The Refuge - San Mateo

Name: The Refuge - San Mateo
Address: 66 31st Ave, San Mateo, CA, United States, 94403-3404
Telephone: (650) 458-3044
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.5

4.5

113 Reviews

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Make a booking

2 people

5 Jan 2025

19:00

Booked 10 times today

Great for craft beers
Child-friendly
Good for groups

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 11:30–21:00 Sun 11:30–20:00
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
Area
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, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 113 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.6Service
4.1Ambience
3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

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."

113 Reviews

A
Adam
San Francisco
5 reviews
2.0
5 reviews
Dined today
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.
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P
Peggy
San Francisco
15 reviews
4.0
15 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
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.
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J
Jennifer
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
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.
Is this helpful?
J
Jonathan
San Francisco
36 reviews
5.0
36 reviews
Dined on 24 December 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!
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P
Paul
VIP
Baltimore
41 reviews
4.0
41 reviews
Dined on 4 December 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?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 1 December 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?
OT
OpenTable Diner
VIP
Pittsburgh
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 30 November 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.
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D
David
San Francisco
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 17 November 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.
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B
Brad
Philadelphia
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on 17 November 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.
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M
Mary
VIP
San Francisco
12 reviews
4.0
12 reviews
Dined on 2 November 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.
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FAQs

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

The Refuge - San Mateo is rated 4.5 stars by 113 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

5 Jan 2025

19:00

Booked 10 times today

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.
Area
San Mateo
Hours of Operation
Mon–Sat 11:30–21:00 Sun 11:30–20:00
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, Takeaway, 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 booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Menu

What 113 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

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 bookings?

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information