Diner Has Apparent Heart Attack at Heart Attack Grill

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A man fell ill and was hospitalized after ordering a Triple Bypass burger at the Heart Attack Grill, a Las Vegas restaurant that jokingly warns customers "this establishment is bad for your health."

Laughing tourists were either cynical or confused about whether the man was really suffering a medical episode amid the "doctor," ''nurses" and health warnings at the Heart Attack Grill, restaurant owner Jon Basso said Wednesday.

"It was no joke," said Basso, who promotes himself "Doctor Jon," his scantily clad waitresses as nurses and customers as patients.

Basso said he could tell right away the man in his 40s eating a Triple Bypass burger was having trouble. He was sweating, shaking and could barely talk.

Paramedics were called Saturday night, fire spokesman Tim Szymanski said, and the man was hospitalized. His name and information about his condition weren't made public.

Giggles can be heard on the soundtrack of amateur video showing the man on a stretcher being wheeled out of the restaurant where patrons pass an antique ambulance at the door and a sign: "Caution! This establishment is bad for your health."

Eaters are given surgical gowns as they choose from a calorically extravagant menu offering "Bypass" burgers, "Flatliner" fries, buttermilk shakes and free meals to folks over 350 pounds. Another sign on the door reads, "Cash only because you might die before the check clears."

Basso said he hopes the man is OK, and added that he felt bad for him because tourists treated his misfortune like a joke.

"We would never pull a stunt like that," he said.

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Associated Press writer Ken Ritter contributed to this story.

Amateur video of the man being wheeled out of the restaurant by EMTs was posted to YouTube.