Salt Bae’s burger joint once branded ‘the worst in NYC’ closes after critics blast exorbitant prices, pretentious vibe ‘with all the charm of an airplane hangar’
- A sign on the door of Salt Bae Burger near Union Square Park said it was moving
- It comes after the burger joint was slammed as New York City’s ‘worst restaurant’
A Salt-bae burger joint once slammed as New York City‘s ‘worst restaurant’ has closed down.
Salt Bae Burger, owned by Turkish restaurateur Nusret Gökçe, closed down this month with a sign on its door saying it was ‘moving to a new location’.
It comes after the restaurant was branded by critics as having ‘all the charm of an airplane hangar’ and the city’s ‘worst restaurant’.
But the burger chain’s menu will continue to be served at a different address of the Nusr-Et Steakhouse, a brand spokesman told Eater NY.
Salt Bae Burger opened at 220 Park Avenue South, near Union Square Park, just a month before the pandemic closed restaurants to indoor dining.
Salt Bae Burger, owned by Turkish restaurateur Nusret Gökçe (pictured), closed down this month with a sign on its door saying it was ‘moving to a new location’
The restaurant was soon slammed as having ‘all the charm of an airplane hangar’ with critics saying its food was overpriced. One Gothamist food critic added it was the ‘worst restaurant’ in New York City.
The brand was a follow up to Mr Gökçe’s Nusr-Et steakhouse, a famed restaurant with over 20 locations around the world.
But the parent company was hit with multiple lawsuits accusing it of sexual harassment and wage theft.
In 2020, Nusr-Et’s CEO Al Avci said there was ‘no problem whatsoever’ at the company’s restaurants.
Nusr-Et and Mr Gökçe were approached for comment.
Although Salt Bae had made a name for himself in the restaurant business, his life changed overnight in 2017 when he shared a video of himself preparing an Ottoman steak in his signature style on Instagram.
The video – which has amassed over 17m views – shows the butcher sprinkling salt on the meat with his hand shaped ‘like a cobra’.
Dressed in a white t-shirt and slim-fitting black jeans, the ‘sensual’ move earned Nusret the title of ‘sexiest butcher on Instagram’.
‘All of my feelings are coming from inside of the meat,’ he told NBC. ‘Down to when I put the salt onto the meat.’
He also sparked outrage last year when he appeared on the pitch after the World Cup final, celebrating with Lionel Messi and his teammates and even holding the iconic trophy.
