Chili cheese fries had no salt or flavor. Vm very disappointing. Would not recommend them

By far the BEST pastrami sandwich you'll ever eat!! This is a hot spot for sure. We always come here when visiting my old stomping grounds in CA. You'll love the food and the BAG of fries!!! Don't forget the yellow chili's and extra pickles and mustard. read more

The Hat - Sandwiches Near Me - Monterey Park, California

What can I say? Its true they don't have air conditioning. But it's not that bad if it's Not a packed house. It does get a little crowded but when I went for my first visit it thankfully wasn't. Service was great. I knew what I wanted so ordering was a breeze. I ordered a pastrami and large fries with a large drink. I believe my total was shy of $17 dollars. Was I surprised yes but $9 dollars and some for a pastrami I was hoping for the best. I was handed two bags and they didn't give trays so I sat down and was surprised with the amount of fries. I was a little intimidated. I haven't seen a restaurant give these much fries in years. That was the best part of my visit. The pastrami tasted like any other most hamburger joints have better ones but that's just my opinion. Doesn't beat my top favorite from a well known los Angeles restaurant. But for hamburger joints it's decent. The bread could be a little thicker. I'm sure it doesn't travel well from experience. I had to take half to go because I was running late but now I know to eat my good there. I was given my food fast so I'm not sure how fast a pastrami can be prepped but it wasn't hot as others I've had. Like I said the fries were heavenly and the highlight of my visit I'm sure with gravy they would be perfection. Portion size makes this joint my new go to for heavenly fries. Lack of air conditioning puts me off to coming when busy or on hot days. Would I get the pastrami again no not likely will I try their other menu options until I find my favorite yes. Service was super quick not even two minutes from paying I was handed my food. I saw them take the fries out of the fryer but I previously stated the pastrami was as hot. So I'll give them four stars. I'll come back give them another chance because I can't resist their fries. read more

Outstanding pastrami and roast beef. Nothing like it in the San Francisco Bay area. I prefer this location because I can eat inside although I take it to the hotel. Tried the fries with gravy on the side. Outstanding! Chili is a good version the "LA chili recipe" where places try to copy Original Tommy's chili. Try it with the pastrami. Less greasy and higher quality then Johnny's pastrami. read more

Being that it was Mother's Day this location was very organized during the lunch rush!!! Great service and food! Staff was very attentive and friendly. Glad this place was organized unlike the breakfast place we went to earlier. read more

I've become obsessed with Vintage old Diners heard about this place so had to check it out. My hubby & took off on one of our usual weekend drives, we usually find a nice hiking spot followed by some yummy grub along the way. Small counter seating Burger, fries and PIE place. If your in the area definitely come check it out it's always busy but they do have To go ordering but for us we love to enjoy the atmosphere. We will be back! read more

Good old hat. Hmm it sbeen off little Bit while I noticed.but over its still good old hat food. :-) read more

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I've been to the hat many times for pastrami. I also like the cold sandwiches, like the ham and cheese. Usually they have smart polite people working the drive-through. Today this young girl was kind of snappy because I couldn't hear her . I order one pastrami on rye one ham and cheese on rye and the moron making the sandwiches uses stale bread.. $21, I get home and find the sandwiches taste like crap. Is it that difficult to figure out the bread is not fresh. I realize most people order rolls but still, there's no excuse for using yesterdays bread. read more

Went for my birthday the best choice I made :) just go with your mind made up or you might order to much food

Over the last few weeks, I've driven past 'The Hat' on multiple occasions and really wanted to try it out. Finally, I was able to stop in this afternoon to taste their 'World Famous Pastrami'. Looking over the menu, it was a little on the pricey side. Basically, any decent sandwich will cost you ten bucks plus an extra 4+ bucks for fries. I definitely needed to try out their Pastrami, so I ordered the pastrami burger. They had some interesting french fry options that I couldn't resist, so I ordered a side of wet(gravy) fries for 5 bucks. There was a bit of a wait for my food, not ridiculous, just longer than average. One of the patrons before me left with a cardboard duffel bag full of food, so I'm sure that contributed. Finally, my number was called and I picked up my food. They never asked if I wanted it to-go, but I assume they always prepare it to-go. I opted to eat it at the restaurant. The Pastrami burger was of decent size, not huge.. but there was a pleasant abundance of pastrami. I started by eating half of the burger, the pastrami was pretty good, not great. The burger was mediocre. After eating half of the burger, there was a mess of pastrami left over that I decided to place atop my wet fries. I was shocked by the size of the wet fries for five bucks. It was more than most people could eat and there was plenty of gravy. Unfortunately, even after piling pastrami atop the wet fries, they were very bland. The fries lacked salt and could have been crispier, and the gravy lacked flavor as well. It was all just very, very bland. If I return, I'll skip the fries and just get a Pastrami sandwich.. but even that's unlikely. It wasn't a bad experience, but certainly not a great one. read more

Great place with even better food. I love coming here. Despite all that's going on they are open. You don't know how goo it feel to be able to go some place to eat late night right now. read more

This place is right on the corner of Atlantic and Cesar Chavez. Parking is a little tough at times. If you're taking it to go I would recommend calling it in and picking it up. The service is good and always friendly. The thing to order is the pastrami dip. A little pricey at just under $10 but it is tasty and worth the price. Burgers and dogs are good too read more

Only the best pastrami place ever!! The Hat is where I go to when I'm craving a pastrami sandwich. Their meat is sliced thin and served in abundance. Every bite perfect. French fries servings are also huge! Plus free soda refills makes this place more than worth it. read more

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Amazing restaurant with great burgers and pastrami. Although having a very simple menu there is no short of things to try from there chili fries to there pastrami burgers there's no way not to find something you will like. Even if your not in the mood for pastrami they still have fagy kat burgers and even hot dogs. An American style restaurant they are very welcoming and have a great decor. The food comes out very quickly and is always good. The cost is great and there servings are very large being very generous with there cost per food. I've been going there for years and have a great time very visit. read more

Chili cheese fries, pastrami, burgers, and more... enough said.... this is one of my go to place when I'm high AF and needing to satisfy my huge appetite/munchies. This place can and will be packed during certain hours with all kind of peeps. So if you're ordering "to go" I would highly suggest to call it in (phone order). This will save you time and you'll be treated like a VIP receiving your food before other peeps that ordered there and still waiting on their orders. read more

Very soggy fries! The chili cheese fries got smaller or some friendly chef had some to fill their belly. read more

My husband and I came here one night and it was packed. We know why!! The food here is great!! We ordered the pastrami and fries with a cherry Fanta. Everything was delish'. Pros: Great menu board! Nice numbering receipt system Friendly cashier Cons: This location doesn't have a drive thru Not enough seats when it's super crowded Parking is on a "good luck" finding one in their lot read more

My dad showed me this place and it's a small time yet still iconic pastrami burger joint in town. This is the perfect spot when you have a craving for pastrami chili cheese fries. A classic burger diner that hit close to home. If you haven't been check it out. The chili cheese fries are definitely meant to be shared, served in a large potion. read more

Gravy fries amazing. Huge portion. But n my humble opinion the pastrami does not topple the now closed Johnny Pastrami on Adams in L.A. not even close. The same way they loaded that giant portion of gravy fries onto my table. Is the same way they need to load some more meat on that sandwich. And then and only then can we start the comparisons. read more

The Hat - Huge gravy fries. 5 bucks - Sandwiches Near Me - Monterey Park, California

So disappointed!! We we go for lunch we usually do the online ordering because every other time we get there and we usually wait less than 5 minutes for our food. Well today my pick up time was 12:30 I got there at 12:23. The cashier gently let them know that the online order was there. So I did my usual gathering of peppers, ketchup, napkins and plates and patiently waited. The guy at the counter started calling #11, they came up. And I standing there watching this...and now 17 minutes later they are now calling #19. I walk up to the counter and ask um is my food not ready. The guy asked me what my number was and I told him I had the online order. He told me they didn't tell me you were waiting. Dude pulled my food out, of had been sitting there for awhile. So I asked him is the food warm? And his reply was yes it was. Well I get to work and I missing a tamale and the food is cold. I call and the lady on the phone is basically telling me that my food wasn't ready when I got there. I know Sherlock that is why I was waiting...but their lack of communication let me good sit there. And she is like you can come get your tamale. I am on lunch...how do You expect that. Never again!!! read more

I love this place, a little pricey if you go by yourself but you get a lot of food for the money. I definitely recommend getting the Pastrami Dip, it's what put them on the map. If you want to fit in your vehicle when leaving, go with the intention of taking leftovers home. read more

The Hat is one of my favorite restaurants. If you are a fan of pastrami sandwiches, this is a great place to go. The pastrami is very tender, peppery, and a little fatty, which is the way I like it. They give you a lot of meat in the sandwiches too if you get another bun. I order wet fries with the gravy on the side to dip into. Always a treat whenever I come across one because there is not one close to me. read more

This is a small and divey so you know the food has to be good. I was not disappointed. The food portions are large and the chili fries was the size of my face lol seriously that old school chili and melted cheese over super crispy fries was it. That's the kind of chili fries you want every time. I am not a pastrami fan, I know, I know, how dare I type those words. So naturally, I've only tried it once, this was my opportunity. I needed to take a bite from someone that knew their meat. It was spicy and tangy, I was surprised how the right way it tasted actually like something I would eat. So from my pastrami lover, he said it's the best in Los Angeles hands down. I also tried the junior burger since I was warned before hand all the menu items were large. It was an ok burger. I would recommend the chili cheese fries and to try the pastrami might turn you into a fan. read more

I had to give The Hat a second chance and they lived up to their rep. Pastrami Dip was huge and delicious.

The hat is a great place if your looking to treat yo self. There gravy fries are amazing, there diligence outstanding, and there pas read more

The Hat - Sandwiches Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Amazing as hell. Omg. The food vey delicious. Ok I became a fatty for this place. Well recommended. read more

The Hat - So good. Bien cagado. Ay que Rico. - Sandwiches Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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If you grew up in the San Gabriel Vally, like I happened to have, then you most likely have at one time or another done into a food coma thanks to The Hat. When I stopped by this location, I was in the mood to cheat and went to my goto meal, a Beef Dip (double dipped) and a small order of fries. Now The Hat has always been known to be on the pricy side but it has always had a reputation for giving you a bang for your buck. The small order of fries is still generous enough to feed a small army but the sandwich itself was so small! If the meal was under ten bucks I may be willing to over look this since the food was delicious. But since it was well over ten bucks, I can not look the other way. Not sure if The Hat in general is being skimpy or if it's just this location but either way, I will not be returning to this location... unless someone's treating me. That changes everything lol. read more

Came to order a steak sandwich and asked for them to put salt on the meat, they said no they had salt on the side, how hard is it to put salt on the meat when a customer is asking for it, never coming here again. read more

If you like pastrami This is the place to go if you like pastrami sandwiches. Been coming and going to the hat for years highly recommend it they have good food people are nice and it's good atmosphere. read more

Food was fresh, fast, and so yummy! A must try even for those that aren't a fan of pastrami, they have other options too

Loved the food kind of felt like I was eating at a better quality Toms burgers butt over all the experience wasn't that good the man at the register seemed like he was having a bad day and waiting to take it out on employees which was pretty Shitty but I can live with that read more

Been going to The Hat in Monterey Park for 30 years. This place has a very successful concept that works. The food is good. The place is clean. Just enough seating that gets fully occupied during rush hours. The service is simple enough to satisfy everyone. read more

I used to be fan of the Hat, but I notice their price is keep jacking up quite a bit lately. If you want like pastrami sandwich it would cost you about $10 after tax, the pastrami fries is a whopping $15... The Hat remind me a lot like Tops in Pasadena, except I think Tops is better in term of price and also more choice of food. One thing The hat do very well, is they got a tons of sauce pack. For Christ sake, they even got horseradish sauce that taste just like wasabi with mayo. That sauce a lone worth to come here, I am telling you. If you fan of Wasabi, added to your fries and burger or sandwich it would a truly a nice dragon kick in your mouth. I order the chili fries this time, it was enough to feed two hungry people alone. It need some pickles and cheese to make much better improvement. The hat is one of the restaurant in your bucket list, if you have not try. Come here for their pastrami and fries, yes is pricey but many type of sauce in the counter just make out for it. read more

I have been going here for decades but was totally turned off when I saw the dude preparing my sandwich use the top half of my bun to wipe the prep counter. I mean, really?!?! WTH was this moron thinking? When I called him out on it, he just gave me a stupid look and turned his back on me. Ok, you just lost my business... read more

I know I said I liked them huge, but damn, Mr. Hat. Your chilli cheese fries are packin' a little too much for me. I definitely don't mind sharing you. Also, I like your chili scorching hot so your cheese will melt all over it. mmm, yeah. yeah. yeah. That's how I want you. That's how I'll have you. Huge and all. *wink read more

Dear The Hat, The deliciousness of your pastrami sandwiches are in dire need in San Diego. See what you can do about it. Thanks, San Diego. PS - You can bring a Roast Beef with of side a gravy with you. read more

The Hat is something you have to indulge in. And by indulge I mean just unbuckle that belt and unbutton those jeans before the button pops off and blinds someone. The portion sizes.. Geez. This is the first place I ever had a pastrami sandwich from. And while it's not the best place I ever eaten one (Langers anyone?) So this was the popping of my huge slowly cooked meats cherry into the world. They offer some delicious offerings when it comes to that. The price is also something you'd appreciate. It's not going to hit your wallet. You're meal will come in a paper bag and well, it will make you feel like one of those brown baggers or something. Though I recall the bag being white. Either way, you're going to rip it on the side and start digging in. The place has a ton of condiments so you can easily make it to your pleasing no matter what way you like to eat your massive amount of slathered meats. Tons of variety of mustards there to choose from. The service is sort of hit or miss. You're really expected to bark out your order and have your cash in hand. Wait to be called and you're done. They're not going to pamper you nor are they really there to do anything more than to get you your food in a speedy manner. Be thankful for that. Now I always seem to get the fries even though I realize full well that I'm not going to finish them. Hell, I don't even make an impact on one or two of them before I'm full from my monster sandwich. Though, if you go with the chili fries.. you're just asking for a world of pain later. But I can at least say that the taste is well worth that displeasure. Unlike most other Hats, this one has plenty of seats to choose from. So you can park your butt while you expand on it. Great stuff read more

Delicious. One of the original locations which is clearly obvious. You order and pick up at the widow. You can get it to-go or opt for their outdoor seating which isn't that bad. I always get the pastrami because that's what they're known for. However, I get their pastrami on top of their chili cheese fries with pickles thrown on it which is pretty flipping amazing if you ask me. I do recommend sharing since it's a pretty heffty portion. Overall I'm definately a fan. :) read more

I was just about to make myself a bagel for breakfast before I stumbled upon my review for the hat. Mistakenly, I proceeded to read my review, and now, I am full, and lost my appetite completely. **IDIOT** Just thinking about the heaping portion of chili cheese fries (w/ pastrami) reminded me of the food coma bliss I experienced 20 minutes after. I guess i'll have to wait for a LARGE lunch....anyone say: "SUPERSIZE" of course i kid, i kid. read more

Delish... Chili cheese pastrami fries are enough for 3 people and the chili burger was so good. Perfect place for a cheat day