LAS VEGAS — The Heart Attack Grill, the over-the-top Las Vegas restaurant known for its massive "Bypass" burgers and hospital-themed gimmick, has closed, citing rising costs and what it described as "corporate greed."The closure ends the downtown fixture's 15-year run at Neonopolis shopping mall and marks a turning point for one of the Strip's most controversial attractions, which drew both crowds and criticism for its celebration of excess and history of real-life health scares.The Heart Attack Grill built its brand around excess and spectacle, serving oversized menu items such as the Double and Octuple Bypass burgers and "Flatliner" fries.Customers, referred to as "patients," wore hospital gowns while dining, and staff dressed as nurses. Diners who didn't finish their meals were publicly spanked, and those weighing more than 350 pounds were offered free unlimited food after stepping on a scale outside.'Major casinos have intentionally priced the average person out'Restaurant owner Jon Basso told SFGate that the move is not meant to "knock Las Vegas as a community” but reflects broader changes in the city’s costs. Basso said he is seeking investors and landlords for potential locations in other cities."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 restaurant said in a statement on its website. “We look forward to finding new communities that still appreciate a Bypass Burger and the freedom to feast without apology."USA TODAY reached out to the restaurant for further comment.Controversy and past tragediesThe restaurant was originally founded in Tempe, Arizona, and moved to downtown Las Vegas in 2011, according to KSNV. It quickly drew scrutiny for its theme and health risks.In 2012, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine called for its closure, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. That same year, a customer was hospitalized after eating a 6,000-calorie burger, and another suffered a similar medical emergency months later.In February 2013, John Alleman, 52, a regular customer and unofficial spokesman for the restaurant, died of an apparent heart attack outside the venue, USA TODAY reported at the time. Years earlier, Blair River, known as the restaurant's "Gentle Giant," died in March 2011 from flu-related pneumonia.