New Details Revealed on Steak 48’s Sister Seafood Restaurant: Houston’s Future No. 1 Hotspot Comes Into Focus

If you think Steak 48 is the hottest restaurant in Houston, just wait. It has a sister coming.

The River Oaks District hotspot’s new sister seafood restaurant called Ocean 48 is set to swim into Houston within the next year or so.

Ocean 48 doesn’t figure to be far from Steak 48, either. There’s a good chance it also will be in River Oaks District (or very close to it). Steak 48 co-owner Jeff Mastro is in love with the luxe shopping center at 4444 Westheimer, and it’s definitely No. 1 on his radar.

“We’re looking for a great location. We’re looking all around there,” Mastro tells PaperCity.

Steak 48 may be the ultimate see-and-be-seen spot in Space City. But Ocean 48 might just top it. Expect the same level of glitz and glam, with a whole new ocean menu. Expect ultra-grade seafood and a wood-burning oven.

Brothers Jeff Mastro and Michael Mastro, with their father Dennis Mastro and business partner Scott Troilo, plan to roll out Houston’s Ocean 48 after the first one opens in Scottsdale  (the Arizona restaurant will be called Ocean 44). All the restaurants are owned by the quartet’s Prime Steak Concepts restaurant group. 

Ocean 44 and Ocean 48 are siblings to Steak 44 and Steak 48, but hardly twins. The seafood spots will sport a sleek, semi-coastal look.

“Right when you walk in, there’s an 18-foot raw bar and our kitchen behind floor-to-ceiling glass,” Mastro says. “The finishes will be very different, most of the layouts will be very different.”

“They’re the same level of service and atmosphere, but the feeling and look is very different,” Prime Steak Concepts chief brand officer Oliver Badgio says. He’s excited about how Steak 48 and Ocean 48 will mesh. He doesn’t see them competing so much as coexisting, both drawing in the crowds.

“They’re so complementary, yet different. If you’re a fan of Steak 48 and you want to go on a Tuesday, you’ll want to go to Ocean 48 on a Thursday,” Badgio says.

Meat eaters can get their carnivore fix at either restaurant, with Ocean 48 also serving up signature steaks. But the seafaring part is where it truly stands out.

“Jeff has been so driven on our menu — so much R&D on the food. It’s a true stand-alone, high-end fine-dining seafood restaurant that also has famous great steaks,” Badgio says.

An Ocean 48 Food Quest

Mastro took three separate trips all over the country, the first to Hawaii. “Miami, Charleston, up to the Baltimore area. San Diego, San Francisco area. We went all over, came up with some great ideas,” he says.

The owners chose some of their favorite items from all of those restaurant hotspots and put their own spin on it. The menu details are still under wraps. But you can be sure to find unique salads and interesting side dishes when the time comes.

Like Steak 48, Ocean 48 will boast a collection of smaller, intimate spaces. Each room will have its own energy.

“Guests are encouraged to have their own type of evening,” Badigo says. “You feel like you’re in the right place. You can celebrate with your family for a graduation, or have a business dinner, or a romantic evening.

“You sit at the table and think this is the right spot, this is choice I wanted. This is the night I want to have.”