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In December of 2005, the world had a heart attack
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A heart attack grill, that is. Known for a quadruple stack of unhealthy food
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sensational marketing, and controversies upon controversies, the Heart Attack Grill may be one of the most infamous eateries ever opened
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Today, we'll be digging a giant bite out of the Heart Attack Grill
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the restaurant that wants you to die while eating there. Self-proclaimed Dr. John Basso was a Jenny Craig franchisee
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who dedicated his professional life to helping people live healthier lifestyles through diet and exercise
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However, Basso quickly became disillusioned with the fitness industry as he increasingly felt like he was selling impossible standards
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Basso decided to shutter his gyms for good and move in a distinctly more delicious direction
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Heart Attack Grill was born in December of 2005. While its original Tempe, Arizona location was a humble affair with only six seats
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The restaurant got supersized in 2011 when Basso moved his business to the land of excess
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Vegas, baby. The food at Basso's restaurant is not for the faint of heart
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Heart Attack Grill boasts a decadent menu of artery-clogging meals that are specifically designed to be hazardous to your health
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This includes a selection of beer, Mexican Coca-Cola, milkshakes made from butterfat cream with a side of real butter
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French fries that had been deep fried in pure lard A half pound chili dog And the main event The bypass burger While bypass burgers can be prescribed as a standard single patty the true star of the show is the Octuple Bypass Burger
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This eight-patty monstrosity contains four pounds of meat, 40 pieces of bacon, chili
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and cheese. In case you're wondering, that adds up to about 19,900 calories
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In 2010, before Heart Attack Grill moved to Las Vegas, a man named Blair River assumed
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the role of the restaurant spokesperson in a series of commercials. Less than a year after
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becoming the face of Heart Attack Grill, River suffered a bout of pneumonia and passed away at
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just 29 years old. In an unfortunate case of history repeating itself, another unofficial
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Heart Attack Grill spokesperson would have their life cut short a few years later. John Allman had
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been a staunch supporter of Heart Attack Grill since its inception and reportedly visited the
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restaurant every day. In 2013, while waiting for the bus after his daily dose of Bypass Burger
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Allman had a heart attack and collapsed. These are not the only cases of medical emergencies
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associated with the dubious restaurant, though thankfully none of the other instances have been
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fatal. Medical professionals and average people alike have criticized Basso's flagrantly unhealthy
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restaurant for being amoral, irresponsible, and just plain gross. And yet, after years of reveling
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in bad press, personal scandals, and making a spectacle of the demise of loyal customers
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business is still going strong. Clearly, controversy is a winning strategy when
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it comes to marketing a restaurant like Heart Attack Grill
