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Pastrami, Belgian Beer and Burgers - The Refuge - San Carlos, San Carlos, CA

The Refuge - San Carlos

4.8
4.8
56 Reviews
$30 and under
Gastro Pub

Make a booking

2 people
21:30
Booked 5 times today
  • Charming
  • Child-friendly
  • Neighbourhood gem
As seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, The Refuge has been thriving in San Carlos since 2008. Let The Refuge be your haven from the ordinary. Make this upscale restaurant and pub your choice for first rate fare and brew today. If you're craving tenaciously-tender, juicy pastrami, authentic cheesesteaks, house-ground burgers, dazzling salads or savory soups, , Refuge is the place to be.

Husband and wife team Matt Levin and Melanie Roth run the show here alongside a gifted, attentive and conscientious team in the front and back of the house. Come for a classic Americana-style menu with a most extensive offering of beer. Choose from 18 different Belgian styles on tap and many more in the bottle.

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
    Tue–Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm Tue–Fri 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm Sun 11:30 am–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (650) 598-9813
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Michael Greuel
  • Private party facilities
    Celebrate your next special event at The Refuge. Let us host you on our spacious heated outdoor patio or indoor cozy dining room.
  • Area
    San Carlos
  • Cross Street
    Morse Rd. & Arroyo Ave.
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Caltrain - San Carlos stop
  • Additional
    Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options

What 56 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

56 Reviews
  1. Dana

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 18 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love The Refuge! The pastrami is consistently good, and they easily and pleasantly accommodate our dietary requests (gluten and dairy allergies) as well as our 5 year olds custom order. Eating on the front patio is pleasant. The servers are friendly.

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  2. Marta

    VIP

    San Francisco

    230 reviews

    4.0

    230 reviews

    Dined on 20 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The hot pastrami sandwich and the onion rings are excellent. The sandwich is a perfect blend of generous meat, saurkrout and Russian dressing on rye. The rings are coated perfectly in a crisp deep fried batter...come hot and delicious. Service is friendly and attentive.

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  3. Tom

    VIP

    New York City

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 23 August 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was great - wonderful service, great food. Even though we sat outside, it was a bit noisy - I think the table are a bit too close together.

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  4. Josephine

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 21 August 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Food is pretty average and a little pricey for what it is. But we went for trivia night which was a fun draw and the main reason we were there.

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  5. DrJ5701

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 20 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    For lovers of Belgian beer on draft, this restaurant is as good as it gets. And the Reuben sandwich was perfect.

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  6. SFDI

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 18 July 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic pastrami sandwiches, goofy fries, and beverages!

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 June 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    First time at this establishment was memorable for service and food. I was able to try a Belgian ale on tap that I had heard about. The wait staff was excellent and gave us recommendations on their menu. Will go again and enjoy the experience. We watched the Giants/ Dodgers game and two America cup football games while we ate.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 11 June 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Early lunch date so minimal noise & maximum service! All food there good but house pastrami salad exceptional. Very large portion so divide between 2 diners-cost effective & just delicious. Nice shaded outdoor seats available.

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  9. DanaG

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 7 June 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Each time we have dined at The Refuge, we have been greeted warmly and really enjoyed our experience. The food is consistently delicious and plentiful, and the beer selection is fun and unique. One of our diners has gluten (celiac) and dairy allergies, and the staff could not be more attentive and careful. We cannot wait to return for another tasty meal.

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 May 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was quick, but somewhat pesky afterwards. The waiter just checked on us way too often. The food was pretty average compared to past experiences there, and the wait staff forgot an entire dish altogether, so we had to remind the waiter twice to take that dish off of the bill. I couldn't even finish the "goofy fries" because the garlic oil coating on the fries overpowered everything else on the dish. I couldn't even taste the cheese or the pastrami. Definitely a forgettable dish. All in all, not great, and not terrible either, but hardly worth the trip from the city.

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FAQs

The Refuge - San Carlos offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. The Refuge - San Carlos also offers takeaway which you can order by calling the restaurant at (650) 598-9813.

The Refuge - San Carlos is rated 4.8 stars by 56 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
21:30
Booked 5 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Refuge - San Carlos

963 Laurel St, San Carlos, CA 94070

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Morse Rd. & Arroyo Ave.
  • Area
    San Carlos
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm Tue–Fri 5:00 pm–9:00 pm 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
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Caltrain - San Carlos stop
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Michael Greuel
  • Additional
    Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options
  • Phone number
    (650) 598-9813
  • Private party facilities
    Celebrate your next special event at The Refuge. Let us host you on our spacious heated outdoor patio or indoor cozy dining room.
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  • Terms of Use
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