Second Heart Attack Grill victim?
For the second time in two months, a customer at Las Vegas’ Heart Attack Grill collapsed mid-meal and was carted off to a hospital.
The female customer, a Las Vegas resident in her 40′s, had been devouring a “double bypass burger,” puffing on cigarettes, and sipping a margarita when she collapsed Saturday night, the Grill’s owner told ABC News.
The woman is recovering from her medical emergency but – like the man who collapsed at the same Grill in February – she likely won’t be able to sue for her medical bills.
First, it’s not yet clear what caused the lady to collapse at the Heart Attack Grill. (That’s different from February’s collapse, which was determined to be an actual heart attack.)
Next, there’s a lack of scientific evidence that eating an artery-clogging hamburger can trigger an imminent heart attack, ABC News reports. But a greasy diet can add to the risk of a heart attack – along with smoking and other lifestyle factors.
Then there’s the legal doctrine of assumption of risk – when someone freely and knowingly accepts the possibility of injury for taking part in an activity.
At the Heart Attack Grill, signs warn customers that “This Establishment is Bad for Your Health.” Customers also arguably know what they’re biting into when they order a “double bypass burger,” which comes with two half-pound burger patties and bacon (with the option of adding even more bacon).
The Heart Attack Grill’s owner says he hopes the woman who collapsed makes a full recovery. “She was eating, drinking, smoking, laughing, dancing, having fun” – he told the Los Angeles Times. “But when you treat your body like that day in and day out, eventually your body is going to give out.”
Heart Attack Grill.
The Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas would appear to have lived up to its reputation for the second time in as many months – On Saturday, a woman collapsed at the restaurant known for gleefully serving up artery-clogging entrees.
Owner Jon Basso said Monday that he wishes the customer a swift and full recovery. But, he added, the woman got exactly what she asked for – a brush with death.
“We attract an avant-garde clientele — thrill seekers, risk takers” – he told the Los Angeles Times, adding that his restaurant is a “bad for you but fun” restaurant that “attracts people who don’t really take good care of their health.”
The condition of the woman was not immediately known; she was wheeled out of the restaurant by paramedics.
She had been downing a margarita and smoking a cigarette before she was stricken, Basso said.
“She was eating, drinking, smoking, laughing, dancing, having fun” – Basso said of the restaurant-goer, who fell unconscious Saturday night. “But when you treat your body like that day in and day out, eventually your body is going to give out.”
The Heart Attack Grill is a hospital-themed restaurant that belly laughs at doctors’ orders to steer clear of excessively caloric and fatty meals.
Waitresses wear skin-tight nurses’ uniforms, and Basso dresses as the cardiologist on staff, complete with doctor’s coat and stethoscope. Diners are called patients. And on the menu: “Flatliner” fries cooked in lard, shakes made with pure cream, and four flavors of “bypass” burgers, as in single, double, triple or quadruple bypass.
The Quadruple Bypass Burger can top 10,000 calories. Basso said the Guinness World Records book contacted him Friday to say that the burger was being crowned the most caloric sandwich on Earth.
The restaurant also offers free meals to people weighing more than 350 pounds.
The Heart Attack Grill wheels out—on actual wheel chairs—items like the “Single,” “Double,” “Triple,” and “Quadruple Bypass Burgers,” the latter weight in at 32 ounces of beef and served up with 20 strips of bacon. Butterfat Shakes are made with pure cream, and the Flatliner Fries are fried in pure lard.
A sign on the door at the Heart Attack Grill reminds customers that it is a cash only establishment: “because you might die before the check clears.” If you weigh more than 350 pounds, don’t worry about hitting the ATM. You eat for free.
Joe Basso calls his customers “patients,” and now it turns out a couple of them have been called patients by Las Vegas hospitals, too. But Basso isn’t worried that his “patients” will sue.
“Unlike cigarettes, I have had warning labels since Day one when we opened in 2005 telling people how bad our food is for you. I think that skirts any liability we might have” – Basso has said.
A sign on the door at the Heart Attack Grill reads: “Caution! This establishment is bad for your health.”
Joe Basso said that he’s been following the woman’s condition and that she is recovering at a Las Vegas hospital.
The woman was eating a Double Bypass Burger when she suffered the apparent heart attack. The largest burger, the Quadruple Bypass Burger, comes in at 9,993 calories, which is a new Guinness World Record.
A place like the Heart Attack Grill is sure to attract criticism, especially after multiple patrons have had actual heart attacks while dining in the establishment. But, Basso says the restaurant’s bad rap says more about the diners than the ownership. Signs cover the restaurant touting the new World Record spot, and the calorie count is certainly no secret.
“So what is it about someone who sees that sign and sees that this burger has 9,993 calories in it, and that person says: ‘I want one of those.’”