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It was a great experience and the service is always friendly. Speed of service is fast despite the amount of clientele. The place is always clean. The food itself is decent. Portions are huge so it's good to share. Price is fair. Would recommend since it's a local staple but it's at par with its competitors. Didn't take a pic of the food but their wrapping is 10/10. Recommend the pastrami fries or sandwich and the chili tamale.
Food: 5 Mics Service: 5 Mics Ambiance: 5 Mics Food: Pastrami dip as is. Generous sized servings of pastrami, pickles, mustard and broth dipped French roll. It was a melt in your mouth tender pastrami and very filling. The sandwich alone filled me up, no need to add fries...I will admit I wanted to add fries but glad I did not. Service: The service was great. No complaints but nothing to rave about. Cashier was kind and had service with a smile. Ambiance: Loved the ambiance here. It was clean and had diner vibes. You can watch the line make every sandwich! Stop in, if you're in the area. There is parking, no line at 11:45am on Thursday when I went. You won't regret it.
The Hat has been a staple in my life since the 1980's. And it's still as good as ever. I always get the pastrami dip (dry) with mustard and pickles. Then add mayo. Best pastrami around. It is thinly sliced but still moist. Bread is soft. Really good. They also have good chili cheese fries. Staff is always great and fast. I do miss the grab and go condiment station, but that is typical post-Covid.
We wandered in just a few minutes before closing time, but the helpful staff still served us an amazing pastrami sandwich. It was HUGE! We took it to go, as we were actually heading to another iconic west coast eatery. We had quite a feast back in our hotel room. I want to reiterate that the team on this Saturday night in May was so friendly to let us order in spite of serendipitously showing up mere minutes before closing. That sandwich was so incredibly tasty, too! Now that we KNOW about The Hat, I definitely want to return, and dine-in.
They have a parking lot, but it says only 45 minutes to dine in. I eat slow, so i hope we dont get a ticket or car towed for that. The cashier who took our order was super nice and was kind enough to change my order at the last minute (after he called out what needed to be made). I wanted a ham and cheese sandwich, but i wanted it as a melt, but wasnt sure if they were able to do that. I saw a sign that they are able to do it. Hence, why he was super nice about changing my order. It was a cold night, and not many people where dining in when we arrived, but it got busy as we were waiting for our food. Our number was called and we got our food. I opened up my sandwich and I pulled it apart, it looked so good! It was so cheesy! I pulled the slices of bread apart to see if there was any ham because that was a LOT of cheese! Sadly, it was just a grilled cheese sandwich that was DELICIOUS, but it was the wrong sandwich. I brought it back up to the counter and the guy had to confirm with the cashier, understandable. He took what I had and threw it away. They remade my sandwich. Once the new sandwich was done, the cashier brought it to where I was sitting and apologized for the wrong order. It was a delicious sandwich and I hope all the other locations have that available!
This review is based on a takeout order only. So many times I heard this is the place I'd one wants a pastrami sandwiches. And the only reason I haven't been is because it's just too much of a drive from home. And then one day, Hubbers found himself nearby, called and asked if I wanted one. "Yes, please!" was the resounding answer. I asked for a plain (no pickles, no mustard, toasted bread.) Home after his long drive, the aroma pulls you in immediately. The sandwiches come sliced in half, so that's convenient. First bite and yum.com! The meat, of course, is the very center of this grub. It was juicy and well seasoned. The bread was soft and fluffy (didn't really experience the toasted part.) Overall delicious! FOOD: 5. Quality and quantity. Plenty for a second meal. SERVICE: N/A. VALUE: 3.5. PARKING: N/A. OVERALL: 4.25. Wish it was closer to home. But definitely trying it in person n should the opportunity come through!
Do you love Pastrami sandwiches? How about eating in a historic establishment with California history? You can do both right here! We shared one of these huge sandwiches and a small bag of fries, sorry no pics we were hungry. It's a small place where you hope to find a parking place off street. Walk in and order at the counter from a large menu on the wall, pay there take your number and find a seat. In a short time you'll have that hot pastrami in your hungry hands. It is big enough to share, but then again maybe you won't want to.
Visited here for a late night snack with a group of friends. The place was pretty busy considering it was around 11 PM. We ordered at the counter and sat at a big table. The ambience and decor was amazing, very old-school, friendly, and retro. Our entire party ordered the tuna melt, a side of wet fries, a side of pastrami fries, a side of onion rings, and some pastrami burgers. The number one thing to keep in mind about this place is that the portions are absolutely huge. The sides of fries and onion rings were incredibly hefty in both weight and food. We had a hard time finishing even with around 9-10 people. The tuna amount was very delicious and had amazing bread. The tuna was warm and the lettuce and tomatoes balanced it out well. The onion rings were crispy and fresh as well. The wet fries got a little soggy, but were otherwise tasty. The pastrami fries were incredibly filling especially with all the meat and cheese loaded on top. All very tasty, high quality and so affordable!! Highly recommend, very community and amicable atmosphere and servers, cheap prices and tasty food.
The place was just as clean as in Glendora. A bit smaller. A crowd came right after we sat down, good timing. The staff was accommodating.and took and had our at pickup counter in reasonable time. My favorite pastrami is my order. Again, it was filling for me eating only half. Guess I get two dinners for one. A bit expensive at $12.60 plus tax, about $14.00. We got a hamburger and two drinks, free refill. Still paid out about $31.00.
Everyone knows why we all come here. I'm gonna give you some pro tips Pastrami add Swiss and get the dip / au jus on the side. Chili cheese fries are shareable pass on the pastrami topping. Wild Cherry aka Cherry Fanta is a must. Chili tamale is decent. Pass on the onion rings as they are all breading and not so much onion. Service is always great Place is always clean
Good food. Great service. Stylish oldschool diner type restaurant. I've been coming to this place for ages! And it has always stayed consistent in satisfying my pastrami cravings! This place is perfect stop for great pastrami sandwich, chili fries and a delicious root beer every time I'm driving through :) Thanks for feeding me all these years! Keep it going!
Sometimes you just gotta eat like a damn hog and this is the place to go. Everything is big here, including the side orders. Menu is pure carnivore, and the must-have sandwich to bust your Hat cherry here is definitely the Pastrami Dip. The pastrami is sliced super thin, it's fatty, and very tasty. Another item you should try is a giant concoction called "wet fries." Basically it's poutine minus the cheese. Serving size is huge and will be enough for 2 or even 3 people. This is a meal and not a side dish, friends. Pricing is reasonable and the menu is large enough to come back and explore. Inside is spacious, clean, food comes out fast, and everyone is friendly. The only complaint here is the parking. It's a small lot and each space is not Hummer friendly at all. Other than that, check it out!
The hat always hits the spot. Old school feel, old school menu. It's nostalgic as they come. Service is always an A+! Was in LA for a quick trip and had to make a stop for my pastrami fix. Nothing like it in the Central Valley. I went classic with the pastrami dip. Thinly sliced, tender, and moist pastrami nestled within a soft roll that soaks up every bit of that pastrami juice goodness. Dressed with classic yellow mustard and pickles. Helping cut through the richness of the pastrami. My wife ordered her go to. Wet fries with gravy, topped with the glorious pastrami. Crisp and fluffy fries, drenched in a rich beef gravy. Gluttony at its best, but oh so good! All washed down with an ice cold Coke. read more
2 months ago
3 months ago
It was a great experience and the service is always friendly. Speed of service is fast despite the amount of clientele. The place is always clean. The food itself is decent. Portions are huge so it's good to share. Price is fair. Would recommend since it's a local staple but it's at par with its competitors. Didn't take a pic of the food but their wrapping is 10/10. Recommend the pastrami fries or sandwich and the chili tamale. read more
Food: 5 Mics Service: 5 Mics Ambiance: 5 Mics Food: Pastrami dip as is. Generous sized servings of pastrami, pickles, mustard and broth dipped French roll. It was a melt in your mouth tender pastrami and very filling. The sandwich alone filled me up, no need to add fries...I will admit I wanted to add fries but glad I did not. Service: The service was great. No complaints but nothing to rave about. Cashier was kind and had service with a smile. Ambiance: Loved the ambiance here. It was clean and had diner vibes. You can watch the line make every sandwich! Stop in, if you're in the area. There is parking, no line at 11:45am on Thursday when I went. You won't regret it. read more
5 months ago
The Hat has been a staple in my life since the 1980's. And it's still as good as ever. I always get the pastrami dip (dry) with mustard and pickles. Then add mayo. Best pastrami around. It is thinly sliced but still moist. Bread is soft. Really good. They also have good chili cheese fries. Staff is always great and fast. I do miss the grab and go condiment station, but that is typical post-Covid. read more
We wandered in just a few minutes before closing time, but the helpful staff still served us an amazing pastrami sandwich. It was HUGE! We took it to go, as we were actually heading to another iconic west coast eatery. We had quite a feast back in our hotel room. I want to reiterate that the team on this Saturday night in May was so friendly to let us order in spite of serendipitously showing up mere minutes before closing. That sandwich was so incredibly tasty, too! Now that we KNOW about The Hat, I definitely want to return, and dine-in. read more
They have a parking lot, but it says only 45 minutes to dine in. I eat slow, so i hope we dont get a ticket or car towed for that. The cashier who took our order was super nice and was kind enough to change my order at the last minute (after he called out what needed to be made). I wanted a ham and cheese sandwich, but i wanted it as a melt, but wasnt sure if they were able to do that. I saw a sign that they are able to do it. Hence, why he was super nice about changing my order. It was a cold night, and not many people where dining in when we arrived, but it got busy as we were waiting for our food. Our number was called and we got our food. I opened up my sandwich and I pulled it apart, it looked so good! It was so cheesy! I pulled the slices of bread apart to see if there was any ham because that was a LOT of cheese! Sadly, it was just a grilled cheese sandwich that was DELICIOUS, but it was the wrong sandwich. I brought it back up to the counter and the guy had to confirm with the cashier, understandable. He took what I had and threw it away. They remade my sandwich. Once the new sandwich was done, the cashier brought it to where I was sitting and apologized for the wrong order. It was a delicious sandwich and I hope all the other locations have that available! read more
9 months ago
This review is based on a takeout order only. So many times I heard this is the place I'd one wants a pastrami sandwiches. And the only reason I haven't been is because it's just too much of a drive from home. And then one day, Hubbers found himself nearby, called and asked if I wanted one. "Yes, please!" was the resounding answer. I asked for a plain (no pickles, no mustard, toasted bread.) Home after his long drive, the aroma pulls you in immediately. The sandwiches come sliced in half, so that's convenient. First bite and yum.com! The meat, of course, is the very center of this grub. It was juicy and well seasoned. The bread was soft and fluffy (didn't really experience the toasted part.) Overall delicious! FOOD: 5. Quality and quantity. Plenty for a second meal. SERVICE: N/A. VALUE: 3.5. PARKING: N/A. OVERALL: 4.25. Wish it was closer to home. But definitely trying it in person n should the opportunity come through! read more
Do you love Pastrami sandwiches? How about eating in a historic establishment with California history? You can do both right here! We shared one of these huge sandwiches and a small bag of fries, sorry no pics we were hungry. It's a small place where you hope to find a parking place off street. Walk in and order at the counter from a large menu on the wall, pay there take your number and find a seat. In a short time you'll have that hot pastrami in your hungry hands. It is big enough to share, but then again maybe you won't want to. read more
Visited here for a late night snack with a group of friends. The place was pretty busy considering it was around 11 PM. We ordered at the counter and sat at a big table. The ambience and decor was amazing, very old-school, friendly, and retro. Our entire party ordered the tuna melt, a side of wet fries, a side of pastrami fries, a side of onion rings, and some pastrami burgers. The number one thing to keep in mind about this place is that the portions are absolutely huge. The sides of fries and onion rings were incredibly hefty in both weight and food. We had a hard time finishing even with around 9-10 people. The tuna amount was very delicious and had amazing bread. The tuna was warm and the lettuce and tomatoes balanced it out well. The onion rings were crispy and fresh as well. The wet fries got a little soggy, but were otherwise tasty. The pastrami fries were incredibly filling especially with all the meat and cheese loaded on top. All very tasty, high quality and so affordable!! Highly recommend, very community and amicable atmosphere and servers, cheap prices and tasty food. read more
1 month ago
The Hat is always a good option. Service is great and fast. Biggest thing is they don't skimp out on portion. I kid you not, the chili cheese fries with pastrami weights like 4 pounds! read more
The place was just as clean as in Glendora. A bit smaller. A crowd came right after we sat down, good timing. The staff was accommodating.and took and had our at pickup counter in reasonable time. My favorite pastrami is my order. Again, it was filling for me eating only half. Guess I get two dinners for one. A bit expensive at $12.60 plus tax, about $14.00. We got a hamburger and two drinks, free refill. Still paid out about $31.00. read more
Everyone knows why we all come here. I'm gonna give you some pro tips Pastrami add Swiss and get the dip / au jus on the side. Chili cheese fries are shareable pass on the pastrami topping. Wild Cherry aka Cherry Fanta is a must. Chili tamale is decent. Pass on the onion rings as they are all breading and not so much onion. Service is always great Place is always clean read more
4 months ago
Good food. Great service. Stylish oldschool diner type restaurant. I've been coming to this place for ages! And it has always stayed consistent in satisfying my pastrami cravings! This place is perfect stop for great pastrami sandwich, chili fries and a delicious root beer every time I'm driving through :) Thanks for feeding me all these years! Keep it going! read more
11 months ago
Sometimes you just gotta eat like a damn hog and this is the place to go. Everything is big here, including the side orders. Menu is pure carnivore, and the must-have sandwich to bust your Hat cherry here is definitely the Pastrami Dip. The pastrami is sliced super thin, it's fatty, and very tasty. Another item you should try is a giant concoction called "wet fries." Basically it's poutine minus the cheese. Serving size is huge and will be enough for 2 or even 3 people. This is a meal and not a side dish, friends. Pricing is reasonable and the menu is large enough to come back and explore. Inside is spacious, clean, food comes out fast, and everyone is friendly. The only complaint here is the parking. It's a small lot and each space is not Hummer friendly at all. Other than that, check it out! read more
19 days ago
6 months ago
Love the Hat !! A small order of Fries can feed a family of four ! The pastrami's are legit, again a value play here. The Hot Dogs are good too. Hamburger ? Well ... skip it I saw this and took a picture of a bus stop read more
1 month ago
The food is good but not great. The fries were all right. They could have used a little bit more salt. However the amount of fries you get for the price was really good. I ordered a chili cheeseburger and it was a solid Burger. My partner ordered a pastrami dip. It was loaded with pastrami, but the taste was average. Inside, is a blast from the past. Good amount of seats. The parking isn't great. The employees are kind. read more
Most people know this great family owned and operated fast-food restaurant for their incredible Pastrami sandwiches...you've got to try their tamales! Sooooo good! Chili, onions, pickles and cheese. Get this next time. Their Ice tea is freshly made each day. Always well kept and clean...no matter the Hat location...go there. read more
Well they sure cleaned up their act. Good service, friendly, tasty food, quick & clean! The update did good! It's bright, open & again, clean. The staff were diligent. A staff member was attentive to the needs of the washrooms. The classic dip was delicious as i remembered. read more
1 month ago
13 days ago
14 days ago
I appreciate the Bare bone minimalism here, but the pastrami sandwich is greasy , lacks flavor and for almost fourteen dollars you'll can do a lot better. It's a non-deli style pastrami sandwich drenched in au jus , but passes off as greasy slimy pastrami. Sure, it's peppered, the oily slick taste isn't exactly pleasing .. it's super salty . That's for sure. With nothing other than a thin gangly line of yellow mustard underneath and a shaved pickle, I'm not sure what the hype is about. For this it's outrageously overpriced, and I understand it has history, but history it is nevertheless. Where's the taste ? read more
1 year ago
My friend has been trying to get me to go here forever! She grew up in LA and said this is one of her favorite places to go when she visits family. When I texted her that I'm here, her response was, "it's about damn time!" I finally dragged my husband over here after a long day visiting family. We split the pastrami dip sandwich and fries. It was a better decision for our waistlines though he confessed he could eat the entire sandwich and bag of small fries. For split portions, this is very generous. There were other menu items, but I always go with what a restaurant is known for. We'll be back and if not in Pasadena, I know there are other Hats in SoCal! read more
Came here for the first time because my father wanted to show me this famous place! I got the pastrami sandwich exactly how it comes as I wanted to make sure I was trying the original way that started it all. Service was fast for a Sunday and everyone was very nice. The place was clean and simple. Classic dinner kind of feel. We got 4 pastrami sandwiches for the group. Comes with mustard and pickles. We also got fries and the stuff to dip. It definitely didnt dip well so we did more of a pour off each bite type which worked well. The dip was great with the fries but the fries themselves were a little boring. The sandwich was good. They are massive so have some for leftovers. The flavor was pretty good and the overall sandwich was yummy. The meat is sliced super thin which I liked. The lids to the drinks are really hard to get the straws through so be mindful when doing that so it doesnt break your straw. read more
2 months ago
Very clean restaurant Staff is friendly and attentive Prices for sandwiches are reasonable $12.60 for pastrami or roast beef, $8.60 for huge order of chili cheese fries. Food was hot, fresh and tasty, portion sizes are on the large side. For the size and quality prices are very reasonable. read more
2 months ago
3 months ago
We have made the drive to have The Hat in Pasadena for lunch many times and will continue to do so for their Pastrami Dip and onion rings! It's full of flavor and very filling. The pastrami is thinly sliced. We luck out with parking every time and the staff is super efficient and quick to get orders out to you. Order at the counter and receive a number to pick up when ready. I've also ordered the Tuna Sandwich, Grilled Cheese, and Chili Cheese Fries-all really good! read more
4 months ago
4 months ago
I arrived just six minutes before closing and was greeted warmly, as if I were the first customer of the day. My expectations were low given the late hour, but I was pleasantly surprised. The pastrami was just as fresh as during the first service. I thought I might have room for fries, but I was wrong again. The portions of pastrami and fries were very generous. I strongly recommend The Hat's pastrami sandwich. read more
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491 N. Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
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(626) 449-1844
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http://www.thehat.com
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Ask the Community - The Hat
Is it okay that my day is ruined by someone asking whether pastrami is beef or pork? Don't people look anything up anymore?
Pastrami (Romanian: pastramă) is a food originating from Romania usually made from beef brisket. Later recipes use lamb, pork, chicken or turkey. The raw meat is brined, partially dried, seasoned with herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed. Like… Read more
Does this place offer curbside pick up?
Is the pastrami beef or pork?
By definition pastrami is Beef . The deal is : some places don't trim it properly, there isn't… Read more
What's in the Piña Colada Bang and Orange Bang and which is better?
Pretty sure there is a bunch of sugar in both, but Orange Bang is definitely better. You can't go wrong with Orange Bang!
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
96 reviews that are not currently recommended
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The Hat - tradamerican - Updated July 2026
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