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The Hat

3.9 (1.5k reviews)
Open 10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

The Hat Photos

Business Info

THE HAT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - The Hat

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Reviews With Photos

Essie K.

I've been to several of The Hat locations and the Lake Forest one did not disappoint!!! The food is fresh, cooked to order, with generous portions. Be aware the large fries and onion rings can easily feed 3 people. We love their burgers, pastrami dips, fries, and onion rings. The food also comes out pretty quickly. Service is always great. So many workers moving the food along, cleaning the tables, and running the cash register. Even when they are busy, they have a great system (almost better than In-N-Out!). The dining area has an old school vibe which is nostalgic for me remembering the good old days of dining here as a teenager. It's clean and spacious. I wish they had a location in San Diego but I'll be definitely stopping by the next time I'm in the area!

Pat Pastrami Dip ($12.60), small Onion Rings ($4.85), and a side of Chili ($2.99). 3/7/2026
Sandra L.

The Hat is the place that I come to for comfort food. Their Pastrami Dip ($12.60), Onion Rings ($4.85), and Chili side ($2.99) always hits the spot. Occasionally, I get their chili cheese fries, but I can never finish it with everything else that I want to order. They continue to serve up really good food with generous portions. I'm a bit bummed that they don't leave out the pickled peppers for self-serve anymore. You have to ask for them and they only give you a few at a time. Prices have gone up, but it is still a deal for the amount of food you get compared to other places. I like that they haven't updated the look of the place all these years because there is nostalgia in keeping things the way they are.

Chili Fries with Pastrami and Onions added!
Joy C.

The Hat is a favorite in our house for many reasons. The interior reminds you of what an LA diner feels like. The staff is extremely kind. I purchased one of their 75th anniversary shirts and they showed me the different colors and explained the sizing! My favorite thing to get is the chili fries with pastrami and onion added on. It is indulgent but the combination can't be beat! I also love the pastrami burger because of the contrast with the tomato and lettuce and the pastrami. It's located in a shopping plaza so there's a lot of parking available. We've ordered to eat in and the drive thru and both are great options that give large portions!

Cat C.

My daughter wanted to try something that you can only find in SoCal and the Orange Bang at The Hat was it. I was going to do the drive thru but somehow missed the entrance. She went inside and brought one back. It tasted like an orange creamsicle (at least to me). There is a decent amount of parking. Worth a try!

Pastrami dip
Daniel B.

The Hat in Lake Forest absolutely delivered. I ordered the pastrami dip sandwich with a small order of onion rings, and the portions were massive. Honestly, it was more than enough to split between two people. The pastrami was flavorful, tender, and stacked generously. And the onion rings were easily some of the best I've had -- perfectly crispy on the outside and still light inside. Service was great, staff were friendly and the place was not too busy. Parking is easy. If you're hungry and want solid comfort food with huge portions, this place does not disappoint. Definitely coming back.

Daph H.

The Hat is a classic SoCal chain, approaching its 75th anniversary this year! This was my first visit to the Lake Forest location and it was like stepping back in time. It looks exactly like something out of the 50's - from the signs behind the counter to the seating. For $12.60, you can get a pastrami sandwich, which is a deal! It's thinly sliced and fatty, with mustard and pickles. I shared mine and also got a tuna melt ($11.25) to make my meal a little healthier (LOL). Tuna melt was decent, though the tuna salad was still cold since it was added after the sandwich was grilled. The real star was the onion rings. I got a small order ($4.85) and got more than twice the amount I expected. If you like onion rings, The Hat is the place to go!

Roast Beef au Jus
Pauline S.

Haven't been to the Hat in a many years since I don't live close. Went back recently and it still holds true that their Roast Beef Au Jus is my favorite pastrami sandwich here in California with its tasty flavors. Size-wise, it doesn't look too big but it filled me up fast and was able to take the other half home. It does not come with a dip since it already comes pre-dipped. Also ordered a side of onion rings to split with my husband. The rings are huge, batter is nice and crunchy, and they give you a generous amount! Available for drive-thru and there are many indoor seats (diner style) and a few outdoor ones. We went on a Saturday night around 9pm and we didn't have to wait very long for the food.

Cheeseburger
Olivia H.

I've been coming to The Hat since I was a UC Irvine student, and it never disappoints. My go-to order is the pastrami chili cheese fries. Sure, it's gone up in price over the last decade, but the flavor and portion size makes it completely worth it. Their burgers and regular fries are solid as well. We love that they have piña bang here too!

The Hat world, famous pastrami dip !
Tony J.

Everything from their French dip, pastrami burger, pastrami, hotdog, is wonderful. I can always get the pastrami on the side too, and enjoy both separately if preferred! Furthermore, It seems like every three months I have a new favorite menu item at this place. Last two months it's been the lately it's been the "tuna sandwich", which may seem simple, and unexciting BUT somehow The Hat has once again, combined all the ingredients that would make a dull tuna sandwich. Wonderful! Additionally, Service is always polite and fast. The environment is always friendly, festive, positive. Always enjoyable to see the expressions / reactions of customers ordering the pastrami fries, and then seeing what a HUGE generous order it is - snd at such a great price.!

Fries
Elizabeth N.

Stopped by The Hat and had a great classic diner experience! I ordered a burger and small fries. The burger was exactly what you want from a classic diner. Soft buns, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, and just the right amount of thousand island dressing. The small order of french fries were actually a generous portion. The staff were friendly and the place has such a nostalgic classic feel it really takes you back to a simpler, old-school diner vibe.

Roast Beef (au Jus)
Rick S.

What a great place - the pastrami dip and roast beef were large in portion, fulfilling and delicious. Live the small fries as they're quite big portion. Staff were friendly fly and helpful. Ambiance is as if you traveled back in time to 1989, just a classic place you must visit in Southern California!

Pastrami
Richard D.

Wow, I've never been here and heard a lot about it. I thought the food would be gross, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I much prefer the sandwich from here over the one from Phillips in LA. I got the world famous pastrami as well as their chili tamale. I totally did not expect the chili tamale to be just a tamale with chili and cheese and pickles on top of it. It wasn't a bit odd but I love salty fatty savory food so it was delicious. The place was packed and had a lot of people in there with the lines move quick. If you are looking for some comfort food that really hits the spot I would not hesitate to recommend the hat

Hot Dog
Alyssa T.

A classic with quick service and food that hits all of the fast food cravings. There's a decent amount of parking available. They have mostly indoor seating with some outdoor seating available. They have a fairly large menu with lots of different options but they are most known for their pastrami. You order at the register and they give you a number that they will call once your food is ready. The food comes out quickly and they give very generous portions of meat in the sandwiches. The pastrami has really good flavor and it is definitely big enough to be shared. We asked for cheese on our chili fries and it added to the taste of the dish. The fries were surprisingly not salty at all. The steak sandwich was more on the well done side, but still had good flavor. The hot dog was fairly small and a little bit tough. The cheeseburger was on the smaller size as well. The onion rings come in a very generous portion and have the perfect ration of crispy batter to onion.

Pastrami dip

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Everything is delicious. Very sharable sized items. My wife and I split a pastrami and fries

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Exceptionally good pastrami dip sandwich. Reasonably priced for the amount of food served highly recommend.

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Great food and good service. Price reasonable eating area is clean and well maintained. Recommend this location.

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The Hat Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Hat

Anyone know what kind of meats are in their chili? EDIT: Although it's important, I'm not asking…

Good meat. Awesome chili cheese fries.

Do they accept Apple pay?

Yes, they do.

Do they use MSG?

I am not so sure about MSG ! However, I always got bad reaction whenever I had food with MSG especially in soup (stiff in the neck, extremely thirsty etc...) but at the HAT I didn't get any reaction at all, just feel thirsty because of high level of… Read more

Do they have fried pickles?

Unfortunately they don't.

ISO (in search of) totally awesome kick butt Chili Cheese Fries in or near Huntington Beach. Any suggestions other than The Hat or Tommy's Original Hamburgers? (I've been looking for something like what is served at Tam's or The Hat). Thank you.

Charlie's Chili in Newport has some decent ones.

Do they lettuce wrap?

No, but the hat has no bun (protein style)

View All 8 Questions

The Rush Bar and Grill - Sweet potato fries

The Rush Bar and Grill

3.8(390 reviews)
1.3 mi
$$

Had some time to kill on Sunday and stopped by Rush Bar and Grill on a whim -- glad I did. They had…read morea live band playing, the vibe was great, and the place was packed with good people for a Sunday afternoon. Our bartender, Tami, was awesome -- super attentive, friendly, and made sure the drinks were poured just right. Prices were surprisingly reasonable too. We ended up hanging around for lunch. The buffalo wings were absolutely on point, and the nachos were huge -- easily enough to feed a family. The table next to us ordered a BBQ chicken pizza that looked incredible, definitely coming back to try that next time. All in all, great atmosphere, great service, good food, and an all-around fun spot. Looking forward to coming back soon.

Bartenders here are often rude, and they try to kick people out before 2:00 AM…read more The restrooms smell like pee, which makes the place even less pleasant. I wish I could give less than one star because of the girl working at the bar on 3/14-3/15. She refused to give me her name for this review. I understand that everyone wants to go home, but if the bar closes at 2:00 AM, then staff should be prepared to work until at least that time--not start rushing people out at 1:30 AM. I used to work as a bartender and waitress myself, so I understand how the job works. But if your closing time is 2:00 AM, then that's the time you should actually close. Anthony gave his name and was nice, but the girl... she was extremely rude and honestly does not belong behind the bar. We got there at 10:30 PM, so it's not like we showed up last minute. Overall, the experience tonight was disappointing.

Photos
The Rush Bar and Grill
The Rush Bar and Grill - Onion Rings

Onion Rings

The Rush Bar and Grill - Tequila anjeo, Sierra beer yummy

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Tequila anjeo, Sierra beer yummy

Ironwood

Ironwood

4.5(1.5k reviews)
3.3 mi
$$$
Locally owned & operated
Romantic vibe

Ironwood has become one of our favorite spots since visiting here a year ago…read more The steak here is PHENOMONAL, cooked perfectly with excellent flavor and the bartender Cat is an absolute doll. Thank you!

The place was nice and small, with a very intimate atmosphere that made it feel cozy and relaxed…read more It seemed like almost everything at this restaurant had a slight tang to it, and I couldn't quite figure out why. In some dishes, that flavor profile worked really well, but in others, it definitely didn't land the same way. We started with the warm artisan rosemary focaccia served with whipped honey butter. The bread itself had that same subtle tang I noticed throughout the meal, but the honey butter balanced it out nicely. The added sweetness helped cut through the tang, making it much more enjoyable overall. Next, we had the baked skillet mac and cheese, which was easily the standout of the entire meal. I don't say this lightly, but it was about as close to perfect as mac and cheese can get. It was rich, creamy, well-seasoned, and had that ideal baked texture on top. This dish alone made a strong impression. We also ordered the cast iron roasted Brussels sprouts. These had a similar tangy-sweet flavor like the focaccia, and overall they were actually quite good. However, the raisins added to the dish didn't really contribute anything meaningful. At first glance, I even thought they were corn, which was confusing. While the sprouts themselves were well-cooked and flavorful, the raisins felt unnecessary and didn't elevate the dish. The Caesar salad was probably my least favorite item. I'm not entirely sure why it was labeled a Caesar salad, because it didn't resemble the classic version at all. The Tijuana vinaigrette was extremely overpowering and leaned heavily acidic, almost like eating straight lemon. It lacked the creamy, rich, balanced flavor you expect from a traditional Caesar, which made it disappointing. For the main, I had the prime 10oz flat iron steak frites. The steak itself was cooked perfectly and had great flavor, so no complaints there. Unfortunately, the fries were cold when they arrived, which took away from the overall experience of the dish. Overall, the meal was okay. It's not something I would rave about, but it might be worth trying at least once. With such a limited menu, I expected a bit more consistency and refinement across the dishes. It wasn't the worst meal I've had, but it also wasn't the best just somewhere in the middle.

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Ironwood
Ironwood
Ironwood

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Our Place - Teriyaki bowl

Our Place

4.3(327 reviews)
0.7 mi
$$

This was my second trivia night here and it keeps getting better every time. Huge shout-out to…read moreBryce the Barman, he truly stands out. Bryce is incredibly attentive, friendly, and welcoming, remembers faces, checks in at the right moments and keeps the energy upbeat without ever being overbearing. He's the kind of bartender that makes you want to come back because you feel taken care of and appreciated. Jo was also great and added to the warm, inviting atmosphere, but Bryce really anchors the experience behind the bar. The crowd during trivia is always fun and lively, which makes the night fly by. The burger was excellent juicy, flavorful, and cooked just right and the menu is moderately priced, especially considering the quality. Overall, it's a fantastic neighborhood spot with great service, good food, and a welcoming vibe. Bryce alone is worth the visit, and I'll definitely be back again.

Me and my wife and friend enjoyed the steak tips sandwich (but only order it w just steak , no…read moresoggy fixins !) and fried fish and outstanding steak fries White wine and margaritas very satisfying , as well Server is a one - woman band but I think our place needs one more server to handle a big crowd ! Talking about bands and music ~ Karaoke as always on the money and on- key but the vocal needs to be boosted up about 25% - the happy patrons can get ....ebullient !

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Our Place - Juanita! Killing it.

Juanita! Killing it.

Our Place - Cheeseburger loaded with extra toppings. Burger Thursday deal

Cheeseburger loaded with extra toppings. Burger Thursday deal

Our Place - Mardi Gras was so fun!!

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Mardi Gras was so fun!!

The Hat - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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