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Why you should go to Salt Bae’s new Dallas steakhouse Nusr-Et exactly one time

It’s now or never. (And if you decide on never, that would be OK.)

If you’re the flashy type, it’s time to visit Nusr-Et, the new steakhouse from Instagram chef Salt Bae. Like, right now. This week, he’s still in Dallas. He’s still taking selfies inside the restaurant. Most importantly, he’s still salting high-dollar steaks.

But eventually, he’s going to go home to Turkey. Or he’s going to fly to Las Vegas, where a new Nusr-Et is under construction. Or he’ll jet off to London, where another new steakhouse is in the works. You’ll be able to follow his every move on Instagram.

Eventually, he’ll leave Dallas. And then what happens? I mean, geez, will we have to salt our own steaks?

Turkish restaurateur Nusret Gokce, also known as Salt Bae, opened his restaurant in Dallas...
Turkish restaurateur Nusret Gokce, also known as Salt Bae, opened his restaurant in Dallas in March 2021, after lengthy delays. On weekends, the restaurant is packed with customers.(OZAN KOSE / AFP via Getty Images)

The answer’s no: Nusr-Et will continue to exist with or without its salty leader on site. It took several years for the restaurant to open in the bottom of a high-rise on Pearl Street in downtown Dallas. There are still lawsuits over unpaid bills, and people love to hate Salt Bae and his fleet of more than a dozen restaurants across the globe. Now that the dining room in Dallas is filled with customers dressed like they’re going to a nightclub in Vegas, it’ll have to continue slinging shockingly expensive food like a $1,100 tomahawk steak covered in edible gold.

The restaurant’s other staffers can probably sear, slice and salt your steak when Salt Bae moves on to the next hot spot. But if you’re the kind of person willing to pay for a gold-crusted piece of beef, don’t you want the photographic evidence of Salt Bae doing his thing? Yes, you do.

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I visited Nusr-Et on a Friday at lunch to see if it was worth the hype.

I started with a cheeseburger topped with caramelized onions. Anyplace else, the $30 price tag would seem egregious, but here, it felt like a deal. I also ordered a $100 steak, and my server kindly mentioned that Bae would be in the building by 12:30 p.m. for our salting. Great.

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When he arrived — unmasked, though he has been vaccinated — every diner had eyes on him. He was the topic of everyone’s conversations. But Bae is quick and silent: He slid from table to table, slicing steaks and salting them in a matter of seconds, as if we were watching a TikTok video in real time. And, in fact, we were.

Friday at lunchtime, the burger at Nusr-Et steakhouse in Dallas cost $30. Is that too much...
Friday at lunchtime, the burger at Nusr-Et steakhouse in Dallas cost $30. Is that too much for a burger? Yes it is. But it comes with a show: Nusr-Et has the highest-priced menu items ever seen in Dallas.(Sarah Blaskovich/Staff)

Inside his orbit, even for those precious seconds, this Disneyland for carnivores doesn’t feel like a gimmick. Salt Bae, an odd and alluring caricature, might make you forget that you could get all of these dishes elsewhere in Dallas, from a local restaurant owner, for a much (much, much, much) lower price.

Once Bae goes bye, a swarm of servers appears to clean up the dozens of pieces of salt that litter the countertop and the floor. They’re quick, like their boss. And for good reason: You’ve got video evidence of how rich you are, and now there’s a steak in front of you. It’s time to eat.

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Our server says the steaks come from Snake River Farms, a ranch that produces American Wagyu. The company started in Idaho and has expanded its farms to several states in the Pacific Northwest. All of the steaks we saw on a dozen or so tables were beautifully prepared. As they should be, at these prices.

But there’s no chance medium-rare tomahawk steaks priced at $275 will taste good enough without the Salt Bae show. You could buy a tomahawk steak at other good restaurants in town for less money, like the 32-ounce dry-aged option for $220 at Georgie. Or the 28-ounce tomahawk for $125 at Al Biernat’s.

Before now, we thought those were expensive, but Nusr-Et has become Dallas’ most high-dollar restaurant. With steaks priced up to $2,200, it’s no contest.

We’re all left to wonder what happens to Nusr-Et in a year. Or two or three. Maybe Dallasites will drink bottles of Dom Perignon for $1,100, buy gold-crusted baklava for $75, and fail to notice that Salt Bae has taken his Instagram account elsewhere. But come on, y’all: That seems unlikely.

Nusr-Et is at 1900 Pearl St., Dallas. Most of the restaurant is indoors, but patio seating is available.

Menu prices at Nusr-Et in Dallas

Here are some prices from a menu at lunchtime on Friday, March 12, 2021. Prices could change.

  • Salad: $30
  • Crab cake: $48
  • Grilled salmon: $55
  • 8-hour roasted short ribs: $130 for two people; prices go up to $275 for five
  • Gold-crusted Nusr-Et burger: $300
  • Gold-crusted tomahawk steak: $1,100
  • Fries: $15
  • Mashed potatoes: $19
  • Glass of prosecco: $25
  • Glass of sparkling rosé: $85
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For more food news, follow Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.