This is my go-to for pastrami and chili cheese fries. My wife is t fond of pastrami but lives the roast beef with au juice. Nothing special to say about their service. You order at the register and pick up your food when your number is called. I've never waited too long for anything but I typically go for take out here. There's also nothing special about the ambiance. It's a casual dining spot, though I do have to say they always seem to do a good job keeping the dining area pretty clean. read more

Thanks to LA Yelp Friend Doug S for recommending this visit to this iconic Pasadena as a surprise dining experience on North Lake Avenue. We enjoyed the Lightscape Holiday Lightshow at the LA Arboretum in Arcadia, which started at 5:30 PM, but the cool, er, no, COLD outdoor night air but were making our way back to my brother's-in-law home in West LA when our stomachs started to rumble and grumble. The N Lake Avenue location of The Hat was straightforward to navigate from the I-210 W, even for us Hawaiians who aren't used to driving in California at night. This location is well-lit and very well-maintained. Upon entry, we quickly scanned the menu and couldn't resist ordering the "World Famous Pastrami Dip," a side of fries with gravy and a soft drink. The Hat's menu offers other sandwiches and burgers, but honestly, how can you not order their "World Famous Pastrami Dip?" As we were strolling to find seating in this restaurant, I stopped to watch one of the workers assembling one of our sandwiches. OMG! She loaded the huge steamed roll with pastrami until it overflowed, and I could feel my heart beat faster with excitement. I could smell the delicious aromas through my KN95 face mask and hoped that I wouldn't start to drool. It's a rarity for us to drink carbonated soft drinks, but the Coca Colas was thirst-quenching and well-carbonated. The bubbly soda pop cleared our throats and brought on a series of burps before we had even gotten our food. Sorry... TMI. Fortunately, we ordered the small cups but still couldn't drink it all and took them out to sip along with the drive home. An employee called out our order number, and we jumped up to retrieve our meals. After unpacking the packages, my husband and I knew that we could only eat half of our sandwiches and part of the fries. It's just too much food to eat in one sitting and would set us up for a food coma. The pillowy-soft steamed bread roll encasing the treasure trove of hot pastrami held up without disintegrating in our hands as we greedily gobbled down the hot sandwich. We didn't get a cup of dipping broth with our sandwiches which were just as well because the pastrami was flavorful, tender, and juicy. Our sandwiches were dressed in mustard with dill pickle slices. The "wet fries" were outstanding when dipped in its accompanying brown gravy and were a treat on this cold LA night. Would I or could I even dare compare The Hat's pastrami with other LA establishments like Langer's or Canter's or Wexler's? No! The Hat has its neighborhood ambiance, friendliness, flavors, and value. We'd return to The Hat even if all of its closest locations took us on a 20+ mile drive from West LA. read more

See all

Full sandwich and burger menu. I go for the famous pastrami dip. Comes with pickles on the French roll. I order with a slice of tomato and hold the mustard. Also good onion rings. For a drink, I like the Orange Bang. Fast service. Plenty of tables for eating inside. Parking onsite. read more

Was hyped to hear here, but everything was pretty bland. The pastrami sandwich didn't have much flavor unfortunately. Dissatisfied

i always get the roast beef and wet fries. pastrami burger is good too. service is always fast

It's The Hat. Some of the best burger stand type food in Los Angeles! Pastrami is a go to, chili and chili fries, dips, it's all so good. This trip we went on a Passover Friday so we got a grilled cheese and a tuna melt and they were so good! Place never disappoints it's a Southern California classic! read more

Good food and super clean establishment! Great customer service as well! I got he chili fires and they were delicious read more

In 1951 a little sandwich shack, that recently bought a failed Hot Dog Stand on the corner of Garfield Ave. and Valley Blvd in Alhambra, just half a dozen miles east of LA's downtown-city center, opened. It was called "The Hat", and it offered a limited menu of common American fast-food items like Thick Burgers, French Fries, Milk Shakes and Mild Red All-Meat Chili (mom's beloved family recipe). But the One Especially Unusual menu item, and the Cornerstone of the new young owner's food-stand concept, was Pastrami. Pastrami was a very typical sandwich meat in Jewish Delicatessens all over New York, and on a recent visit to NYC, the owner's family had eaten a lot of those sandwiches, and they loved them. But all of the Delicatessens in Los Angeles were on the Far West Side, up to 40 miles from where "The Hat" was to be located in Alhambra. And so the young owners wanted to bring this delicious sandwich to the people from the part of town where he and his wife grew up: the Eastern Suburbs of Los Angeles. But in order to do this the owners had to change the recipe a little, to open it up to the Anglo taste-buds a bit more. So the bread was changed from Rye to a Sub-Sandwich Roll, the Sauerkraut was exchanged for sliced Pickles, the brown deli mustard was switched to yellow mustard, and the entire sandwich was dunked in meat juice before serving (like a French dip). And all of these above mentioned fast food items were sold out of the old hot dog stand's walk up window. Just a few decades early this corner would have been considered at the heart of Alhambra's seriously "white-folk" dominated suburban fringe. But by 1951, after WW2 had ended, numerous Asian communities that had previously been conquered and even enslave by the Japanese, were suddenly free to leave those horrible memories behind, and emigrate to the United States under the safety of a very liberal "Welcome to America" post war policy. And the majority of these immigrants came from southeast China (Canton, Fujian, and Hong Kong, for the most part). Maybe the new young owners of " The Hat " hadn't done their homework on why a once successful hot dog stand closed and sold it's property for 1/3 its market value, but I guess the young owners of " The Hat " didn't care. Subsequently, they invested everything they had in a food stall no bigger than a small bedroom, on a corner in a busy neighborhood that was quickly becoming the very epicenter of Los Angeles's growing Chinese immigrant population. And, at that time, these many thousands of Chinese immigrants not only had NO Idea what pastrami was, but Frankly, they didn't even care. However, the new young owners of " The Hat " didn't care either, first, because the price was right for the stand, and second, they had a bigger plan in mind than just selling Pastrami Sandwiches to the locals. They sincerely believed that the quality of their unusual food would see them through - until "The Hat" could become a household name. And they had a really great plan to get the word out: DELIVERY TRUCKS. Using the stand in Alhambra as a base & kitchen, and the money that they had left over from the discounted property purchase, the owners of "The Hat" bought half a dozen trucks and painted them all the same, with the Hat's new emblem on the side. Then they hired some good-looking drivers, dressing them all in a nice "The Hat" uniform, and sent them out to sell their Pastrami Sandwiches. The trucks went to anyplace where workers were hungry for a hot lunch: construction sites, office buildings, strip malls, bars, beaches, and shopping centers. "The Hat" trucks became the roving Food -Courts of their day. And soon, those workers on their labor-sites began to depend on "The Hat" truck to bring them a much better meal then they had in their lunch box. So, after a while, when the word got out, and those workers started hitting the walk-up window to take some pastrami sandwiches home for dinner so their families could try it, "The Hat" expanded - in all directions. Vacant Properties were purchased in Pasadena and the Inland Empire. New buildings for "The Hat" were designed and constructed as sit-down restaurants (albeit very fast-foody in a 1950s diner style). And Dozens more trucks were bought, all with the now famous "The Hat" logo on them. And just a few decades later, "The Hat" had expanded to 10 restaurant locations and over 100 delivery trucks. "The Hat" soon became an LA fast food phenomenon, not to be missed. Only "In & Out Burger" trumps "The Hat". It is rumored now that "The Hat" serves up 13 to 15 tons of pastrami per week. Now that's some serious turnover. YUM! read more

I love a great pastrami sandwich. While not the same as Langer's or Katz's, this place is still very good and has longevity which means a lot in restaurants. I had the "World Famous Pastrami Dip" for $11.99 and added a side of chili and a drink to round it out. For some reason, SoCal seems to have chili in a lot of places and it is usually pretty good. This one was just as good as the chili at Pink's and "Phillipe, The Original" in LA. I liked my Pastrami Dip as it had a lot of meat and a nice roll to hold it in. It was sliced thin and was tasty yet I love the chunky style at the aforementioned deli's. This place was hopping and seems very popular with the locals. I like the value for what you get here. I wish they had this place up in the Seattle area. read more

See all

The best pastrami sandwich for a reasonable price. Roast Beef is also great and includes au jus. Easy parking in lot.

Overrated for sure pastrami was super bland fries were mid at best had higher hopes for this place

Simple, no frills, comfort food. It's off-menu now I think but I always get the loaded fries with pastrami and all the fixings and it is always such a portion that I can't finish it alone. For comparison I typically eat a whole large pizza alone so that can give you an idea of the serving portions! The person taking my order was delightful. Prices have gotten a little tough to manage but the value is still there. I'll be back! read more

When I tell you I had the best onion rings in probably 5 years at The Hat!!!! OMG delicious. The pastrami sandwich was perfect. Just enough condiments and loaded with meat. I couldn't finish the sandwich or the rings and they were both good enough to heat up the next day for lunch. Fan for life ! read more

The Hat - Steak Sandwich - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

My son ordered a plain cheeseburger with fries. This place is known for pastrami sandwiches but the burgers are just as good. Freshly made in front of you. The fries are crispy and potatoey. We ordered the food to go and the wait was a bit longer than we had hoped but that could be because we were starving. Prices are what you'd expect for a fresher food experience. I want to try the BBQ beef sandwich next time. read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

I love pastrami. My most favorite place of all time in all of the U.S. is Johnnie's Pastrami on Sepulveda in Culver City, CA. But back to the The Hat... I have mixed feelings about The Hat. Obviously, it's a well-established place, which is now a successful chain of pastrami places. My experience with The Hat is that their pastrami can be really inconsistent. Sometimes it's cut thicker, other times it's thinner. Sometimes the pastrami can be too peppery. Other times, it can be bland. I'm embarrassed to say it, but that's why you'll see variation in my reviews on different locations of The Hat. I've given 3, 4 and 5 star reviews. Today, in sum thinking back through so many visits, I'm revising my rating to a 3. I grew up with Alhambra location as a kid... No indoor area, just order outside and sit outside even if late into the night. Over the years I've been to their places in Monterey Park, Rancho Cucamonga, here in Pasadena, Brea, and Lake Forest. Since The Hat specializesin pastrami, I keep coming back to the Pasadena location. It's not always possible to get out from Pasadena to the Westside for Johnnie's Pastrami. In Pasadena, the other thing is I haven't found other pastrami places that are good. The famous local burger joints are touted for their pastrami.... But I don't think they're great. The Hat surpasses them on a bad day. I did try The Hat's pastrami chili cheese fries. Short story is I don't recommend it for $16.95. Not enough chili, The Hat's fries don't really ever come out quite right, and the pastrami on top doesn't really add up. Instead, get a large order of amazing chili cheese fries from Lucky Boy down the street, and grab a pastrami sandwich from The Hat. That's the way to do it. This review has been rambling... I'm just so conflicted. For many reasons I just want to love The Hat and give it a 5 star review. Unfortunately, in book they're not up to that standard. read more

The Hat - First time trying pastrami chili cheese fries for $16.95 + tax. Not the greatest. Stick with pastrami sandwich. - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

I first started going to The Hat in 2001. Had a coronary in 2003. Not sure if all those pastrami sandwiches had anything to do with it but I had to cut back on the meat. When The Hat makes a sandwich they really pile on the meat. Usually I can get 3 lunches out of one sandwich. After an 18 year hiatus I came back to The Hat, nothing changed except the prices are bit higher than before. I ordered the avocado sandwich figuring it's the least deadly weapon on the menu. Still it's a killer sandwich and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Got some fries too, rather soft and mushy. I prefer crispy fries. But if you smother them with gravy or chili who cares if the fries started out mushy, they will end up that way anyhow. read more

The Hat - Avocado Sandwich - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Always awesome customer service & delicious food- my two fav items are the chili cheese fries & a tuna sandwich on sourdough. My hubby loves the burgers. I always enjoy and have a good experience at this pasadena staple! read more

Been coming here since I was a kid and the pastrami sandwich is one of the best I've had. The taste has remained consistent and although the price has raised a bit(is expected due to inflation) the portions have still remained the same. They also give you a lot of fries even if you order a small size. It's usually always busy so food can take a while to come out(roughly 15-20 min, longer if it's very packed), but it's worth the wait at least for me. Service has always been top notch, they're always friendly and helpful when ordering. Although it's crowded most of the time don't let that stray you from coming in, you can also call in and order ahead of time if you don't want to wait. read more

Pastrami dip with a side of wet fries please. Fries with gravy - originally an east coast diner food - you can't be my friend if you don't like 'em ... and The Hat in Pasadena does them perfectly. A fun, tasty treat ... classic drive in food ... trust me, it'll look good on you! Enjoy! Manga!! read more

Always hits the spot ! so glad the quality hasn't changed , a bit on the pricier side but still worth it

The Hat has aways been good until Tops on Main street in Alhambra. You can order just Pastrami along and make two out of that. We do that because too much meat. read more

Pretty good pastrami, though I prefer mine with a bit more fat like Fat Sal's or Canters. A friend brought it over for lunch so it may have dried up in the travel but it's a takeout place, they should have figured how to avoid that. The pastrami was a bit dry, their sauces, especially the horseradish sauce really helped. I LOVED their onion rings - so that travelled well (from Pasadena to West Hollywood) I would definitely go back and try eating it in the car once I get my order, I'm sure it will be so much better. read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Chili cheese fries w/ pastrami. Done deal. I'm not sure if they have chopped chilis or not, that would've elevated it. read more

Unremarkable. My cheeseburger was not seasoned. It was bland. I asked for everything on it, it had lettuce, mayo, tomatoes and pickles. I had to go back and ask for onions. They gave me a small amt of chopped raw onions. The fries are too big for one person at $4 a serving. There are no combos. When I went back and asked for ketchup they only have packets. The employees act disinterested in helping you. I wasn't sure if they would give me my ketchup. I would have had a better value and experience going elsewhere. read more

The Pastrami Sandwich is My Favorite. Only $11 and it's Massive. Their Onion Rings are Outstanding. Super Clean Restaurant. Fast Service. Easy access off Lake Street & Freeway. I Love The Hat read more

The Hat - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Just say yes . Oh my. This is the place to go for pastrami. And I liked it. Good food. Good prices and mmmmmm. read more

The Hat - Mmmm menu - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

The food portions are amazing. The service is great. The ambience is awesome. I highly recommend it if you're starving. This is the spot to go to. read more

The hat has some of the best pastrami around, I drive out of my way just to come eat here, I highly recommend The Hat read more

The Hat - Pastrami dip with the cherry Coke - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Really good roast beef dip here. Friendly staff. Good quick service. Apparently because of the location the soda machine is behind the counter, and refills need to be requested. It's right by the freeway exit on lake st. so it is easy to reach for a quick bite. read more

Great food and service. Wish they only had a press for the sandwich. Fries were hot and fresh and, piles and piles of pastrami read more

We stopped in at The Hat on the way back to our VRBO/Air BNB on our cali vacation last month. We were both starving, and were frustrated with the lack of open options (it was late and we are used to Vegas and their 24 hour food spots). We both ordered their world famous pastrami dip and took it back to the VRBO, and let me tell you....I wish we had more time and could go back and have another one of these. Oh my god it was delicious! Packed with meat, like...literally overflowing with pastrami, yummy mustard and pickles...I've been dreaming about this sandwich since we had it. Next trip to Cali, we are making it a point to swing by The Hat again, and have another delcious meal!! read more

I always try to get pastrami when I am in California. I was visiting over the Christmas Holiday and my cousin reminded me about THE HAT which has been around since before I was born. It was EVERYTHING!! The Food is outstanding, the portions were still generous. The service was good! I wish I had take photos and I pray everyone at the Lake Ave store is safe and well. read more

It saddens me to write a negative review for the hat, whose pastrami and fries I like. However, the tuna amount I had today is one of the worst I've ever had. It says it's a hot sandwich. However, the tuna salad was cold. The taste was OK but the presentation leaves much to be desired. The fries which were supposed to be crispy were not. Oh well, back to the drawing board. read more

I am not a big fan of pastrami and while this establishment offers a generous menu, it was an ok dining experience for me. Pretty popular place as I saw several come in and out, so it's definitely worth a try. Nice service, clean and plenty of open seating. Serving size was nice and they have yummy orange bang drinks. Maybe next time I will order a different selection for another try. read more

They have one of the best pastrami, i higly recommened it. Its seasoned perfectly. I get it without the dip. The chili chee fries, is good enough for 4 people. read more

Classic, tasty food. I've been going to this location of The Hat for the eight years I've lived in the neighborhood and they never disappoint. The pastrami, the chili, the gravy, all delicious. My go to is pastrami cheese fries with extra pastrami and pickles and gravy on the side. (Chef's kiss!) Prices have gone up over the years but that's to be expected. My one complaint is that the orders never come even close to the order the numbers are given. Today I had 57 and orders all the way up to 69 were called before mine despite my order being chili cheese fries and a grilled cheese. Won't stop me from coming back! read more

The Hat - Menu with updated prices - Dec 2022 - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Well, this evening my sister took the kids for a few essentials for school... lol one of my nephew's misplaced his "sippy " (for lack of a better name) last week in school along with about 2 sweatshirts ( Ranging from chunky hoodie- Polo & a Nordstrom polar fleece by ugg? ) last week he came back home with someone else's lunch box lol because someone walked off with his. Apparently, kids don't recognize their chosen items when they are leaving class. I digress... my niece's and nephew's phone that they'd be picking up something from the HAT and needed to know what I was in the mood for? I haven't indulged in anything from the HAT since before the pandemic and cancer so I decided to roll the dice and grab myself a pastrami and fries. Whoa... I'm only halfway through my half portion, I'm over stuffed! But I'm able to handle pastrami in the pouch. I'm thinking next time this option poses itself I'll make sure someone is going to split it with me. It's 8:42pm and I have to get to bed. Tomorrow is my physical therapy session at 8:30 am and my uber ought to be picking me up about 8am. Nite all! Hey guys, my pastrami was epic and my fries were perfection! Thanks again! See you all next time! read more

The Hat - OMG, I'm getting quite full just from observing my portion... you know, this is quite tasty & delicious! - American Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Menu on the website has misleading prices as of May 2022. If you want an accurate cost, times almost everything by two. #inflation Meal for two (sharing fries and no drinks) was just under $30. They put the condiments out of reach , which they didn't used to do. The food was really good and the portions are huge. In that sense, The Hat never disappoints. To be completely honest though,I would not go out of my way to eat here if I wasn't craving a pastrami dip. read more

Good Pastrami..thoughI do like Johnny's Pastrami ( LA on Adams) Better. Very Good Onion Rings! Roast beef sandwich was good( please add meat ) Nice Staff!! Thanks Security guard who held the door open for Us!! read more

Awesome food every time we visit Pasadena I enjoy the fries and gravy pastrami is great