The Hat

I found this location during a run to Upland. It was only 1 block from where I had to make my pick up. I had the pastrami Victor had the chili fries and lets just say he had to take them home. I had to bless my fiancé with my other half of my pastrami or I may not be able to sleep with both eyes closed. LOL

Good to eat maybe. Once every three months. Good, but I feel as though I need to run home, then the gym, then back home.
Didn’t get 5 stars but usually whoever is taking orders «inside» can be fairly rude. I felt un welcomed and I’m not quite sure why. It has happened on more than one occasion.
Highly recommend sharing when coming. Also with wet fries. Be smart, gravy on the side.

I love coming here. I’ve been coming since 2007 and have never had any issues with the food or the service. The only time someone else in my party had an issue was regarding a nasty bathroom gift left in the women’s bathroom sink… Other than that!!! I love my chili cheese fries with some onion on top. I also really like their onion rings. It saddens me to see all of these food poisoning reviews, since I’ve never once experienced anything bad from their food.
As for their condiments, yeah, they’ve always had packaged ranch, ketchup, etc. Those have always been gross.

Pastramis are delicious but a bit too pricey for me. I only go when I really deserve it. Make sure to walk it off after, especially if you order the bag o’ fries

I ordered the chili cheese fries with pastrami, pickles & tomato.
Charged $ 4.39 for the pastrami & $ 0.20 for pickles & tomato.
Got home, no pastrami, no pickles or tomato.

The chili fries with pastrami is huge! Good for 3 people. Great go-​to place for late night meat-​cravings.

Overall it is great food here if a bit expensive, the pastrami sandwhich is 8.99 without fries or drink included. That said, it was pretty good if a bit salty. If you order fries keep in mind a small bag is HUGE and more than enough for 3 people.

Why must the pastrami be so good, yet so bad for you?!! Typical fast food restaurant, you order, pay, and pick up your food at the end of the counter. Lines can be long, but don’t under estimate them they move fast. Wait for your food might be long at times, so be patient. My boyfriend and I usually order the pastrami burger and fries, that’s enough for both of us to share. When you say small fries, it means ginormous fries that feed four people lol I always tell them a little, I don’t mind paying regular price, I just hate throwing them away. Also, let me tell you when you order anything with pastrami they make sure to overload it with pastrami. Overall, clean place just a little pricey but worth it.

This place is always good when you’re craving a pastrami sandwich or beef dip. I’ve been coming here for years and I’ve never had a bad experience. Pastrami is good quality and always a huge serving. I usually split a sandwich with someone.

I usual try to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt, as running one is a complicated endeavor and has one of the highest failure rates of all businesses. However, as I sit here holding my stomach and feeling pain just coursing through it, I can’t help but feel this Hat does not deserve it.
I order a Pastrami Dip and got horrible food poisoning, (which I am sadly noticing in other reviews as well). It was made very quickly after I ordered it, so I do not know if the meat was undercooked, or the workers, who had no plastic gloves on, forgot to wash their hands before handling my food. Either way, their negligence resulted in a day of pain and vomiting I will never forget.
This location will certainly never get my business again, and I will be hard pressed to go to another Hat anytime in the near future.

FOOD POISONING! Ate a pastrami and felt sick immediately after followed by a really fun night of vomiting. This was the only meal I ate that day besides my usual carrots and hummus from my own house. Never eating here again and avoiding pastrami in general after that trauma.
I noted the quality and size of the food seemed to look like they downgraded since my last visit. They don’t even serve regular ranch anymore but rather packets that resemble a mayo packet that I wouldn’t use.

Ate here last night with my dad. We ordered Wet Fries and a Roast Beef dip with au jus. The sandwich was really good. It was fluffy and easy to chew.
The Wet Fries were enormous! The fries and gravy were so hot and delicious. I finished more than half in the store. We even ordered a couple of burgers to bring home to the rest of the family.
I also ate here a few months back, and the Pastrami Fries are definitely the best thing I’ve ever tasted!

Drive thru took a really long time just to make two burgers, but the wait was well worth it.
Prices sound expensive, but they definitely pack each sandwich/​burger up with meat!
+ Pastrami Burger $ 8.99
(Buns, beef patty, pastrami, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles)
This burger is huge!!! So much meat, so amazingly delicious. Highly recommended!!!
The pastrami served here is truly fresh and delicious. Thinly sliced and cooked to perfection.

The pastrami dip is on point. Everything is sold separately if you want fried order one its easily shared for 3 people. My friend had their steak sandwich she couldn’t complain. Great drink selection, I got the orange bang which is pretty much a liquid creamsicle it’s the best! It’s a must try. I will be returning.

I probably cut a few days off my life with lunch here today, but it’s worth it!
Their pastrami sandwiches are good but I highly recommend their well done chili fries with pastrami on top! It’s amazing, fattening and a huuuge portion. Please split one order with others, you (and your waistline) will thank me! :)

The Hat serves a righteous pastrami sandwich, and so very much more.
I have been a staunch supporter of The Hat well over a decade and I fall back in love with its greasy spoon styled interior every single time I pick up my order at the service counter. The menu is colossal and almost overwhelming to the uninitiated but you really only need to know two items: The Pastrami Dip and the Wet Fries.
The Pastrami Dip is a curious title as I have never detected an au jus of any kind in the bread. That aside, this is a tremendous sandwich in both taste and size. The bread is warm, soft and basically acts as a delivery mechanism for the pastrami meat in all the best ways. The meat it self is a briny, savory amalagomation of red meat that seems to melt in your mouth by the third or fourth bite. The finish is a sharp tang of yellow mustard. Any SoCal pastrami lover will be in ecstasy, promise you.
But there is more.
The Hat makes what is perhaps the greatest poutine I have ever had. Billed as «Wet Fries», this is everything that is right in the world. Think, rich gravy slathered upon freshly fried finger width fries served piping hot. The thickness of the fries is fundamental to keep the gravy to fry ratio in check. Grab a fork, you are going to need it.
The Hat has been pumping these bad ass specimens of gastronomy for over 60 years now and I truly hope that is still the case another 60 years from now.

Ive only been to The Hat in Alhambra & The Hat in Upland.
But both places serve up a mean Pastrami Dip Sandwich.
I Love The Hat!!!

I randomly found myself in Upland and decided to stop by since I’d heard about this place many of times.
I was by myself and ordered the pastrami chili cheese fries and a pastrami sandwich.
The sandwich was average size but the fries were large enough for at least 3 people.
I LOVE pastrami but I wasn’t that impressed with is here bc it lacked flavor and was pretty dry.
Definitely won’t go out of my way to go back.

The Hat is one of those places you could never go wrong with. Weather you’re feeling some burgers or a generous amount of chili-​cheese pastrami fries, this place packs a punch.
I got to try both their specialty pastrami sandwich as well as their fires and one of their hotdogs. I can’t say I’ve ever really been disappointed. The price range is definitely a little higher than your typical burger franchise, but the quality is definitely well worth it. I don’t even like pastrami but I got to say, this place is that one exception.
So if your looking for a place to grab some lunch nearby, this place is definitely the right way to go

I haven’t set foot in The Hat in about 15 years. On a very brief visit to Southern Cal it was on my list of places to relive my glorious and somewhat shady past. With very good friend in tow we ventured to this iconic place.
On pulling in the driveway I was struck by the fact that this place has not changed one molecule from the outside, and that wonder stayed with me when we walked in the restaurant. It was like I never left! Well, the prices sure did change, but that is more about economics than nostalgia. Money is no object when chasing your youth.
I ordered the Pastrami, I had to, they’re burger is good as I remember, but I was here for the pure pastrami experience. We ordered one chili-​cheese fry because it is freaking huge, and so are we, but in the end there was still some left over! That is saying something! The pastrami was wonderful, it was perfect and it did not disappoint. My only beef (pun intended) with this place is the same with most places, tons of soda spigots and only one diet option.
As I sat there and ate and talked to my friend of 41 years it was like time stood still and nothing changed. For that I am grateful to The Hat, if it works, do not fix it.