Salt Bae's Burger Joint Just Closed & Here's What NYC's 'Worst' Restaurant Was Really Like

Salt Bae's burger joint in New York City has shut down three years after it was dubbed the "worst restaurant" in the city, and you can imagine that everyone involved is feeling a bit salty about how things have ended.

Nusret Gökçe, more commonly known as Salt Bae, has plenty of wildly expensive Nusr-Et steakhouses around the world, but Salt Bae Burger was a new endeavour when he launched it on Manhattan's Park Avenue in 2020. The restaurant closed its doors earlier this month, Eater reports, although Salt Bae hasn't addressed the closing publicly.

The restaurant's menu offered a few different burger options at somewhat affordable prices, along with an over-the-top "gold" option that costs about $100.

Gothamist labelled Salt Bae Burger as the "worst restaurant in NYC" in 2020, calling it "an insult to our city. Don't eat here, not even as a goof." The label quickly caught on, and the restaurant has had plenty of negative reviews in the years since.

It's worth noting that Salt Bae has faced allegations of misconduct at his various restaurants, with some accusing him of selling leftover wine to customers, breaching employment rules and discrimination. However, that didn't come up at Salt Bae Burger specifically.

Despite the backlash, some people continue to enjoy Salt Bae's presence. The Turkish star, who became famous on Instagram for a pose involving salt and a dramatic elbow bend, seems to like taking pictures with fans at his restaurants. In fact, many images on Instagram from the burger joint have Gökçe in them.

The menu at Salt Bae Burger in New York City included various options in the $10-$20 range. Still, the most notable item was an outrageously expensive $100 burger with gold as an ingredient.

"The Gold Burger" was a 6-ounce Wagyu Saltbae burger coated in 24K edible gold, with melted cheddar cheese and a homemade burger bun, served with fries. You could also order a $99 "24K Golden Shake" to go with it.

Although many have criticized the restaurant, some people on Google and Yelp have described the spot as having an "amazing experience from food and customer service."

Another said it's the "best steak sandwich in NYC. Our son loves it. Delicious with great quality ingredients. Highly recommend it."

It was also the cheapest place to buy something from Salt Bae, although now it seems that if you want a taste of his meat, you'll have to save up a few thousand dollars for one of his higher-priced Nusr-Et steakhouses.