Heart Attack Grill
Downtown Food-n-Drink

Heart Attack Grill: A Taste Worth Dying For?

Blonde4ever

Blonde4ever and her hubby visit Heart Attack Grill…

I don’t succeed in dragging my husband to Las Vegas very often, but when I do, he usually wants to do all kinds of things that I don’t, such as visiting a place in downtown Vegas called the Heart Attack Grill. This restaurant is located  at 450 Fremont Street. My husband had heard of this place from his buddies at work, and nothing would do but that he had to go there and have his picture taken eating one of their “Bypass Burgers.” Being the good sport I am, I decided to accompany him; although the idea of provocatively clad “nurses” spanking me if I didn’t finish my meal was not in the least appealing to me.

It seems this place uses reverse psychology to get you in the door. Most of us are trying very hard not to have a heart attack, so promoting your restaurant as having coronary producing food seems counter productive. But people are curious creatures; tell them not to do something and that is usually the first thing they head for. It’s advertising claims that if you weigh over 350 pounds, you can eat for free; a pretty shocking statement. This restaurant chain has had its share of controversy since its opening. Those controversies may have had something to do with the closing of the Arizona and Texas locations. The Vegas location seems to be holding its own so far; perhaps being located in a city famous for “excess” is the key. There is a proliferation of things you could choose to be offended about here, but I suggest visiting with your sense of humor intact.

You realize as soon as you arrive, and they make you don hospital johnny shirts, that the Heart Attack Grill is rife with campy humor. Be sure not to post pictures on Facebook of you wearing this hospital attire without an explanation, unless you want to panic all your friends and family back home. Our nurse/waitress showed us to our table and gave us our menus. We spent a long time studying those menus since we had never seen anything quite like it before. The signs on the wall were interesting as well.

When our “nurse” came to take our “prescription” (aka order) I chose a Single Bypass Burger and my husband, concerned that he would not be able to fit his mouth around a Triple or Quadruple burger, went with a Double Bypass Burger.

Heart Attack Grill Heart Attack Grill

I was amused/bemused that I couldn’t order a Diet Coke here. Oh right, it doesn’t fit in with the theme. My burger was mediocre. It wasn’t fabulous. It wasn’t awful. It was just a burger.

Heart Attack Grill

My husband was particularly tickled that the owner, Jon Basso, was present in the restaurant that day and came over to chat and pose for a picture.

Heart Attack Grill

While this place did nothing in particular for me, there was a rowdy bunch of young men who seemed delighted at being chosen to receive punishment from their nurse. Obviously, this would be a great place to go for bachelor parties and things of that nature. The one thing most likely to cause me to return is that I hear through the Vegas grapevine that they have an ATM with very reasonable fees which is always a great thing to find in Vegas (I cannot verify the truthfulness of this claim). I would recommend the Heart Attack Grill as a good place to go for a “Vegas experience” and to garner an amusing story to regale your friends with when you return home.

[Photos: Blonde4ever]

In, ,

18 thoughts on “Heart Attack Grill: A Taste Worth Dying For?”

  1. I agree with all of that. I went to their AZ location before it shut down (because someone literally had a heart attack in store) and I must say it was pretty “meh”. Food was greasy and cooked in lard which I know is the point, it just wasn’t that great. Definitely can see why this is successful on Fremont though, but in a city with 100,000 burger options I think I’ll go elsewhere!

  3. I’ve taken pics of the outside but would not spend my money on this place since I know many say the food is not good. Not even to say ” I ate @ the Heart Attack Grill” I think someone also passed away at this location.

  5. i have no desire to go there, but overall I think it is a good fit for Vegas. it might be fun one time with a group. the place has already survived long past my expectations. I am happy for their success anyway.

  7. My hubby thought it was great, but then again……he thinks Burger King is great..lol. I thought it was just ok. I ordered a daiquiri and the nurse server informed me that they were strong! She wasn’t kidding, so here’s one place that you certainly tasted the alcohol.

  9. I went here on my last trip, as I missed it on my previous two (those I was traveling with had no desire to go lol). But this time I was traveling by myself, so I took it up. Tastes are different, but I thought my burger and fries were very good, worth the price and the camp. When you dine by yourself you sometimes get great service, which I did here. Two waitresses asked me if I wanted to get spanked and the second one said “We really, really wanna spank you!” They’re doing it for the tips obviously, but it’s nice to at least pretend you’re wanted while consuming a days worth of calories.

  10. This is perhaps the ONLY place in Las Vegas where I refused to visit when a friend asked me. A triple bypass in 1995 & 3 stents a few years ago takes the gild off this lily.

  11. I visited here on my last Vegas trip with my wife and a couple of mates. We already had a fair idea of what we were in for – but we simply had to try out a place that sits itself squarely in the era of when people weren’t so obsessed with the latest healthy eating trends. It’s not the place we’d go all the time – the food was not overly memorable – but is the type of place I’d happily take Vegas newbies to.

    The fact is the sense of humour is palpable, the prices aren’t the worst, and it’s a story you can tell friends afterward. What’s not to like?

Comments are closed.

Vegas Musts Previous post Robert Berry: My “Vegas Musts”
Vegas Musts Next post McGoo: My “Vegas Musts”

More Stories