Nusret Gökçe, better known as the meme "Salt Bae," is the Turkish butcher-turned-internet-sensation who transformed sprinkling salt into a multimillion-dollar brand.

With his sculpted beard, tailored suits and over-the-top meat-carving performances, he crafted an image that blurred the lines between master butcher and luxury showman.

But behind the meme’s suave facade lies a saga of employee lawsuits, a fire gone wrong and the infamous FIFA World Cup photobomb that made him much of the internet’s favorite villain.

From his roots in rural Turkey to serving $1,500 steaks to celebrities, here’s how Salt Bae seasoned his way to fame and why the world might be sick of his shtick nearly a decade later.

Who Is Salt Bae, Also Known As Nusret Gökçe?

Born in 1983 in Erzurum, Turkey, to a mineworker, Gökçe dropped out of school at 12 to apprentice as a butcher. By his 20s, he’d globetrotted through Argentina and the U.S., picking up steakhouse tricks (and a flair for drama) along the way.

In 2010, he opened his first restaurant, Nusr-Et, in Istanbul with backing from investor Mithat Erdem, a modest start for a man who’d later serve $1,000 gold-leaf steaks.

The real turning point came in 2017 when he partnered with Turkey’s Doğuş Group, launching locations from Dubai to Miami.

Suddenly, Salt Bae wasn’t just a chef; he was a luxury experience, complete with tailored suits, designer sunglasses and an address book full of A-list clients like David Beckham and Leonardo DiCaprio.

How Did ‘Salt Bae’ Get His Name, And When Did He Go Viral?

The legend of Salt Bae began in January 2017 when a video of Gökçe seductively slicing meat and letting salt cascade from his forearm onto a steak blew up on Instagram.

The move was equal parts absurd and hypnotic, and it earned him his nickname and spawned endless memes, from NFL players like Travis Kelce mimicking his sprinkle to soccer player Diego Maradona losing his cool when Salt Bae served him in his signature style.

But Gökçe was no one-hit wonder, and this wasn't the only video of his that went on to go viral. His entire brand thrived on theatrical excess: feeding fries to diners like a doting mother bird, carving meat with a comically large knife or drizzling dishes in 24-karat gold.

It got to the point where even SNL put out a sketch joking about his overly sensual and involved serving practice.

Critics called it gimmicky, but fans called it art. Either way, it worked. Salt Bae's Instagram now boasts 53 million followers, and his restaurants have become pilgrimage sites for some of the rich and meme-obsessed.

So What’s It Like to Eat at Salt Bae’s Restaurants? (And Why Is Everyone Mad at Him?)

Dining at Nusr-Et isn’t a meal, it’s a performance art piece where you pay to be the audience. The theatrics begin the moment you sit down and whip out your phone as the waitstaff twirls giant pepper mills like batons, meat arrives on literal gold-plated trays and Salt Bae himself might materialize to sprinkle salt down his elbow onto your steak.

The problem? The food is, by most accounts, "mid" at best.

New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo didn’t mince words, branding the NYC location "Public Rip-off No. 1," while London's Time Out said, "You created Salt Bae, and now you have to eat his nasty food."

Time Out's review skewered the "over-salted, overpriced" dishes, including a £630 "Ottoman steak" that one diner compared to "a tough old boot draped in edible printer ink" (that’s the gold leaf, baby).

But Salt Bae’s genius (or grift, depending on your outlook) lies in understanding the Instagram economy. Why serve a normal steak when you can serve one wrapped in gold foil, priced at $100 and theatrically sliced by a man in sunglasses who then feeds it to you like you're a glamorous seagull?

What Are Salt Bae's Biggest Controversies?

Salt Bae’s empire may run on spectacle, but the drama hasn't always been scripted. In 2018, a fire-breathing stunt at Nusr-Et Istanbul went horribly wrong, leaving Czech influencer Týnuš Třešničková with third-degree burns across 35 percent of her body.

Behind the scenes, employees have repeatedly called out reported exploitation. In 2019, four NYC staffers sued Gökçe for allegedly pocketing their tips, a claim that resurfaced in 2023 when London workers made similar allegations, all while his restaurants continued to charge insane prices.

44 great british pounds for 4 redbulls… having a laugh. pic.twitter.com/xgzs8f2cEu

— jamz ♠️ (@jjamz_) September 26, 2021

Why The Heck Was Salt Bae On The Field During The FIFA Finals?

Salt Bae's peak villain-era moment arguably came during the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar when he somehow wriggled his way onto the pitch amid Argentina’s historic victory.

While players embraced their families and lofted the trophy, Gökçe inserted himself into the celebrations with cringe-worthy persistence and could be seen desperately vying for Messi's attention in several viral videos.

But what really outraged soccer purists was Gökçe biting players’ hard-earned medals and manhandling the solid-gold trophy, a privilege FIFA reserves exclusively for heads of state and winning captains.

The backlash was instant as fans accused him of soulless clout-chasing while FIFA quietly launched an investigation into how he accessed the field. But for Gökçe, the backlash was just another sprinkle of attention.

Where Is Salt Bae Now, And What's Next For His Meat Empire?

Despite all the hate, Gökçe's empire keeps expanding, with recent openings in Doha and Los Angeles, despite being down to one location in NYC now after having three years prior.

These days, he's less humble butcher and more luxury hypebeast, flaunting private jets and custom Dolce & Gabbana aprons. But with declining restaurant reviews and meme fatigue setting in, one question remains, "Is Salt Bae still the main course for luxury restaurant goers or is he soon to be yesterday’s leftovers?"

On this day eight years ago, Nusret Gökçe (aka Salt Bae) posted the following video to Instagram. pic.twitter.com/16LAEnTnK1

— Know Your Meme (@knowyourmeme) January 7, 2025

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For the full history of Salt Bae, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information. To see the rest of our "Where Are They Now" series, you can find them all here. Stay tuned for next week's editorial!

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