Steak 48 is so hot right now, you can’t book a weekend reservation until July

Background: Steak 48 is a modern update to the classic American steakhouse experience. It’s owned by brothers Jeffrey and Michael Mastro, along with their father, Dennis Mastro, and partner Scott Troilo. They have locations in Houston, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

On the menu: Here are the most popular Steak 48 dishes so far (full menu here).

• Appetizers: Seafood tower with fresh chilled and raw shellfish (market price), crispy shrimp deviled eggs ($16) and Prime steakhouse meatballs ($12).
• Steak: The No. 1 most-ordered steak is the bone-in filet (12 oz, $58). Also popular is an off-menu wagyu butchers cut steak which is cut from the outer edge of a wagyu ribeye.
• Seafood: The No. 1 dish is the Chilean sea bass ($48).
• Sides: Praline sweet potato ($12), Corn Creme brûlée ($12) and Chef Heather King’s Au Gratin potatoes ($18).
• Wine: Steak 48 has a 6,000-bottle wine vault of over 1,000 wines, of which 48 are served by the glass.

Layout: There’s about 10 different dining zones with “different energy, music and acoustics,” Badgio says. The centerpiece of the restaurant is an exposed kitchen with floor-to-ceiling glass walls surrounded by dining on all three sides. “It’s a very honest and open view of the kitchen.”

My wife and I recently went to Steak 48 for our 10 year wedding anniversary. Here’s 4 pro tips.

(1) Request a suite: When making your reservation, be sure to request one of the four-person suites with a view into the kitchen if you’ve got a big date night.

(2) Drink this: Order the martini with blue cheese olives — they leave the shaker on the table, so it’s easy to pour a second half glass when you need it.

(3) Order this: Go for the oysters, which come with four different sauces. We made the mistake of only ordering four, so we had to get another round.

(4) Secret menu item: As a side to our bone-in filet that we ordered sliced for sharing purposes, our server recommended the off-menu mashed potatoes with king crab and shrimp — delicious.

• Other secret menu items include the 40-ounce tomahawk wagyu rib chop for two, the wagyu butcher’s cut steak, and the beignet tree for dessert.

The bottom line: In SouthPark — a neighborhood that’s already got Oak Steakhouse, Del Frisco’s, The Palm and Ruth’s Chris within a mile of each other — Steak 48 is off to a red hot start and has vaulted itself into the conversation for Charlotte’s best steakhouse or even one of the best restaurants in Charlotte.

[Related Axios guide: 11 best new restaurants in Charlotte, right now]