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Subscribe to RSSAt the recently opened Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, customers who tip the scales at more than 350 pounds eat free. The eatery specializes in food that's bad for you, including a so-called "quadruple bypass burger." NBC's George Lewis reports.
It's a place that mixes candor with calories. The Heart Attack Grill that opened last week in Las Vegas blatantly advertises food that's bad for you. And in case you don't get the message, the restaurant has a hospital theme, with an ambulance parked out front, servers dressed like nurses and an owner, Jon Basso, who refers to himself as "Dr. Jon."
"Give people what they want,” Basso told me. "But tell them the truth. And that's what we're doing here."
Never mind that there's an epidemic of obesity in America. The signature dish is the Quadruple Bypass — four half-pound burger patties topped with cheese, bacon and no lettuce (lettuce is for wimps). If you order it with the fries cooked in lard and the triple butterfat milkshake topped with a pat of real butter, you'll be getting 8,000 calories worth of food.
"If you have an 8,000-calorie meal, that's equivalent to five days worth of food for most people," said Laura Kruskall, director of nutrition sciences for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
NBC NEws
NBC's George Lewis prepares to try the 8,000-calorie burgers, fries and shake.
Anyone who walks into the Heart Attack Grill weighing in at more than 350 pounds gets to eat free of charge. Basso has been widely criticized for this policy, but he laughs it off. "Hey, we're all dysfunctional."
Basso had similar restaurants in the Dallas and Phoenix area but closed them in the face of protests and community pressure. A spokesperson for one of his previous restaurants, 575-pound Blair River, died in March of obesity-related illness.
Basso is hoping that the more permissive atmosphere in Las Vegas will permit his restaurant to thrive. "The calories you consume in Vegas," he said, grinning, "stay in Vegas."
I tried a few of those calories. The french fries cooked in lard were extremely salty, but tasty. The shake was thick and gooey and impossible to drink through a straw, and the burger meat was nicely done over an open flame. But there was no way I could put my mouth around the whole four-patty creation.
I only ate a few small bites. The pounds you put on in Vegas don't stay in Vegas; they go home with you. The average person burns about 100 calories walking a mile, which means you'd have to walk 80 miles to burn off that Quadruple Bypass with fries and a shake.
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This is disgusting. There is something wrong with us in America that drives us to do this. I don't think it should be illegal, but it belies an odd pathology of self destruction. Then, of course this is Vegas, where most gamblers think they can beat the odds.
Its called FREEDOM. But, with that freedom comes responsibility. Dont make the rest of us pay for your choices. Which is why we all need to vote for the most Conservative choices in our communities and in Washington.
Here is a better article than this one on the Heart Attack Grill:
I can't deny that the marketing is genius. Maybe the tobacco companies should take a cue from them and come out with a brand called "Coffin Nails" or "Tumora." An all black box with a gold skull and cross bones on it would be a very macho. No filters, of course. "It kills with flavor." Oh the money Madison Avenue would make. Look out Joe Camel, here comes hard core truth in advertising.
I don't get all the fuss. What could possibly be healthier than an 80 mile walk?
@Rob-863765: There was a brand of cigarettes called "Death", sold in Britain if I recall correctly. The package had a skull and crossbones on it, with the huge government-mandated warning boilerplate. They sold like hotcakes there.
It has nothing to do with america... Its human biology. We were designedto crave foods like this...
This is awesome!!!
If you eat it in one sitting, now that's dosgusting, but you gotta push the boundaries.
Examples ...STeve jobs, Bill Gates, Galileo.
Invent, try, move forward :)
Scott
Not sure what voting conseravtive has to do with the freedom to eat this burger.
It has none to do with it. Some goofs think every msg board needs their opinion of government to make it interesting.
two nights ago, i ate a only HALF a box of pop 'ems by entenmanns (they are like munchkins at dunkin donuts - ate about 10 of them). for two days i felt like garbage. my entire inside was feeling like i just put crude oil into a lamborghini - sluggish, weak, and just nasty). i am not used to eating junk food. i can't believe the chemicals they put in there. titanium dioxide? trans fats hidden just to be under .5 grams so they are not declared? awful.
Titanium dioxide - white paint. Yummy and brightens up the place.
Now that you've managed to make it all about YOU, let's go back to talking about the article...
Where is Adam Richman when you need him?
I was thinking the same thing...he must have done this challenge.
It's not disgusting... it's real food. I bet there are less artifical colors and flavors and additives in this "disgusting" food than what we consider "healthy" food.
scir91onYouTube which was it? 10 or half the box? If you ate half the box you ate far more than 10. Also, not sure if you saw this, but they had a major recall due to mold issues in the pop'ems. all the extra crap they put in those is what made you feel sick. The stuff at this resturant wouldn't have any of that in their food. I haven't been, but knowing that when you cook real foods in real products like lard, they taste fantastic! Albeit "bad" for you.
At the end of the day it boils down to 2 things. It's a private business, it can do what it wants within reason, offering "true" food that's bad for you, well you can't close down all the ice cream places can you? Second, they aren't lying to anyone or hiding anything... so the consumer has the choice.
No one is forcing people to eat there. If you wanna be fat, be fat. If you wanna eat healthy then do that, but don't force your morals on other people.
You CAN eat there and not get fat. Know what you're eating and what it's doing to you. Just because they sell a Quad bypass doesn't mean you have to eat it.
Moderation is the key.
Yes let them be fat,, you say it's their choice. but the taxpayers are footing the medical expenses. So it is our business.
Taxpayers aren't paying my medical expenses. If you have some inside information on that, give me an address I can send some bills to. So, no, it's none of your business what I eat and how much.
Yes i want in on this too. I'm overweight, had a job since 14 and paid my own insurance since 21. Can you tell me how to get all my bills paid by the government inform me of this please. I need to get a plane ticket to Las Vegas and can't seem to afford it with all my bills i pay on my own.
actually dagrinch every time you go to a charity hospital tax payers are paying your medical bill in some form
Nobody is going to make this their regular diet. You eat it once or twice, it won't kill you. If it does, it wasn't the burger's fault.
Actually, DaGrinch, it *is* my business. Hauling your fat ass around uses more fuel, the "food" you shove in your fat face requires more resources to grow. You produce more garbage to sustain your fat ass, and when your fat ass is sitting next to me on an airplane, it takes more fuel to get your fat ass in the air.
Robert, all the hot air you're spewing is contributing to global warming. Shut your mouth and we can all live on a cooler planet.
Heart Attack Grill
If you don't like it,don't eat it..YES,it is that simple.
Absolutely Love it! Can’t wait to try it out.
I would to love a real grease burger wright now. Every onece on a while I have to go to A&W to get A bacon double chees burger. Sounds good. See ya later.
Yes we are adults and yes we can make our own choices about the food we eat -- it's just the glorification and joking about heart disease that gives all this a macabre feel. Kind a like a taxidermy / veterinarian business model.
All I can say is ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
America, "Freedom of Eats". What else is there?
This might be kind of disgusting, certainly not good for you, and yes we have some serious issue in America (Obesity being one of them) but NOBODY IS FORCING YOU TO EAT HERE! If you don't like it don't eat here, it is that simple. Right or wrong, the food he serves, at least he is upfront about it and isn't hiding anything or trying to pass one by like some of the other questionable ingredients we all allowed by the FDA to consume. The fact that people fought to have his other restaurants closed is just another one of the issues we have as a country - lack of responsibility and too many people trying to force their beliefs onto others who want nothing to do with it.
I do think that restaurants, specifically the larger main stream chains, should do their part to support healthy lifestyles and provide options, on ethics and good morals alone, but certainly should not be forced too beyond standard regs about what the food can contain, cooking it, hygiene, ect. Again you don't like it, don't eat there, enough people do it then they get the message.
It is time America. There are times and instances when others are to blame for things that happen. But the case of a restaurant that wants to serve unhealthy food and you eating there is not one of them. We all need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves who really is to blame? And besides, you closed the restaurant, so what? Close em all. If doesn't change the fact you are a fat a$$ who eats unhealthy, doesn't get any physical exercise, and doesn't make an effort to change your lifestyle. The only person who is going to make that change is you. For some I wonder if even a gun to the head as motivation would do the trick anymore. Type 2 later or a bullet now....
I like it! He's up-front and honest about his restaurant. He's not trying to hide anything. If only more businesses operated that way.
I wouldn't have the 8,000 calorie meal personally, but if I'm craving some junk food, I'm going to seek out the good stuff and truly enjoy so I don't want it again for a while.
and crap like this is why we got 5 year old kids that weigh 150lbs or more and adults that weigh 500+ who are diabetic or pre diabetic and cholesterol through the roof. i say when we deliberately do this to our selves and raise the cost of health care darn straight uncle sam should have authority to say what you can eat or not eat till you at the correct weight
No Black_Dragon, parents who can't control what their kids eat are why we have overweight kids. And so what if I want to weigh 500 pounds. I pay for my healthcare benefits and I pay for the consequences. Lets just get rid of everything that is bad for you: skateboarding gone, fats gone, but what about carbohydrates. They are the number one source of energy for our bodies, but if you have too much you'll gain weight. So lets control everything: curfew so you sleep at 9 get up at 7, only get rations of how much to eat. Seriously?
One of my favorite lines: "If a conservative doesn't like something, they don't use it. If a liberal doesn't like something, they try to make it so no one can have it."
well your statement is incorrect to a point. parents have full control over what a 5 year old eats they have control up till they are 18 if they want to be a Hitler parent. I have a highly limited source of food because of people like you who crave high fructose corn syrup it's everything just about it.
i picked up a bottle of tea yesterday guess what was in it high fructose corn syrup. yes a curfew would be great means you can't be out breaking the law that is if your not a criminal. why with how you can rent movies from your home that forces families well to be families again and not be on x box playstation or wow.
with how most people can work from how now days you have no reason to leave home other then to shop but weight your rations are brought to you so if you never have to leave the house. you can't commit crimes if you fallow the curfew if you don't then obviously your a criminal. so you just solved to entire us crime problem. soo any one who reads this who understands my point well will understand what i am saying.
Just cause they can control what their kids eat doesn't mean they do. If they let their kid get fat it is their own problem.
Wow you are so right, I'm the one who put high fructose corn syrup in everything and I'm the one forcing people to be sedantary by playing games. Grow up. If you are that picky, you figure it out. Don't make everyone else suffer for you preferences. If I want a glass of wine or a candy bar at night it is none of your business.
Good thing people never get sick at night, need to work, need food at night, have social lives, or they couldn't get any of that with a curfew.
You are saying let's get rid of choice completely because people are too stupid to care for themselves. You don't control my life or anyone else's but your own and I hope to God you don't have children. You would make it a Hitler state where they can't leave, can't enjoy anything.
Geez Black_Dragon...sounds like you want the Government to take over your life...Wow! I just don't get that. What if they say you can only use the toilet between these certain minutes and you don't have to go, what you gonna do Break the rules? If you want to live in your house all day and do nothing then more power to you but keep your beliefs on how we all should live to yourself and DO NOT tell me how I should live mine...
Enjoy the time in your private hell...
lol sounds to me like your the one who needs to grow up. i'm not picky its a medical condition. i never said there was anything wrong with having a candy bar or wine as long as your at an apropiate weight. if we got rid of cigarettes we would take a major cancer causing agent out of the hands of people. if we got rid of all the violent video games guess what kids would have to go out side and guess what exercise. OMG what a surprise now mom and dad have no excuse to let a video game raise their child. also we might not have so many kids killing people studies clearly show kids are much more agressive after playing that type of game and can take hours for them to return to normal
Appropriate weight has nothing to do with health. No one is ever going to be completely healthy. If we got rid of electricity we would get rid of the radiation they gave off, if we got rid of plastics we could get rid of their toxins, etc. So many things cause cancer (even viruses) that we can never get rid of them all. I would rather enjoy my life because at some point everyone is going to get sick. Just get rid of violent video games and not regular ones? Give me one ounce of truth that video games cause aggressive behavior. There has been study after study debunking that. Oh and it has nothing to do with this article. Tell me the medical condition that you can't have high fructose corn syrup, maybe hypertension, diabetes. In any case if you had those, there are worse things for you than corn syrup. And somehow if you eat those you know to take them in moderation. So you either think you are better than everyone as you know how to control yourself or you just like to make sure everyone is doing what you think you are.
zzz- Couldn't agree more, some people just think they know what is better for everyone else, while they know few facts if any.
i never said i wanted the government to control my life nor said you couldn't leave your house none of your business suggested the curfew not me i just ran with it. i do believe though that when you become a hazard not just to your self but others yes the government needs to step in this is why we have cops to stop maniacs walking around town with a gun out but by your beliefs and what your post say that's perfectly ok. you mention the bathroom use now your the one being silly. as far as my privet time in hell. i happen to be a highly upstanding christian wiccan who highly believes we need major changes to society or the currant generation is going be totally controlled by the government.
I can run circles around the both of you all day on curfew laws and its benefits and the benefits of ridding society of certain things but you wont see it that way. as far as having kids none of your business i can't because of my medical condition.
I'll now address your low blow hit on how id be a bad parent. I'd actually be a better parent then most because I refuse to let a video game raise my kids if i had kids like most parent do just like you probably do. id know exactly who their friends are where they live the parents names home work and cell numbers and the neighbors if need be so if any bs happened i could reach them. if they wanted to play video games they can buy the system them self and earn time to play by doing chores they live there they can clean up to.
In fact i would take them camping real camping not the hotel kinda crap people do now. id teach them how to fish something most kids now days have no clue how to do unless its on a video game or they from the south hahahaaa. how to change their own car oil etc something else most kids don't know how to do. by time i was 10 i could oil change 10 cars in under 30 mins.
now i propose to you to take time to think about this next part long and hard and see how it can be a good thing. curfew is 10:30 pm for everyone. now we all know that most criminals only come out at night right. now if your a law abiding citizen you should have no reason to be out past 10:30 since almost all stores are closed because of the curfew unless your up to no good. the crime rate will dramatically drop stuff like rape murder drugs break ins theft the drug sales rate will drop because your just not able to make the sales or harvest the product because why the curfew. simply put you can't break the law with out breaking the law meaning if your not out and about doing wrong you don't cost tax payers money to take care of you when your not in jail.
and to answer your question on my medical condition im highly allergic to high fructose corn syrup sugars causes me to get extremely weak and shaky doesn't help when it starts effecting the fibromyalgia or my nurofibromatosis both a for of auto immune disorders. I'm supposed to be around 160 im at 130 20 of them pounds i lost in the past 3 months i was at 145-150. since this is my last post my over all point is just get rid of all the bad stuff we can with in reason.i'm quite sure you can agree with me to some point on that
Bathroom use? Did you even read my post? Do you know how many places have to stay open at nights because people get sick, people get arrested, etc. Try working in a hospital, prison or nursing home. Those have to be running 24/7 or people die. You think you have the upper hand on curfew when the only thing you say is that it can lower crime? I really have to question your reading skills when you have no replies to most things I say and continue to repeat it will lower crime. You don't pay attention to the fact people have heart attacks, strokes, domestic disturbances, animal attack, etc. at night. So you would rather these people unable to get care at night, to save a few things from getting stolen? No matter how many times you say it doesn't make it true. Do you really think criminals won't leave at night? If you read studies you would know that most burglaries happen in the day time! Maybe you should read first or I don't know work at a jail like I do to see when most people commit crimes. And by the government making curfews mandatory, yeah that's running you life.
I'm not discussing video games with you cause you have no facts and that's not what the article is about.
You know what, I'm done discussing things you will obviously never understand. You don't read what I write, make up things I'm saying and then reply to certain parts while ignoring facts. You have no proof or no knowledge of crimes today and think you can stop them. I refuse to argue with people that don't know what they are talking about and stoop to low levels, so I'm done. But go ahead, write about how ignorant I am and things I never wrote, but you believe to be true. You sound like someone who has never left their house and I just hope it stays that way. If you knew anything about crime today you would see the errs in what you write, but you obviously don't. People like you are so stubborn you will repeat the only things you know until the person gives up or ignores you. So I'm going to do the latter unless you have a single fact about crimes and curfew. If not, I'm glad to be done with your lack of debating skills.
Black Dragon, if parents truly raise their children, and don't let the TV, XBox, etc., then you wouldn't need the government control you're advocating. Violent video games? Not allowed in our house. Violent TV shows? Not watched. Staying up late on a school night? Not done. Is it like prison for our children? No. They know how to play and get exercise. They understand when homework has to be done. And, if they see an ad for a violent show/game on TV, they can discern its nature, and I don't have to tell them that it's inappropriate. They know, because they have been raised to.
Pretty sure this is backwards... Abortion, "violent" video games, vegetarianism, vaccines, circumcision...
Dear Black Dragon....
"I'll now address your low blow hit on how id be a bad parent. I'd actually be a better parent then most because I refuse to let a video game raise my kids if i had kids like most parent do just like you probably do."
Sorry dude, but you aren't a parent so obviously you are talking out your hat, go take your slave labor built laptop and head back to Occupy with the other nonsensical hypocrites... you are a communist and you don't even realise it...
I pay for my healthcare benefits and I pay for the consequences
--------------
Actually, we all pay the consequences for peoples's lifestyle habits. Obesity is a large part of why outr healthcare costs are high.
I am not going to tell someone not to eat there or what to eat, but just saying, we all pay the consequences.
Becca- Learn the difference between conservatives and republicans! Many republicans (especially ones in power) are very religious so they are against abortions and science. Conservatives are the people and not the politicians that think their opinion is best. While many liberals want to get rid of smoking, oil, cars, fats, etc. I don't endorse republicans trying to get rid of those things, but their reason is they believe they are wrong because of religion. Most liberals have their own opinions about what's wrong and what's right, so it really is subjective rather than a blanket group opinion. True conservatives don't agree with the republican views when they put religion before everything else.
Jim- I understand what you are saying and some of the costs are raised for them, but I'm speaking of the consequences of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, etc. Not only paying for you health that has declined, but paying for the medications, procedures, more office visits, etc.
This is a better article on the Heart Attack Grill.
Dayyum that's a bigass sandwich!
The reason we are living longer has nothing to do with better nutrition. It has to do with all the preservatives in the foods and packaging. I don't need the first lady or anyone else to tell me what and how to eat. It is my choice. Oh, just so you know I'm 5'5" and weigh 120.
The preservatives?? Seriously?
Good for him - hope Vegas lets him stay - America is all about choices. I for one would be really pissed if I was told I couldn't indulge in a guilty pleasure sometimes. It's good for that inner beast that resides in all of us to just say YES - just not all the time.
I ate at the Grill in Phoenix before they closed it - great fries, fantastic burger. You can get a single burger if you want - you don't have to be a hog and get the Quad-Bypass.
Moderation, folks, moderation. It's what eating is all about.
The one in Chandler closed due to the landlord raising the rent. He is going to open a new store in Downtown Phoenix soon.
I am a nurse on a cardiac unit. I've never seen any of my patients laugh about having bypass surgery, a VAD, or a transplant. Cardiac disease is no laughing matter. Yes, we do have a choice in what we eat. I hope visitors to this restaurant choose wisely and walk out. It's not easy, but a plant based/plant strong diet is the way to go....
I think if you ate this once or twice a year, there would be no issue. On the other hand if you ate this every week.... well, we all see the results on "The Biggest Loser"... (I can't believe that show is actually watched as entertainment) or at your local Wal-Mart LOL...
You don't need to eat the quad version! It is just on the menu. The single burgers are very tasty and the same size as most you find at any restaurant across the country (Red Robin, TGIFridays, Applebees, name your chain). The difference is he stresses the potential bad things. The menu is limited to burgers and fries so don't look for healthy fare. Just go to enjoy a good burger. Warning, the cheese slices are thick so expect extra taste.
Reading the comments, those complaining about chemicals in food have little to no idea what they are talking about. ALL food and drink is chemicals! Our bodies are complex chemical reactors that require chemicals to run.
Going to Vegas next weekend.. 100% getting a thing of fries and a Chocolate Shake!
That's just pure gluttony. Like how figgen stupid are you to eat 5 days worth of calories in one sitting. Have you no respect for your body you fat lard ass pigs !!
Attitudes like yours must be why the world sees Americans as so open minded. (That's sarcasm in case you couldn't tell.)
If this is like most restaurants with these kinds of dishes, the monster sandwich is not the most prepared meal they sell. It is the one that gets you free advertising but not that many people order it.
So please step off your high horse and relax a bit. The stress your over reaction causes you will kill you long before this sandwich will.
Also, the people that do order it arent likely to eat it in one sitting... Its more for novelty...