I only go here for two reasons, it's the chilli dog and the main reason is the pastrami chilli cheese fries. The fries are incredible and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of chili cheese fries. The only concern I have is that the murrieta location seems to be slipping on the portion sizes, I don't know tho, maybe the restaurant has new rules for the portion sizes? I went today and I was surprised, it was much less than before so maybe the policies have changed for portion? It was still good tho!! read more

Wow.... Idk why this place has 3.7 stars because this place is AMAZING! 10/10 would recommend! The pastrami drip is a true classic and they don't hold back on the pastrami. I ate mine and half my coworkers and already looking to come back. Staff were friendly and gave recommendations. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Fun fact, they have a drive through if you're in a rush and want a delicious sandwich. You're welcome read more

Entire, menu is . I always , return for the same meal. Pastrami w/ American cheese, extra mustard , chili cheese fries and a drink. Staff is . Will, be visiting to dine in soon. read more

I had a great experience at The Hat I ordered a chill dog and it was served very quickly. The food was absolutely delicious, the chili was perfect. The meat was generous and very tasty. The ambiance was good, clean and organized. I will definitely return for the pastrami. read more

The Hat - Chili dog is epic - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

We grabbed food from here on our drive from San Diego to Las Vegas, and wow... this pastrami sandwich was a star of the road trip. My husband picked it up, and we didn't even eat it until about an hour later in the car. Somehow it was still amazing. The bread was super soft, the pastrami was thin sliced, tender, and packed with flavor. Every bite hit just right. Messy in the best way and totally satisfying after a long stretch on the road. I'm honestly surprised this place only has around 3.5 stars on Yelp, because this was a five star experience for me. Sometimes simple food done right is all you need, and they nailed it with that sandwich. I would probably skip the potato salad next time, but the pastrami sandwich? Absolutely worth the stop. read more

Expensive. But the biggest disappointment was the Chili Cheese Fries. Almost no flavor. Tommy's is leagues better. Not even a comparison. Always heard good things, but was terrible. read more

The Hat - Chili Cheese Fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

Solid pastrami, personally really enjoy the soaking sandwich. Very juicy and flavorful. Service was quick.

Was out in Murrieta and saw The Hat Drive Thru open for business. I've been hearing a lot about The Hat and turns out they have been in business for 74 years with a lot of history of great service and good food. The menu is very simple and classic. I had to try the World Famous Pastrami Dip and Grilled Cheese Sandwich on the first day. On the second day, I ordered and tried the Pastrami Burger and the Roast Beef Sandwich with Au Jous. THEY WERE ALL SO GOOD!!! I'll let the pictures I took speak for itself. Very generous portions of meat, tasty and well seasoned. The sandwich roll was soft and tasty. And I really enjoyed the grilled cheese. Wow! Wish I had tomato soup. I'll be back to try other sandwiches on the menu. read more

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My family's first time eating at The Hat was in Sept 2018, when their Murrieta location opened. Since that first and only visit, we never ate at any of The Hat locations until this Saturday afternoon, Dec 14, 2024. After watching multiple You Tube Foodies sharing their thoughts on eating at different locations, it motivated me to give The Hat another try. We were warmly greeted by a gentleman standing at the registers. It wasn't too busy when we arrived at approximately 1345 hours. Our call/ticket # was "51". Our order: 2 Pastrami Burgers; Double Cheeseburger; Cheeseburger w/Small Fries-Plain; 4 Large Sodas Total Cost: Approx $62.00. (No receipt was issued, emailed or offered a choice of). After about a 7-10 minute wait, our order number was called. Once our orders were removed from the paper bags all orders, eat-in or take out are placed in, I opened up my pastami burger. Holy crap, the pastrami as the photos indicate, was spilling out, off the burger. It was a very generous amount of pastami! The burger was decent in size and cooked medium, but one is here for that salty, fatty, smoky pastrami! Yeah, my doctors would be wringing their hands if they knew I was wolfing down this really tasty burger! My wife ordered the same and was really enjoying hers as well. She took half of it home to polish off later. Both our sons unwrapped and devoured their burger choices so quickly that I was too late to take any photos of their burgers. Both gave their thumbs up approvals. The small order of plain fries was quite a generous portion; at most places this portion size would be considered a very generous large. My son who ordered the fries loved them; he's a carb lover. My wife and I each tried a french fry: they still tasted like the same batter extruded tasting frozen fries we ordered during our first visit. Sorry, those type of fries are not to our liking but that's a personal preference. I observed many patrons enjoying their different style of fries never-the-less. To sum it it, I'm going to increase this visit's rating to four stars from my previous first 2018 visit rating of only three stars. Why? For the price, this Hat location gives you a very generous portion of food that is still pretty tasty that definitely scratches that itch for rich, fatty delicious tasting pastrami. Another bonus, both my wife and I commented later at dinner, how neither of us were really thirsty as often happens when eating a pastrami entree. Based on this visit, we're adding this location of The Hat to our family favorites. read more

The Hat - Pastrami Burger - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

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We love the hat, only had their pastrami sandwich and their huge bag of fries every time we go. So I'm not sure about their other food, but there's always a lot of people in there eating away. I would definitely highly recommend this place and its location. Although I wish there was one in San Diego, where I live. read more

Just tried it while we were in Murrieta over the weekend. I'll have to say I'm excited for when it opens in Vegas this summer! For a lack of better words YUM! We had the chili cheese fries with tomatoes and pickle. Which were good until we tried out pastrami burger! Just wow! It will definitely be my staple every time. Of course the onion rings were amazing. Next on the list to try is the hotdog. .. Oh, I can't forget- we got this orange soda but it had ice cream.. I'm pretty sure it was ice cream. ?!? lol.. Ahhh-mazingggg!! Only thing I can complain about is the ranch-- it was in a ketchup packet? Yea-- I'll have to pass. read more

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I've been coming to The Hat since I was a kid. It never disappoints. I stopped in and had a pastrami and some onion rings. It always hits the spot. There are always lines in the drive thru but I got lucky as there was only 1 other car in line... ON A SATURDAY! #Winning read more

Went to The Hat with two family members. One ordered chili cheeseburger and the other a cheeseburger and myself fries. The fries were plenty for all of us to share! All employees were working fast and the person that took our order, Karen, was friendly and welcoming. When we sat to eat, the person behind me, video chat his mother to tell her about The Hat in Murrieta and said he needs to take her at least once a week! Calling your mom when out with your buddy to tell her about the restaurant shows how great it is! He was even showing her the food and explaining what he was eating...definitely recommend it and please be patient if it's busy. Many had the same great idea of eating there! read more

Great service, pastrami is excellent. Reasonable price. Workers fast, efficient and friendly. Clean place and more importantly good food read more

The Hat - Chili cheese dog - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

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Excellent Food and Service every time that l have eaten there! Also the Drive-Thru workers are excellent!! read more

We normally come here after church on Sunday mornings. We've had their double cheeseburgers, pastrami dip, pastrami burger, and onion rings. The burgers are good. They use shredded lettuce on it instead of leaf lettuce. The burger itself is huge, so bring your appetite!! We also get the large onion rings w a side of their bbq sauce (the onion rings are big enough to feed the 5 of us: me and the 4 kids). I love their pastrami dip and pastrami burger. A double cheeseburger for almost $7 is not bad at all. I like my burgers w the yellow chillies, though most of the time they're not spicy at all. The cost is cheaper here than most burger places we've been to, and I highly recommend if you're craving a burger but don't wanna spend a lot. read more

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Came by for lunch. Initially, I was going to avoid this place due to the number of negative reviews given, but I gave it a chance.. I don't see how people didn't like the food or service. The service was really easy, fast and great. The food came out in less than 5 minutes. I was recommended the pastrami dip and fries and got a large drink. The food has so much good flavor, and the fries are nice, crispy, and freshly made! The ambiance is clean, mellow and friendly. read more

The Hat - Large drink with Pastrami dip & fries. - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

Food is mid. Pastrami is usually a bit salty, this pastrami tasted like straight beef no seasoning just vibes. The chili was also alright. To top it off, their ranch is the elementary school buttermilk packets. It was truly a 2/5 experience. To hear so many people rant and rave about this place is scary. Go try Tams!!! read more

The Hat - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

The Hat. I truly miss this iconic place. Wonderful juicy and tender pastrami. You just have to get the chili cheese fries with onions and pastrami to share. It is huge. Oh so tasty good. The staff there is great. read more

Last year was my first time here Omgsh the sandwiches/ burgers are so huge! My daughter and I ate (shared) pastrami burger and fries! So much food so I took my grandson there and said we will have an extra small fry still so much food he ate that burger no problem but we had tons of fries left over. Maybe get 4 people for the small fry and I cut my pastrami in half to eat the other half later read more

Pastrami had no flavor and the buns were so soft that the sandwich fell apart. The amount of pastrami was plentiful.

I really wanted to like The Hat, but unfortunately, the experience was underwhelming. We ordered three pastrami chili cheese fries and a roast beef sandwich with au jus. They forgot the roast beef sandwich entirely, which was frustrating. When we finally got to the fries, they were a letdown -- the pastrami was okay, the chili was just average, and the fries themselves were bland and lacking flavor. Several of the straws we grabbed were also broken inside the wrappers, which just added to the frustration. Once we finally tried the roast beef (after pointing out the mistake), it was pretty boring, and the au jus was extremely salty -- almost inedible. The only real highlight? The pickles. Those were actually delicious. Overall, not worth the hype for me. Probably won't be back. read more

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My Family and I have been coming to this place ever since we moved here! The ambiance is amazing and the food are delicious and Arlando the main guy there is very nice and friendly makes you feel very homey read more

The pastrami is really good tasting but the bun felt too soft and squishy like it was microwaved. Now I remember why I have not been back. A toasted French or Italian loaf would have been way better. read more

I had always wanted to try this spot...I am a fan of a great pastrami sandwich! Well yesterday I finally made it...ordered the pastrami dip and a small order of onion rings...met a client for lunch who ordered the same sandwich but had the chili fries....he had tried the place before and loves it. I like when the pastrami is charred on the grill...this isn't like that....I wasn't a fan of the meat texture. A bit chewy for my taste. I also prefer it on a nicely toasted bread...but it's on a soft bun. Onion rings were great....a small order has a ton of rings. Place is cool on the inside and everyone seems to love it so that's just my opinion above. Clean restaurant and good service. So many other items to choose from. read more

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Not the greatest thing you havd ever tasted.. I didn't find it to be tasty at all. The meat was dry & not really worth the money at all. read more

The "hat pastrami" is a style of pastrami sandwich served at The Hat, a chain of restaurants in Southern California. They are famous for its the dip sandwiches, which feature generous portions of thinly sliced, seasoned pastrami piled high on a French roll. The sandwich is often served with mustard and pickles, and the roll is sometimes dipped in au jus to enhance its flavor and juiciness. The Hat's pastrami is known for its tenderness and rich, smoky flavor, making it a popular choice among sandwich enthusiasts. Their onion rings are also to die for. This location has a large dinning room and outdoor seatings too. It's a must stop by if you're on your way to San Diego or up to LA area. Service is good and very fast. read more

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I've heard a lot of good things about this restaurant and I finally got to visit it earlier this week. The portions are huge! The flavor was amazing and everything was so fresh. I did notice a few things, there are no combos here everything is separate, kind of pricey ($46 for two people), the service was okay. There was a nice lady who came to wipe down our table for us even though it was clean. The inside lobby was decent, lots of space and seating. I'm excited to come back here and try something else on the menu. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

The Hat - Pastrami burger - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

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Pastrami dipped sandwiches are the best!!! We don't have these in Hawaii, so whenever we get a chance we definitely get our fix. Gravy fries were definitely a must!!!!! read more

Amazing sandwichs, I'll be back in May. Super busy is how I remember the hut. Hope it's just as good as last time. The Hut is a big part of my yearly vacation. Love the food there. read more

Food was great and enough for too people . Services was on point even those it was almost closing time.. very clean restaurant ambiance was nice... been there a few times and plan on coming back read more

The Hat - Pastrami dip and chili cheese fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

If you're a pastrami fan, it is imperative that you stop at The Hat at some point in your life. I've had the Pastrami Fries a few times and the Chili Cheese Fries. I really need to try the Pastrami Burger!! I couldn't tell you about the ambiance inside because I've always just picked up at the drive-thru. The service I've had has been quick and friendly every single time. I love that you get fresh, hot food and nothing that's been sitting under a heating lamp! Gotta appreciate the quality! They also have the Orange Bang! I was shocked the first time I found out about it because it's a drink that I only know from Zippy's in Hawaii! So, to all you peeps who come from the islands like me, this is where you can get that O.B. fix without hopping on a plane! =) Parking is free in the lot shared by other establishments, and prices are fair for what you get. The next time I come, I am definitely going to try that Pastrami Burger because Ron Q. made me jelly posting one the other day, lol! Thanks, Ron!! read more

Protein Style Mustard Pickle - no bun! The Hat Pastrami! Served on a tray! Yum! Served on a bed of lettuce! read more

The Hat - Protein Style Pastrami Double Dipped! - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

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Five Stars!! The Hat makes THE BEST pastrami sandwiches. Usually we visit the Pasadena location but we're closer to Marietta, so stopped in for a bite. 3 Pastrami dips and one pastrami burger that seemed to have been made by the Pastrami Gods. Oh My!! It was pure deliciousness. I kid you not. The restaurant itself was nice and clean. Our service team was impeccable. Thank you to The Hat for providing consistent quality and service!!! We will be back! read more

The Hat - To Go order. Total Goodness!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

Food was great. The place was welcoming but the cashier in red shirt was not welcoming at all. She looked like she was mad at my husband and I. I would recommend people to eat there if you can ignore the cashier's facial expressions. read more

Amazing service and the pastrami's are huge and pretty tasty! I was quite impressed with the quality and the low price as typically the prices for a pastrami is well over 20 bucks at other locations and not even worth the money. This will be my go to spot for pastrami's from here on out! read more

Haven't been to the Hat since my late teens. Back then would get the gravy fries and pastrami. The portions were large then and it was great to see that they are still large. The pricing is very reasonable. Don't know what took me so long to come back but I will definitely visit this place more frequently. read more

The Hat - Chili cheese fries with tomato and pickles. - Sandwiches Near Me - Murrieta, California

Ordered 2 pastrami dips thru the drive thru. I noticed that in the car I didn't smell the pastramis as I usually do on the drive home. Came home and my husband and I noticed they were Luke warm, the paper that the pastrami was wrapped in was dry like they wrapped a sandwich in it besides the fact the sandwich was not overloaded with pastrami as usual. I called to let them know and they said they were dry because I ordered the dip on the side. I replied I ordered 2 pastrami dips with 2 sides of dip as I have done for over 50 years from the original Hat in Alhambra and not once did I have a problem with a Luke warm dry pastrami. The person on the phone said I could come back and reorder the pastramis which I said 'No not during traffic hour'. Looks like I won't be coming back to this location again. read more

Good food good customer service I couldn't finish the sandwich plus fries but I will eat it again

I've been a fan of the hat. After several visits to this location I can only give them 3 stars. Although the place is clean and the staff are friendly. They are cheap when it comes to food quantity compared to other locations such as Rancho Cucamonga or original LA location. 3 stars because pastrami is consistent in tenderness and flavor. Unfortunately their chili cheese fries, when ordered with pastrami, they don't give you the normal amount of chili. Twice in two different visits I ordered chili cheese fries with pastrami. There was barely any chili over the fries. I didn't order pastrami fries. It is chili fries, with pastrami. It is what we pay the extra for when we add pastrami. Any how, as I am writing this, what they are famous for is not to standard, so I am changing this to 2 stars. I will consider changing if they move back to the normal standards of "The Hat". This is what people look forward to, and this location is ruining the name for The Hat. read more