This is a fun restaurant to get some tasty and quick food. Obviously this restaurant is based around pastrami, which is very good, but they also have burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and stuff like that. They also have some unique variations on their fries. Check out the wet fries which are fries covered with gravy. Whereas some pastrami based restaurants server fairly small pastrami sandwiches, this is not the case here. The sandwiches are big and a meal onto themselves. If there is a downside to The Hat it is that they only have one restroom for men and one for women. The last time I was here a homeless guy went into the restroom and that was that, the line just grew and grew. Finally, the staff had to bang on the door and ask him to leave. :-) Overall fun place. Check it out ! read more

The Hat - Wide open in the AM. - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

I've never been to The Hat, but my boyfriend always raved about their chili cheese fries. Last night he was craving them so we gave it a shot. We felt bad because we were there closer to closing time, but the workers worked extremely well together like a well oiled machine. My boyfriend also commented about how everyone he knows raves about the pastrami sandwiches, but has never tried them for himself. We took the plunge and order 1 sandwich to split in case one of us does not like it. We should've ordered two. The pastrami was not fatty which is what happens a lot to most places I visit who have pastrami. The bun itself was nice and soft, and socked up most of the juice. It was surprisingly not greasy well worth the money. I enjoyed the fact that it had pickles on it. They added a nice crunch that would've been missing in my opinion. The chili cheese fries had a great cheese pull to them. I like that they are not stingy with the fries chili or cheese. The fries themselves could be a meal on their own. I want to try the pastrami burger next because that sounds heavenly to me. read more

I don't know how I've missed this until now. If you're looking for some salty goodness look no further! Their secret sauce they dip the pastrami in is mind blowing! Can't forget the horchata for a nice sweet balance with the salty sandwich. read more

The Hat - Pastrami sandwich - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food was great ....has that old school feel to it . Pastrami burger and chili cheese fries were the perfect combo. read more

The Hat - Pastrami burger and chili cheese fries - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great pastrami sandwiches, but a little pricey. Their gravy fries can serve a family of four and the gravy is a little boring. This is all I've tried. read more

Don't be fooled there's a good day reason this spot has been holding down on the east-side of Pasadena for many years. When you have a taste for menu offerings this is a high quality, consistent competitor. Do yourself a favor! read more

The Hat - The Hat front exterior - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

I got the roast beef which was very boring...ask for condiments so u can add flavor to this sandwich. The potato salad was ok. Not my favorite. It get two stars because they do put a good amount of meat in the sandwich. read more

It's pastrami....it's what they do! Will admit- I'd never heard of this place before and a good pastrami sammie is something I crave once or twice a year.... Happened to be in Pasadena looking at our reception venue for our wedding and on the ride home- we were hungry, saw the sign about infamous pastrami and pull over we did. Glad we did! Premise is simple- the menu is no frills....we ordered the pastrami dip (one sandwich each) and a large order of fries to share. All of your condiments you pick up while your food is being prepared. Nice size restaurant- plenty of seating....plenty of staff to prepare the food...the manager was very nice and helpful since he knew it was our first time there. And it's very clean- a plus! Our order came- didn't disappoint...the meat is nice and tender, love the touch of the pickle and I love fries- there were SO many fries between us that we ended up taking the bag home and I swear I reheated them twice and they were just as good with some added seasoning. The bread for the pastrami dip was nice and soft and you got plenty of meat with each bite. Not bad on the wallet either. If you're looking for a quick, cheap place to get a good pastrami sandwich and some killer fries- this is it! read more

This is the easiest four stars i could ever give a restaurant. I won't be easily giving out five stars to any place, and this almost got five stars from me. They have one of the best pastramis you could ever have. I drive 10 miles to get this at least twice a month. Their pastrami chili cheese fries are the best fries concoction i've had in a long time. Big, big portions with tasty, mouth-watering pastrami. I also commend the employees for still wearing masks despite rules loosening up. This place has been one of the most covid safe places i've eaten at, and whole-heartedly appreciate that! Admittedly, i was a bit saddened to see the mask signs taken down. The only reason this can't get a perfect five stars from me is because of the admittedly lackluster items on the menu. Their steak sandwich was a pretty bad waste of $11 (maybe 12?). It was dry, small portion of meat, i hated it, tbh. It makes me not care to try any other sandwiches. However, the pastrami dip is great, the roast beef is fine, and burgers are equally good. Onion rings are given in big portion, but not stellar quality. All in all, i do love this place and i wish they had closer locations. read more

I love this place! Their portions are insane! Pastrami chili cheese fries! Down! Chili cheese fries! Down! Their small fries is huge and its pretty much a brown bag of fries! Got the pastrami dip sandwich. So good! I prefer this location over the Alhambra one. This location is indoors and its way more spacious and it has restrooms. I'd say their chili cheese fries are better than Tommies and the portions are super generous. read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

A fun sandwich place located just off the freeway. There's plenty of parking next to the building as well as on the adjacent street. The sandwiches were good but not spectacular. I don't know why the pastrami sandwich is called a "dip" because there was no dip offered or served. The pastrami filling wasn't particularly juicy but was nicely flavored. The tuna salad sandwich was yummy, and the "small" order of fries was HUGE but unseasoned. Tables inside could've used cleaning but we used our bags as placemats. read more

once upon a time, this place was decent. those days are over. ordered a hamburger. received it in close to thirty minutes, no condiments, just a dry burger. it was so bad that i asked for a refund the following day (which was reluctantly given). won't ever return. read more

Great portions, good service, food wasn't for me. I was super excited to visit this place because of its great reputation, and in some ways it didn't disappoint. The portions are absolutely enormous. I got a small fry, and I could barely finish it; the sheer volume of food they give you is astonishing. You could definitely get a pastrami dip and small fry and have enough food for two meals. The fries themselves are quite good. I was pretty shocked, however, by just how much I hated the pastrami dip. For me, it tasted like absolutely nothing but pepper. I couldn't get past the first few bites and had to give the rest of the sandwich away. The bottom slice of bread was also thin and soggy. However, I will give the sandwich this--the meat was lean and thinly slice, which was nice. It appears from the rest of the reviews that I'm definitely in the minority here, so if you're a pastrami fan, you'll probably be perfectly happy. Overall, the layout of the restaurant is nice. I like the casual diner feel, and the neon sign outside is lovely. The staff was also kind and professional. But for me personally, the food placed quantity over quality, so I can't say I'm a fan. read more

1st time customer cashier extremely rude And got my order wrong. Bad for 1st time experience Food was good read more

I love The Hat so it saddens me to give it 3 stars. Every time I go to a The Hat location (this one or another one) I always get the pastrami dip and sometimes the chili cheese fries. In the past the pastrami dip was huge. I would only be able to eat half of it. Unfortunately, the last time (January 2018) I came to this location they made some changes to the wonderful sandwich. They changed the bread and the amount of pastrami. The price seems like it went up but that I get as everything goes up in price. But they gave less pastrami. So little that was able to finish the whole sandwich. And the bread. OMG what did you do to the bread. It was some cheap, rough bread that even dipping it didn't make it good. You can feel the roughness. Please go back to the good bread you used before. Other things about this location, it is located on a corner and has a small parking lot. Street parking may be a challenging. The staff are nice. read more

Great pastrami. Definitely order a full sandwich for yourself, no need to share. Condiments are at the counter and is self served.

The Pastrami burger was delicious!!! Pair it with some fries and gravy and you'll definitely need a nap right after. You know it's good when you get food coma! They offer a wide variety of condiments and the place was really clean. read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

The Hat is always a good place to eat there hasn't been a time I would pass it up. Pastrami's are always very clean tasting never greasy, also got some chili cheese fries which is a lot of food. I always have to wash it down with a large Root Beer. My Daughter got a ham and cheese on French roll which she thought was great. Staff is always polite considering there volume and being fast food they treat customers good and I've never had a wrong order. When ever you go even if there are 4 people going 1 order of fries is good enough there portions of food are enormous so you will never leave hungry. The only downside is the wait or finding seating because it's always a full house which just means they have good food. Be ready and if your patient be prepared to be for seating but I guarantee you will be back I know I am....... read more

See all

Im so disappointed. I wanted a sandwich and I'm pregnant. I wanted to get a grilled cheese with some grilled ham on it. I asked the lady how that could be accommodated. She told me I will have to order two sandwiches which I was fine with. I asked her could you grill the ham before making the grill cheese just to be safe for my pregnancy and she said no. There is absolutely no reason she couldn't do that only to be mean. I am disgusted and feel discriminated against as a pregnant person. The HAT should be ashamed on themselves and the HORRIBLE people the hire. read more

Food was better than I remember from a few years ago. And the restaurant appeared to be very clean. But the woman behind the counter was a total bitch to me because I asked for refills on drinks. Not going back to this location. read more

I went to The Hat for lunch with my daughter-in-law. We opted not to get the usual pastrami sandwich and decided to split a steak sandwich and chili cheese fries. (My guest also having potato salad.) What a disappointment! The sandwich had no flavor whatsoever and the lettuce smelling of a dirty sponge. The chili cheese fries weren't half bad, but stay away from the flavorless steak sandwiches. read more

Clean clean clean everyday what can I say .We all go for the famous chili cheese fries but man make a size small .pastrami consistent and burgers are made to perfection read more

This was damn good. Pasadena California going to the ROSE Bowl. Pastrami Burger was amazing. Cheese fries are a pass plus who has room. The pastrami dip is also great! Trust me. Jonathan Taylor, Montee Ball, Ron Dayne, Corey Clement, James White, and Melvin Gordon would love this! read more

The Hat - Pastrami Burger heaven - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

As always, the food was excellent. We didn't have to wait for our food. The food was hot and ready to eat.

So. Much. Food. While visiting family, we were told that we HAD to try this place. So we drove to Pasadena and had ourselves a hearty meal! The pastrami was fantastic with lots of meat, pickles and flavor. But I have to say that the chili cheese fries and onion rings were the stars of the show! Even the next day as leftovers, the fries and chili were tasty! You get so much food, you have to take it with you. This place seems to be a local favorite. It had a very old-fashioned, warm vibe with many pictures on the wall and the laminate booths. Bathrooms are gender inclusive. I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for a cheap meal, lots of food, and some history. read more

The Hat - Chili Cheese Fries are huge! - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'd heard about The Hat, but never tried until today. I love the look of the old place, and was anxious to try their flagship, Dipped Pastrami. AT $11.99 + tax was pretty steep, but if you're getting fresh, properly spiced and cut pastrami, it's worth it. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The pastrami was so thinly sliced, the shreds of meat so small, and it was bone dry. I felt like I was eating left-overs from the day before. I ate half the sandwich, because I was hungry, and threw the other half away. I'd had enough. Give me a good Jewish deli, anyday. I would not go back. read more

This is what five stars should be: Huge portions! Wonderful flavor and quality! Great prices! Great service! Clean establishment! Must get the Pastrami and or Double Cheese Burger! Must get Onion Rings and or Chili Fries! Just go if you've never been, you'll be sad because you'll wish "The Hat" was in your neighborhood. read more

Great food. Great service. Love the burgers, fries, chili cheese fries, drinks, yellow chili peppers, best onion rings ever!

I've always driven by multiple locations of The Hat and was always intrigued. So glad I stopped by. The Pasadena location has lots of seating and the service is friendly. It was my first time here, so I wasn't sure what I wanted. I never felt pressured to order quickly at all. If you're looking for some good old comfort food-type eats/sandwiches, then The Hat is a must go. I ordered the Pastrami Dip, the Grilled cheese, and the Chili cheese fries with tomatoes and pickles. The portions are huge, so definitely shareable! I wouldn't come here often just because the food was rather heavy, but this will be my go-to whenever I have a hankering for some good Pastrami dip! read more

The Hat - Pastrami dip, grilled cheese, chili cheese fries with tomatoes and pickles - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Not the best Pastrami sandwich or chili cheese fries I've had but is still solid. I like their portion size, can feed multiple people with one purchase haha. Their parking lot is really small so try avoiding lunch/dinner hours. Overall, this place is good and I understand why its so popular. read more

The Hat - Chili Cheese Fries - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Hunger struck when we were in the Pasadena area so my boyfriend and I decided to check this place out. We knew that their pastrami is the most famous on their menu. However we chose cheese burgers & splitting chili cheese fries instead. Their cheese burgers were good. However their chili cheese fries were just okay. We've definitely had better before, but I guess it all depends on one's preference. Service was good and food was ready pretty quick. 4-stars because they only had packaged condiments and idk food wasnt that amazing to be 5. read more

The Hat - Chili cheese fries - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Unfortunately I just got home with my to go order of a beef sandwich with au jus and chili fries only to find there was no au jus and no chili for my fries. Very disappointing. Get your act together The Hat! Check your orders. I should have, but shouldn't have to. read more

The pastrami is really good! The fires are ok. Service is quick. Ambiance is old diner vibe.

Awesome Pastrami Sandwiches! Very large portions of Fries and Onion Rings. So bring a huge appetite or a Friné to help you out with your food read more

I was able to stop in for my yearly visit and all was relatively good. The only point taken off for the pastrami meat. It's more gristly and a better cut would be the only improvement needed. Good thing the pastrami is sliced shaved so extremely thin so the gristle is not tough at all. read more

The hat is a very old school dinner like atmosphere. They have great Berger's and onion rings (my personal favorite is the cheeseburger with onion rings) I come here often on my lunch breaks to grab a quick bite to eat and I'm usually pleased. The employees are friendly and the majority of the customers are just in and out. There's plenty of seating and the tables are kept very clean. I have to say my least favorite thing off the menu however is the grilled cheese. I've heard the pastrami burger is what's best at this location, I've not yet tried it but I'm looking forward to it. Good spot for a quick bite to eat. read more

See all

The best pastrami sandwich I've ever tasted, in combination with the fries were delicious!

I was craving a French dip sandwich so I placed my order online, I pickup my order and kept my hunger at bay until I got home. I happily bit into my sandwich (with au jus on the side). This had to be the most bland French dip I have ever had, the au jus? Tasted like dish water. Very disappointed. read more

This place is the best!!! The Pastrami chili cheese are legendary!!! Best in Pasadena

I very disappointing the hat I had order a pastrami sandwich. They told me it will be ready in 10 minutes. I get in there to get the pastrami sandwich. I still had to wait another 10 minutes for them to fix it. Why do they have phone orders if you don't fix it when you tell us to so I'm really giving them a low score and the lady who answered the phone was very rude. She was impatient. You guys need to get rid of the ladies who are not very patient and get someone that is nice I think the men are more nicer than the women that work in the air. read more