The Hat

Talk to any local of Southern California and ask where they can find the best pastrami and they will all tell you that The Hat is where you need to go.

 A staple of the area since 1951, The Hat grew from a single shop in East Los Angeles to a mini-chain of eleven locations around Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties and has been serving up their classic pastrami dips wrapped in iconic yellow wax paper to hungry patrons ever since. I stopped by one of their spots that is located on historic Route 66 for lunch and was just as delighted with their big portions and smoky, delicious food, as ever. The simplicity of their menu has kept them an affordable and consistent take out option.

What to eat at The Hat in Los Angeles, CA

Their signature sandwich is world famous pastrami piled high on a soft french roll that had been dipped in gravy, topped with kosher pickle slices and yellow mustard. The pastrami is salty and packed with peppery, garlicky flavor, while being just almost a bit too fatty, but that is where the acid from the pickles and mustard come in to create a perfect balance for the filling. The soft and chewy bun dipped in gravy keeps the sandwich from being at all dry, and together, that is what makes this sandwich a masterpiece.

The 1950’s feel has never left The Hat, the building is covered in their signature brown checkerboard design, their menu is still put up on wooden letter boards, and their open kitchen is still mostly operated by the cashier yelling out your order to the cooks. The main upgrade that The Hat has seen over the past seventy-three years is the addition of a drive thru, which in my opinion is the best way to get your order.

There is nothing as satisfying as precariously juggling one of their wide cardboard trays filled with their “wet” french fries, that have been smothered in brown gravy, with a cup of sweet pina-colada bang in the passenger seat of your car, trying desperately not to spill anything, but absolutely willing to lick your fingers clean should anything go astray.

*The Hat has 11 locations.  See their website for details.