables are high enough the chair’s arm go under. I was quite comfortable.
You’re probably wondering why 4 stars instead of 5? Well, first, they are new. There are a few kinks that need worked out. Salmon was missing tomato consommé; no wasabi greens on my daughter’s plate; water on our first visit was tap water, but I think was RO or bottled on second visit; waitstaff needs trained like Kim’s service was on the first night; and they do not serve wine, beer or liquor – though they did say they were in the process of getting their license (which will be fantastic for the patio), and they are BYOB until then (we bought wine both nights-​they have NO cork fee and even chilled and iced the wine).
So I guess what I’m saying is, I want to leave eVolve with room for improvement and come back, after dining there again later, and update this review. I hope they work out all the kinks and become the hottest place in Seabrook-I’m looking forward to no longer having to drive to Houston for upscale food in a casual environment! They are worth checking out right now. The food is beautiful and tasty and the place is comfortable with compelling décor. You absolutely won’t be disappointed. Great experience.

Great service and food. My first visit and I will definitely be back. I had the market steak and it was seasoned and prepared perfectly. High quality ingredients across the board.

Finally I don’t have to drive to Houston for good food. From beginning to end everything was amazing. My only complaint was they didn’t charge enough. I have to admit that’s the first time I’ve had that happen to me. The chef even came out and thanked us. You can tell he has passion and skills. Welcome to the clear lake area chef! !! I will definitely be back again. Tip… they are still in the process of the liquor permitting so we grabbed some wine at spec’s right down the road. They didn’t even charge a corkage fee. The menu will change (or evolve haha) frequently, as chef said he sources the freshest local ingredients. You can definitely taste the difference. Thank you evolve and chef Adam for the amazing meal, we’ll be back soon! !

What a nice addition to the selection of restaurants in Seabrook! We love to support local businesses and when this restaurant was coming on the horizon, I did a lot of research before they even opened. The prices are very reasonable AND for now, it’s BYOB w/​no fee!
The restaurant is situated near 146 on Nasa in a location that had previously had a fire that caused quite a bit of damage. Evolve took over and spent a lot of time on the building to make it what it is today.
We had dinner on Saturday and arrived at 6pm for our reservation. We were promptly greeted and asked to take a seat wherever we’d like. That is probably the only downside of the entire experience as we ended up sitting very close to the only other table in the dining room. However, by the time we left, the restaurant was mostly full.
Appetizers — We chose the Crab Cakes and the Mussels with Andouille Sausage for starters. The crab cakes were quite tasty and the Sausage was as well but the Mussels left a bit to be desired
.
Dinner — Most of the items on the menu looked very tasty, but we both went with the Market Steak and the Market Fish. Both were set at «market price» which I’ve always associated with being expensive, but they were actually less expensive than some of the other dinner items on the menu. My husband got the fish which was a fishy fish of sorts. It was situated on top of some Greek inspired whipped potatoes with fresh vegetables. By Greek inspired, think Hummus but with potatoes. They were DELICIOUS! My husband was very impressed with the fish and how all of the different parts of the entrée played into the entire meal. I went with the steak which was a different cut of steak than I had ever heard of, but hey, we’re trying new things, so I went with it! I ordered it medium rare and it came out cooked to perfection. It was served with some au gratin type potatoes and fresh vegetables as well. It also as delicious and we were both very impressed with the food.
Dessert — We normally don’t even consider dessert, but after the table behind us was raving about the smoked pecans, we decided to give them a try. Think Pecan Pie but done on the smoker. My husband who hates sweets was in love and I love anything sweet so immediately, I found it to be amazing! We found ourselves continuing to eat it long after we were stuffed!
Chef Adam even came to our table to ask how things were and if we had any feedback about the menu or the restaurant.
I wish I would have taken some photos but a few things to note— Their presentation is very nice. They do well at making the food look good. ALL food is considered to be locally sourced. They have multiple distributors that they do business with so that everything can be sourced within the local market.
All in all, this place is a winner! We were shocked when we got our bill and it was less than $ 70 for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and dessert. We expected to be well over $ 100. In addition, the BYOB is a nice touch. They also have a nice patio away from the street that will be a great hangout spot once the weather cools down a bit.
We’re looking forward to another wonderful meal here and trying some of the other flavors on the menu that they have to offer!