The Refuge - San Mateo

4.6

119 Reviews

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 12 times today

Experiences are available.

Great for craft beers
Good for groups
Great for brunch

As featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, The REFUGE specializes in hand-carved, ultra tender, boldly flavored navel pastrami which is sending shockwaves throughout the gastronomic consciousness of patrons who call it “the greatest this planet will see in some time.” The REFUGE boasts the world’s best Belgian and Craft Beer on draught (24 in San Mateo) in the Bay Area, with many more by bottle.

Since 2008, the REFUGE has been providing protection for many East Coast street food classics especially the hand-carved navel pastrami. But wait, just for good measure, we grind our own blend of hamburger on a daily basis as well as procure our own Ribeye Blend for our Authentic CheeseSteaks.

We also offer honest Old World wine, dazzling salads and eclectic appetizers. Casual connoisseurs unite! This place is the real deal. Whether it’s a quick lunch, a raging evening, a private event, take-out or delivery, the REFUGE experience is unlike any other place at any one time.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, American, Deli
Hours of operation
Mon–Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm Sun 11:30 am–8:00 pm
Phone number
(650) 458-3044
Website
http://www.refugesc.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Michael Greuel
Catering
The Refuge San Mateo offers party platters and catering with 3 ways to order: <br />CALL: 650-458-3044 | E-MAIL: CATERING@REFUGESC.COM | ORDER ONLINE @ REFUGESC.COM
Private party facilities
Celebrate your next special event at The Refuge. Our location in the new development at the Hillsdale Shopping Center can accommodate large groups from 20 to 250. Let us host you on our spacious outdoor heated patio or our indoor Eagle room.

Location
66 31st Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403-3404
Neighborhood
San Mateo
Cross street
Corner of Sailer Dr. and 31st Ave in the Hillsdale Shopping Center.
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
Caltrain - Hillsdale stop
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Refuge San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!
Feb 24, 2025 only
Come join us Monday Night from 6pm - 8pm for our Bi-Weekly Trivia Night at Refuge San Mateo! $30 voucher goes to the first-place team!
Refuge San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!
Mar 10, 2025 only
Come join us Monday Night from 6pm - 8pm for our Bi-Weekly Trivia Night at Refuge San Mateo! $30 voucher goes to the first-place team!
San Fransisco Beer Week: Boulevard Brewing Co!
Feb 21, 2025 - Feb 22, 2025
Join us for a night of splendid imbibing of some the rare grog that we're getting from our friends Boulevard Brewing Co. based out of Kansas City, Missouri!

Offers

REFUGE San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!
Feb 24, 2025 only
Mon - 5:00 PM - 8:45 PM
Come join us Monday Night from 6pm-8pm for our Bi-weekly Trivia Night at REFUGE San Mateo in the Hillsdale Shopping Center! $30 voucher goes to the first place team!
REFUGE San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!
Mar 24, 2025 only
Mon - 5:00 PM - 8:45 PM
Come join us Monday Night from 6pm-8pm for our Bi-weekly Trivia Night at REFUGE San Mateo in the Hillsdale Shopping Center! $30 voucher goes to the first place team!
REFUGE San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!
Apr 7, 2025 only
Mon - 5:00 PM - 8:45 PM
Come join us Monday Night from 6pm-8pm for our Bi-weekly Trivia Night at REFUGE San Mateo in the Hillsdale Shopping Center! $30 voucher goes to the first place team!

What 119 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.7Service
4.3Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Refuge in San Mateo is celebrated for its "best pastrami west of the Mississippi" and exceptional service. Diners enjoy a vibrant atmosphere perfect for family gatherings or fun date nights, with a "huge beer selection" and diverse menu. While some find it pricey, many feel it's "worth every bit of the cost."

119 Reviews

I
Isaac
VIP
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic food, great drinks, super fast service! We drive from pretty far to come here.
Is this helpful?
M
Marta
VIP
San Francisco
235 reviews
4.0
235 reviews
Dined on January 30, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Best pastrami Ruben in the Universe. Friendly, attentive waitstaff. Order the onion rings, you won't go wrong.
Is this helpful?
A
Ann
VIP
San Francisco
20 reviews
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on January 30, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a wonderful experience at The Refuge. Great food and fantastic service. Great place to dine with family or fun date night. There is something for everyone on the menu. Great new beers and ciders on tap make each visit memorable. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Is this helpful?
J
Judy
San Francisco
23 reviews
5.0
23 reviews
Dined on January 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great time! Thanks Refuge for sponsoring a fundraiser for our Temple. The service was very friendly and the menu had an even longer cocktail and beer list than the food menu. Hubs gave that a thumbs up. Way to go! Our pastrami Sammy’s were delicious, saved half for lunch. Will be going back soon.
Is this helpful?
L
Lady
San Francisco
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Thanks for hosting our lunch meeting today. Food was delicious!
Is this helpful?
A
Adam
San Francisco
5 reviews
2.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 5, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
The photos were misleading since I was hoping to find a quiet and nice place for a date, and that had better food. Instead, the food was disappointing. The burger patty wasn't properly formed or properly cooked. Also, unless you're mixing steak meat with your patty, ground beef should never be raw in the middle. Burgers should be pink in the middle and or medium, not rare unless you're having a steak burger. Also, this place was too casual for going on a nice date. More like a loud sports bar that happened to be kind of empty. I won't go back here ever again. Burger was way over salted like someone spilled the bottle in the ground beef by accident. Fries were not tasty or properly crispy. Price for value didn't make much sense, but if you have poor taste or you don't care about quality, then you probably won't notice. I'll be amazed if this restaurant can keep its doors open for much longer serving lousy food like this. No complaints about the service. They were responsive and fairly quick, but in all fairness, the place was not busy at all. No need to make a reservation and I really don't understand why this place was even listed on Open Table to begin with. What a disgrace.
Is this helpful?
t
thelma
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great experience for a family gathering,, three generations coming together. We felt comfortable and well attended to. Refuge has the best pastrami in town as well as myriad of delectable choices for all ages
Is this helpful?
P
Peggy
San Francisco
15 reviews
4.0
15 reviews
Dined on January 4, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very fast service and delicious food. My party of four really enjoyed their food: pastrami salad, Philly cheesesteak, soup/sandwich combo, and pastrami on rye. We all drank tap water. Our bill came out to $90+ and after tip, it cost each of us $30. As delicious as the food was and the wonderful service, a simple meal in a non-white tablecloth venue is steep for $30. I really like this place but can't afford meals like this on a regular basis; that's for sure.
Is this helpful?
J
Jennifer
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 31, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
You just can’t go wrong when you take your family to the Refuge. I love their pastrami and the fries with the chili mayo. The only wish I have is that they would bring the Aspall dry cider to the San Mateo location too. It’s my favorite! I tend to go to the San Carlos location more often so I can have it with my pastrami fix.
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J
Jonathan
VIP
San Francisco
38 reviews
5.0
38 reviews
Dined on December 24, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our pastrami salads were fantastic, and the selection of beers on tap is unmatched!
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Refuge - San Mateo offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. The Refuge - San Mateo also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (650) 458-3044.

The Refuge - San Mateo is rated 4.6 stars by 119 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 12 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

66 31st Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403-3404

Additional information

Cross street
Corner of Sailer Dr. and 31st Ave in the Hillsdale Shopping Center.
Neighborhood
San Mateo
Hours of operation
Mon–Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm Sun 11:30 am–8:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Gastro Pub, American, Deli
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
Caltrain - Hillsdale stop
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Michael Greuel
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.refugesc.com/
Phone number
(650) 458-3044
Catering
The Refuge San Mateo offers party platters and catering with 3 ways to order: <br />CALL: 650-458-3044 | E-MAIL: CATERING@REFUGESC.COM | ORDER ONLINE @ REFUGESC.COM
Private party facilities
Celebrate your next special event at The Refuge. Our location in the new development at the Hillsdale Shopping Center can accommodate large groups from 20 to 250. Let us host you on our spacious outdoor heated patio or our indoor Eagle room.

The Refuge - San Mateo

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Experiences

Refuge San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!

Refuge San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!

San Fransisco Beer Week: Boulevard Brewing Co!

Offers

REFUGE San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!

REFUGE San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!

REFUGE San Mateo Bi-Weekly Trivia Night!

Menu

What 119 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does The Refuge - San Mateo offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is The Refuge - San Mateo restaurant rated?

Is The Refuge - San Mateo currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information