The Hat — Restaurant in Temple City

First time coming here. Came with my family. It was awesome!! Walked in ,the atmosphere is nice and warm very clean place been to many places like this but other spot has a little bit of a dark kinda feel setting but this place!!?? THE HAT I appreciate places like this that have that home feel. I love how when you walk in the worker/cashier took my order with a smile all the workers there has a great friendliness attitude made me and my folks feel welcomed and I can tell that everyone had that Family tight relationship. That's what I felt. Going on to the food!!! Just kept it simple Ordered 1 order of Onion rings, 1 double cheeseburger cut into a 4 way, 1 order of chili cheese fries and 1 order of fries with Gravy it's called "Wet Fries" . So checked out the Onion rings did the oil check... First touch the onions to see if there's grease on it... Welp it passed. 1 it was light not heavy on the grease even on your fingers you can feel it. Now the taste test. This wowed me the way how the onion rings had the crunch which was awesome and then the rip with the onion was intact and still had it's natural sweetness. Alot of restaurant who have onion rings sometimes uses packaged onions that was already pre battered and frozen usually come apart compared to The Hats Onion rings...???? The Hats onion rings is way better. That's just my thought. Now the Cheeseburger it was big cut into quarters when I bit into the burger it was really good they have a homemade sauce taste that was good light not a lot of sauce but perfect in the way I liked it the bun was nice had that MC DONALD BIG MAC BUN TASTE which was great!!! The patty was delicious and moist not over cooked and the burger together was delicious not over powering.... To me the food was made with Love as I describe it again that's just me. Now the Chili cheese fries great amount of chili on the fries we ate it with their lovely package of peppers which was that fresh hot taste and with that lemon hit, but overall I love cheese I the cheese was a little light but next time I will ask for more. The other order of fries which was the wet fries.... Was awesome because it has gravy on it.... The gravy taste was good not too salty felt like it was made from scratch but it was piping hot eating it with French fries. It was very delicious. It was a 4out of 5. Overall I enjoyed this place. Made me feel at home. This place I heard has been here since the 70s I Definately feel the love. I rate this place 4. out of 5. I Definately will be coming back with friends...

The Hat isn't just a restaurant—it's a part of my personal history. I grew up eating here, and during my college years, it became my go-to late-night spot. There's something about walking up to The Hat, smelling that unmistakable aroma of sizzling pastrami, and knowing you're about to dig into something unforgettable.

Their pastrami is simply the best—no exaggeration. Piled high, tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of fat to melt in your mouth. The sandwich is served hot, with that signature mustard and pickles that cut through the richness just right. Whether it's the classic pastrami sandwich, chili cheese fries loaded with pastrami, or even the pastrami burger, it's always satisfying.

And it wouldn’t be a visit to The Hat without an Orange Bang to wash it all down. That icy, creamy orange drink pairs perfectly with the savory flavors of the meal—it's nostalgic and refreshing all at once. If you know, you know.

The portions here are generous, easily shareable (if you're feeling kind), and always freshly made. I’ve taken friends and family here over the years, and everyone always walks away impressed—and full.

One of the things I love most is that they stay open late, which made them a lifesaver during long study nights and post-hangout food runs in college. You could always count on The Hat to deliver a consistently great experience, no matter the hour.

This place has stood the test of time for good reason. It’s not flashy or trendy—it’s just damn good food, served with consistency and heart. The Hat will always hold a special place in my memories and continues to earn my loyalty with...

Met a friend for dinner. He was talking on the phone in his car so I went in and ordered. I got the chilli dog with onions and tomatoes and a side of potato salad, $10. My friend came in five minutes later and ordered chilli cheese fries with a side of pastrami. Five minutes pass and his order was ready. Five minutes later my number is called. I go to the counter and I see bags of food that are ready. I told the person my number and they told me it would be a moment. Another number is called and they get their food. Again my number is called and I was told it would be a moment. Then a food delivery driver gets 6 bags of food in a box. Then another person gets their food. Then the next food delivery person gets a box of bags of food. Finally I get my order which were the two bags of food I saw when my order was first called. They said they were sorry. I took my food to the table and opened the bags. The potato salad was scooped out of a tub and was passable. The chili dog was soaked and soggy, I couldn't pick it up without falling apart. The hotdog was split in two and fried, It was in two pieces and rubbery. I had trouble cutting it with my fork so I hand ate the two pieces and ate the soaked bun with my fork. In summation the service was bad and the chilli dog...