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Pastrami, belgian beer and burgers - The Refuge - San Mateo, San Mateo, CA

The Refuge - San Mateo

4.7
4.7
109 Reviews
$30 and under
Gastro Pub

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
  • Great for craft beers
  • Good for groups
  • Innovative
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

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 109 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Good for groups

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Lively

  • Peninsula

    Great for brunch

  • Peninsula

    Kid-friendly

  • Peninsula

    Innovative

  • Peninsula

    Good for groups

  • Peninsula

    Hot spot

  • Peninsula

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Refuge in San Mateo offers a delightful dining experience with "service above and beyond" and a menu that features "excellent pastrami" and a "huge beer selection." The outdoor patio is perfect for gatherings, and the attentive staff ensures a memorable visit. Don't miss the "amazing sauerkraut and Ruben sandwich."

109 Reviews

  1. Paul

    VIP

    Baltimore

    41 reviews

    4.0

    41 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Best Pastrami west of the Mississippi. Miss the Lambic beers.

    Is this helpful?

  2. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 1, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was good. Portions were a little smaller than expected.

    Is this helpful?

  3. OpenTable Diner

    VIP

    Pittsburgh

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was extra good today. Service is excellent. You never have to wait for someone to refill your drink. Food comes out fast and hot. Always a great dinning experience. Rueben was excellent just like we ordered them with the meat extra lean. I highly recommend this restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

  4. David

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Mainly beer with a few wines. No bar! Sandwiches are good but expensive for what you get. Service was excellent. Ambiance is upscale Dennys like.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Brad

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Beer selection is excellent, and food is delicious. Menu is rather meat-heavy, which is great if that's what you want. Their pastrami is really delicious; juicy and flavorful.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Mary

    VIP

    San Francisco

    12 reviews

    4.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Menu items well thought out! If you love pastrami, this is the place. The care they take to prepare and combine food items makes this a go to place on our rotation of feel good restaurants.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Ric

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 27, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    attended the Refuge first beer and food pairing, both were exceptional, worth every bit of the cost

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  8. Jean

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on October 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I was unaware that the refuge had taken over the outback location at Hillsdale Mall. We were celebrating my nephew’s 26th birthday. The service was slow, but that was good as we were talking and enjoying each other‘s company. It looked like out on the porch, they were having a trivia night that many people were enjoying The food and the service was excellent.

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  9. Lauren

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 19, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place for family, large or small group, or a quick date! Food is always good, appetizers come out quickly too — so my tip is to get those started first before you peruse the rest of the menu. HUGE beer selection and excellent pastrami. Service is great, outdoor seating is quiet even though it’s parallel to the street, there are plenty of heating lamps as well. A reliable restaurant!

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  10. Natalie

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on October 7, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We held our son's 10th bday party and loved it. The boys were happy with the food and the service was exceptional

    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 4.7 stars by 109 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 18 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Refuge - San Mateo

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.
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