In sad-but-not-shocking news, John Alleman, the unofficial spokesman for the Heart Attack Grill died on Monday after suffering a massive heart attack last week.
Alleman, 52, was a devoted fan of the Heart Attack Grill, which holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Caloric Burger.” Jon Basso, owner of Heart Attack Grill, said that Alleman ate at the restaurant on a daily basis. Alleman, who never married and didn’t have children, lived with his brother and worked as a security guard. Although he wasn’t officially employed by the Heart Attack Grill, he was an honorary worker.
“He’d say, ‘I just love your place, Jon.’ He’s the only person I know who was probably at the restaurant more than I,” Basso told the Las Vegas Sun.
In return for his dedication and enthusiasm, Basso offered Alleman occasional free drinks and fries. Alleman’s caricature is also on the Heart Attack Grill menus and merchandise.
Still, Basso said that Alleman’s regular visits to the infamously unhealthy restaurant weren’t suggested.
“I told him if you keep eating like this, it’s going to kill ya,” Basso said.
The Heart Attack Grill has been controversial since it first opened in downtown Las Vegas in October 2011. With menu items ranging from the “Quadruple Bypass Burger” to the “Butterfat Shake,” there isn’t a trace of health food in the room. A sign on the front door also reads “Cash only because you might die before the check clears.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time the playful warning has taken on a more serious meaning. A customer suffered a heart attack while eating a triple bypass burger in the restaurant in 2012. Two months later, another customer collapsed while eating a double bypass burger. The Heart Attack Grill’s former spokesman, Blair River, 575 lbs. and 29-years-old, died from the flu.
^Blair River with Heart Attack Grill “nurses.” Photo from Facebook.
Although the Heart Attack Grill warns against eating the caloric, fatty food too often, its promotions seem contradictory: Any customer (or “patient” as they are termed there) who weighs more than 350 lbs. eats for free.
Considering this sad news came on the same day as the ruling that a woman died from drinking too much Coca-Cola, it seems like a good time for the rest of us to wake up and realize that the food and drinks we consume affect our health! High-calorie and high-fat foods are fine in moderation, but should be a part of a balanced diet.
