Ahh, pastrami. I don’t really consider myself much of a sandwich guy, but when I do spring for one, nothing does it like hot pastrami on rye. (Or a monte cristo, but that’s another entry.) Yes, it is one of my most favored of sandwich meats, yet also one of my least understood. Embarrassingly, I didn’t figure out pastrami was actually cured beef until just a few years ago. Anyway, during my time in college, I had always heard stories of this place. This oddly named joint with unrivaled, perhaps even, legendary pastrami sandwiches. I mean, their sandwich is listed under the Wikipedia entry for pastrami, and we all know Wikipedia is pretty much law…so they’ve gotta be somewhat legit right? As fate would have it, I had the opportunity to swing by and see if the product matched the hype.

Somehow I had always imagined that the best pastrami could only be found at some old ma n’ pa  Jewish deli in New York. Well, The Hat has been around for about 55 years, and while it’s no small deli, it does a lot to try to retain a old, weathered motif. Lacquered wood and antique photos help retain the classic feel. They’ve got an open kitchen, which is always nice, complete with what seems to be way too many workers. The menu is straight, unpretentious Americana: hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chili cheese fries, ham and swiss…you get the idea. But honestly…you’re here for the pastrami anyway.

 It may look like dog food, but I promise it tastes better. A heaping pile of fries topped with chili and melting cheese, and finished with a generous helping of pastrami. A definitive tribute to the American ideal of excessive over-abundance. The fries themselves were the thicker type, which I appreciate…but they were lacking the crispiness necessary to make them great. Either the fryer wasn’t hot enough, or they had been sitting out for awhile. The chili itself, I have to say, was pretty mediocre. No real flavor, no definitive punch. The pastrami’s saltiness did a lot to make up for the overall lack of character otherwise. All in all a mediocre dish. While good in concept, I feel like each of the individual components was lacking…dumbing it all down in the end.

 On to the famed pastrami dip…a modest 8-inch french roll chock full of warm pastrami, complemented only by mustard and pickles. Solid pastrami, with good texture…but the sandwich, like the fries, lacked an overall punch. The bread was flat, adding no real flavor nor texture. I found the sandwich relying a little too heavily on the condiments for any real flavor, or perhaps they were too strong. Like a mustard and pickle hoagie. In either case, the pastrami  was overshadowed. A solid sandwich, but lacking any real punch.

 The Hat was a classic example of over-hype, under-delivery for me. I went in expecting phenomenal pastrami, and while it was solid..too many of the other components were lacking to make anything stand out. That’s not to say their pastrami dip is bad, but nothing really sang. So as of now, I guess my hunt for the perfect pastrami is yet unabated. Well, it was all pretty filling…which counts for something.

 The Hat
1210 E. Imperial Hwy.
Brea, CA 92821
www.thehat.com