This Heart Attack Grill link seems to be making the rounds, with both Robyn Lee and I getting bombarded with emails. So, to appease and please the beefy masses, here you go. We are officially blogging it. CBS visits the Chandler, Arizona, restaurant in this video.
The Heart Attack Grill, for those who haven't been, is a joint that has its waitresses dress up like hot nurses, its other staff like doctors. It doesn't have customers, it has "patients." You get a hospital-like wristband with your order, indicating what size burger you've opted for—Single Bypass (single patty) up to the towering Quadruple Bypass (quad). They have an all-you-can-eat fry bar instead of a salad bar. (And, oh, those spuds are fried in lard.)
So that's the skinny. The video appears after the jump.
I've never been to the Heart Attack Grill, but I can say that I am not a fan.
That's because one of my pet peeves* as a longtime burger blogger is when someone describes a burger as "a heart attack on a plate" or makes a remark such as, "I feel my arteries hardening already."
Yeah, like nobody's ever come up with those wisecracks before, genius.
If you've got half a brain, you're aware of the health risks of eating burgers. And if you've got a modicum of self-control, you can avoid binging on them to mitigate those risks.
For that reason, I've resisted the urge to blog this crap up on AHT. We only first mentioned the Heart Attack Grill in September 2008, even though I've known about it since it opened. But I have bowed to the pressure. You have beaten me down.
* Another is when I post an "autopsy shot" of a medium-rare burger on my Flickr photo stream only to get comments from people who say "Ew, gross, too pink for me!"
um, the owner of that establishment is just creepy. I mean I am down for eating a ridiculous cheeseburger at a good old fashioned burger joint, but this dude reminds me of some con man. His place is just a novelty, it seems like it is just about shock value for this place. This burger place disgusts me in the fact that I truly feel that this owner is just doing this for plain old shock value to garner interest and make a buck, not for the love of the food.
No problem with the food or the theme of the joint.
But watching big fat men with folds of flesh spilling over ogling young women in exploitative barely hygenic uniforms is pretty gross. And having that one fake-busted gal sit on the counter even though her skirt is so short that her skin was in actual contact with the counter IS NOT APPETIZING.
I understand all the dislikes about this place, but has anyone out there actually tried their burgers? While it seems likely that they probably aren't all that good, and the whole novelty of the establishment is in place to distract you from the actual food, until I hear what the burgers taste like I will withhold judgment. After all, if they turn out to be tasty and I happened to be in the area, a quick pickup order might just be what the doctor ordered! (haha, couldn't help myself there)
disgusting. there's no way those burgers are good. cheap buns, tons of lard, american cheese? who wants to eat in a blinding white sterile setting anyway? just because tasty sometimes means unhealthy DOES NOT mean that unhealthy means tasty. this place is the very definition of 'no class'.
While I agree the place is a little bright, a single doesn't look bad. At least there aren't any singing mice. Let's get a report from a local before we kill 'em.
I'm just thinking about the 5 or 6 Bi pass open heart surgery my B I L will go thru this Thursday, I think he consumed some junk food like these burgers. I had a hard time not thinking about him while I cooked during my lunch shift today. Hmmmmmmmmmm......
Adam, I understand your ranting. But if a quad is actually 8,000 calories like the "nurse" says, that is seriously really bad for you. A 'normal' burger isn't nearly as bad.
(Then again, she did say he was about to "imbibe" in said burger, so maybe she doesn't know what she's talking about.)
Also, am I the only person who's bothered by the scantily clad nurses? It seems, in the video, a few women and a little girl are customers as well. You can have a target audience of skeavy, fat, men all you want. I would never take my child there, though.
Meh. It only makes sense that there should be a Hooters-type burger joint... it may not be for most people's taste but neither is Hooters and they do well. This is Chandler, AZ ffs, not some culinary mecca. There is a time and a place for Hooters-type joints, even if it is only once in your life. I was stuck in Tampa for a work convention and had my once-n-a-lifetime Hooters visit and it was a nice experience that I will never try again.
It actually wasn't that bad. I went when it was still in Tempe and just a little shop. It's really entertaining seeing the losers try to pick up the servers and failing time and time again. I thought the burgers weren't bad either. Not your gourmet sliders or chef-y sort of burgers, Just decent, classic burger... only the portions are... um.. optimistic?
I find all this amusing, so I'd check it out. As long as the women are attractive. I don't want to see a scantily clad ugly chick. My husband would get a kick out of this as well.
I think that was my gripe when we checked out Hooters. All that hype, and the women were ok. However, they were all dressed in men's crewneck tshirts and shorter than avg shorts. That's it. The food was also below average.
I've been a AHT reader for some time now but have never posted until now. I simply want to say that I'm shocked as to what complete whining whimpy jerks my fellow readers are.... wow!
The Heart Attack Grill happens to produce the best damn tasting burger, period. It's flat grilled to order from fresh beef. There frys are fresh chopped from real potatoes... and yes, I'm hetrosexual so I do enjoy having a pretty girl in a nurse costume deliver my burger to me.
I'm ashamed of the company that I've appearantly been keeping by being a regular reader of this board.
Wow. I just rechecked this thread, and I'm shocked, too. I don't know if it's my rant that set the tone or what, but this really is out of character for longtime AHT readers.
Sad to see all the people pronouncing the burgers themselves disgusting or what not. AHT is the blog, after all, that created and celebrated the Fatty Melt and the Bacon Fatty Melt—both equally as insane (or maybe more) as the burgers at the Heart Attack Grill. And many of you jumped on that bandwagon and cheered for the Fatty Melt family.
My point was not that the burgers looked hideous, monstrous, or disgusting but that I didn't like the "heart attack" theme because it helps tar all burgers with the same greasy brush. Yes, the largest of these Heart Attack Grill burgers would certainly give your doctor reason to worry, but I'm not advocating against the burgers. Certainly not everyone visiting HAG gets the largest burgers—and the video even notes that.
It's always been my belief that AHT readers are smart people and have self-control. They know their limits and their health status and choose to eat accordingly or in defiance of those factors. That's why, historically, this blog has avoided moralizing about burger size or portions and has focused instead on flavor, texture, juiciness, and balance.
A very occasional 8,000-calorie burger isn't going to kill you anywhere nearly as quickly as a steady diet of 600-calorie Big Macs. I prefer seeing these kinds of novelty joints to corporations like McDonald's that position themselves as a source of regular family meals. For all those extremely unhealthy-looking people in that video, illness and death will come, not from the small percentage of their diet that they're consuming in that place, but the crap they're eating throughout the rest of their day. I say let unhealthy food be celebrated as something for special occasions, and save the outrage for all the junk that gets marketed as average, ordinary food.
Seems we have lots of over-politically correct readers here Mr. Kuban. But I suppose that's better than having lots of a-holes, right?
In any case, I think you probably already figured out to avoid "controversial" burger joints in the future, no matter how much pressure you get. It stinks for readers who are strictly here for burger knowledge, but hey, you win some you lose some, eh?
Good Lord. I didn't know we had so many weenies posting on a Hamburger board.
The pictures were "actually making [me] physically ill."? Are you sure you are on the right website? Maybe you should saunter on over to NothingButSoyToday.com.
This is almost as bad as the sky-is-falling crowd that commented on my Bacon Burger 2.0 on Yahoo! Food.
Ok so Im feeling kinda "savont-ish" for having emailed this article to you Adam!!! lol
I thought being a regular reader that I would add my 2 cents and alias find out that I wasnt original at all (kinda like the catchy phrases in the story).
Think of these things like a beach and tides. These memes, like the Heart Attack Grill one, ebb and rise. For some reason, something catches fire and goes around the web.
Weird people like me, who have hung out on Burger Beach for too many years, have seen this cycle for many burger-related things. But normal people, who only visit Burger Beach occasionally, may think something's new and send it along.
My point is that it's always nice to get emails from you, even if we have seen something already. It's a reminder that we probably need to blog about it again.
The reason I resisted this one over the years is outlined above. I think it was you and the 3 or 4 other people lately who made me realize we probably should acknowledge this place in some way on AHT.
Hey, there are burgers, and then there are burgers. The owner is only in it for the money. It's not a spiritual burger, if you know what I mean. Men will fall for this shtick until the sun blows up. But not me. I will n-e-v-e-r go to this place. Living in Michigan will help. Well, at least Phoenix has Pizzeria Bianco. God, I'm gettin' hungry.
As a Londoner who stumbled across HAG through the wonder of the Internet, I say a whole-hearted bravo to Dr Jon.
The world is tired of the politically correct, nanny-ing, food fascist lobby. If you want healthy food then of course that is your right but equally if I want an unhealthy meal it is my right. It is a fundamental right. My freedom of choice.
I applaud Dr Jon for giving me that choice and embracing the non-PC mantle so thoroughly. His restaurants look fun, inviting and offering tasty food. If the waitresses are happy to wear that clothing to show off their body, then that is their right. No one has ‘press-ganged’ them into working there.
I would love to visit HAG when next in the US because
A. I love a good burger
B. I'm keen to poke a finger in the eye of those who seek to deprive EVERYONE of something because a SMALL segment of lazy, spineless individuals have no self control and need to be protected from themselves.
Even in the UK I can hear of Dr Jon's railing against the system and I welcome it.
They're just trying to tap into the whole shock/controversy thing...and unfortunately that does work. Those news stations can't get enough of it. If you really want to dislike them watch the video on their homepage (How to Kill a Giant): http://www.heartattackgrill.com/
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38 Comments:
Whoa, way to take one for the team. Now none of us will have to think of this place ever again. Thanks, Adam!
butterface at 6:10PM on 01/13/09
um, the owner of that establishment is just creepy. I mean I am down for eating a ridiculous cheeseburger at a good old fashioned burger joint, but this dude reminds me of some con man. His place is just a novelty, it seems like it is just about shock value for this place. This burger place disgusts me in the fact that I truly feel that this owner is just doing this for plain old shock value to garner interest and make a buck, not for the love of the food.
achilles21 at 6:12PM on 01/13/09
I don't care about the shock value—just cranky that it revolves around the "heart attack" cliché.
Adam Kuban at 6:14PM on 01/13/09
Adam, I agree completely re: cliche, nice mini rant.
CarrieOliver at 6:18PM on 01/13/09
Wow. Sleazy. You're spot on target, Adam!
myrnie_twin at 6:30PM on 01/13/09
No problem with the food or the theme of the joint.
But watching big fat men with folds of flesh spilling over ogling young women in exploitative barely hygenic uniforms is pretty gross. And having that one fake-busted gal sit on the counter even though her skirt is so short that her skin was in actual contact with the counter IS NOT APPETIZING.
Pupster at 6:45PM on 01/13/09
Fabulous. Now I'm going to be forever skeeved out at burger joints wondering whose thonged bum has been gyrating on the counter.
GirlintheCurl at 6:45PM on 01/13/09
I understand all the dislikes about this place, but has anyone out there actually tried their burgers? While it seems likely that they probably aren't all that good, and the whole novelty of the establishment is in place to distract you from the actual food, until I hear what the burgers taste like I will withhold judgment. After all, if they turn out to be tasty and I happened to be in the area, a quick pickup order might just be what the doctor ordered! (haha, couldn't help myself there)
DustinM at 6:51PM on 01/13/09
Good point, DustinM. I'm afraid my rant set a tone here.
Adam Kuban at 7:00PM on 01/13/09
disgusting. there's no way those burgers are good. cheap buns, tons of lard, american cheese? who wants to eat in a blinding white sterile setting anyway? just because tasty sometimes means unhealthy DOES NOT mean that unhealthy means tasty. this place is the very definition of 'no class'.
sandmansd at 7:26PM on 01/13/09
While I agree the place is a little bright, a single doesn't look bad. At least there aren't any singing mice. Let's get a report from a local before we kill 'em.
beersnob at 7:56PM on 01/13/09
The prancing rocket scientists of tomorrow doesn't bother me. The fact that they don't serve beer for consuming my cardiologists next vacation does.
MikeL at 8:13PM on 01/13/09
this is actually making me physically ill.
i can't believe a burger is making me feel ill.
tiffanybite at 9:21PM on 01/13/09
I'm just thinking about the 5 or 6 Bi pass open heart surgery my B I L will go thru this Thursday, I think he consumed some junk food like these burgers. I had a hard time not thinking about him while I cooked during my lunch shift today. Hmmmmmmmmmm......
joanpieroni2 at 10:05PM on 01/13/09
It looks like "the Hooters" of burger joints.
Not my style, and lard on my bun? Did I hear lard on the bun?
No problem with lard cooking the fries, but lard on my bun is just one giant turnoff.
I hope that's only for the signature burger.
The fry bar sounded like a neat idea, but how many fries does one eat? I know I can't put but so many down, if I eat a good burger.
That's my last question. Are the burgers good?
Raiders757 at 10:13PM on 01/13/09
Adam, I understand your ranting. But if a quad is actually 8,000 calories like the "nurse" says, that is seriously really bad for you. A 'normal' burger isn't nearly as bad.
(Then again, she did say he was about to "imbibe" in said burger, so maybe she doesn't know what she's talking about.)
Also, am I the only person who's bothered by the scantily clad nurses? It seems, in the video, a few women and a little girl are customers as well. You can have a target audience of skeavy, fat, men all you want. I would never take my child there, though.
engmcmuffin at 10:13PM on 01/13/09
The burgers don't even look all that good, actually, they look pretty bad.
smile at 10:54PM on 01/13/09
Meh. It only makes sense that there should be a Hooters-type burger joint... it may not be for most people's taste but neither is Hooters and they do well. This is Chandler, AZ ffs, not some culinary mecca. There is a time and a place for Hooters-type joints, even if it is only once in your life. I was stuck in Tampa for a work convention and had my once-n-a-lifetime Hooters visit and it was a nice experience that I will never try again.
Big B at 11:20PM on 01/13/09
It actually wasn't that bad. I went when it was still in Tempe and just a little shop. It's really entertaining seeing the losers try to pick up the servers and failing time and time again. I thought the burgers weren't bad either. Not your gourmet sliders or chef-y sort of burgers, Just decent, classic burger... only the portions are... um.. optimistic?
bobfole at 12:09AM on 01/14/09
1.) During the interview I couldn't shake the insidious feeling that this is the type of thing you see when the world is ending.
2.) Am I the only one who was surprised Bill ate the whole thing?!
sessjess at 1:02AM on 01/14/09
I find all this amusing, so I'd check it out. As long as the women are attractive. I don't want to see a scantily clad ugly chick. My husband would get a kick out of this as well.
I think that was my gripe when we checked out Hooters. All that hype, and the women were ok. However, they were all dressed in men's crewneck tshirts and shorter than avg shorts. That's it. The food was also below average.
Cassaendra at 7:38AM on 01/14/09
I've been a AHT reader for some time now but have never posted until now. I simply want to say that I'm shocked as to what complete whining whimpy jerks my fellow readers are.... wow!
The Heart Attack Grill happens to produce the best damn tasting burger, period. It's flat grilled to order from fresh beef. There frys are fresh chopped from real potatoes... and yes, I'm hetrosexual so I do enjoy having a pretty girl in a nurse costume deliver my burger to me.
I'm ashamed of the company that I've appearantly been keeping by being a regular reader of this board.
VictorKnight at 9:14AM on 01/14/09
Burgers? What burgers? LOL
jkdrummer at 9:56AM on 01/14/09
Wow. I just rechecked this thread, and I'm shocked, too. I don't know if it's my rant that set the tone or what, but this really is out of character for longtime AHT readers.
Sad to see all the people pronouncing the burgers themselves disgusting or what not. AHT is the blog, after all, that created and celebrated the Fatty Melt and the Bacon Fatty Melt—both equally as insane (or maybe more) as the burgers at the Heart Attack Grill. And many of you jumped on that bandwagon and cheered for the Fatty Melt family.
My point was not that the burgers looked hideous, monstrous, or disgusting but that I didn't like the "heart attack" theme because it helps tar all burgers with the same greasy brush. Yes, the largest of these Heart Attack Grill burgers would certainly give your doctor reason to worry, but I'm not advocating against the burgers. Certainly not everyone visiting HAG gets the largest burgers—and the video even notes that.
It's always been my belief that AHT readers are smart people and have self-control. They know their limits and their health status and choose to eat accordingly or in defiance of those factors. That's why, historically, this blog has avoided moralizing about burger size or portions and has focused instead on flavor, texture, juiciness, and balance.
The knee-jerk reaction here is sad.
Adam Kuban at 10:19AM on 01/14/09
OMG. (and doesn't the guy narrating it sound like Wallace Shawn?)
Linnea Covington at 10:20AM on 01/14/09
You gotta give props to a place that does it's fries right - in lard. The only thing missing is twice-frying 'em.
Best fries I ever had: Arthur Bryant's, KC, about which Saveur had to say: "Twice fried in lard, as they should be."
Those fries would be completely illegal here in NYC. I think I'm gonna open a trans-fat speakeasy somewhere downtown and serve kick-ass fries.
MikeNYC at 10:29AM on 01/14/09
@everyone: I've eaten this burger, it was good, and the girls were cute and funny.
Shrug.
Prairie at 11:33AM on 01/14/09
A very occasional 8,000-calorie burger isn't going to kill you anywhere nearly as quickly as a steady diet of 600-calorie Big Macs. I prefer seeing these kinds of novelty joints to corporations like McDonald's that position themselves as a source of regular family meals. For all those extremely unhealthy-looking people in that video, illness and death will come, not from the small percentage of their diet that they're consuming in that place, but the crap they're eating throughout the rest of their day. I say let unhealthy food be celebrated as something for special occasions, and save the outrage for all the junk that gets marketed as average, ordinary food.
Weirdsmobile at 12:35PM on 01/14/09
Pupster, I couldn't have said it better myself.
I almost threw up
hungrychristel at 1:17PM on 01/14/09
Seems we have lots of over-politically correct readers here Mr. Kuban. But I suppose that's better than having lots of a-holes, right?
In any case, I think you probably already figured out to avoid "controversial" burger joints in the future, no matter how much pressure you get. It stinks for readers who are strictly here for burger knowledge, but hey, you win some you lose some, eh?
DustinM at 1:52PM on 01/14/09
Good Lord. I didn't know we had so many weenies posting on a Hamburger board.
The pictures were "actually making [me] physically ill."? Are you sure you are on the right website? Maybe you should saunter on over to NothingButSoyToday.com.
This is almost as bad as the sky-is-falling crowd that commented on my Bacon Burger 2.0 on Yahoo! Food.
PhotoKirk at 9:14AM on 01/15/09
see this link; apparently this place isn't on Men's Health magazine's radar:
The Worst Burgers in America
avisualperson at 11:08AM on 01/15/09
Ok so Im feeling kinda "savont-ish" for having emailed this article to you Adam!!! lol
I thought being a regular reader that I would add my 2 cents and alias find out that I wasnt original at all (kinda like the catchy phrases in the story).
Forgive me!
Lvn4life at 2:06PM on 01/15/09
@Lvn4life: Nooo! Please don't feel like that.
Think of these things like a beach and tides. These memes, like the Heart Attack Grill one, ebb and rise. For some reason, something catches fire and goes around the web.
Weird people like me, who have hung out on Burger Beach for too many years, have seen this cycle for many burger-related things. But normal people, who only visit Burger Beach occasionally, may think something's new and send it along.
My point is that it's always nice to get emails from you, even if we have seen something already. It's a reminder that we probably need to blog about it again.
The reason I resisted this one over the years is outlined above. I think it was you and the 3 or 4 other people lately who made me realize we probably should acknowledge this place in some way on AHT.
Thank you!
Adam Kuban at 2:15PM on 01/15/09
Hey, there are burgers, and then there are burgers. The owner is only in it for the money. It's not a spiritual burger, if you know what I mean. Men will fall for this shtick until the sun blows up. But not me. I will n-e-v-e-r go to this place. Living in Michigan will help. Well, at least Phoenix has Pizzeria Bianco. God, I'm gettin' hungry.
Summerfield at 4:09PM on 01/16/09
As a Londoner who stumbled across HAG through the wonder of the Internet, I say a whole-hearted bravo to Dr Jon.
The world is tired of the politically correct, nanny-ing, food fascist lobby. If you want healthy food then of course that is your right but equally if I want an unhealthy meal it is my right. It is a fundamental right. My freedom of choice.
I applaud Dr Jon for giving me that choice and embracing the non-PC mantle so thoroughly. His restaurants look fun, inviting and offering tasty food. If the waitresses are happy to wear that clothing to show off their body, then that is their right. No one has ‘press-ganged’ them into working there.
I would love to visit HAG when next in the US because
A. I love a good burger
B. I'm keen to poke a finger in the eye of those who seek to deprive EVERYONE of something because a SMALL segment of lazy, spineless individuals have no self control and need to be protected from themselves.
Even in the UK I can hear of Dr Jon's railing against the system and I welcome it.
Payne by name at 7:27AM on 01/23/09
The burgers look great and the tail looks fine. The joke is a little stale but I would go there.
SpandTex Pants at 4:37PM on 01/26/09
I agree Adam...I think the whole schitck is exactly that....a schtick. If thier food was any good maybe I'd be more inclined to eat there again.
http://eatingtheroad.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/heart-attack-grill-diet-center/
They're just trying to tap into the whole shock/controversy thing...and unfortunately that does work. Those news stations can't get enough of it. If you really want to dislike them watch the video on their homepage (How to Kill a Giant):
http://www.heartattackgrill.com/
Eating The Road at 9:04AM on 10/30/09