The Refuge - San Carlos

4.7

56 Reviews

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Make a booking

2 people

22 Dec 2024

19:00

Booked 6 times today

Charming
Great for outdoor dining
Child-friendly

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
Website
http://www.refugesc.com/
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.

Location
963 Laurel St, San Carlos, CA 94070
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

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.3Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

56 Reviews

D
Dana
San Francisco
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
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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M
Marta
San Francisco
229 reviews
4.0
229 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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T
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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J
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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DJ
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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SF
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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OT
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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OT
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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DG
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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OT
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 4.7 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

22 Dec 2024

19:00

Booked 6 times today

Order delivery or takeout

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

Website
http://www.refugesc.com/
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.

The Refuge - San Carlos

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Menu

What 56 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

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

How is The Refuge - San Carlos restaurant rated?

Is The Refuge - San Carlos currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information