The Refuge

This place has an incredible beer selection and the pub fare is great! Get the pulled pork sliders. They are also super friendly.

4.5 STARS
Me: «What do you want to eat?»
Friend: «A burger, you?»
Me: «I want a salad… can we go somewhere that serves both?»
Friend: «Ok, where?»
Me: «The Refuge?»
Friend: «Ok.»
*Salad arrives*
Friend: «I thought you said that you’re ordering a salad?»
Me: «This IS a salad!»
Friend: «That’s a phuckin’ heart attack over a bed of lettuce.»
Me: «Stop phuckin’ order shaming me and you’re the one to talk… your only source of greens is the lettuce in an In-​N-​Out 4×4 animal style.»
*Friend grabs forkful of my chopped pastrami salad*
Friend: «Damn, now that IS a salad!»
P. S. — I lied, I came for the pastrami.
OTHER NOTES:
*The hype is real and it’s one of the very, very, very few places seen on Triple D that’s actually good.
*Friendly staff and yay for shaded dog-​friendly seating (only 2 tables outside and 4 high tops though).
*We came before the dinner rush at 4:30 pm so there was only a 10 minute wait for an outdoor table. Come early, if you don’t want to wait long.
*I visited their Menlo Park location (
) before the mothership and the pastrami at their original location is a tad better (or maybe we went on a good day?).
*The Chopped Pastrami Salad ($ 14) is one of the BEST salads ever. It’s also the most unhealthy salad ever but hey, this is what salad dreams are made of: über tender pastrami morsels that coat your mouth with f-​l-​a-​v-​o-​r (not too salty) and beefy lushness (slightly fatty). So good on the perfectly toasted rye with a sprinkle of pickled veggies, and a dash of the honey mustard dressing. UMAMI BOMB!
*Friend ordered The Champ Cheesesteak ($ 12 + $ 2 avocados) and thought it was good:
.
*PLEASEEEEE open a location closer to San Francisco!!!

Very delicious cheesesteaks and craft beer

Service was excellent, even though they were being slammed on Sunday evening. Hostess accommodated our request for the sidewalk table so we could watch the sunset and my sweet little Boston Terrier could sit on my lap.
Mustard Swiss Pastrami sandwich was excellent as expected. The surprise was the side of shredded pickled onion and dill-​flavored pickled cucumbers. Savory! Could only finish half the sandwich at our sidewalk table facing the sunset, but the other half was devoured immediately on arriving at home.
Beverage selection from the top of their draught beer list: SUNNER KOLSCH. Yummay!

This is our second visit here… they are famous for their pastrami, which I ordered on our last visit and it was delicious and so tender you don’t even have to chew it! It’s a little pricey but we’ll worth it. Upgrade to the Goofy Fries for your side… so amazing. They are also known for their bread pudding which I couldn’t pass up so I got the half sandwich so I could make sure I had room for dessert, I’m so glad I did! It is so yummy.
This location is on the smallish side but the service is very good, the staff is super friendly (which I love). That have some patio seating and the front two tables are pet friendly so we brought our furbaby to celebrate her birthday, and my husband happens to love the Philly sandwiches here. Which are made from the most tender ribeye!

By far the best bar/​resturant ive been to. The service was nice and the food was amazing. The pictures im about to post speak for its self. I recommend coming here if you live near by most definitely.

Pastrami sandwiches! The Refuge is a great place to take people visiting the Peninsula (carnivores, that is) since they have some of the best pastrami around. My coworkers and I came for dinner this time, and got there around 5:45 on a Tuesday night. They were almost completely packed inside, but the patio was still available, so we grabbed a table for 5 right away. We were tucked in the corner with a heat lamp, so it wasn’t too cold. It was pretty busy there all night, so make sure you come early if you don’t want to wait for a table. We tried:
–Sinaloa Style Ceviche (Tilapia, Tomato, Avocado, Lime Juice, Cucumber, Jalapeño, Red Onion, Garlic, Cilantro, Served w/​Tortilla Chips, $ 10,
): I was skeptical about trying ceviche from here, but it was surprisingly good! Everything was really fresh, and the ceviche had great flavor– recommended.
–Hot Wings (Served w/​Ranch, Carrots, Celery, $ 7,
): Not that great, and not spicy at all. The chicken was overcooked and dry, and they only give you the drumstick part of the «wing” — skip!
–The Toasted Slaw #19 (Pastrami, Cole Slaw, Swiss, Crazy Russian Dressing, Toasted Rye, Served w/​Pickles, Pickled Onions, $ 17.95): This is still my favorite version of pastrami sandwich here, and my go to order. I’m still determined to try their burgers and cheese steaks one day, but it’s hard to resist ordering this sandwich.
–Superlative Bread Pudding (Served w/​Bourbon Caramel Sauce, Whipped Cream, $ 8 + Vanilla Ice Cream $ 3): SO FREAKING GOOD. I finally made it to dessert this time around and was glad that I did. The bread pudding wasn’t too sweet, and had a great consistency– not too thick and goopy, and it had a great crust on top. I loved the homemade whipped cream and homemade ice cream. Although they call it a bourbon caramel sauce, none of us could taste the bourbon, which would have made this dessert a little better. However, this is still highly recommended!
–Chocolate Pot De Crème (Chocolate Custard Topped w/​Whipped Cream, $ 4): Eh, not so great. The pot de crème is very small, so a good dessert to get if you don’t want too much dessert. I think the chocolate had an orange-​y taste to it, so wasn’t my favorite– skip!
Overall, The Refuge is still the best place to take care of any pastrami cravings, as well as any Belgian beer cravings. Service was solid, and our server was friendly and attentive. Parking was also easy this time around since we came early, but street parking can be limited.

Such friendly wait staff and amazing food! the goofy fries were a little too garlicy for me — but the sandwiches were amazing and I like that you can order a half sandwich.

Best Reuben ever had, says the boyfriend, who also ordered a pastrami burger with goofy fries. «I’d order two Reubens and nothing else,» he said, for next time. Service was top notch! Greeted once through the door, instructed to take a seat, any seat, our waiter came up to us promptly and answered all our beer cocktail questions even though the full description was right in front of us. We were served in 5 – 7 minutes, possibly 5 mike. Ordered the pork slider trio for myself. Loved it. Flavor wasn’t overwhelming, no sauce dripping down, sliders compress to fit in nicely (into my mouth, that is). Didn’t feel icky afterward. The coleslaw and onions were so thinly sliced that it was crisp, not strips of cabbage and carrots or onions, that it melded in wonderfully. Not to mention the Spring Float recommended by our waiter actually went really well with my meal. The float was my small fix of beer and a small fix of dessert (the blueberry cabarnet sorbet) all in one! Thanks to Unilocal reviewers for the great suggestions. I’ll be back again and bringing me friends. Well kept, not saturated in beer odor, classy outdoor seating, packed, and keeps ya busy. TV’S for sports game. Who’s watching the playoffs! Oh yes, and we went in at about 9. PM.

I was really disappointed in this place. I really thought that i was going to have a food gasmmmmm from here.
Service (³⁄₅ stars):
— Our waiters /​waitresses were very attentive and they try to be as helpful as they could. They didn’t give that superb welcoming vibe which led me to judge. They had a lot of beers on their menu and i couldnt decide. They recommended this one beer and i decided to give it a shot and i actually really liked it. Thanks ! it was smooth and delicious.
The only thing that i really didn’t like was that they didn’t tell us that we could upgrade our fries to the goofy fries. So we ordered our dishes and passed on the sides (i.e. fries, salad. etc). I didn’t ask them why but i saw other customers’ plates with the goofy fries with their sandwiches or so. Bummer.
F O O D
Goofy fries (⁵⁄₅ stars):
— DELICIOUSSSS !! highly recommended. I love the cheese it comes with. The meat, i believe was pastrami, tastes like corned beef hash. Same texture and everything. I was hoping that it was bacon. it would’ve been BOMBBBB if it was lol. Just cause i love bacon :)
The Reuben (²⁄₅ stars)
–I Ordered the full size sandwich to share with my friend. The sandwich was pretty decent. It only looked big to me because i was already starting to get full from the fries we got first. The sandwich was pretty soggy at the bottom so by the time i started biting into it, it was falling apart. The meat was the same meat in my goofy fries so i didn’t get surprised by how it tasted. I was really disappointed… It wasn’t that good to me. Super oily too.
D E S S E R T
Bread Pudding (⁵⁄₅ stars)
— The beer, goofy fries and THIS is the only thing that I actually liked. This was super firm and not too sweet but not too bland. I like that they put the whip and the caramel and the ice cream in separate cups. That way, its not too over whelming or whatever.

blah blah blah best pastrami. You’ve read it over and over again. I’m not going to bore you with more talk about the pastraimi because it is as good as people say and every review will rave about it.
What many reviews don’t say is leave room for dessert. I went with a group of people recently and even though I have been here many times, decided to check out Unilocal to see pix or reviews of maybe trying something else. Not that I was bored of the reuben or pastrami burger, but to see what else they offer. I saw one mentioning the bread pudding is a must try. Really? Bread pudding her? I love bread pudding, but wouldn’t expect to have a great one here.
GET THE BREAD PUDDING! Everyone in the group was stuffed, so was I. When they asked for dessert I ordered it reguardless with everyone at the table looking at me like I was crazy for going for dessert after being full. I asked for multiple forks because I am going to make these guys help me eat it. I am glad I did because this thing came out and it was huge. The sauce, whip and ice cream were on the side. I poured the sauce, followed by the cream on top and dug in! Mmmm… Really? This good? I went in for another bite before telling everyone else to dig in. The look of shock on everyones face as they ate it. It’s been over a week since we went and some of them are still talking about that bread pudding and telling others its the best they ever had. I could literally come back for a beer and bread pudding.

This place is insanely great all the time.
The beer list is great.
The pastrami is great.
It’s wonderful to sit out side.
Prices are a bit high these days, been creeping up. It’s the only negative thing you could say.

The most deliciously large roast beef sandwich I have ever encountered. My friend and I had to split one sandwich, I think it was the reuben. My oh my was it delicious!
I’m actually quite excited to try the Menlo Park location since it is closer to my house but with free delivery to Ale Arsenal next door this may be hard to beat.
Try it! Gotta go for a sandwich or some delicious ‘gooey fries’ (I think). Them fries were darn right scrumptious… and gone in about 60 seconds.

I went back for the pastrami burger on a Sunday. The goofy fry «upgrade» for $ 6 lacked enough pastrami to make it worth it — and I really don’t like raw garlic on fries (too overpowering and bitter tasting). I think regular fries would have been better.
I have ordered their pastrami burger and loved it, That day though — very little pastrami and the bun seem not as fresh as it could have been. (Maybe they were running out of pastrami since it lacked on the fries AND the burger??? — but it was only about noon)
The last reason I am lowering my score… my man got a beer, I want to say it was about $ 8 and it was filled with about 1.5 inches from the top (so including foam it was 2″ short of a pour). As we were sitting AT the bar, you would think he would have been a bit more careful.
My «jones» to go back anytime soon as been squelched.

How have I not written a review for this restaurant??! This was probably potentially most likely one of the best pastrami sandwiches I have ever eaten in my life. And I lived in New York. That’s really saying something. I prefer the thick cut pastrami rather than the paper thin stringy pastrami they like to pass off as meat. Nope you will not find that here. This one is perfect and extremely well-​seasoned.
I originally saw this place on diners, drive ins and dives right before I went out to California for my final interview with my current company. Immediately bookmarked it and made it a point to go to the Menlo location.
Since I have been back several times and it is always amazing. I’ve also tried the cheese steaks which are equally as amazing but I will always go back to my tried and true pastrami. Also did I mention the cheese fries? Garlic cheese fries? With pastrami? Need I say more.

I had to try the San Carlos location to compare with Menlo Park.
* San Carlos is much smaller than Menlo Park
* Menlo Park food portion is larger than San Carlos
* San Carlos’s waiters is nicer, much more efficient and knowledgeable than Menlo Park
Everything else are the same, portion is smaller from the fries to the size of the hamburger patty.
One big applaud to Refuge is that they have a kids menu. Not very many pub or sports bar would have kids menu. Even though this is not technically a sports bar, definitely catered to beer drinker. They have a kids version of hamburger and fries for $ 7 — awesome! Homemade mac and cheese (not Kraft In a box) for $ 6 — delicious (said my son).
I had the Quad Flight — 4 oz sample of 3 different Amber– see pic below. Love the options. My favorite is the La Trapp Quad, so flavorful!
Their bread pudding is to die for — must try!
We had a great dinner but likely to go back to Menlo Park since we now know what to order from the beer to the food, we no longer need the waiter’s expertise!

THE PASTRAMI IS TO DIE FOR!!!
I’ve had Katz Deli in NYC, which is known for the best Pastrami on the planet and its damn good but I have to say the pastrami at Refuge is just as good, if not better!!!
I love the Toasted Slaw Sandwich #19, with a side of garlic fries — This sandwich is perfection.
Pastrami, coleslaw, swiss (not melted), crazy russian dressing –I get it on the side, on toasted rye. I’m not a coleslaw fan because I don’t like mayo but I love the slaw here. It’s not drenched in mayo and gives the sandwich an amazing crunchy texture that goes great with the thick, tender pastrami. The garlic fries are pretty perfect too, probably better than At&t park.
The beer selection rocks! Tons of Belgians bottled and on tap. The atmosphere is very casual and the staff is always attentive and friendly. It gets pretty busy on Friday/​Saturday nights but just give your name to hostess & go next door to Ale Arsanal for a few beers while you wait :)

The Refuge does The Ruben right! I sat at the bar for lunch and ordered a half Ruben with Garlic Fries. Blown away!
The meat in the sandwich was sliced perfectly and the ratio from meat, sauerkraut, crazy Russian dressing and bread was spot on! I loved the Crazy Russian Dressing they use… it’s a lemony thousand island-​type dressing which went great with my excellent garlic fries (ask for an extra side of it instead of the chipotle ranch they give you, you’re welcome).
Let’s talk about the garlic fries though. It seriously rivals AT&T Park’s, no joke. There’s a bit of a twist with these tasty fries. They do not have chunks of garlic and parsley. Instead, they have a potent garlic slurry of something-​or-​other. Hard to explain, but it has the full garlic flavor without the oiliness of garlic oil and butter. They have a great crunch and will leave your fingers a bit tacky from this mysterious garlic slurry they use. Order it and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Service was excellent and I was in and out in 30 mins even as I took my time to savor every bite! Have fun! *garlic burp*

THE WHEEL DOG. yummmmmm. The boyfriend and I got here about 15 minutes before opening but were still helped. I’m not entirely sure what their roles were in the establishment but we were temporarily seated [unless we wish to move once they opened] and given menus.
Our orders were taken upon seating [we did move, and were ready] and my, oh my, the wheel dog is amazing. I got it on a basic level with no cheese but I promise you it’s still wonderful. Extremely wonderful.

Omg.
And I ordered to-​go!
Followed the reviews and ordered the goofy fries and the pastrami #19 (cuz I’m not a huge fan of sauerkraut) + avocado. I had heard the rumors, but I wasn’t prepared for the truth!
First, the goofy fries: these are SUPER garlicky, but incredibly delicious. Lots of melted cheese, garlic, parsley, and HUGE chunks of pastrami. Oh my, oh my — I thought it’d be really heavy, but I inhaled the whole thing because it was so good (yes…a bit of a pig…)
The pastrami sandwich: words cannot even express the deliciousness — thick, hearty slices of pastrami, tasty close slaw, and melted Swiss cheese between two thick slices of toasted sourdough. Given the fact that I’d already downed the goofy fries, I only ate half, but I can’t wait till I get to eat the rest
The one thing that was missing: a nice, cold beer — but that’s what I get for not eating there. They have lots of different beers and I’m really wishing I had eaten there so I could enjoy one with this meal! I guess this just means I need to come back, and come back, I will — and hopefully soon, too!

Gestern sind wir mit in Kalifornien lebenden Bekannten im Refuge gewesen. Angeblich bekommt man hier das beste Pastrami im Umkreis. Da der Laden sehr voll war, mussten wir ein paar Minuten auf einen Tisch warten, was aber nicht weiter tragisch war.
Neben ein paar Vorspeisen, riesigen Fleischplatten, Burgern und normalen Sandwiches, standen auch Pastrami-​Sandwiches auf der Karte. Wir entschieden uns für das Sandwich mit Pastrami, Schweizer Käse und Senf, einer Portion Pommes und Avocado-​Mousse. Das Sandwich war super-​lecker, das Fleisch war saftig und richtig gut gewürzt.
Da ich mir mit meiner Frau ein Sandwich geteilt habe, waren wir beide nicht ganz satt und so bestellten wir noch die Goofy-​Fries, Pommes mit Käse, Knoblauch und Pastrami, ebenfalls sehr lecker.
Als Nachtisch haben wir uns dann den hausgemachten Brownie mit Sahne und Himbeeren bestellt, der sehr lecker aber in seiner Größe doch eher mickrig war.
Das belgische Bier (KWAK) war auch sehr gut.
Das Personal war aufmerksam, allerdings nicht allzu freundlich.
Insgesamt haben wir im Refuge einen schönen Abend verbracht, das Pastrami-​Sandwich ist auf jeden Fall den Besuch wert.