The woman charging at the register is off because she like stands there as though she's judging you or something but she's really trying to get your order. The Chili Cheese fries are half the size of a cup holder. The pastrami could be juicier but it's good. The inside dinning is accommodating. read more

Fantastic burgers! I had a pastrami burger at the recommendation of the cashier and it was fantastic. Everyone in our party enjoyed their food and I'll absolutely return when I'm back in town. read more

Go here asap. Their serving size is gigantic. Pastrami is a must get. I would stay away from the roast beef, it fails in comparison to the pastrami as a meat choice. read more

The Hat - Chilli cheese pastrami fries - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This place is insanely good. Best pastrami sandwich I've ever had in my life!!! I would eat here every single day if I could

The best type of pastrami! It's not a deli type of meat, it's soaked and so it's juicy and full of flavor. I have tried the other sandwiches like the bbq and roast beef. Not bad but not at the same level as the pastrami. read more

As much as I'd like to say I love The Hat, most times I've been there it has been delicious. However, if you ever wondered how could anyone mess up a turkey and cheese sandwich... they sure can. Perhaps when you request cheddar cheese they may want to warn you that it is shredded. One bite and the sandwich went in the trash. read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

They are known for outstanding pastrami. The slightly higher price is worth it, including the generous amount of product. Future openings are needed in select parts of California - especially San Diego County. Almost all of the rest of the menu is great too. The only occasional drawback is the long drive through line. Retraining the employees to adopt the techniques of McDonalds and/or considering a newer architectural design like In-Out's drive thru lines may alleviate/help these situations. In addition, market/demand is wanting to be chosen. Beware! Copy-cat competition does not wait and comes in all types of shapes and sizes. read more

I'm not a pastrami dip expert. The food here is good. The quantities are great. You can get a decent meal for $15. I think the pastrami dip sandwich will run you $10. The bag of onion rings will be another $5. You could probably be fine choosing one or the other. Why 3 stars if everything was pretty good? Well, this food isn't good for your heart. I've sworn to only come here once a year. Yelp, let us do 3.5 stars. I did the online order through their website. Even though I posted a time of 12:20pm for pickup.. I still had to wait 5 minutes for my order. Good thing was by the time I got their.. the line had picked up read more

The Hat - Alot of onion rings - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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I couldn't resist stopping by here and trying their vaunted pastrami. So I got a sandwich and a (gigantic) order of fries, started eating and enjoying the pastrami, then saw two other tables with ... pastrami fries that are not on the menu. So I went back a couple of days later and wow, those were amazing, too. I've never tried another location so I do not have a basis for comparison, as other Yelpers do, but I really enjoyed the food and would gladly return if in the neighborhood again. read more

Delicious and fast as always. We come here every time we are in Orange County. The best value for the money. We did notice they raised their prices $10.79 for the pastrami sandwich. Tender melt in your mouth meat. read more

Chili cheese fries are a must. You can get them with pastrami on top. Their pastrami is good, salty but good. It's the thin sliced kind. Heavy in grease. I like to enjoy it with mustard. Onion rings are great. Burgers are not bad. But the thing that keeps me coming, are the chili cheese fries! Gets busy during lunch. They have a drive thru which is a plus. They have orange bang!!! read more

The pastrami chili cheese fries is massive and bomb. Perfect for a cheat meal, actually perfect for 2 cheat meals read more

The Hat - Pastrami chili cheese fries It is massive - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

If you're looking for a juicy burger, this is the place! I also highly recommend getting their chili cheese fries and adding pastrami on top. It's so delicious! read more

The Hat primarily exists to give you a heart attack. The food okay, nothing special, but I suppose those that come here just want to clog some arteries. The chili is mediocre, fries average, and prices certainly way higher than food of this quality is worth. read more

I love pastrami. I've been to Langer's in LA and had their #19. Though their pastrami is different - texture and thickness - I much prefer The Hat's pastrami over Langer's. Just based on flavor, Hat is 100x better!!!!! The pastrami is superior, but their customer service lacks a bit in personality. I can look past this! read more

The Hat gives you that old hamburger stand feel with fast and friendly service. The are known for their pastrami dip sandwiches and to be honest they won't disappoint. With that being said, I still have another place that is a little better but considering price and speed; The Hat isn't a slouch. They have many things on the menu from burgers to non beef sandwiches, to everything in between. But I've only been here for the pastrami and chili cheese fries. (What can I say... I know what I like) the pastrami is tender, hot and thinly sliced. There is so much that it falls off of the sandwich creating a pile of excess goodness that you can then scoop up with your bare hands (it makes you feel alive, I know). If you go the route of getting the chili cheese fries make sure you bring a gorilla sized appetite or a few friends that aren't scared to let the pants out a little.... trust me you'll need it/then. The have a good amount of indoor seating and some outdoor (but no cover from the sun). With that being said, during lunch time seating will be packed so you either will have to be lucky or sit with some strangers or circle the tables like vultures over a dead carcass. If you don't do either, you won't be sitting during lunch. Parking is generally not an issue even when busy so you should be good. Alright, I must leave you to finish training my crocodiles... I have a new trick *wink wink* read more

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They won't toast your bread even if they done it in the past . I went in today to grab a tuna sandwich and said they couldn't do it ?? I even asked if they can throw just the bread on the grill ?? Said "no we can't do that" ( after I see her throw on some hamburger buns on the grill) My office always comes here and orders chili cheese etc.... and always accommodating. Even the one near my House in Glendora does it . I Only gave them one extra star Bc they have good food. Cashier 100 if that means anything. Female staff is on a power trip . Bring back male staff during the day read more

The Hat - This is why you should always check your order when in the drive through. Asked for toasted bread 2x came back to work no toasted bread :/ - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This is one of the best burger joins in Orange County. I've been coming to this place for 20 years and it's always good. I have to say that my favorite is the pastrami cheeseburger. But if I'm feeling particularly hungry, it's easy to double that. If you want to try just pastrami, then I recommend the pastrami dip. The only thing that always confuses people is that the pastrami dip comes "pre-dipped" so if you want au jus just ask for extra on the side. The portions are large, like an order of "small" fries is larger than the largest order of fries you can find anywhere else. Big enough to share between two or maybe even three people. I wish they were open until really late like 2 or 3 am, but besides that, I highly recommend this spot if you haven't tried it before. If you want to read a bit more of my thoughts on it, check out what I wrote about it here: https://notagrouch.com/burger-review-hat-world-famous-pastrami-burger/ read more

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Good pastrami, meh hamburger, skippable chili fries. Still, great environment and fast service! Also, the pepperoncinis are REALLY spicy, so proceed with caution :) Another pro tip: get the "whipped" orange drink, it's SUPER creamy! read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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The Hat is a popular Southern California fast-food restaurant specializing in pastrami sandwiches. This iconic eatery, once local only to the San Gabriel Valley, has been offering its "World Famous Pastrami" since 1951. Its customers consume an average of 13 to 15 tons of pastrami per week. Their menu is online at: http://www.thehat.com/menu.htm . The great thing about traveling is discovering new places to eat. The hat has been around in SoCal since 1951 but today is my very visit, not to be my last. Pastrami is the word here. I doctor it up with a bit of horseradish and mustard and bam! Instant heaven! It really filled me up, so much i did not touch the fries. The place was packed for the lunchtime crowd. read more

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Biggg fan of the pastrami dip. They also have every type of condiment packet you could ever desire and if you're feeling daring you can pack a few peppers to wreck your insides later on as you're chugging water to curb your cotton mouth. read more

First time here and really enjoyed the pastrami sandwich and chili fries. Portions are big! Will definitely be back

We saw the place while doing other activities then checked out reviews where we decided to try. Value, quality and quantity all are so good. Good portion that was shared and still couldn't finish. I have tried half of sandwich later hours and it was still good. Next time definitely try when it is hot!!! Gotta make sure we don't order too much either. We will try different sandwiches next time for now Pastrami sandwiches was awesome. Chilly Cheez Fries was great as well. Can't wait to try other items read more

Obviously, five stars is relative because this is fast food (if you're expecting Michelin level food, don't come here for that, in other words), but boy do I love this place! I was first intrigued by the signs at the Brea location during a business trip close to a year ago, and somehow The Hat kept creeping into my Yelp suggestions any time I returned to So-Cal... I figured that many Yelp reviews can't be wrong when hunting for indulgent, quick American fare that's available late at night. So I gave in and made the leap back in February when I was staying near the Forest Hills location. And then I went the next time I was there for work... And again to the Murrieta location when driving through for work... And now I live about 25 minutes away... Oh- and I stopped at the Brea location a couple weeks ago when I was visiting a colleague... So, I'm quickly realizing I need to come up with a personal intervention program so I'm not consuming those delicious, flavorful pastrami dips, monster-sized portions of crispy delicious onion rings or chili cheese fries large enough to feed four hungry adults multiple times per week... The Hat is best visited with a fellow junk food loving companion, so you can divide and conquer the massive portions. Also, so you can share your shameful indulgent secret with someone else and joke about the impending nap... Their kitchens are really clean. The staff has always been friendly during my visits and the drive through is always speedy. Go with an empty stomach, and dine inside to enjoy the late night people watching if your timing is right! read more

First visit - I had the Pastrami Dip/Roast Beef with au jus - flavorless - total disappointment - heard a lot of good raves about this place - perhaps I didn't order the right item from the menu? You expect more when you pay $10+ for a sandwich! read more

We drove back from SF back to OC and decided to satisfy or hunger here. Understand this was the worst pastrami sandwich ever!! I've have never eaten a meal so salty in an eatery in America. The bun was of such poor quality plus it's was so soggy as soon as it was put together as we were the only customer there so it was a few seconds before we wrapped this bundle and unveil the horrendous sight of mushy bread with FATTY SALTY meat. If you don't have high blood pressure you will certainly ask for it going to this joint. The old folks should stay clear of this death trap!!!! I notice they had a caption , "World famous pastrami" It's should be, " The Best places to die of a salt overdose!!!" read more

Anything on the menu is amazing. One thing to note is that the portions are big and can be shared depending on your appetite. Drive thru is a little tricky. Best advise , make a right turn from Rockfield and drive straight as if going into Taco Bell Drive Thru. Make a left, second to the right is the drive thru for The Hat. Well worth the drive. read more

The Hat - Large Orange Bang Chilli Cheese Fries - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The other locations are amazing but this one didn't quite make the cut. Got a Pastrami burger, fries, a coke, and a case of food poisoning that I'm still currently dealing with. It was a busy day so I'm sure plenty of others did as well. Should have known something was up when it was just not on par with the other locations. read more

Pastrami dip, chili cheese fries with onions - delicious. The portion are enormous and great price considering the amount of food you get.

I drove over 15 miles to come back and visit one of my childhood favorites.. When I got in the parking lot there was a family walking in to order. Once I go to the doors I noticed they were locked. So I called the store and was promptly asked to wait on hold. After being on hold for 5+ minutes I hung up and arang again. Finally I get an answer and was told inside dining is closed because they are understaffed. But when I got there they were letting people in and as I write this there are at least 5 different parties seated for dine in. The lady on the phone was really rude and hung up on me. I will never be returning to this location and I will make sure anybody that ever recommends it around me is aware of how I was treated today. Do better Hat management/employees. read more

Ever since my dad and my oldest, childhood friend told me about The Hat, I've been obsessed with it! I just love, love, LOVE pastrami as it's one of my favorite things to eat and I'm always looking for the best pastrami sandwich anywhere I go! This location looks like any of the Hat locations I've been to and it's relatively clean and service is good! So, the reason why anyone even comes here is for the Pastrami, and oh boy, do I love this Pastrami. It's thinly-shaved and just oh-so flavorful. One of the things about pastrami is that it can be a hit or miss because of the texture and grisliness of the meat. This pastrami is so light and not very fatty like other joints. It has just the right amount of coriander which is characteristic of a pastrami and is what I look for in a good Pastrami. Granted this is not a NY-style Pastrami, but a California-style pastrami in that it's thin shaved and served on a roll with pickles and mustard. You really can't go wrong with the pastrami dip here! I also recommend the Pastrami burger as it's massive and loaded with pastrami and is definitely one of the best pastrami burgers I've ever had. Oh, probably the other reason people come here are for the Pastrami chili cheese fries or the gravy fries. I'm not a fan of the latter but definitely a fan of the former. The Pastrami chili cheese fries are MASSIVE and could easily be shared with 3 other people. It's truly a beautiful thing to behold! The chili is great and goes well with the pastrami, cheese and fries! I will end this review by stating that pastrami is one of my weaknesses and I just absolutely love it and am always looking for the next best pastrami sandwich! The Hat definitely hits the spot for me and I always come here if I'm hankering for this delectable cured meat! Some of the best pastrami you can get at a chain in California for sure! Highly recommended! read more

The Hat - Pastrami chili cheese fries - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Got one Chili Cheese fry and shared a pastrami! Generous serving! Tasted amazing! Ended up saving my pastrami half! Was really filling eating the chili cheese fries! The chili cheese fries are enough for two! Tasted so good! I knew pastrami sandwich is good tasting! Love these fries! read more

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars!!! I can never get enough of this place! Everything I have tried has been amazing. Service is quick, and the food is great. Be mindful of the very large portions. Their Chili Cheese Fries are the best I've ever had. And the Pastrami... Mmmm!!! The Hat will continue to get my business! Been a loyal customer for 10+ years! read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Great price for the huge portions and the staff is always friendly! I really enjoyed the chili cheese fries!

Excellent sandwiches. Ordered the classic pastrami. So much better than the imitators out there.

If you feel like spoiling yourself, the hat is a great place to go. Their pastrami is second to men, and the onion rings are to die for.

Did the prices recently go up? $10.49 for the pastrami, bbq beef, and the steak sandwiches. $4.39 for the large fries and it was enough for 3 of us. So the total was around $38 with tax for 3 sandwiches and 1 large fries. I usually do the drive thru for the pastramis, but wanted to try the steak. When they hand you the bag, you know you'll be fed well. I got 2 pastramis, 1 steak and an order of large fries for the 3 of us. I'm going to stick with the pastrami dip - the steak wasn't what I thought it would be. It was a little dry and just a couple of thin slices of steak. However, this was take-out and we didn't eat it for half hour or so, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. Drive thru at 5pm on a weekday was a breeze. For us, The Hat is a good occasional treat and we'll be back. read more

Worst Hat! Entire drive through order was wrong. Stuck with onion rings and a chili tamale instead of our pastrami and cheeseburgers. Waste of $$$. Unfortunately, didn't notice until we were home. We ordered a pizza instead! Pass read more

Went to this branch for the first time and has the same delicious pastrami dip like the one in Brea. I was craving for a couple of days and decided to go tonight! It was just soooo good! I didn't even finish it so I have the other have to eat for tomorrow! Maybe next time I will try the burger or the roast beef. See if it is good too. read more

Went here because my husband likes the pastrami I ordered the steak sandwich and added Swiss cheese. NO WHERE on the me menu did it say it was going to come with mayonnaise, onions, lettuce and tomato. I always look for what comes on something because I hate mayonnaise. The steak had no flavor and the fries were a big bag of grease. I tired to eat the sandwich after a couple bites I threw it away. read more

The Hat - Gross sandwich with Mayo - American Near Me - Lake Forest, California