Other than being locked out before opening hours? Excellent place to satisfy any pastrami, ruben, or burger hankering you may have imagined or had. Wait staff attentive and courteous. Watch out 5 star prices come with 5 star ratings. And oh, by the way - this happens to be be the best place on 5 continents for bread pudding. Come all ye who may dare. You'll enjoy it. Just don't show up early.
Awesome place food was excellent bartenders were super kool would definitely be back and recommend this spot hidden gem on the Pen..
Really incredible pastrami, but the cheddar burger also rocks. Great staff, wonderful beer selection.
In a word? Exceptional! Great Brew, vibe, pastrami, salad, pot du creme. Find this place and enjoy.
Love the place, and the staff were very friendly. Had the chopped pastrami salad. Now, THAT'S the way to serve pastrami! Thick cut then cubed. The pickled onions were a nice touch and made the dressing unnecessary.
And the beers are great too. But that's a given.
Best pastrami ever!! Just melts in your mouth!! As well as the best crispy French fries!! Amazing! Worth every cent!
Sherry Evanoff LaSalle
+5
Yummy! Great place, love the food! Order the pastrami anything! You will not be disappointed!
Deborah Wathen Woosley
+5
I had the best pastrami sandwich there, it was so delish�. The atmosphere was pleasant, super fast service. The staff was superior.
I had the toasted pastrami w/slaw sandwich and my husband had the pastrami burger plus we shared an order of goofy fried. It was INCREDIBLE. Our server was great!!
For me it was the Best pastrami sandwich I've ever had. Not salty or dry melts in your mouth. I had the nachos for a starter excellent
Excellent food especially if you love pastrami! The service was great very knowledgeable.
The Reuben is to die for! Perfectly cooked pastrami with grilled rye bread. I'm definitely coming back. The pear walnut salad was huge. The serve 85 different beers. Sadly no Bloody Mary's.
Absolutely fantastic! I had the pastrami with Swiss! It was like I was back in New York. This is a must visit!!!
Excellent burgers,outstanding beer, French wine. What's not to love?
Pastrami and Belgian Ale. We went intending to sample the well reviewed burger and the beers. Good, informed service. Outstanding beer list. Tried the excellent pulled pork fries as an appetizer. The the Reuben and the cheddar burger for main course. The pastrami is head and shoulders the best offering here - thick, lean, tasty.
Burger came overcooked to a very hot well done (asked for medium). This no doubt impacted flavor. We did not finish the burger but enjoyed every morsel of the Reuben. Fries and pickle were average. All in all, go for the pastrami and the beers.
The Refuge is the official name, but another term that comes to mind is Belgian beer oasis. Love this place!
Heaven. When the Refuge first opened up I really didn't think it would last because I didn't think so many people shared my fondness for Belgian beer and Pastrami sandwhiches. Turns out I was wrong. This place is HEAVEN. Hardest part for me is figuring out which of the 15 Belgian beers to start with although my favorite now is the Alagash 4 and the Bernardus ABT 12 (careful, these beers are a bit more potent than your normal bar variety). The pastrami is cut thick like flank stank and incredibly tender. The other reason the place is so popular is that it's casual and kid friendly. They have booths, good burgers and fries, and the music and open room create a din of noise so you're not self-conscious when your child pushes all their utensil on to the floor. Although that may just be the beer kicking in.
Awesome restaurant. Great pastrami on rye and cold beer. We will be back.
Noisy but Good. Our first visit was early in the evening soon after the Refuge opened. The charcuterie and selection of Belgian beer are excellent. We suggested it for meeting up with visiting friends, only to discover that later in the evening it's so noisy you must shout across the table to be heard. Not so great for visiting, and the service is on the casual side, but no complaints about the food and drink. A nice feature is that you can custom order a platter with the meats and cheese of your choice. They add various condiments which go superbly with your selection.
Awesome Pastrami and Excellent Beer. The title says it all. Their pastrami is some of the best I have ever had and their eclectic list of specialty beers pair well with many of their dishes.
I have had this place flagged for a visit on my next Bay Area trip ever since I saw it on The Travel Channel’s Triple D with Guy Fieri.
12-19-21:
Love this place! First time trying this place and really enjoyed the pastrami sandwich! Served with a pickle and pickled onions. The pastrami was very tender and spiced perfectly! Will definitely come back for more pastrami!
Completed my meal with an order of fries 🍟.
Surprised by their extensive 🍺 selection. Got a hoppy taster which included 4 oz of a Revision Brewing IPA, a Barebottle Brewing hazy IPA, and an Alvarado Brewery Double IPA 👍. All 🍻 were really great. Nice job of combining three great 🍻.
Will definitely be back again for more delicious food!
Best pastrami sandwich ever, the slaw and mustard sauce just blends perfect. Also had the Garlic fries that were amazing as well as Barbacoa nachos. Service is top notch, never been checked on so many times ever to make sure everything is to your expectations. In town for a jujitsu tournament in Palo Alto and this place was recommended. They feature Belgian beers and have a huge selection. I’m very positive this place was featured on triple DDD. Enjoy the pics and out this on your bucket list of
Places to eat! #refugesc
Good staff, good food, good location. The pastrami is popular here. There’s indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating has heaters for those that wish to stay warm.
Best pastrami ever! Their pastrami is comparable to the most respectable Texas smoked brisket. I had the pastrami steak which was 1" thick, tender, & incredible.
Got myself their ruben sandwich, there is an option to get half. It was great! Really tasty, lots of meat and good sauce. Comes with a sliced pickle and onions(?). Food came quick and everyone was nice. They have a sheltered outdoors area for lunch. It's priced at $21.45, so a bit steep for a lunch. I wouldnt mind the price so much if it came with some fries.
I also got myself a stout beer from Jamaica for $7, bottled. They have lots of Belgian beers but were just out of my price range for a lunch.
I'd recommend this place for beer and ruben lovers. I'd only come here for special "treat myself" days.
Tried the ruben sandwich, pastrami #19 sandwich and the goofy fries. The meat was very good and juicy. Some parts of the meat had the fat attached and just tasted delicious. The sauerkraut was pretty tasty and not over powering. The pastrami was also like the Ruben but with coleslaw. Had the same meat but not as tasty as the ruben. As you eat the sandwich, meats start to fall out of the sandwiches and your gonna need napkins and probally a fork to pickup the fallen meat. The goofy fries had pastrami chunks,cheese sauce,heavy garlic flavor and cilantro. It was good but I think its a overkill when your eating a sandwich with the same kind of meat. We had to go but they didn't put in napkins or forks. So your gonna need to ask for them because your gonna need them for sure. If you look at your receipt, they add a wellness fee of 2% and they have a suggested additional tip all totalled for you. The sandwiches average $20 each.
Great lunch after hiking at Pulgas Ridge Open Space... Chill outdoor seating and a smart waiter. The beer was a shot in the dark, but hit the mark 🎯😋
Pastrami isn’t one of my go to foods, but given what I had heard about the pastrami here, I had to get it. I ordered a Ruben and it was extraordinary. The pastrami was extremely tender, had the right balance of flavor, and the rye bread was mild and perfectly toasted. I’m not a pastrami, rye bread, or Ruben connoisseur to judge how well the sandwich ranks in those categories, but on my foods I enjoy rank, this sandwich is tops. Still something I think about. Service was excellent so the my glass of ice tea never empty and the wait staff was very friendly.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes