The famed Nusr-Et steakhouse chain run by internet sensation #SaltBae opened a Manhattan burger outpost in early 2020. Three years later, it's closed.
Named for the moniker of its flavor-sprinkling owner, Nusret Gökçe, who rose to social media stardom in 2017 when he sent flecks of salt tumbling down his forearm onto cuts of meat, Saltbae Burger was a casual sit-down eatery specializing in hamburgers rather than steaks.
The now-closed burger joint's menu boasted burgers priced up to $100, a $99 milkshake as well as free veggie burgers offered to women as a “compliment,” according to a 2020 Eater review.
That year, Gothamist called it "the worst restaurant in NYC right now," and said it was "an insult to our city," telling readers not to eat there — "not even as a goof."
Gökçe, a Turkish butcher and restaurateur, still runs a global empire of steakhouses including a famous one in Mykonos, Greece.
On Monday, Eater reported that a sign on the shuttered Saltbae Burger said the restaurant was moving to 412 West 15th Street, which is the current location of a Nusr-Et steakhouse.
Over the past few years, Gökçe has been the subject of legal matters ranging from accusations of labor violations to abuse, the New York Post reported.
According to the Miami Herald, an employee of the Nusr-Et in Miami sued Gökçe in 2019, claiming he illegally shared front-of-house tips with non-tipped workers.
