The Restaurateur Known As Salt Bae Has Faced Criticisms Over the Years — Where Is He Now?

In 2017, the internet chef known as Salt Bae went viral for a video of him sprinkling salt on a steak in a way that millions have copied ever since. Many later found out that Salt Bae's real name is Nusret Gökçe, and he is not only a chef, but also a restaurant owner with properties in multiple countries. Now, what people really want to know is what happened to Salt Bae.

Almost as quickly as he became a meme, Salt Bae seemed to vanish from most social media feeds for users. Had TikTok been as prevalent then as it would be a few years later, Salt Bae might have had a longer shelf life as an internet meme. Still, he seemed to know what he was doing as a chef, and if you haven't kept up with his career or his controversies, you may be among those who want to know whatever happened to Salt Bae.

Over the course of his long career as a restaurateur, Salt Bae opened restaurants in Turkey, Dubai, England, and the United States. However, in 2018, just a year after he went viral and became the Salt Bae everyone now knows him as, he received not-so-great reviews for his steak restaurant located in New York City.

One food critic for Observer at the time visited Salt Bae's restaurant and wrote a review that called the entire experience "awful." That includes not only the food, but also the service and general atmosphere when he visited Salt Bae's restaurant. According to the review, one steak that was ordered was "tough with globs of fat and gristle." Honestly, it's hard to come back from that for anyone, even Salt Bae.

That review was one of many that came out following Salt Bae's rise to fame as an internet celebrity and meme. Then, a fire at one of his restaurants in Istanbul severely burned one patron and injured others, per the Daily Mail. You might think that would cause Salt Bae to totally close up shop and forego his career as a chef, but that wasn't the case. Not even when his locations came under fire (not literally) for poor conditions.

In 2020, per Boston.com, Salt Bae's location in Boston briefly closed due to COVID-19 safety issues. According to Fortune, in 2024, Salt Bae's London restaurant reported a significant decrease in profits. On Instagram, however, Salt Bae continues to churn out content with a focus on his brand as the steak seasoning guy.

The very thing that put Salt Bae on the map — the internet — helped spread a bill from one of his restaurants that he shared online himself, per Metro UK. The outlet reported in 2024 that Salt Bae shared a bill from his Dubai restaurant that totaled £85,000, which is equal to roughly $115,767. A notable item on the bill was the £3,300 (or about $4,493) golden steak, of which the patron ordered three.

Salt Bae has several Instagram posts showcasing gold leaf-covered steaks and other meats. For some, though, the exorbitant costs of Salt Bae's menu items paired with the withering reviews he has received over the years aren't exactly making them want to run to the closest location of one of Salt Bae's restaurants.