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    The Refuge

    4.0 (405 reviews)

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    THE REFUGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Classy
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - The Refuge

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    Rey
    Monica W.

    My sister & I came here last week to eat at The Refuge. Very inconvenient with parking as it is located at the mall so you won't have any issues with that. We got seated right away, and they gave us a cute little kids menu for my daughter. What we ordered: Reuben sandwich: We shared this one with my sister and I. It's a pretty heavy meal so it's nice to be able to share. The pastrami was delicious! Super flavorful. Cheese quesadillas: We got this for my daughter. She actually ate about half of it. I wish there was veggies in it as it is super plain. Fries: You can't go wrong ordering these on the side. The sauce that came with it were delicious! Overall food was decent, service was good! Would love to come back for something different next time!

    Chopped Salad
    Natalia B.

    Stopped by The Refuge for dinner and left very impressed with both the food and the service. The menu is extensive, but they're especially known for their signature pastrami dishes. I ordered the Chopped Salad, which came loaded with warm pastrami, lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, avocado, and more. The honey mustard dressing tied everything together perfectly, and the two slices of rye toast on the side were a nice touch. The portion was very generous. My partner went with the Impossible Burger, which had all the fixings he loves--especially avocado, which is often an extra charge at other places. It came with fries that were hot and perfectly crispy. There was also a specialty sandwich on the menu at the time, similar to a Chicago-style Italian beef, served with hot giardiniera peppers, their rich beef gravy, and fries. Everything we ordered was delicious, and we cleared our plates. We'll definitely be coming back to try more of the menu!

    Allison S.

    Family friendly burger/pub style restaurant tucked in the back corner of Hillsdale mall. I really like that they offered indoor and outdoor seating. Servers were all very nice and food came out quick. They have a huge selection for drinks! Almost overwhelming but I liked trying all new drinks I've never had before. I only got the pulled pork nachos to snack on. I wish they did have other protein options. It wasn't my favorite as it was a bit sour tasting and there was a pool of juices on the bottom of the plate (probably from pork) which made the nachos soggy. The plate was a bit small so it was hard to disperse it around. I would come back to try other items though.

    The Reuben
    Amy T.

    The reuben - oh my god, the most expensive sandwich I ever paid for but I crave their pastrami. It really should come with fries or coleslaw at the price BUT the pastrami is incredible. I usually like a salty and tart sauerkraut, it is not too salty or sour. Spinach & Artichoke Dip - The dip is pretty good, lightly seasoned. The chips are a bit thicker but maybe it would break too easily if they have thinner ones. His fish and chips look overdone but he prefers it that way.

    Lita B.

    My first time here, highly recommended by my companions. I asked them how's the pastrami and they said their specialties are that and cheeseburger. Like comparable to Katz Deli in NY? Maybe. But I ordered the cheeseburger instead. $17.95 for a cheeseburger? Yes it was tender and juicy but I didn't dream about it that night. I could get a cheeseburger with mushrooms at Five Guys cheaper and great flavor. For 3 people, 2 burgers, 1 pastrami burger, fries, beer and ice teas came out to $104. They charged $4 extra to grill my onions. Nothing is cheap anymore.

    Chopped Salad
    Yvonne Y.

    Who would order a salad at a brewery known for its famous Reuben sandwiches? Well, thanks to my friend, I'm now a believer. We had lunch there yesterday, and as always, I was ready to order my usual--soup and a half Reuben. But my friend swears by their chopped salad and insisted it's her go-to. So, I decided to live a little and give it a shot. And guess what? That salad was phenomenal! I'll absolutely be ordering it again.

    Pastrami sandwich!
    Ted C.

    Got the Reuben sandwich and salad - Both came with a generous amount of tender and delicious pastrami. It's a pretty chill spot with indoor and patio seating, and lots of alcohol options as well; a little more expensive than your average sandwich spot, but if you're craving pastrami in the peninsula I'm not sure where else does it better

    Soup & Sandwich (Reuben)
    Neo Naomi T.

    I give the Reuben by the Refuge establishment (whether San Mateo, San Carlos, or the former Mountain View location) a solid 5 out of 5 stars, every time. The flavor profile compliments the pastrami so well, I will always order it over any other food item on the menu. (My family lived off of mouth-watering pastrami sandwiches from NYC delis in the 80s, and this is honestly the closest and the best of what we can get in the Bay! The Pastrami sando on its own somehow doesn't do it for me.) I'm picky about my fries so I skip the fried items here. Besides, I enjoy every morsel of the Reuben I can't think about or fit anything else! I got the Half Soup/Half Reuben and the Coleslaw to share, which I love. The Hibiscus Punch was refreshing and not too sweet ;) I devoured them and was happily full to the brim. Service was courteous and prompt. This Hillsdale location is spacious, gets great natural light, has a lot of indoor and outdoor seating. Convenient to access from the parking structure nearby. There are booths and tables that accommodate smaller and larger parties. I'd definitely come again when I'm in the area.

    Jeannie P.

    It's a great place for pastrami sandwiches. Thank god we ordered many dishes. The fried chichen and waffles was not good at all. But the other two sandwiches ( Ruben and 31) were delicious. The beers were amazing but expensive too! I give 4 stars because the price is very expensive. We ordered 2 sandwiches, one fried chicken , two beers and an onion ring. The bill came to be near 150 including tax and tip! This is so crazy for sandwiches!

    Paolo B.

    I was in the area for work and decided to grab a quick lunch since it's been a couple years. It was a nice day out, so grabbed a table on their outdoor patio. I've had the pastrami and burgers before, both are good, but I decided to go with their tuna melt. I dunno what it is but whenever I see Tuna melts on the menu, I gotta try it. It's one of the most affordable entrees on the menus and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! Good amount of tuna, toasted sourdough bread, and fries. It was definitely enough to make me feel full but not too full. The fries were unseasoned so added table salt and pepper. A little medium well done on the fries but average tasting. Overall, great to see Refuge doing well in this location, it's a solid sit down option at Hillsdale mall and great spot to watch a sports game.

    Mark O.

    Lunch review. American/Pastrami. Poutine Legendary Canadian street food. French fries with cheese curd and brown gravy. (Add Bacon or Pastrami) Swiss & Mustard Pastrami, swiss, toasted rye and Gulden's mustard Pastrami Burger Beef burger, sliced pastrami, melted swiss, sauerkraut and russian dressing served on a burger bun Onion Rings (San Mateo Only) Served with a side of house-made ranch ++Beer selection +Dog friendly Overall, "as good as it gets."

    Soup & Sandwich Combo | cup of tomato soup with half a reuben sandwich alongside pickled onions and a pickle slice
    Katrien K.

    We stopped by for dinner on our way back from a day trip to Santa Cruz. Since it was a Saturday evening, we wisely made a reservation for our group of five through Open Table. We arrived around 7:30 pm and were promptly seated. Surprisingly, the restaurant was relatively calm for a Saturday, with only a few tables occupied. The beer menu is extensive, and the staff is more than willing to offer samples and provide recommendations based on your preferences. The service was attentive and welcoming. I'm not usually a big fan of pastrami, but I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the Reuben sandwich. It came loaded with pastrami, sauerkraut, melted Swiss, Crazy Russian dressing, and was served on toasted rye. I opted for the Soup & Sandwich combo, which included a comforting cup of Tomato Soup. This restaurant has been recommended to us several times by friends, and I'm so glad we finally got to experience it for ourselves!

    Pastrami sandwich with the sauce on the side

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - The Refuge

    Is the cheddar burger made with grass fed beef if not what type of beef is used?

    We use angus beef for all of our burgers. It is not grass fed.

    Do u take apple pay or is there a QR pay option?

    We do take apple pay. We don't currently have a QR code option for pay.

    Do you have potato salad and coca cola?

    Hi Anthony, We do offer Coca Cola; however, we do not have a Potato Salad. You can enjoy a side of… Read more

    What gluten-free options do they have?

    They have a lettuce-wrapped burger available

    When are you opening?

    Hi R I, we will be Opening on Tuesday June 29, from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm. We hope to see you there.… Read more

    View All 9 Questions

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    We are so glad we picked CSM and the Bayview Dining Room for our wedding ceremony and reception…read more Unlike some of the other venues we toured, the dining area is big and airy. It has floor-to-ceiling glass windows/walls that provide great views of the bay and blue sky above. Our guest list was pretty small, so we had tons of extra room, but the set-up staff made it work really well, filling the space with extra bar tables and couches with coffee tables to provide a variety of areas for mingling and lounging. Between the patio, the main dining area, the dance floor, and the bar/lounge areas, our guests had tons of space and options, and they used it all. We had our ceremony here, too. The fountain provided a very nice backdrop, and the balcony allowed our photographer to get some neat shots of the ceremony and all our guests from above. We were lucky to have pretty much perfect weather on our big day, and our guests couldn't stop talking about the view. They loved taking pictures on the patio with the bay and blue sky behind them. Both prior to and on the big day, Allison was great to work with. She was easily accessible via email, quickly answered any and all questions, and was very friendly and accommodating. On the day itself, the setup and catering/bar staff members were great, too. They were efficient, friendly, and helpful. We were very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food, both at the tasting and on the wedding day. Many of our guests shared how much they enjoyed the meal - especially the ice cream sundae bar! On the booze front, we provided the alcohol and mixers for the bar, which likely saved a lot of money; the corkage fees were very reasonable and the bar staff were friendly and kept the drinks flowing. Overall, CSM and Pacific Dining were a great choice for us. Having our wedding at a college felt a little unorthodox at first, but it suited us so well. The space was excellent, the rates were very reasonable, the food was great, and the staff was friendly and helpful. We had a fabulous day, and if we had to do it over again, we wouldn't change a thing.

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    I've been a member at the elks for the past 3 years and I wish I joined sooner. It's a great place…read moreto relax, meet incredible people, and bring the family to the pool for summers and events. I really enjoy the gym, steam room, sauna, and jacuzzi on a weekly basis. The people here always say hi and are very friendly. I might be on the younger side but don't mind learning from our older members. Everyone here is very respectable and great. I like taking my kids here over the summer to the pool to enjoy. They also have a cantina bar to enjoy a cocktail or beer under the sun. They also have Wednesday night dinners for a reasonable price. Also throughout the year they have many events to enjoy. I would recommend checking them out.

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    Elks Lodge No 1112 - My daughters birthday was a complete success! They really work with you to find a good price to fit your need!

    My daughters birthday was a complete success! They really work with you to find a good price to fit your need!

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    The Refuge - burgers - Updated May 2026

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