The Hat

The inspiration

The Hat began in 1951 as a small roadside stand in Alhambra, specializing in pastrami dip sandwiches with generous portions and a focus on high-quality ingredients¹ . The idea was simple, fast, quality-driven food, and that formula has stayed essentially unchanged for decades^1,2 . The Temple City shop opened as the company's fifth store¹ .

What to order

• Chili Cheese Fries: the other house classic, and the pairing critics at PBS SoCal recommend alongside the pastrami dip .^2,3
• Pastrami Chili Cheese Fries: the full treatment, pastrami piled onto fries with chili and cheese .
• Orange Bang: a creamy citrus drink that PBS SoCal suggests washing the whole meal down with .³

What people are saying

Writers at PBS SoCal call the place practically a historical landmark and praise its spare, devotedly classic menu³ .

Why you should try it

Order at the window, take it to go, and eat a piece of Temple City history³ .