Heart Attack Grill

[[File:Heart Attack Grill website.png|thumb|thumb|350px|Official website. The video makes overeating a paradise.]]
{{cquote|…I run perhaps the only honest restaurant in America. Hey, this is bad for you, and it's gonna kill ya.|||"Dr." Jon, owner of the Heart Attack Grill<ref name=ad1>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvlwpZ-dzjg Heart Attack Grill: Probably the best burgers in the world!] (Mar 8, 2010) ''YouTube''.</ref>}}
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'''Heart Attack Grill''' (also goes by the acronym '''"HAG"'''… no seriously)<ref name=press>[http://www.heartattackgrill.com/press Press] ''Heart Attack Grill''. "HAG Reporter Contact"</ref> is an [[United States|American]] dine-in {{wpl|Breastaurant|"breastaurant"}} located in the heart of Las Vegas, [[Nevada]]. It was previously located in Tempe, [[Arizona]] and Dallas, [[Texas]], although both of these locations are now defunct.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402185441/http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2011/06/01/20110601chandler-heart-attack-grill-closes0603.html Chandler's Heart Attack Grill closes] by Edythe Jensen (Jun. 1, 2011 06:28 PM) ''AZ Central'' (archived from April 2, 2015).</ref><ref>[https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/28875 Dallas, Texas: Heart Attack Grill (Gone)] ''Roadside America''.</ref> The restaurant is notorious for serving up dishes containing inhuman levels of fat, cholesterol, [[sugar]], [[salt]] and calories, with their infamous "Octuple Bypass Burger" (see ''Menu'' below) measuring in at a colossal 19,900 calories.<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/honor-national-burger-day-meet-20000-calorie-hamburger-336802 In Honor of National Burger Day, Meet the 20,000-Calorie Hamburger] by Polly Mosendz (Published May 28, 2015 at 12:37 PM EDT; Updated Mar 31, 2016 at 5:16 PM EDT) ''Newsweek''.</ref> The restaurant is an homage to at least two of [[Sin#The seven deadly sins|the seven deadly sins]] (gluttony and lust). The grill's slogan is "Taste worth [[Death|dying]] for"; true to its name ''and'' slogan, people have in fact died as a result of frequent dining at the Heart Attack Grill.<ref>[https://lasvegassun.com/news/2013/feb/11/heart-attack-grill-spokesman-dies-heart-attack/ Heart Attack Grill spokesman dies from heart attack] by Paul Takahashi (Feb. 11, 2013 | 9:20 p.m.) ''Las Vegas Sun''.</ref> The company, to nobody's surprise, has generated significant controversy in its history, with calls from health experts to shut the place down.

==Overview==
Have you ever dreamed about a restaurant that didn't care about you stuffing yourself on the absolute worst junk-food imaginable? Heart Attack Grill has it. You may never have imagined {{wpl|deep-fried butter}} or {{wpl|Fried Coke|deep-fried Coca-Cola}} were possible. Heart Attack Grill makes all of those ridiculous state-fair foods look like Jolly Green Giant vegetables in comparison. That's right, unlike [[McDonalds]], Heart Attack Grill need not rely on serving water bottles and salad to bring in customers, because here, more calories means better.

In a nutshell, the entire concept of Heart Attack Grill is arguably more terrifying than any Six Flags [[haunted house]], possibly by hundreds or even thousands of magnitudes.

==History==
[[File:Heart Attack Grill, Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada.jpg|thumb|right|165px|''Muerte'', Las Vegas!]]
Heart Attack Grill first opened in 2005 in Tempe by Jon Basso in an attempt to serve up what he envisioned as "food [[pornography]]".<ref name=wsf>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081216084820/http://www.wallstreetfighter.com/2008/08/heart-attack-grill-turns-bad-press-big-business_03.html Heart Attack Grill Turns Bad Press Into Big Business] (August 04, 2008) ''Wall Street Fighter (archived from December 16, 2008).</ref> Purportedly, before becoming a food pornographer, Basso was actually a fitness trainer and used to run a few {{wpl|Jenny Craig, Inc.|Jenny Craig}} weight loss center franchises.<ref>[https://vegas.eater.com/2012/10/25/6530837/heart-attack-grills-jon-basso-pulls-no-punches-on-his-first-year-in Heart Attack Grill's Jon Basso Pulls No Punches on His First Year in Vegas] by Susie Stapleton (Oct 25, 2012, 3:00am PDT) ''Eater Las Vegas'' (Vox Media).</ref> Basso has claimed that he came up with the idea of the restaurant while working on his master's thesis in [[marketing]] on "on fitness-training studios and people who cheat on their diets."<ref>[https://www.seattleweekly.com/food/shameless-yes-but-then-so-is-the-heart-attack-grill-weve-written-about/ Shameless? Yes, but then so is the Heart Attack Grill.We’ve written about] by Jason Sheehan (March 4, 2011 12:00 am) ''Seattle Weekly''.</ref>

Despite this, the restaurant was apparently a success, as it managed to thrive for six years until 2011, when the Arizona location abruptly closed down on 31 May of that year, two months after the death of spokesman Blair River (see {{sl|Controversy}} below). It has never actually been established if his death was the true reason for the location shutting down, but it is generally accepted that it is. 

A location in Dallas had opened just earlier that month, but was closed by October of that same year due to non-payment of rent.<ref>[https://www.dallasobserver.com/restaurants/heart-attack-grill-continues-death-spasms-7021377 Heart Attack Grill Continues Death Spasms] by Scott Reitz (October 14, 2011) ''Dallas Observer''.</ref>

Finally, in October 2011, the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas Nevada opened which remains open to this day. Notice how, [[Coincidence|for some really strange reason]], the three locations almost never operated concurrently. There was, however, an attempted expansion to a second Las Vegas location… which closed after less than two months.<ref name=martin>[https://vegas.eater.com/2017/2/20/14666494/heart-attack-grill-strip-closees A Quick Demise for the Heart Attack Grill on the Strip] by Bradley Martin (Feb 20, 2017, 1:00pm PST) ''Eater Las Vegas''.</ref>

==How it works==
So here's how this place works: customers are called "patients". When they first show up, they are given a hospital gown and one of those colorful plastic wristbands such as is used in hospitals in case patients become unable to identify themselves. The waitresses are called "nurses", dressed in incredibly tight and revealing "sexy nurse" outfits: most "nurses" appear to wear push-up [[bra]]s to make their [[breasts]] more noticeable. The waitresses, of course, take orders, which are called "prescriptions".

The real joy of Heart Attack Grill is that you can eat all the food for free. Only, of course, for those who fulfill the following requirements:
* The customers weigh at least 350lbs (158.8kg).
* The customers weigh on a scale in front of the entire restaurant. This is similar to when waiters get everyone's attention before doing the trite birthday song whenever someone is celebrating at a chain restaurant. 
* The customers agree not to share their free food with anyone else: that's cheating.
* The customers dine in, as take-out orders (and beverages) are excluded.

Customers shouldn't order more than they can eat. If they cannot finish their meal, they are led to this big pipe thing near the front of the restaurant. There, the nurse grabs a big wooden paddle and, you guessed it, [[Corporal punishment|busts you big time in the bummies]].<ref>[https://vegas.eater.com/2016/12/7/13864190/heart-attack-grill-expands-hawaiian-marketplace Heart Attack Grill Expands to The Strip's Hawaiian Marketplace] by Bradley Martin (Dec 7, 2016, 12:00pm PST) ''Eater Las Vegas''.</ref> If you somehow enjoyed that experience and want to take a piece of it home to remember it by, the used paddle can be purchased in the aftermath of your butt bustin'. Go home and frame it on your wall or something.

But wait, there's more! Customers who finish anything beyond the Triple Bypass are placed on a wheelchair and, literally, paraded through the restaurant all the way out to their vehicle in the parking lot by their "personal nurse", who served them inside.<ref name=ad1/>

==Menu==
[[File:Double Bypass Burger and Flatliner Fries - Heart Attack Grill.jpg|thumb|250px|Double Bypass Burger & "Flatliner" Fries with a bottle of Mexican Coke]]
* Single Bypass Burger: contains one burger patty, five slices of bacon, and two slices of cheese.
* Double Bypass Burger
* Triple Bypass Burger: three burger patties, 12 strips of bacon, five slices of cheese
* Quadruple Bypass Burger: contains four burger patties, 20 strips of bacon, and eight slices of cheese
* Quintuple Bypass Burger
* Sextuple Bypass Burger
* Septuple Bypass Burger
* Octuple Bypass Burger: contains eight burger patties, 40 strips of bacon, and eight slices of cheese. It exceeds 19,900 calories (33,000 kJ). This hamburger contains enough edible food matter to last an average [[human]] 10 days.<ref>https://www.newsweek.com/honor-national-burger-day-meet-20000-calorie-hamburger-336802</ref>

And that's not all, all hamburgers come with all-you-can-eat "flatliner" fries, cooked in pure lard, as if the lard coated bun wasn't enough. This counts as another 600-700 calories, by the way,<ref name=jones>[https://www.ibtimes.com/heart-attack-grill-menu-quadruple-bypass-burger-makes-triple-look-tame-412324 Heart Attack Grill Menu: Quadruple Bypass Burger Makes Triple Look Tame] by Melanie Jones (02/17/12 AT 9:46 AM EST) ''International Business Times''.</ref> so with the Octuple Bypass, that's officially more than 20,000 calories. Unsurprisingly, some food experts have advocated shutting down Heart Attack Grill<ref name=jones/> due to its rather unapologetic serving of deliberately exceedingly unhealthy dishes. 

Their drink selection is quite impressive indeed: Heart Attack Grill features an extensive selection of [[beer]] and tequila for those who aren't satisfied with ingesting over 20,000 calories. Another option that goes perfectly with the Octuple Bypass and lard fries: buttermilk fat shakes (another 600-700 calories). There is also bottled Coca-Cola made from pure cane sugar (which at least it's not [[High Fructose Corn Syrup]], right?). They do not sell any form of [[Diet soda|diet soda]].<ref name=edelhauser>[https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/175144 Cashing In On Controversy] by Kristin Edelhauser (Feb 26, 2007) ''Entrepreneur''.</ref>

Furthermore, you can even order filterless [[Tobacco smoking|cigarettes]] and have a good smoke while awaiting your heart attack platter. There are even candy cigarettes for the [[children]].<ref name=martin/>

==Advertising==
Heart Attack Grill has been frequently accused of deliberate marketing controversy:<ref name=edelhauser/> i.e, the deliberate act of creating public controversy as a means of free "unintentional" advertising. The restaurant takes advantage of their notoriously unhealthy dishes as a way of drawing attention to itself, thus luring in more potential customers, especially tourists who travel to Las Vegas from around the world.

Heart Attack Grill started a [[YouTube]] channel<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcLBrPdwKzjuVzoPPTzmsmA Heart Attack Grill] (Jul 23, 2017) ''YouTube''.</ref> in 2017, when they posted a poorly produced 30-minute [[Advertising|infomercial]] in the style of a medication commercial, including a morbidly obese (class III [[obesity]]) alleged hospital patient.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe8eR0RxBOc&t=134s Heart Attack Grill Diet Infomercial] ''YouTube''.</ref>

The restaurant has also appeared frequently in television programs.<ref name=ad1/><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAalTacfdEM Las Vegas: dining at the Heart Attack Grill] ''The Guardian'' via ''YouTube''.</ref> There is even a section of simple and easy to follow instructions for productions crews who desire to film at the Heart Attack Grill.<ref name=press/>

==Controversies==
[[File:Heart attack nurse & bypass.jpg|right|thumb|175px|A Heart Attack Grill "nurse".]] 
As you might have guessed, the restaurant has been dealt with a great amount of controversy throughout its history. While the entire concept of this place might seem like a joke, it has, in fact, had lethal consequences. 

===Protected terms===
The Arizona Board of Nursing and the Center even filed a lawsuit against the company due to illegal use of the [[protected term]]s "nurse" and "doctor".<ref name=wsf/>

===Death and illness===
{{cquote|Death equals business at the Heart Attack Grill. Will it please me if other spokesmen die in the future? Absolutely.|||Jon Basso<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/heart-attack-grill-burger-las-vegas-2015-1?r=US&IR=T 20,000-Calorie Burger From The Heart Attack Grill] by Will Wei (Nov 23, 2017) ''Business Insider''. Quote is from encoded video transcription.</ref>}}
The restaurant's first spokesman, Blair River, died on March 1, 2011, at the age of 29, from complications of pneumonia.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110808132601/http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2011/03/03/20110303chandler-heart-attack-grill-spokesman-dies-500-pound-man0303.html 575-pound Heart Attack Grill spokesman dies] by Weldon B. Johnson (Mar. 3, 2011 05:16 PM) ''AZ Central''.</ref>{{efn|[[Paradox]]ically, obesity increases the risk of acquiring pneumonia, but decreases the risk of dying from pneumonia.<ref>[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4021571/ Obesity survival paradox in pneumonia: a meta-analysis] by Wei Nie et al. (2014) ''BMC Med.'' 12:61. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-12-61.</ref>}} Two years later in 2013, the 52-year old unofficial spokesman and daily patron, John Alleman, died of a heart attack outside the restaurant,<ref>[http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/feb/11/heart-attack-grill-spokesman-dies-heart-attack Heart Attack Grill spokesman dies from heart attack] by Paul Takahashi (Feb. 11, 2013 | 9:20 p.m.) ''Las Vegas Sun''.</ref> true to the restaurant's name… and slogan.

In 2012, a customer suffered an apparent heart attack while eating a Triple Bypass burger. In response, Basso claimed:<ref name=delucia>[https://archive.is/wzL3 Man suffers heart attack at Heart Attack Grill] by Matt DeLucia (Posted: Feb 15, 2012 6:06 AM; Updated: Feb 16, 2012 8:22 PM) ''Fox 5, KVVU-TV'' (archived from 30 Jul 2012 12:29:00 UTC).</ref>
{{cquote|I actually felt horrible for the gentleman because the tourists were taking photos of him as if it were some type of stunt. Even with our own morbid sense of humor, we would never pull a stunt like that.}}
Basso also added that there had been "variety of incidents" in the past without elaborating.<ref name=delucia/>

Later in 2012, a woman became unconscious, possibly from a heart attack while eating a Double Bypass Burger.<ref>[https://lasvegassun.com/news/2013/feb/11/heart-attack-grill-spokesman-dies-heart-attack/ Heart Attack Grill spokesman dies from heart attack] by Paul Takahashi (Feb. 11, 2013 | 9:20 p.m.) ''Las Vegas Sun''.</ref>

In 2013, 52-year old John Alleman, the restaurant's unofficial spokesman and regular diner, had a heart attack while waiting at the bus stop outside the restaurant, and died a week later after being put on life support.

===Sexual harassment allegations===
Basso was sued for sexual harassment claims by a former waitress in January 2019.<ref>[https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/las-vegas-heart-attack-grill-owner-accused-of-sexual-harassment-1575273 Las Vegas Heart Attack Grill owner accused of sexual harassment] by David Ferrara (January 16, 2019 - 6:49 pm) ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''.</ref> The complaint against Basso claimed that he wrote to the waitress to prevent her from leaving the restaurant under any circumstances:<ref>[https://www.scribd.com/document/397620224/Sexual-harassment-lawsuit-against-Jon-Basso-owner-of-Heart-Attack-Grill Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Jon Basso, Owner of Heart Attack Grill: ''Jaimee Lee v. Diet Center LLC dba Heart Attack Grill] Case No. Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Jon Basso, Owner of Heart Attack Grill. District Court, Clark County, Nevada (01/15/2019) via ''Scribd''.</ref>{{rp|5}}
{{cquote|I cannot bring myself to fire you, and I will NOT allow you to quit because I am a jealous [[psychopath]] who believes that only I can best take care of you. So get this resignation shit out of your head and help pull your fair oar in our relationship.}}
The lawsuit was apparently settled out of court.

In 2024, a June 2017 video promotion of the restaurant by notorious [[porn]] star Ron Jeremy, billed only as "famous actor",<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E_elPJaHNM Ron Jeremy Heart Attack Grill Spokesman] by Heart Attack Grill (Jun 3, 2017) ''YouTube''.</ref> became part of the main web page for the restaurant.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240601000000*/https://heartattackgrill.com/ Heart Attack Grill] (Internet Archive copies).</ref> Also in June 2017, Jeremy was charged with four counts of [[rape]] and sexual assault, and many women subsequently came forward to allege that Jeremy sexually assaulted them. In 2022, Jeremy's trial was suspended and later dismissed in 2023 due to his "incurable neurocognitive decline".<ref>{{wpa|Ron Jeremy#Sexual assault allegations}}</ref> Somehow Jeremy is still an appropriate representative for the restaurant. Even the porn industry's own trade association, the Free Speech Coalition, rescinded his 2009 award in 2017.<ref>[https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/porn-stars-positive-image-award-rescinded-amid-sexual-assualt-allegations/26787/ Porn Star's ‘Positive Image Award' Rescinded Amid Sexual Assault Allegations] (November 3, 2017 at 5:04 pm) ''NBC Los Angeles''.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Personality disorder#Narcissistic Personality Disorder]]
*[[Obesity]]

==External links==
*[http://www.heartattackgrill.com/ Official website]
*{{wpa|Heart Attack Grill}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcLBrPdwKzjuVzoPPTzmsmA/videos Official YouTube channel]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Restaurants]]
[[Category:Sexism]]

Categories: Business, Food, Restaurants, Sexism