The Hat

Feb 5, 2008

Rancho Cucamonga, CA – It was close to lunchtime and I was looking for a place to go. One of my colleagues mentioned a place called The Hat. It is over in Victoria Gardens right off the 15 freeway on Foothill Blvd. He said the burgers were pretty good. He also warned me that if I was going to get fries, I should order the small size.

I walked into the restaurant, which was almost full. Always a good sign when trying out a new place. They’ve been in business since 1951 so they must be doing something right. I had my heart set on a burger – until I saw the sign that read “World Famous Pastrami”. Well, I just had to see if they could walk the talk. So I ordered the Pastrami Dip, small fries, and a drink. While waiting for them to complete my order, another man picked up his. On the tray was a big box full of fries. It looked like four people could make a meal off those fries alone.

It didn’t take long for my order to come up. On the way out, I picked up the requisite pickled peppers, and on a whim, picked up a couple of packets of sweet mustard.

Back at the desk, I opened the bag and took out the sandwich and the fries. Now the fries came in a tall, lunch sack-sized bag. Inside was a small paper packet, I guess to portion out the fries with. Compared to the amount of fries inside the bag, that packet looked pitifully small. Imagine using a bucket to fill a wading pool. Needless to say, there were a LOT of fries in that bag. I couldn’t stop laughing about it. Remember, this was the small order of fries.

The hefty pastrami sandwich was piled high, neatly wrapped, and sliced in half. It had the right amount of au jus and mustard. Let’s just see if “World Famous” means it tastes good.

One bite convinced me that, one, I had come to the right place for pastrami, and two, I was glad I changed my mind and ordered pastrami. I enjoy two types of pastrami; the kind you find at a good New York-style deli, and the slightly greasy kind you find at holes-in-the-wall. This was the slightly greasy kind, meaning generously dipped in au jus. It tasted fresh and juicy. The bread was also dipped. You could taste the pepper on the edges of each thin slice of pastrami but it didn’t take over the taste of the sandwich. It was so good it was difficult to put down. When I did put it down, it was only to take a bite of the crisp, hot, and juicy pickled pepper. Then I took up the sandwich again.

I added the sweet mustard I told you about just to see what it would taste like. Surprisingly, it was good. It didn’t change the taste of the yellow mustard or overpower the pastrami; rather it complemented both very well. By now I had a big smile on face as I worked over the rest of the sandwich. And those fries seemed endless.

It took a while but I finally finished the meal. I pushed myself back from the desk, leaned back in the chair, and drummed my stomach. I was full and happy. A nap sure sounds like a good idea right about now.

The Hat – 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended. Bring your appetite! The Hat has a dozen or so other items on the menu, but the pastrami alone is good enough to keep going back for.