Heard of this place in the top 5 list for LA Pastrami joints and I've never been. Was in Pasadena today for work and happened to see the sign - YO had to roll in for an early lunch - 11AM. Service was fast on both ends. Place is clean as a whistle, even the Johns. Wowzer! I've never heard of a pastrami sandwich dipped before. Fantastic twist on what's normally a Jewish Deli experience in LA, with beautiful sliced meat, maybe add cheese (Swiss of course) and deli mustard. THIS is NOT that type of sandwich. Very thin sliced, maybe more like shaved pastrami. Bread fresh - I assume baked there? Dipped. Wow. That's all I had. Nothing else. Folks were ordering fries and burgers (they looked good). I kept it real first time and did the classic Highly recommend. Top 5, OK. Tough to beat the classic deli style sandwiches (I won't name them you know) but I'd be back here again no issues. read more

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I am extremely disturbed by what I witnessed tonight at The Hat in Pasadena while having dinner with my family. At approximately 8:00 p.m., I personally saw an employee come out of the bathroom wearing gloves and carrying two bags of trash, which appeared to be from the bathroom. Without changing his gloves, he then picked up two of the towels used to wipe down the tables and proceeded to wipe down almost all of the dining tables. He also wiped down the counter area where customers pick up their food. The employee was wearing a hat and black glasses. I was sitting there watching this happen, and I honestly could not believe what I was seeing. Handling bathroom trash and then immediately cleaning dining tables and a food pickup area with the same gloves is an extremely serious sanitation concern. I am writing this review because management needs to be aware of what happened and address it immediately. Proper glove changing and sanitation procedures are essential in any restaurant, especially when employees are moving between bathroom cleaning and areas where customers eat and pick up their food. After witnessing this, my family and I will not be returning. Someone in management needs to take this seriously and make sure employees are properly trained on sanitation and food safety procedures. read more

A friend took me by here on a recent visit. Loads of history of this burger place; it has withstood the test of time. Locals like this place a lot and it seems the loyalty is deserved. Decent cheeseburger (they don't have bacon) and when they say it is a small fry or onion ring, it is huge! Can't imagine the large size! The burger feels just right when you are craving a nice burger cooked when order (not manufacture and pre-cooked). It hit the spot on a warm day. Parking is in the back lot so that was easy. No drive thur, but it is nice to just sit inside and enjoy conversation with my friend who lives nearby. Lots of indoor seating. Interior decor and furnishing are simple, but maintained and clean. Part of the charm is the history and photos on the walls. Staff were welcoming and helpful as I was new there. It was amusing as the person yelled back "cheeseburger" which each one we ordered. Yes, the vision of the SNL skit with John Belushi popped into my head. Love that my friend read my mind. It was all thoughts of humor, good memories, and now an enjoyable burger. read more

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Thanks again Yelp for referring us here. Welcomed by the worker taking our order. He was happy to tell us about what they are famous for. We ordered 2 Dipped Pastrami's and Wet Fries. The moist shaved pastrami was pilled high, pickles and mustard on a soft bun. The bun was the perfect size not too thick. It was sooo good. The Wet Fries came in a to go container pilled high topped with thick rich brown gravy. The fries stayed hot all through our meal. There was more than half the order left we were so full so much food! Place is super clean with a well laid out dinning room. It wraps around the building bigger booths around the corner. Bathrooms clean. Food is so good ! We highly recommend this place. Lives up to the Famous in taste and portions for sure!! read more

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Ok pastrami sandwich here. The staff was very nice. I took the metro A line all the way from long beach and exit lake stop on the freeway. Come up the elevators, make a right and walk one block pass maple street and you'll will see it from the train station. Easy access, anyways this place is pretty big with seating everywhere. They do a good job keeping this place clean and i appreciate that. They have two bathrooms available for customes which is nice and both clean. I got the original pastrami no pickles and onion rings. The value is great at $13 bucks for pastrami sandwiches here while other places are charging double that. There is no combo's deals so you have to order what you want serparate. Food rating Pastrami Sandwich 7.5\10 Onion rings 7.0\10 read more

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08/28/26 worst burger I've ever had in my life, and I've had plenty of bad ones. Patty was worse than McDonald's quality. Straight to the garbage. Will never step foot in this shit hole again. read more

The Hat - Disgusting party - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

**Disappointing Service & Extremely Hot Inside** The restaurant was **extremely hot inside**, which made the experience uncomfortable from the start. When I placed my order, the lady taking my order was very sweet and polite, and she quickly apologized for the wait, which I appreciated. However, once my order was called, I noticed there were no condiments easily accessible to customers. We were only given a few napkins, ketchup, and chilis. I had no problem asking for more, but the issue was that the staff seemed to repeatedly overlook me while I was waiting for assistance. I was passed by multiple times without anyone acknowledging me. Eventually, I had to say, "Excuse me, can you please help me?" An older lady finally stopped and asked what I needed. She wasn't necessarily rude, but her tone came across more like, *"What do you need? We're busy,"* rather than being friendly or welcoming. I completely understand that restaurants get busy, and I don't expect perfect service, but simply acknowledging a customer or checking in goes a long way. The initial interaction was pleasant, so it was disappointing that the experience went downhill afterward. Hopefully, management can address the customer service and the temperature inside, because both really affected our visit. read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

The hat always hits the spot. Old school feel, old school menu. It's nostalgic as they come. Service is always an A+! Was in LA for a quick trip and had to make a stop for my pastrami fix. Nothing like it in the Central Valley. I went classic with the pastrami dip. Thinly sliced, tender, and moist pastrami nestled within a soft roll that soaks up every bit of that pastrami juice goodness. Dressed with classic yellow mustard and pickles. Helping cut through the richness of the pastrami. My wife ordered her go to. Wet fries with gravy, topped with the glorious pastrami. Crisp and fluffy fries, drenched in a rich beef gravy. Gluttony at its best, but oh so good! All washed down with an ice cold Coke. read more

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

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Love the Hat ! Reasonable prices and it's very consistent my only quibble is that they give you too many French Fries !! read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The hat has been around forever. The pastrami sandwich is what they are known for....it never disappoints, everything was on point. The fries were crisp not greasy, the gravy (a must have) had excellent flavor. The staff is friendly and the restaurant is clean read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came here on a very hot Friday evening for pastrami dips ($12.60 each) and sinful onion rings. Only a couple of people ahead of us and dinner was ready pretty quickly. The tables were clean and they have their own parking lot. Good value for the money. read more

The Hat - Prices July 2026 - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We wandered in just a few minutes before closing time, but the helpful staff still served us an amazing pastrami sandwich. It was HUGE! We took it to go, as we were actually heading to another iconic west coast eatery. We had quite a feast back in our hotel room. I want to reiterate that the team on this Saturday night in May was so friendly to let us order in spite of serendipitously showing up mere minutes before closing. That sandwich was so incredibly tasty, too! Now that we KNOW about The Hat, I definitely want to return, and dine-in. read more

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Food: 5 Mics Service: 5 Mics Ambiance: 5 Mics Food: Pastrami dip as is. Generous sized servings of pastrami, pickles, mustard and broth dipped French roll. It was a melt in your mouth tender pastrami and very filling. The sandwich alone filled me up, no need to add fries...I will admit I wanted to add fries but glad I did not. Service: The service was great. No complaints but nothing to rave about. Cashier was kind and had service with a smile. Ambiance: Loved the ambiance here. It was clean and had diner vibes. You can watch the line make every sandwich! Stop in, if you're in the area. There is parking, no line at 11:45am on Thursday when I went. You won't regret it. read more

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It was a great experience and the service is always friendly. Speed of service is fast despite the amount of clientele. The place is always clean. The food itself is decent. Portions are huge so it's good to share. Price is fair. Would recommend since it's a local staple but it's at par with its competitors. Didn't take a pic of the food but their wrapping is 10/10. Recommend the pastrami fries or sandwich and the chili tamale. read more

The Hat - Chili Tamale and Side of Chili Fries - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

The Hat has been a staple in my life since the 1980's. And it's still as good as ever. I always get the pastrami dip (dry) with mustard and pickles. Then add mayo. Best pastrami around. It is thinly sliced but still moist. Bread is soft. Really good. They also have good chili cheese fries. Staff is always great and fast. I do miss the grab and go condiment station, but that is typical post-Covid. read more

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

Clean experience with plenty of seating. Welcome nicely when walking through the door of this location. Will be back again for the customer service. read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

They have a parking lot, but it says only 45 minutes to dine in. I eat slow, so i hope we dont get a ticket or car towed for that. The cashier who took our order was super nice and was kind enough to change my order at the last minute (after he called out what needed to be made). I wanted a ham and cheese sandwich, but i wanted it as a melt, but wasnt sure if they were able to do that. I saw a sign that they are able to do it. Hence, why he was super nice about changing my order. It was a cold night, and not many people where dining in when we arrived, but it got busy as we were waiting for our food. Our number was called and we got our food. I opened up my sandwich and I pulled it apart, it looked so good! It was so cheesy! I pulled the slices of bread apart to see if there was any ham because that was a LOT of cheese! Sadly, it was just a grilled cheese sandwich that was DELICIOUS, but it was the wrong sandwich. I brought it back up to the counter and the guy had to confirm with the cashier, understandable. He took what I had and threw it away. They remade my sandwich. Once the new sandwich was done, the cashier brought it to where I was sitting and apologized for the wrong order. It was a delicious sandwich and I hope all the other locations have that available! read more

The Hat - Ham and cheese melt - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This review is based on a takeout order only. So many times I heard this is the place I'd one wants a pastrami sandwiches. And the only reason I haven't been is because it's just too much of a drive from home. And then one day, Hubbers found himself nearby, called and asked if I wanted one. "Yes, please!" was the resounding answer. I asked for a plain (no pickles, no mustard, toasted bread.) Home after his long drive, the aroma pulls you in immediately. The sandwiches come sliced in half, so that's convenient. First bite and yum.com! The meat, of course, is the very center of this grub. It was juicy and well seasoned. The bread was soft and fluffy (didn't really experience the toasted part.) Overall delicious! FOOD: 5. Quality and quantity. Plenty for a second meal. SERVICE: N/A. VALUE: 3.5. PARKING: N/A. OVERALL: 4.25. Wish it was closer to home. But definitely trying it in person n should the opportunity come through! read more

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Friday Sept. 4 ordered a p pastrami burger. I will never order it again. The burger tasted liked fake meat. The manager stated it was beef. I wondered if there was a filler? Never again! read more

First time trying their pastrami burger. 10/10 Their place has a small parking lot, but inside was spacious and clean. Cooks were friendly and service was quick. Got there and within 10 minutes got our order. read more

Do you love Pastrami sandwiches? How about eating in a historic establishment with California history? You can do both right here! We shared one of these huge sandwiches and a small bag of fries, sorry no pics we were hungry. It's a small place where you hope to find a parking place off street. Walk in and order at the counter from a large menu on the wall, pay there take your number and find a seat. In a short time you'll have that hot pastrami in your hungry hands. It is big enough to share, but then again maybe you won't want to. read more

The Hat - The place you want to go for Pastrami Sammies! - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Visited here for a late night snack with a group of friends. The place was pretty busy considering it was around 11 PM. We ordered at the counter and sat at a big table. The ambience and decor was amazing, very old-school, friendly, and retro. Our entire party ordered the tuna melt, a side of wet fries, a side of pastrami fries, a side of onion rings, and some pastrami burgers. The number one thing to keep in mind about this place is that the portions are absolutely huge. The sides of fries and onion rings were incredibly hefty in both weight and food. We had a hard time finishing even with around 9-10 people. The tuna amount was very delicious and had amazing bread. The tuna was warm and the lettuce and tomatoes balanced it out well. The onion rings were crispy and fresh as well. The wet fries got a little soggy, but were otherwise tasty. The pastrami fries were incredibly filling especially with all the meat and cheese loaded on top. All very tasty, high quality and so affordable!! Highly recommend, very community and amicable atmosphere and servers, cheap prices and tasty food. read more

The Hat - Tuna Melt and Side of Wet Fries - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The place was just as clean as in Glendora. A bit smaller. A crowd came right after we sat down, good timing. The staff was accommodating.and took and had our at pickup counter in reasonable time. My favorite pastrami is my order. Again, it was filling for me eating only half. Guess I get two dinners for one. A bit expensive at $12.60 plus tax, about $14.00. We got a hamburger and two drinks, free refill. Still paid out about $31.00. read more

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

Everyone knows why we all come here. I'm gonna give you some pro tips Pastrami add Swiss and get the dip / au jus on the side. Chili cheese fries are shareable pass on the pastrami topping. Wild Cherry aka Cherry Fanta is a must. Chili tamale is decent. Pass on the onion rings as they are all breading and not so much onion. Service is always great Place is always clean read more

The Hat - Menu 8/2025 - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I love the Hat. This is the third location I have been to. I either get the chilli cheese fries, the pastrami, or the double chilli burger. This round I got the double chilli burger with a sprite. I was shocked I was able to walk right up the register. I know it was 1:30 on a Friday, but every Hat I go to is slammed. read more

Sometimes you just gotta eat like a damn hog and this is the place to go. Everything is big here, including the side orders. Menu is pure carnivore, and the must-have sandwich to bust your Hat cherry here is definitely the Pastrami Dip. The pastrami is sliced super thin, it's fatty, and very tasty. Another item you should try is a giant concoction called "wet fries." Basically it's poutine minus the cheese. Serving size is huge and will be enough for 2 or even 3 people. This is a meal and not a side dish, friends. Pricing is reasonable and the menu is large enough to come back and explore. Inside is spacious, clean, food comes out fast, and everyone is friendly. The only complaint here is the parking. It's a small lot and each space is not Hummer friendly at all. Other than that, check it out! read more

The Hat - Wet fries - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Best Pastrami I've had! So thin and tender. Next time I've got to try the pastrami fries I saw so many people had gotten.

This is my first time at The Hat on Lake. Great efficient service! Nice and clean! Friendly staff. Amazing sandwiches...so generous, delicious and well priced read more

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This Hat location needs to train well their managers to improve their customer service. Especially the manager, Celine, evades customers when they're trying to ask her for utensils and/or order status. They act like they're giving your food for free, when in fact, is quite expensive and the burgers aren't good like before. Furthermore, the vibes in this place is aweful and constantly give you wrong your orders. Don't recommend this Hat location at all. read more

Some of the best tasting Chili Cheese fries you can can try. Attentive to customers, not rude. Layout of The Hat has a very nice classy Diner feel to it. Very clean. read more

Good food. Great service. Stylish oldschool diner type restaurant. I've been coming to this place for ages! And it has always stayed consistent in satisfying my pastrami cravings! This place is perfect stop for great pastrami sandwich, chili fries and a delicious root beer every time I'm driving through :) Thanks for feeding me all these years! Keep it going! read more

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The Hat is always a good option. Service is great and fast. Biggest thing is they don't skimp out on portion. I kid you not, the chili cheese fries with pastrami weights like 4 pounds! read more

The Hat - OG Pastrami Dip and chili cheese Side of Chili cheese fries with pastrami. - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food is good but not great. The fries were all right. They could have used a little bit more salt. However the amount of fries you get for the price was really good. I ordered a chili cheeseburger and it was a solid Burger. My partner ordered a pastrami dip. It was loaded with pastrami, but the taste was average. Inside, is a blast from the past. Good amount of seats. The parking isn't great. The employees are kind. read more

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

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Pastrami on rye with a little bit of mustard. Simple but perfect. I heard the chili fries are fire too.

Been here a few times, always take out. Sandwiches are great, just pastrami and mustard, the way I like it. Fries and onion rings are delicious and plentiful. So many fries. So glad they're opening one in Vegas, now I won't ha pie to wait until I'm in Upland to get my Hat fix! read more

Most people know this great family owned and operated fast-food restaurant for their incredible Pastrami sandwiches...you've got to try their tamales! Sooooo good! Chili, onions, pickles and cheese. Get this next time. Their Ice tea is freshly made each day. Always well kept and clean...no matter the Hat location...go there. read more

The Hat - Tamale topped with chili, cheese, pickles and onions. - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Chili cheese fries with a pile of pickles is like crack. I can't pass the place without stopping. You cannot leave your form in them or it will melt...that's how hot and fresh they are. But more important the staff is so great. thanks to all read more

Well they sure cleaned up their act. Good service, friendly, tasty food, quick & clean! The update did good! It's bright, open & again, clean. The staff were diligent. A staff member was attentive to the needs of the washrooms. The classic dip was delicious as i remembered. read more

The Hat - The classic! - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Pastrami, burgers, hotdog, onion rings, french fries... You can't go wrong here. Even their chili is pretty good. I have been to several of their locations and there is always consistency. I will return. read more

I found myself on Lake and figured it was time to revisit this iconic store.The first Hat was in Alhambra and it has grown to 11. The pastrami was perfectly prepares and the swiss cheese enhanced the dip.The roast beef dip was also great but seemed instituional off a truck,like Sysco whereas the pastrami seemed in house. The large ice tea complimented our sandwiches but the cheese fries are best skipped.The fries had loads of chees but un melted and stuck to my shirt not the fries All and all a good visit read more