The Hat — Restaurant in Monterey Park

It’s nearing midnight and I’m heading west on the 60 when my gas light flicks on. I still have a ways to go till I’m home so I take the next exit; Atlantic Boulevard. As I sit at the stoplight to turn into the shell station, the neon signs of “The Hat” catch my eyes. World Famous Pastrami. I see through the perfectly transparent front windows a scene that reminds me of a Edward Hopper painting. A few patrons sit beneath fluorescent white lights as a crew of cooks bustle behind the counter to make what I assume to be the pastrami in question. My stomach rumbles, and I follow its hungry will. I park, and walk into a place that seems not to have changed for a handful of decades. I choose the most obvious menu options: Pastrami, small fries, medium Coke. I get a paper number and sit and a two-person booth of cracked faux-leather from the 1980s. I watch as the cashier slides order after order attached by a binder clip down a clothes-line, which spans the kitchen. And I watch as the cooks respond with both a robotic efficiency, yet human enthusiasm.

Five minutes later, I am handed two paper bags that seem too heavy for what I ordered. And indeed when I open them, I find that the small fries occupy half of the bag and weigh enough to have their own gravitational pull. I sample a few and they taste…like fries. I unwrap the pastrami sandwich and gaze upon more pastrami than I have had in the last few years, falling out of a standard hoagie. It’s enough food for a small family, yet here I sit alone, preparing for battle. It’s delicious. Between bites I contemplate life, looking out through those simple, charming windows at the light night traffic that zips by on a rare, mirror-like, rain covered highway. Though I was full five or so bites ago, I still have half a sandwich and a pound of fries to go. But I’m here for it, loving every second.

The charm one feels with a visit to The Hat is quintessentially old-American, and in its transparent simplicity, one finds easy peace. In a world of qr-code menus, apple pay, food delivery robots, The Hat offers an escape from the ultra-complicated, extra-automated 21st century. A time machine I’ll stop by any...

There plenty of places to grab lunch at in Los Angeles but on October 8th (2023), The Hat was the most convenient place to get something to eat. Usually when I travel, I try to be more curated with my cuisine but I didn’t have that luxury on this occasion. Nonetheless, I think the name and notoriety of this chain is the best thing about it.

I stopped at this location around 1:15pm on a Sunday for lunch with a special friend. It was a long weekend and we were preparing for a long day so I figured I’d load up on calories. The location was intentionally nostalgic and had a curious appeal to it. The physical appeal definitely stands out given the area. We ordered from their menu outdoors and sat on the patio near the parking lot. I ordered the Chili Cheese burger with no onions and fries. There wasn’t almost anyone else ordering or arriving so our food came out pretty fast. They give you an entire bag full of fries and the burger was both robust and sloppy. The burger was well cooked and tolerable but the chili was bland and it didn’t seem worth the mess after it was all over with. It was a messy meal for sure, it definitely filled me up, and we got fries for the road but I wasn’t necessarily ecstatic about the experience afterwards.

I don’t mean to bash the establishment, the workers or the food. Being from Oklahoma, I’m very accustomed to seeing diner and drive-in-themed restaurants except, they usually deliver a more satiating, cheap and deliciously unhealthy meal. I think The Hat is good for what it is. Who knows, maybe I went at the wrong time or ordered the wrong thing, but I’m not too encouraged to return unless under the right...

Good food huge portions of fries. That's what sold me on this particular spot. The pastrami was like any other at most burger places. So they get four stars because of their fast service and huge portions of fries.

Previous rating 4 stars

Update review 6/7/2018

Five stars

The food is great. I have no lw tasted a little buy more and i have to say this my families go to place. The burger is not well done which is the way a real burger should be cooked. The fries are a huge portion. Their gravy is so delicious. Their gravy is the highlight of this restaurant did I mention it cost 99 cents. Their chili is good and fairly priced.

Their establishment is well taken care of just a tad hot when its packed and theres too many people waiting. But I will not penalize them for that. Their restrooms are spotless so that speaks highly of a restaurant.

Update 2020

I honestly have always raved about the hat but they have failed me for the last time. I wanted to believe it was a fluke but it was the last three times I've gone. I wanted to keep loving this place but why is my food cold every time. No way can my fries be ice cold when I've travel with their food a distance and they end up still being hot. So this last time. I sat down at their restaurant and my fries were cold like no why? As much as I love this place it's...