The Refuge

I had a pastrami sandwich. It was really good. I’m not a beer guy but they have a lot of different beers too. So my review is just that the food was great.

I would give this place 5 stars if the prices weren’t so high. But the service was great. We were greeted right away. The. When seated everything flowed smoothly with an appropriate amount of speed. Good came quickly and and the perfect temp. The menu is interesting. You have many choices but of few things. Salads, cheese steaks, burgers and pastrami sandwiches and they favorites. Drink menu was the same thing sodas, beers and wine but many choices of those things. But there was something for everyone for sure. Only I might do different is share plates which will cut cost and wastes food.

Great place for sandwiches and salads! The Reuben is pricey but worth it — and the salads are fresh and delicious. The waitstaff is great and the interior is nice. They have tons of beers to choose from. I highly recommend this place!

Always enjoy The Refuge. We take the dogs and sit outside (beware, outside seating is basically two tables on the sidewalk. Food is always good, I tend to order the mac and cheese followed by the pastrami salad, although I have had the sandwiches and found them to be yummy too!

My first trip to the Refuge I was blown away by the food but was a little apprehensive about returning here after I saw the bill. After a month or so I decided to return here because I just had to satisfy my Pastrami Burger craving. Every time I come back it’s because even though the price might seem a bit high this place is just pure quality.
I have returned to The Refuge multiple times to explore the menu. Nothing quite beats my initial first love The Pastrami Burger, but there are some other noteworthy pieces. The Barbacoa Nachos de Sinaloa are delightful, the barbacoa on those nachos is delicious and isn’t your typical lazy tex-​mex concoction of cheddar cheese slobbed on a plate of tortilla chips. No these are actually good. Other favorites include the parmesan cheesesteak, the goofy fries and the classic Reuben sandwhich.
And if you somehow managed to save a spot for dessert the Superlative Bread Pudding is dynamite with the bourbon sauce.
They have a great beer selection, a couple of great brews on tap such as Stone’s Enjoy By.
I don’t have any real negatives to say about this place. The price is justified in that if it was a bit cheaper I would find it difficult to stop myself from eating there everyday.

After a long hike, we made our way back up to SF and stopped by this place for dinner on Valentines Day. Gimme an outdoor adventure and good food with good company and I’m a happy girl.
We were able to get seated right away, even though the place was fairly crowded.
I ambitiously ordered the Toasted Slaw and my bf ordered the Reuben. We also ordered some Goofy Fries to share. After our long hike, I was not shy to put back on those calories.
The food was tasty, but I definitely only was able to eat half of my sandwich. A solid pastrami spot, but I don’t think I could eat here on the regular.

Had a day to spend in the bay area with friends, our cal guide shepherded us here promising good eats (and libations). As a homebrewer from San Diego I was immediately impressed by the fine assortment of Belgian beers, even more impressive is they try to serve most beers in their respective glasses — bit of a rarity outside Europe, and a classy touch. They also boasted a selection of Perries and homebrew sodas, perfect for those with a sweeter tooth, or those not interested in boozing it up.
Ordered the Wit Cheesesteak with an upgrade to Goofy Fries (when in Rome?). This was accompanied by a Straffe Hendrik (Belgian Tripel). Honestly. it took us at least 10 minutes to figure out what we wanted, my wife ordered a Pastrami Burger, so I got to try that too.
Beers. solid. if you’re not a fan of Belgian beers, they have loads of other great stuff too, not a bad selection in the bunch.
The fries. were hot and garlicy, truly deceiving in that they don’t have mounds of garlic poured over them, yet they pack a punch and will leave you protected from vampires long after eating (and showering). Gluttonous amounts of beer cheese and sausage.
The Wit Cheesesteak. had no idea what I was in for, ordered with beef, the bread is fresh and buttery, melt in your mouth shaved meat with peppers and spices, all glued together with another cauldron load of beer cheese.
The Pastrami Burger. dear lord, this was gone in a blink of an eye, I got a mere bite in before it vanished completely. Copious amounts of peppered Pastrami over a juicy beef patty, Russian Dressing, and soft, buttyer, toasty bun.
Killer lunch, though I did feel like I needed to run a marathon afterwards!
It is a bit pricey, but worth the treat. I think half a cheese steak or maybe no fries next time would have done the trick, loads of food, didn’t make a dent into the fries.
Recommendations: don’t overdo it! The wit cheesesteak was heavier than the Titanic, so with the beer, and the fries, and the sausages, and the extra helping of cheese. it was too much. Next time I’ll keep it a bit lighter, no stars lost, I just got carried away!

We were sitting outside of The Refuge enjoying the warm breezy weather when this nearly naked biatch walks by shaking her big booty side-​to-​side.
*Rolls eyes*
Tater Tot (TT) looks at her, does a 180, and starts salivating like a horny teenage boy.
The usually good mattered TT cannot stop staring at her. I mean how can you not when she’s wearing nothing but a pink diamond studded collar?
I told him it’s rude to stare but he kept giving her googly eyes:
.
I’m telling ya, that long hair chihuahua-​mix got him feeling some type of way. Must be that bush.
While TT and Miss Thang were flirting with each other, my friend and I went ham on The Refuge’s pastrami. Might as well since that’s what they’re known for right?
We started with the much raved about Goofy Fries: Garlic Fries w/​cheese sauce and pastrami ($ 10):
. The cheese sauce was bland, gross, and had an unappetizing texture; mind you, I like radioactive nacho cheese sauce. It’s only purpose of the cheese sauce was making the fries soggy. We ended up eating around the cheese sauce (fries were crisp and nicely garlicky) and picked out what little pastrami bits there were. I would never order this again… unless I was drunk (side note: they have over 100 beers available).
For my main, I ordered the Pastrami Chopped Salad ($ 14):
. It was love at first bite. The salad was chockfull of crisp romaine lettuce, tomatoes, buttery avocado slices, shredded swiss cheese, boiled egg, and perfectly seasoned, rich morsels of pastrami. The pickled onions and tangy mustard vinaigrette cut through the richness, creating a very well-​balanced and deliciously satisfying salad. I usually loathe rye bread but I was pleasantly surprised at how good the toasted rye bread was. It was dense, pleasantly sour, and nicely earthy.
My friend ordered the Pastrami Burger ($ 17.50 + $ 2 avocado):
. He requested that the burger be cooked medium rare (all burgers are cooked medium well by default) but it came out medium. Judging by other reviews, it seems like they tend to overcook their burgers so I would request rare for a medium rare burger. The pastrami burger is a man’s man burger with the double layer of meat. I had a bite and it was incredibly meaty, juicy, and flavorful from the addition of the nicely spiced pastrami. I love meat but it was a bit overkill for me. My friend said, the burger was good but not great.
Considering The Refuge was pretty packed at opening (noon), service was very efficient. Do note that if you sit out front, you may be forgotten and/​or service may not be as attentive. We were second in line before opening but a server didn’t take our order until after taking everyone else’s (25+ people) in the dining room. Other than that snafu, we received our food quickly after ordering so the kitchen is a well-​oiled machine.
The Refuge is essentially a sports bar so it’s super casual with lots of bar seating, flat screen tvs, wooden furnishings, and booths.
Street parking was super easy (there’s a public lot across the street) and it’s free?!? Coming from San Francisco… if you’re even able to find street parking, it’s $ 3-​$ 5 an hour for the meter.
As I was coming back from the restroom, TT looked at me with these sad puppy eyes… Miss Thang and her hoomans had left.
Sorry, buddy. Maybe Missed Connections on Craigslist?

Went in for lunch, party of 2. Seated quickly, server (Austin) came promptly and got our drink order. He was friendly.
We ordered our food. It came in a timely manner.
My brother and I always order 2 different items and share so we can try both. We got the French Onion Dip and Western Chicken Cheesesteak. Garlic fries and Goofy Fries. Everything was really good.
I gave the W.C.C. a 5 star, it was perfect.
The F.O.D. got a 4 and a half, only because the bite I took without dipping it in the soup was just not as good, so you have to dip it. It was still good, just better with the soup.
The Garlic fries were yum and the goofy fries were super yum.
Thank you for the great service and great food. We will be back and bringing others with us. I already told my coworkers to go try it.

Came here on a Saturday around 3:30pm because most if not all the food places around Menlo park was closed
While the pastrami burger looked very enticing, I ended up going with a cheesesteak on the account that it came with FRIES. The servers were super friendly and came to check on us a bunch of times while we were in the restaurant/​bar.
We didn’t get a drink from the bar because I’ve quit trying to day drink. But our water glasses were always full. They were super good about that!
The food in itself was great too. It was a huge cheesesteak sandwich that I ended up unable to finish.
Overall, wonderful experience!

I evidently chose the wrong location for my first taste of The Refuge’s famed pastrami. This outpost is a diner with a bar; not a gastropub. Granted, the beer list is great. Be warned: Most of the brews on tap are high alcohol. Factor that into the equation before getting behind the wheel. Everything else here, from the stock «Please Wait to be Seated» sign at the host (ess) stand to the commodity furniture and condiment caddies on the tables, evokes Friendly’s, not a Belgian bar.
The pastrami is stellar. The smoke, spice, texture and cut are perfect. I even liked the non-​traditional toasted rye. However, it is a crime to bury that fine meat under a heavy coating of mustard and then top it off with a cold slice of Swiss. Yup, the cheese wasn’t melted or even warm. Put the mustard on the side and melt the cheese, people. The pickles were real deal fermented cukes. Good job.
Note that the kitchen closed and the place nearly empty at at 9:30 p.m.on a Wednesday. As I wrote, more diner than pub.
Next time I’ll go to the original San Carlos location. It looks like a real pub experience.

Great selection of beers that changes! Full bar.
Goofy fries are pretty good. The 1^st visit, the goofy fries were served in a paper cone in a stand. The cheese and pastrami wasn’t well mixed. On our 2^nd visit, the goofy fries were served in a small bowl. Mixed much better, more generous amount of the cheese and pastrami.
On the 1^st visit, I had the half pastrami since this is what they’re know for. The half size is a good portion, the full size would put me in a pastrami coma! Tasty, tender, lean & flavorful pastrami. Very good! The fries are decent, no complaints.
On the 2^nd visit, I tried the pastrami with the coleslaw. The swiss cheese is not melted. Also very good, but I prefer the original.
La Diabla had the cheesesteak on the 1^st visit & the hamburger on the 2^nd visit. Of course I tried each. Both very good. Hamburger cooked to order.
Will definately return for more pastrami when closeby.

Great selection of beers. We love their Ruben sandwich. Crispy bread with warm tender juicy meat! Monday night’s buy a glass of beer and take a free glass home. Serve was quick and friendly.

I have to give 5 star for the food even though there are a few things I am annoyed at this place. This is really a 4.5 star. After finished writing, overall they deserve a 4 Star, the food is 5 star!
First, the hamburger here is just amazing! It is worth every penny of the $ 14 they charge!!! The meat is huge, I want to say is at lease a half pound; juicy and tasty. One thing I do wish the waiter had ask how I would like it, because I would have liked it medium to medium rare. It came well done. Since the waiter didn’t ask and I forgot to mention it, I can’t send it back, but it was still delicious! It also came with a bundle of fries!
I ordered a Kwak beer, it was so good! One thing it did annoyed me is that it came with this impressive tall skinny glass with foam of 3 inches tall. Ok, I love my beer and I was always served beer half way titled when they pour so to make sure there is less foam on the top (more beer). I inquired with the waiter and they said «that’s how we serve our beer.» It is either a cost reducing thing or I am just not the Belgium connoisseur.
Let’s talk about the goofy fries, yum yum yum… Thought it was pricey for $ 10.
My non-​beer drinking friends love their cider beer selections, which brought me to a huge surprise.
We really did not care for our waiter. Every time we ask her for her a suggestions, she didn’t know how to answer us. Again she did not ask how we want our burgers! We asked for water, she never brought it to us. 15% tips to her was too generous! I hope to have a better waiter next time.

Love that this place is focused on Belgian and Belgian style beers. They have a decent tap list and a massive bottle list that you can order to drink there or to go.
I almost feel bad giving this place only 3 stars since it encompasses so many things I love like Belgian beer, gastropub, etc. Everything seemed to be on the pricier side although not unexpectedly so. Really the pricier burger and fries I had were just so bland (had a much better burger the next day for multiple dollars less) that I can’t justify bumping it up to a 4 for just the beer and atmosphere.
Definitely be back if I’m in the area as this seems to be the best beer bar in the downtown Menlo Park area. I might just skip the food though or at least order something different.

Have come here three times and left extremely satisfied each time. Best option for pastrami in the area, which isn’t saying much considering the scarcity of quality around. That said, it’s very strong here.
My first visit was over a year ago and played it safe and ordered a simple pastrami on rye for the same price as their other sandwiches, $ 17.95. Why mess it up with all the extras and alterations? It was absolutely delicious. Even moreso after slathering mustard throughout. The pastrami here carries a wonderful, strong flavor with just the right amount of seasoning, so it doesn’t become overly salty.
On my second visit a few months ago, decided to stray a little bit and go for the pastrami chopped salad. What an excellent and massive portion for a mere $ 14. Everything within the salad tasted crisp and fresh and the pastrami morsels were dreamy. Wonderful honey mustard dressing and the warm toast points were great touches on the plate.
And earlier today, settled upon the swiss and mustard option ($ 17.95), which is basically the same thing I ordered the first time except they slip in a slice of swiss in there. Usually don’t like the cheese with my pastrami sandwiches, so not sure why I chose it, but it worked out just dandy. Quality sandwich just I had remembered. Good amount of their lovely pastrami.
Have gotten garlic fries ($ 6) on my last two visits here and they are rock solid as far as fries go. Good infused flavor throughout instead of just random garlic bits littered all on top of the potato demons. They’re so bad for you, but how can you turn down fries when they’re this good? I know I can’t.
I never drink soda. Okay, rarely. Maybe once every three years, more like five or even seven. Anyways, had read about their homemade black cherry soda ($ 4) and how wonderful it was, so decided to give it a shot. Not bad, but nothing amazing either. Perhaps, I don’t drink enough soda to give a proper opinion, but I think I’ll just stick to lemonade or water next time. They have an impressive drink menu and number of quality brews on tap, but alas, I’ve quit drinking for almost six months and don’t plan on falling off the wagon anytime soon.
Interior can feel a little cramped when busy, but not so much that it becomes a serious issue. Service each time I’ve been here has been above average and at least they aren’t very intrusive and bothersome during your meal.
Come here for the pastrami. You won’t be let down.

It took me four tries to get to The Refuge’s «Mother Ship»
, but it only took me one to get to this second location. I guess the Flying Dutchman was on vacation…
Flying solo and famished after an outstanding hike on the Mora Trail, I arrived here for dinner at around 5pm. The ambiance is amazingly similar to the San Carlos location, though this place is a bit bigger. Think slightly upscale gastropub with a Belgian flair (they have at least 20 Belgian beers on tap!) and you’ll be spot on.
I was greeted by two server/​hosts, and was offered my choice of open tables; they led me to a booth with a nice amount of privacy and a good view for picture taking:

In no hurry, I consulted with my very helpful and attentive server Austin, and got tastes of several promising looking Belgian beers. I decided to go with the Affligem Blond.
When it came, I sipped it for a spell, and read the New York times on my Droid.
What I eventually had for dinner was a foregone conclusion — I had been craving that meal for days! Here’s what I got:
Pastrami Reuben — Pastrami, sauerkraut, melted swiss, Russian dressing, on toasted rye

I said it before and I’ll say it again — the Reuben’s here contain the best pastrami to be found West of the Hudson River! Full of flavor and peppered to perfection without overdoing it, The Refuge’s pastrami is totally world-​class. Served on New York rye that’s perfectly toasted and golden brown, I was blissfully happy after a single bite!
Garlic Fries —

One of three types of fries available at the Refuge (the other two being regular and «Goofy» fries; the latter are garlic fries with chunks of Pastrami mixed in) the Garlic Fries are my favorite. They are medium cut and perfectly cooked to a light golden brown, served at the optimal level of crunchiness.
After a delightfully relaxing and delicious meal, I asked my unobtrusively attentive and helpful server for the check, and went back to my hotel quite happy. I highly recommend both this location, and The Refuge’s «Mother Ship» in San Carlos. If world-​class Pastrami and/​or Belgian Beers are what you’re craving, then you can’t possibly go wrong!

I came for a weekday lunch with some coworkers, just beating the lunch rush. I enjoyed the casual atmosphere and the numerous booth seats available.
We were seated immediately and I decided on the Reuben, mac and cheese, and bread pudding to share. The Reuben at $ 18 for a full sandwich was meaty and had hearty, buttery bread. The pastrami is full of flavor and has a great meat to bread ratio. The mac and cheese was unremarkable (nothing compares with the Nordstrom café one!). The bread pudding is one of the best I’ve ever had and really makes the restaurant stand out in my mind. It was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and came with a generous portion of whipped cream and vanilla syrup to drizzle. While it was pretty sweet, it was the perfect foil to our savory meal.
Service was fantastic; our waters were refilled many times and I was able to catch the waiter’s attention for our check very easily despite it being so busy.
At $ 20+ pp, its a little steep for lunch but well worth it, especially for the bread pudding. While I can’t say I would ever crave the Reuben again, it was definitely a decent sandwich. I would probably return just for the bread pudding if I am ever in the area and needing a fabulous dessert!

If you are ever in the mood for a hearty meal, the Refuge will definitely do you right.
Starving and ready to eat on a Friday night, my hubby and I joined my sister and brother-​in-​law for dinner at The Refuge in Menlo park. Located on a side street, parking around the area can be tough, especially for people like me who can’t parallel park to save my life. But luckily my hubby can and found a spot right in front of the tiny establishment.
The restaurant is bigger as you walk in deeper, but the width of it is pretty small. We unfortunately got a booth that felt just a tad bit tight for four people. The menu is a double-​sided sheet of paper with one side featuring beverages and the other small plates, sandwiches, philly cheese-​steaks, hamburgers, and more. There were so many to choose from I had a hard time focusing!
But eventually, I decided on the Champion Cheese-​Steak with beef, my hubby chose the Ohio burger, my sister got the Mole Burger, and my brother-​in-​law the Reuben with pastrami and a side of pâté. Every plate came with a side of fries that can be upgraded to garlic fries or goofy fries (topped with beef and cheese).
Our food came out fairly quick and PIPING HOT. The cheese on my philly cheese-​steak was bubbling and oozing all over the warm bread. The portion was gigantic and even though I was hungry, I had to cut it in half and share it with my hubby (who also gave me half of his burger, so it really didn’t make a difference). The ultra gooey provolone cheese, spicy red bell peppers, and tender meat melted together to create one of the best philly cheese-​steaks I have ever had. It was delicious! As for my hubby’s Ohio burger, I was immensely pleased with the caramelized onions that added an interesting level of sweetness to each bite. The meat was grilled to medium-​well, as all meats should be, and was quite juicy. The one complaint I would make is that I personally like burgers that are more balanced with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. I wasn’t too fond of the monotone color.
I didn’t try my sister’s Mole Burger, but my brother-in-law’s Reuben was really tasty. The pastrami packed a great deal of flavor and when paired with sauerkraut, it added just a bit of tang. The fries on the side were thick, but not too thick, and perfectly golden and crispy. They were so good that I had to push the plate out of reach because I was killing them like there was no tomorrow.
By the end of our meal, we could barely open our mouths let alone order dessert. Prices aren’t too crazy here, which is nice, and you will certainly never leave hungry. Sure, the food isn’t the healthiest around, but at least you know you had a hell of a time eating it. Can’t wait to come back!

4 STAR.
The Refuge has some incredible sandwiches! The Reuben is sooooo good. ½ sandwich is plenty. Bless the soul of the man or woman who finishes the whole sandwich!
I ate at The Refuge with 2 of my best friends who live in Menlo Park for the first time about a month ago… they raved about a sandwich joint/​bar that served amazing sandwiches and also coupled as a bar and cool hang out place. My response was… HUH!!!
Anyway, I agreed to go with them for lunch one Saturday around 1 – 1:30pm. It is located in downtown Menlo Park. We were immediately seated, and greeted by the server. I decided to go with a ½ reuben and ordered a side of garlic fries with aioli. One of my friends ordered the mushroom sandwich and my other friend (his fiancée) also ordered the ½ reuben. We also got the spicy mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. Here are my reviews of the food, including appetizers and dessert:
1. Spicy mozzarella sticks, ~$ 7 – 8 (2 – 3 star) — this was actually the least impressive thing that we ate. They weren’t very spicy, and the sauce that they came with was just ok. We will probably try one of the other appetizers next time.
2. Garlic fries, $ 6 (4 star) — incredible fries. Strong garlic flavor, and great aioli. Enough said.
3. ½ reuben sandwich, $ 9 – 10 (4.5 star) — one of the best sandwiches I’ve had here in the Bay Area! A great rendition of the reuben. As good as the ones I’ve had in New York at Katz Deli. I asked for a side of thousand island to dip my sandwich in there, and it was terrific. Really loved it, and will come back for it again!
4. Bread pudding, $ 6 – 7 (5 star) — holy cow the seasonal bread pudding was just straight unreal. It came with a side of cream and a sweet glaze. OMG — I would go back just for this.
I’ve heard the other sandwiches are unreal as well. My friend who ordered the mushroom veggie sandwich loves it, and he’s not even vegetarian. I’ll be looking to plan another lunch here soon, and possibly update my review with some of the other items that we try. Service is awesome, ambience is great, and the reuben sandwich, fries, and bread pudding are freaking tasty. Yummmm.