963 Laurel St, San Carlos CA 94070
(650) 598-9813
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tues-Thurs 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-9pm; Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm; Sat-Sun 12pm-10pm; Closed Sun-Mon (except for private parties)
http://refugesc.com/
Last Visited: May 3, 2013
Food: 3 to 4 stars (5 star pastrami)
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
Jay and Milly told me about The Refuge and their yummy pastrami. Unfortunately, the first time I tried to go, they were closed because it was a Sunday. Note that they are also closed on Mondays too.
Enter the dark restaurant and you'll see booths on one side and a bar on the other. Tables are set in between as well. The Refuge boasts 18 types of Belgian beer on tap as well as bottles. However, their claim to fame is their amazing pastrami. If that isn't enough to whet your appetite, they also have ribeye cheesesteaks and burgers too. Don't worry, if you're on a gluten-free diet, they also offer a pastrami chopped salad.
- Pastrami Reuben - Pastrami, sauerkraut, melted swiss, Russian dressing, toasted rye. When the menu says their ultra-tender pastrami is created in house, from the heart of the navel, served warm with pickles and pickled onions, it might give you high expectations, but indeed, The Refuge serves pastrami that really is ultra-tender. The pastrami sandwiches here are eye-catching and piled high with pastrami. It's not thinly sliced as you might find at other places, but hand-cut into thick pieces and mounded between toasted rye. While I've had better bread elsewhere, wow, I couldn't believe how it just melts in your mouth. Each bite really is ultra-tender and lives up to the menu description. If you aren't a big eater, this sandwich could easily be shared by two people. The toasted slices of bread could be crispier, but you won't be disappointed by the wonderful cured meat. I actually would give the food a higher rating if the bread had been toasted more. Four pickle spears are topped with pink pickled onion and served on the side. Just in case you don't like sauerkraut, you can also choose from pastrami with coleslaw or with swiss and mustard. Must try. $16
- Green Salad - shredded Romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, spring mix, pickled onions and tomatoes. While the menu says the dressing is a red wine vinaigrette, it looks more like a balsamic dressing when the flash isn't on. The little bowl is packed, so while it doens't look like a lot, it's a good quantity. You're better off getting a large plate to mix the vegetables better if you like your salad evenly dressed since there is really no room to turn it in its original container. Good and fresh. $4
- Garlic Fries served with hot chile mayo - The garlic fries are tasty - you definitely won't forget that you ordered them with garlic sauce. The hot chile mayo isn't too hot (or maybe the garlic made it less noticeable, but it pairs well with the fries). $6Service would have gotten a higher rating if they had come to take our order sooner - we were sitting around waiting for quite a few minutes looking for someone to take my order even though there weren't many patrons present yet. Also, after the food had been delivered, nobody came around between that time and the end of the meal to check on us.
A couple of items to note: the Refuge is family friendly - there were a lot of little kids present. Be sure to get there early. Even though there is outdoor seating, the place fills up very quickly. It's a bit noisy, but has a fun feel. The Refuge serves up a delicious treat - you won't want to miss this pastrami experience.
