The Rise and Fall of the Gold-Steak King
Once upon a time, Nusret Gökçe — better known as Salt Bae — was an internet sensation.
With one flick of his wrist, he turned sprinkling salt into a viral art form.
In 2017, the meme exploded across Instagram, making him a household name and launching a steakhouse empire that spread from Istanbul to Miami, Dubai, London, and beyond.
But in 2025, the internet is no longer laughing with him — it’s laughing at him.
His restaurants have been criticized, his brand mocked, and his social media engagement has plummeted. From overpriced gold-covered steaks to awkward World Cup cameos, Salt Bae has managed to sabotage the very empire he worked so hard to build.
This is the full story of how Salt Bae’s downfall went from viral king to total joke — and how the cracks in his empire are now impossible to hide.
The Meteoric Rise – From Butcher to Global Meme
1.1 Humble Beginnings in Turkey
Nusret Gökçe was born in 1983 in Erzurum, Turkey, to a poor Kurdish family.
He left school at an early age and worked as a butcher’s apprentice in Istanbul. His skill with meat and knives was honed through years of hard work — but no one could have predicted the cultural phenomenon he would become.
1.2 The 2017 Viral Video That Changed Everything
The video that made him famous wasn’t a marketing strategy — it was pure luck.
A clip of him slicing steak and dramatically sprinkling salt with his fingers in a swan-like pose hit Instagram in early 2017. The internet exploded. The pose was dubbed “Salt Bae”, and overnight, Nusret went from local chef to global celebrity.
1.3 Opening Luxury Steakhouses Worldwide
Riding the wave of fame, Salt Bae expanded aggressively.
His Nusr-Et Steakhouse brand opened in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Miami, New York, London, Mykonos, and beyond.
Celebrities flocked to his restaurants — from Leonardo DiCaprio to David Beckham — cementing his status as the king of viral dining.
The Brand Turns Into a Spectacle
2.1 Gold-Dusted Steaks – The Price of Hype
One of Salt Bae’s signature moves was introducing gold-covered tomahawk steaks priced at thousands of dollars.
While these became Instagram-worthy, they also attracted criticism.
Food critics slammed the dishes as style over substance, saying the gold leaf added nothing to flavor but everything to the bill.
2.2 Celebrity Stunts and Social Media Obsession
Salt Bae’s Instagram became a constant reel of him feeding celebrities, posing shirtless at the gym, and performing his salt sprinkle for the millionth time.
At first, it was charming. But as the years passed, the content became repetitive — and the audience got bored.
2.3 A Shift From Chef to Performer
What was once about food became about him.
The steaks were secondary; the performance was the main course.
The problem? Performances age. And when the act feels stale, the audience leaves.
The Cracks Begin to Show
3.1 Customer Complaints and Backlash
As more diners visited his restaurants, more negative reviews surfaced:
- Overpriced food that didn’t match the hype
- Poor service in some locations
- Social media clout chasing instead of culinary excellence
TripAdvisor and Google Reviews became littered with comments about the “tourist trap” experience.
3.2 The London Disaster
When Nusr-Et London opened in 2021, it made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Customers posted receipts showing bills over £1,800 for two people, sparking outrage online.
The steakhouse became a meme for ridiculous luxury dining — but not in a good way.
3.3 Falling Social Media Engagement
At his peak, Salt Bae’s Instagram posts racked up millions of likes.
Now, many of his uploads struggle to get a fraction of that.
The viral magic had faded, and in the attention economy, fading is fatal.
The World Cup Controversy – PR Disaster on a Global Stage
One of the biggest turning points in Salt Bae’s downfall came during the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar.
After Argentina’s historic win, Salt Bae somehow made his way onto the pitch and interrupted celebrations to take pictures with Lionel Messi and other players — even grabbing the World Cup trophy.
4.1 Social Media Fury
The internet was furious:
- Accusations of clout chasing during a historic moment
- Memes mocking his desperation for attention
- Calls for FIFA to ban him from future events
4.2 Damage to Public Image
What was meant to be a PR stunt backfired spectacularly.
Instead of a global hero, Salt Bae looked like an attention-hungry intruder.
The Business Reality – Overexpansion and Decline
5.1 Too Many Locations, Not Enough Quality
Salt Bae’s rapid global expansion spread resources thin.
Some restaurants thrived, but others struggled to maintain consistent quality.
5.2 Staff Complaints and High Turnover
Former employees have spoken out about strict rules, intense branding demands, and an obsession with image over hospitality.
High turnover rates hurt operational consistency — and unhappy staff rarely create happy customers.
5.3 Declining Interest in the “Luxury Steak” Trend
The gold-steak hype was a product of the late 2010s luxury dining Instagram culture.
By the mid-2020s, audiences had moved on. The flashy dining trend gave way to experiences centered on authenticity — something Salt Bae’s brand no longer represented.
Meme Fatigue – When the Joke Gets Old
Memes have a short lifespan. Salt Bae’s sprinkle pose was iconic in 2017 — but repeating the same gesture for years turned it into a parody of itself.
When your brand is built on a single meme, the expiration date comes fast.
Unfortunately, Salt Bae didn’t evolve his image. Instead, he doubled down — and the internet moved on without him.
Scandals and Negative Press
Over the years, Salt Bae has faced multiple mini-scandals:
- Accusations of exploiting staff with low wages in certain countries
- Customers being pressured into ordering expensive dishes
- Controversial videos showing him force-feeding guests without consent
Each incident chipped away at his reputation.
From Icon to Internet Punchline
By 2025, Salt Bae is no longer the fresh viral sensation he once was.
He’s now the butt of jokes, a symbol of overpriced hype culture, and a warning about the dangers of fame built on social media virality.
Lessons From the Downfall
- Fame without substance fades fast – Viral attention must be backed by quality.
- Overexposure kills mystique – Salt Bae overplayed his hand.
- Don’t ignore criticism – Customer feedback matters more than celebrity selfies.
- Trends change – Brands must adapt to stay relevant.
Conclusion – The Rise Was Fun, the Fall Was Inevitable
Salt Bae’s story is a cautionary tale.
He turned a five-second viral clip into a global empire — but in chasing fame, he forgot the most important thing: delivering real value to customers.From gold-covered steaks to desperate PR stunts, Salt Bae’s downfall shows how quickly a brand can go from admired to mocked.
The internet crowned him a king. Now, it’s watching as the empire crumbles.
