The Hat, I tip my hat to thee!
If you need fries in caveman proportions, then look no further. For The Hat, is where it's at!
The OG location that started it all, The Hat in Alhambra is an old school food stand, complete with walk-up windows for ordering & pick up, along with a covered patio dining area. For my inaugural visit, I pondered whether to order their famous pastrami dip or go with their wet fries. I've read how their servings of fries are quite generous, and being how I try not to eat bread, I thought an order of loaded wet fries was that particular day's calling.
Wet fries w/ added pastrami, tomatoes, pickles & mustard-
Holy crap! It looks like a food challenge! I thought the chatter about portions were simply hyperbole, like a tall tale being altered with exaggerations until the details became comical. But, alas, I wasn't prepared for what lied before me. I watched my order prepared right before my very eyes. From thick fries fresh from the fryer, to the slathering of savory brown gravy, the addition of tender, juicy pastrami, to the addition of a pound of dill pickle slices & tomatoes, to the cherry on top being a delicious dollop of mustard, I saw the assemblage of this calorie-busting behemoth from birth to readiness graduation. The customers after me marveled at the huge portions of my loaded wet fries being prepared, which, like a proud parent, I boasted "Yeah, that's mine."
After laying claim to a table, I dug into my gargantuan meal. Each bite, wondrous & delightful. The fries had the perfect thickness to handle the weight of all that smothered them. The gravy salty & creamy. The pastrami wonderfully fatty. The amount of pickles seemed almost ridiculous. After 5 minutes of going at it, the loaded wet fries seemed like I hardly put a dent in them. They mocked me, saying "Is that the best you got, bub?" I did my best to devour the most I could, knowing I'd have to take this monstrosity home to await it's final fate later on for dinner.
Besides the usual condiments, all you can grab whole chili peppers are a must if you're a heat lover. They're a perfect compliment to the copious amounts of food at The Hat.
Service was good. Ordering at the window was quick, and I didn't wait long for my fries to be ready. Ample tables to dine at, with parking in a private lot. The Hat is conveniently located minutes north of the 10 freeway at the intersection of Valley & Garfield.
Hunger need not show it's ugly head here. The Hat serves ginormous amounts of food quickly for the famished masses. I managed to finish my loaded wet fries after 2 meals. This coming from a guy with a healthy appetite. I'd imagine some might go a whole day to accomplish that. Of course, sharing would be a good idea, but I'm not into that. I want this baby all to myself. My first visit here, and I see why The Hat is a beloved SGV institution. If I'm in the area again, and I don't care about calories & BMI, then I'm definitely dropping by for another go at The Hat.
Highly recommend!
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