The Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas has flatlined after 15 years, with owners declaring “the soul of Las Vegas has been replaced by corporate greed.”
The owner of Neonopolis, the shopping center on Fremont Street where the restaurant opened in 2011, told the Review-Journal that Heart Attack Grill was no longer operating as of Monday morning.
A message on the self-described “world’s most controversial” restaurant’s website says Heart Attack Grill’s decision not to renew its long-running lease was driven by rising costs across downtown Vegas, which ultimately made continued operations unsustainable.
“This decision stems from the reality that major casinos have intentionally priced the average person out of the quintessential American experience of affordable indulgence,” the message reads.
The unapologetic eatery was known for extreme menu items like the Quadruple Bypass Burger, which holds a Guinness World Record for the “Most Calorific Burger Commercially Available” at nearly 10,000 calories, and the Octuple Bypass Burger, which reaches nearly 20,000 calories.
Patrons were referred to as “patients,” while staff dressed as nurses to reinforce the hospital theme.
The restaurant’s other trademarks included oversized portions and interactive gimmicks such as paddle-spanking customers who did not finish their meals. Guests weighing over 350 pounds ate for free, while those who completed the largest menu challenges were given a “wheelchair escort” out of the building.
“Our core value, ‘eat big and laugh loud,’ no longer fits a city peddling forty-dollar ‘artisanal avocado toast,’” the Heart Attack Grill’s closing message states. “The honest, heavy-duty calories that built our reputation are now considered gauche by a city that has excluded the middle class and lost its swagger in the process.”
The closures come as Las Vegas is experiencing one of its steepest drops in tourism since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
While it’s out of Sin City for now, the Heart Attack Grill’s statement said it is “seeking new opportunities to continue our high-calorie mission.”
The Independent has contacted the Heart Attack Grill for comment.
