The Heart Attack Grill in downtown Las Vegas is a hospital-themed restaurant where waitresses are the nurses, and customers are the patients dressed in hospital gowns. Operating under the slogan, “Taste Worth Dying For”, this establishment patronizes obesity by giving away free meals to anyone weighing over 350 pounds. If you don’t finish your meal, you will be publicly spanked with a paddle by a most eager nurse. Are you ready to delve right in?

The Heart Attack Grill is also known for its straight-forward, in-your-face kind of marketing that will undoubtedly seize your attention. This fast food joint is hinged towards their notoriety of serving food that your cardiologist warns you to avoid at all costs. Two questions came to mind. How unhealthy are the foods they serve that they are marketed as a health hazard? And what do these calorie-mounting behemoths really taste like?

Health Fact: The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that we get 5% of our daily caloric intake from saturated fats. For a 2000 calorie diet, that’s about 13 grams of saturated fat per day. How does this compare to some of their most calorific menu items? Let’s find out.

Drumroll please…presenting, arguably the most calorific burger on this planet, the Octuple Bypass Burger at the Heart Attack Grill! Feast on this gargantuan beast of a burger with eight half-pound patties, and get this, 40 pieces of deliciously smokey bacon! All that, plus a nice helping of cheese, onions and tomatoes in-between. That’s about 20000 calories and over 100 grams of saturated fat! Other exceedingly calorific items include Flatliner Chili Fries cooked in lard and smothered with chili, Coronary Dog with all the fixings, and their thick and creamy Butterfat Milkshake.

All this talk about calories and saturated fat made me want to check out this burger joint and see what the hype is all about. As I quote Garfield on this, “ There is a unit of measure of how food tastes, it is called a calorie.”

Walking into the front door, we were greeted by two nurses, and a sign that says “Cash Only. Because You Might Die Before The Check Clears”. Unfortunately for us, they were serious about the statement and we only have $20 cash as we always pay with our credit cards wherever we go. On the flip side, we have enough to try an order of Single Bypass Burger with a side of Flatliner Fries.

After watching a few of their hilarious music videos playing on their screens, our meal has finally arrived. The burger was good but not phenomenal. The patty was well-seasoned and juicy. Bacon pieces were nice and crispy, and added a hint of smokiness to the burger. The Flatliner Fries were a bit crispier in my opinion, but when it comes down to taste, it’s not that different from “regular” fries.

Overall, the food was good. But the main draw of this place is the fun hospital-themed experience. I love the originality and the brutal honesty of their marketing. Is it truly so unhealthy to cause one’s mortality? Only if you eat this type of food most of the time. When I decide to make another trip to Vegas, I have to remember to bring cash, and try other menu items like the Coronary Dog or maybe challenge myself to conquer a Quadruple Bypass Burger at the very least. After all, you get rewarded by getting a wheelchair ride to your car if you finish one.

Contact Information:

Heart Attack Grill Las Vegas
450 Fremont Street, Downtown Las Vegas