Owner Kevin Winston gave up a decades-long career in the corporate world for the restaurant business; he knew he wanted something different. After earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy and mathematics, a master's in business and corporate finance and a doctorate in health administration from Texas A&M, he leaned on his faith and switched his focus to soul food.
Named for his two sons Kendall and Karsen, Winston's restaurant has gained recognition and nods from several local media outlets, including a spot on the Observer's Top 100 restaurants in Dallas.
Companies like Walmart, Wayfair, Hello Fresh, General Motors and FedEx have ordered thousands of plates for their employees through the catering side of Winston's business. According to the Texas A&M graduate, the restaurant sells out of its cooked-to-order entrees daily, requiring constant calls to distributors.
"Just to give you a guesstimation," he says, "on Sunday, we opened at 12. By 2 p.m., we went through 140 pounds of yams. That kind of tells you what kind of foot traffic comes through here."
Kevin Winston's family has long made everyone has a hot plate of soul food on Sundays.
Terrance Porter
Room for Everyone
The proprietor learned at an early age to make sure to have plenty of food for everyone, especially on Sundays. Winston's late grandmother, Louberta Johnson, known to everyone as "Aunt Lou," would be proud to see her grandson following her example. On Sundays, Aunt Lou started cooking at 4 a.m. to make sure everyone at her home in Oak Cliff — sometimes up to 60 people — had a hot plate of food after church. Her table was open to more than just Winston and his cousins; neighborhood kids and friends were also welcome. All of it on a simple budget."I grew up with it," Winston says of soul food. "My family cooked. My grandmother made the front page of the The Dallas Morning News in '87, '88. She cooked for the homeless at the VA hospital. It's embedded in me. It's something I enjoy. I love the reactions on the patron's face after they eat some good, down-home soul food."
Winston's culinary influences also come from outside his family. Growing up, he ate many meals with his grandparents at Dallas' iconic Sweet Georgia Brown.
"I respect all the soul food restaurants," he says. "Each one brings a certain characteristic to the dynamics of soul food."
All in the Family
But it's not just his grandparents' influence at Winston's restaurant. Kendall Karsen's Upscale Soul Food is a whole family operation. One of the healthier options on the menu, the okra gumbo, is his late mother's favorite recipe. His youngest son, Karsen, works behind the counter, greets customers and helps with prep work in the kitchen. His oldest son, Kendall, is studying at Morehouse College and is poised to step into the operations of the brand after graduating. Winston's end goal is generational wealth.The Kappa Alpha Psi member understands the purpose lineage brings to soul food.
"For me, the change needs to be cleaner cooking (…) from slavery, we used what we had," he says. "All we had was a lot of fatty greases because that's all that we were allowed to use. We need to get away from that. I wish the whole industry would go in that route."
Thankfully, there has been more awareness of healthier alternatives when recreating the classic dishes of yesteryear. Just because something has been established doesn't mean an alteration is impossible.
"We cook with our hearts. We don't have anything sitting under heat lamps. Coming from the health industry, I believe in clean cooking. I cook with a lot of olive oils. It's just giving people the kind of food I'd want. The same expectation," he says. "When I walk into a restaurant, I want something fresh. I want something hot and I want something that hasn't been sitting for a couple of hours. That's what I give back to the community. I try to give them the best product possible."
On the Horizon
Recently, a new soul food restaurant, Kendall's Soul Food, opened in downtown Dallas, within walking distance of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza. While the names are similar, these are completely separate restaurants; one distinction is the new one in downtown offers some Caribbean-influenced dishes, which Kendall Karsen's doesn't. He is aware of the new restaurant and has been fielding questions from confused customers. He proudly informs them of the key features of his menu and shares directions of where they need to go.Don't fret though, expansion for Winston's Kendall Karsen's is on the horizon. After testing the market and fielding demands from various cities, he plans on opening a Desoto location before this summer. The new location will mix soul food and fine-dining elements like a wait staff, white linen tablecloths and live music, all with the same communal spirit of the current Oak Cliff location.
