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Categories: American (New), Wine Bars, Sandwiches [Edit]
963 Laurel StTue-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"Every time I walk into Amarco, I find a new wine from another corner of the world which you will never see at BevMo or other grocery stores.…" read more »
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This is the kind of place that you love to recommend, but really would rather keep as your little secret. Even so, anytime I meet another beer enthusiast (especially a Belgian fan), The Refuge will be a guaranteed part of the conversation.
The beer selection is excellent, and the staff is knowledgeable; they can usually make a good recommendation based on even the vaguest expression of personal preference, so don't be shy and let them help you find a beer that you'll like. (If you're still in doubt, Delirium Tremens is one of my favorite). Don't go during peak hours if you want much back and forth with the waiter though; it will be too loud and him too rushed.
The food is roundly delicious, and clearly intended for consistent pairing with their beers; enjoy them together.
A couple minuses include...
- I'm disappointed that they don't serve Fin du Monde any more; apparently it's not as cost effective. If you're a fan make sure to ask for it, and maybe they'll bring it back.
- A little too pricey for a regular outing; between a pair of beers and a meal you'll easily spend $40 per person
I'm visiting my Uncle in Redwood City for the week-- he lovingly calls his hometown "Deadwood". But The Refuge was anything but dead when we left Thursday night with salted pastrami and sweet Belgian beer lingering on our taste buds. You know you've found something special when you immediately begin planning the next time you're able to come back.
I don't often review on Yelp, and I'll say that I have a personal obsession with Belgian beers so I may be a bit biased-- but if you're in town, don't miss it.
Be sure to check out any of their tripel and trappist Belgians on tap (the limited 2009 Le Trappe is ~10%+ alcohol but goes down like smooth, sweet cider). And of course, something with pastrami it-- the chopped salad is delicious.
Wanted to meet someone coming up from San Jose, so we decided on this as we both love Belgian beers.
* Time - Fri night, around 6pm.
* Wait time for table - solid 45mins, not bad as we were drinking Belgian beers.
* Beers - excellent, but pricey. On average, $8 per beer. Typical for Belgians.
* Food - Great. We all got cheese-steak sandos. We all scarfed them down.
* Atmosphere - OK... I was expecting a more divey style bar, but this is more of a suburban utopia, complete with families and screaming kids.
If you want good food an beer, try this place out. If you want quiet and no kids, go elsewhere.
Epic pastrami...
I dream about their sandwiches. They're that good. Coleslaw with russian dressing please. OMG.
The only gripe I have with them is their hours. Not open Sun/Mon... seriously? If you ever want a good laugh, call off-hours and listen to their phone message.
Reuben is tasty although doesn't have the feel of the Reubens I'm used to. I have a preference for the thinly sliced meat piled into an enormous sandwiches (like so big it could be cut into thirds).
I have a big appetite so this sandwich was almost too small for me. I scarfed it down along with the pickle (enormous) and a side of pretty tasty very hot fries.
For sixteen dollars a la carte I expect a bigger sandwich.
Lots and lots of 8 or 9 dollar beers. Everyone seemed happy with the choices. I'm not a big enough drinker to really care.
The Skinny: Two beers, a pastrami sammich and fries.
The Damage: $45 incl/tax and tip for me.
The Lowdown: The Koningshoeven Quadrupel was as good as it gets. The Kwak came in a funky coachman's glass and was funky tasting, but I'll skip it from now on. The pastrami was very good, but the rye was a too bready, but they did have the famed cole slaw/russian dressing option.
Fucking awesome food. I've not been disappointed by anything I've had to eat there, which includes the pastrami, cheeses, salad, garlic fries, etc. Not all in one sitting mind you, though if I could physically eat it all in one go I would.
And then there's the abundance of Belgian beers on tap. Heaven!! Also a wine list with mostly French wines and a couple Italian, but I'm usually far more interested in the beers.
I was going to knock off a star for their high prices, but their service has been great each time I've gone so that has earned them the 5th star. One lazy afternoon I peppered the server with questions about the beers and he very kindly brought me samples of everything I was curious about. I probably got to try 10 different beers that way before settling on 3 or 4 throughout the course of that meal. So thank you, staff at the Refuge, for indulging this indecisive girl here. I'll see you guys again very soon!
Best pastrami I've ever had. Great fries, too...
Having paid $21 for a pastrami sandwich and fries ($24 after tip) prevents me from giving that fifth star, though...
What can I say that hasn't been said already? Food is seriously good: pastrami, burgers, appetizers, awesome fries, and a Reuben that is to die for.
The burger buns are somewhat of a let-down: mushy and in serious need of an upgrade. How about using a nice Ciabatta or some other interesting bread?
Sadly, Matt's brilliant Moules et Frites are no longer on the menu. Come on, there's got to be room for a restaurant outside of Montréal that can deliver this dish. Who's with me on that?
Great with Belgian beer, too.
Four stars average, are you kidding me?! Clearly we didn't have this experience tonight - and I feel like a schmuck because I chose the restaurant for a birthday celebration tonight.
Four of us showed up tonight - I think around 5:15 or so (Sharks game was on the TV and it started at 5). The restaurant was pretty full - one large table in the back was open, and some seats at the bar. We walked in, and various employees just stared at us by the bar. No one acted as a host or anything, and after standing there for a few minutes, my friend went to go talk to one of the many staffers just staring at us from the end of the bar. The guy asked if we wanted to sit outside or wait a few minutes for a table, and we said we'd wait. Other parties came in after us, and were proactively asked about seating. We waited at the bar for a table to open up, and a few minutes later the same guy my friend talked to asked if we had put our name down for a table, and he had never asked for it! So we end up further down on the list compared to people who came in after us. Not a good start at all.
So when we finally got seated, another staffer comes by a few minutes later and asks what we want to drink. My friends order a variety of beers (I don't drink alcohol), and I stuck with water. One friend hated his beer (too sweet), but no staffer ever asked about it. Anyway, to the food.
I ordered the lamb burger ($17), friend A ordered the pastrami with swiss ($14) with a side of fries ($3) - the pastrami sandwiches don't come with fries (wtf?), friend B ordered the brie and mushroom burger ($15) and friend C ordered the pastrami burger ($17). No one was asked how they wanted their burgers cooked, by the way.
Two different servers brought food to our table - food that was intended for other tables. This isn't a big place - how hard is it to bring the right food to the right table? A few minutes later, someone brings out a cone of fries to us and we said we didn't order any, but A did order a side for his pastrami - and it turns out these were that side order. Well, it's in a cone, and we didn't have any plates or anything, so you were out of luck if you wanted any condiments for it. I had to flag down another staffer to get a small plate, and a few minutes later he brought out four small plates. The fries had cooled tremendously by then.
Our food came out about five minutes after the fries. My lamb burger was awful. The seasoning was off and it was unappetizing in every regard. It was so greasy that it had completely soaked through the bottom bun. The lamb burger was listed as coming with "smoked gouda, braised cherries, bacon, wilted arugula". The smoked gouda was good, as were the cherries and bacon. The arugula was gross - it was like frozen spinach that had been thawed. So gross on a burger. And the fries that came with my sandwich were cold.
A's pastrami was barely lukewarm - certainly not "steaming hot" as advertised on the menu. The portion was quite small. And the cheese was not melted at all (not surprising since the meat wasn't hot either). I've already gone over the problem with his fries, too.
B's mushroom and brie burger was a success, and was actually hot.
C's pastrami burger was meh - burger was okay but he was let down by the pastrami as well.
For the three beers, four sandwiches and one side of fries, the bill was $99 plus tip. The pastrami was *not* worth it at all, and the service was just awful. I know and love pastrami (for the best I've had, check out Manny's - http://www.yelp.com/bi... in Chicago, sadly thousands of miles away!) and this just was not top quality pastrami. Of course, no one bothered to ask how our meal was - only if we wanted more alcohol.
Looking at some older reviews, it looks like this place has gone down tremendously. As I write this review, KQN's review appears on the side and he mentions in his 2/2008 review that his sandwich came with "a small green salad with frisee and arugula, potato/egg salad and a huge kosher pickle" - tonight we got a pickle and some pickled red onion. Disappointing.
It is rare for me to have such a let down with both the food and the service, but the Refuge provided both tonight.
Lets just say that if I had to choose between eating a Reuben here or eating Jessica Alba, I'd certainly give it some thought.
Best pastrami sandwich in my life! I am a huge fan of any reuben, but at Refuge the #19 with coleslaw instead of sauerkraut and add avocado and it kicks poor reuben's ass.. Wide variety of European pilsners, ales, and witbiers. Good garlic fries. the only drawback, and yes it is mentioned in many other reviews, when you come down to it my bill was $53 for two sandwiches, a soda, one beer, plus tax and tip. That's kind of high in my book. so minus one star.
So, I would say it is a special event burger and sandwich place...only in San Carlos..
I've never had a chance to roll with the NYCers and have those thick pastrami sandwiches you see in movies like When Harry Met Sally. So I've only experience nasty, thinly sliced stuff, and was reluctant to try a place specializing in pastrami. That just made me even more upset after biting into the reuben and realizing how good pastrami can be.
The pastrami is cut thick, i'd say about a centimeter, in large slabs. It melts in your mouth, with that salty brined smoked flavor of brisket meat permeating each tender bite. If you're accustomed to eating this style sandwich, I suppose you can knock off a star, but for thick pastrami virgins, you have to try this sandwich at least once in your life.
I have been meaning to update this review for quite awhile now. I have returned several times since my first visit to Refuge, and am pleased to report a positive review. I think the food is deeelicious, the beer and wine selection excellent, and service is always friendly and attentive ( we actually had to ask server to stop refilling our waters!). I am glad this restaurant is close by, and hope they are hear for a long ,successful future!
I thought pretty long and hard on this one. This is a new business, owned by a guy who poured his… Read more »
Great place, down a star since they stopped trimming the meat at all. I know fat is part of pastrami, but pound for pound with the meat should not be a tie.
Always a great beer selection.
Came here on a recommendation...
Unfortunately, my normally piggish appetite was subdued so I wasn't inspired to try the entire menu. And, yes, they have a $100 option to try everything on the Charcuterie & Cheese menu. Instead, I had some of the sheep cheese, prosciutto, bread and some soup. I also dipped my fork into my man's pastrami & mustard sandwich. It was ALL (mostly) deeelish! The cheese was creamy and rich and went nicely with the prosciutto (drizzled with balsamic vinegar) and bread. The pastrami was perfectly cooked and seasoned, and is quite possibly the best I've tasted. The soup was a little sour... weird!... but everything else was happiness to my taste buds.
Sat on the patio and enjoyed some good grub and celebratory drink with my roomie!
The beer selection is almost overwhelming. But they really do have something for everyone. From light to dark and everything in between. I chose the Duvel which came in a goblet and made me feel very regal. Silky, sweet and super satisfying. It paired perfectly with all the salty, fried goodness.
Garlic Fries with chile mayo. Packed with a garlic punch. Definitely wouldn't recommend this for someone on a date. Mint anyone?
Cheesesteak Hoagie - Wow! This hoagie gives Jersey Joe's a run for their money. Perfect bun and perfect steak/cheese ratio. I like that they add lettuce, tomato and light onions. Different from what I'm used to but it works.
Yes, the prices are high for sandwiches and burgers. But it's a cool place to go with a group or to celebrate a special occasion. I'll be returning to try the much hyped Pastrami on rye.
We had really high hopes after a friend recommended this place to us. We heard about the beer selection, the charcuterie, the pastrami, and the burgers.
The beef I have with our experience was the temperature on EVERYTHING we ordered an allagash blonde beer and a glass of syrah. The beer was good for about 5 min. but the glass felt as if it just had come out of the dishwasher and warmed the beer up in about a few minutes. The wine was served was also WAY too warm. Our food then came out cold, the pastrami looked like it had tons of potential but it was room temperature at best. The burger was cold as well, the bun was room temperature as was the burger and the garlic fries were flat out nasty and cold.
Our server seemed not to care either, we mentioned the wine being warm and the fries being cold and inedible (we left all of the fries on the plate) and all he did was apologize. It would have made sense to me to take those things off our tab, but no. I ended up putting ice cubes in the red wine, which I've never had to do. And the bill for the two of us was 60 bucks. The 16 dollar burger made me think of the burgers i could have gotten at zuni, namu, or mission beach in the city for cheaper.
doubt we'll be heading back.
I know this sounds weird, but the pastrami hamburger is a big winner. In a rare moment of weakness I let Norman decide on what we would split for lunch. (I was not-so-secretly campaigning for the basic pastrami sandwich) But a deal is a deal, and I rarely let him choose, so he went with the hamburger with pastrami. I tell ya, it was pure heaven. The meat plus more meat combo was frikin' delish. This place would get 5 stars but it is a bit pricy for bar sandwiches (the beer is pricy too).
Minus a big one for dumbass hours.
This place would be perfect on a Sunday or Monday (especially since you appear to be a "sports bar"- hello not open during prime of football season???)
I understand if you don't want to deal with Sunday brunching madness; however at least open for dinner!
I can only speak for the cheesesteak sandwiches (which I ordered with pulled chicken- i know, i… Read more »
Minus a half star for:
- spotty service
- no mineral waters, and a poor selection of non-alcoholic beverages
- they tend to put in drink orders before food. food can take a while to come out.
- music is a bit loud
This place is great. The pastrami here (I've been twice now in 2 days) rivals even Katz's in NYC. Deli meat sucks on the west coast most of the time (save something like Boccalone), and this was good. I recommend the Reuben. Get it. If you want to try something else, get the Reuben and get something else, makes great leftovers.
The beers here are very good, and they are better on draught than in the bottle a lot of the time. The 3x Karmeleit I think is one of the best. I also like Bernadus ABT 12, of course Hoegaarden, and Leffe, most of the Unibroue beers and La Chouffe stuff. Lots of stuff to drink, but a bit light on the lambics and only one Flemish Red ale here. But the taps, it reminds me of Burp Castle in NYC.
The cheese they offer for charcuterie are really good. I had almost all of the cheeses they offer and along with a pastrami dish and a beer, this is required fare.
The chocolate pudding dessert was decent, and I liked the muscat they had (they were out of the Sauternes).
The wine selection seems on the weak side. I would recommends focusing on:
- pastrami
- cheese
- chips/fries
- beer.
And if you think about it, beer, cheese and pastrami, from Wisconsin, to Chicago all the way the Europe is a natural set.
I thought the hamburgers were good and the chips/fries and the garlic fries are good.
Food here is on the expensive for bar fare, but the beers are on average so bloody strong the alcohol bill won't be that big. Knock down 5 or 6 of the 9% ABV beers on draught and you will be finished.
Now that they are more popular, they really don't try at all.
My New Yorker friend thought their prices are WAY out of line, and I agree.
Kristy K's review was right on.
Service not too hot - I have had the same smirky, marginal waiter…
Read more »
Hidden gem tucked away in downtown San Carlos. Good selection of Belgian beers & various pastrami sandwiches. Laid-back cool & dim environment worthy of it's name "Refuge". There are a few tables outside if you prefer to sit in the sun at the mouth of this refined hideaway.
++ | Reuben |
Thick SLABS of juicy pastrami generously piled on toasted rye. Top with swiss, sauerkraut, & russian dressing. Enough said.
-- Cheesesteak
Friend said this tastes like a burrito in the form of an open face sandwich. Pass!
The most expensive sandwich I've bought in my life, but great for corporate lunch:
Reuben = $18
I'm not a huge pastrami fan but when I hear "homemade", I'm intrigued. I'm also not a huge beer fan, but when I hear "Belgian", I'm tempted! What I am a big fan of is seasonal ingredients, and that's what lured me to order the Autumn salad with figs, pear, almond slices, blue cheese... and I ordered it with Pastrami on top! This was the best decision I made all day - the Pastrami was melt-in-your-mouth delicious! My buddies ordered the cheese steak sandwiches, and also were all happy with it.
Everything was well paired with a glass of Belgian beer. From the wide selection available, I chose that one that was described as floral and elegant, and it was as smooth and delicate as described. Our beers were served with the appropriate matching glasses, which, in my theory, enhanced the experience of each particular beer!
Refuge's casual service was friendly and prompt. They continued to fill our water glasses throughout the meal.
I would definitely be back for both their meaty meals and for Belgian beer!
By chance I was straving and found "Refuge" (pun always intended)
I ordered the grill cheese which was not on the menu but the waiter glady took my order. He came back with a grill cheese and homemade pickle slices and garlic fries just like I liked it.
My inner fat girl says that the tummy was satisfied and it got her stamp of approval! (And trust me it is not an easy task having an inner fat girl in a skinny girl body let me tell you)
Do it go seek Refuge, I did and love it.
I have to say that I absolutely love Belgium beers! So I'm a fan of anyplace that serves them. :)
Good atmosphere and it is always busy and lively. The waiters aren't as knowledgeable as I was expecting, but really everything they have here is good, so they don't have to be.
This isn't our regular pub, it is a bit too expensive to go here consistently. But it is a great place or the occasional beer. Now, just going to the Refuge is an event in itself! We love to take people here when they visit from out of town.
One thing though, they have very odd hours. It seems like about half the time we want to go, they aren't open. But maybe we have weird hours instead. :P
Yeah, $16 for a sandwich is a bit steep but... fuckit. That was the best damn Reuben ever.
I have been in here a few times since they opened. They sure got popular! Holy crap, happy hour is a zoo here. So if you come between the hours of, say 5-8, expect to wait a while for a table. But thats ok... enjoy some of that most-awesome Belgian beer! Delirium Tremens... Tripel Karmeliet... ahhhhh...
Anywho, one thing they did change that I don't particular like is that before they used to have this small salad with the sandwiches and a pickle.. now it's a pickle with pickled onions. Bring back that small salad, please.
If, pastrami ain't your thing (you nuts?) you can also have a burger or a pretty kick-ass cheesesteak. They have this one called the French Onion or something, it's kinda like a french dip but instead of au jus you get a dipping sauce that is pretty much like French Onion soup. You gotta try it.
And yeah, they have other stuff like rabbit food... salads or something. Whatever.
So there ya go. Come here and be happy. Even if the prices for the food are out of your reach (there are *lots* of places to chow on Laurel), come here to have a beer. Or a French wine. Their selection is hard to beat and you won't find it elsewhere locally.
I can't often validate spending $16 on a sandwich but when I can, it's The Refuge.
I'm from the NY area so we're kind of particular when it comes to corned beef or pastrami. But seriously folks... this is the best pastrami I've ever tasted! It's like butter. It just melts into a tiny burst of heaven in your mouth. It's got the proper proportions of sauerkraut and dressing and I am freakin PICKY about my rye bread, too but they've got it down pat!
This is no place to go for a "low cal" meal but if you want the most delicious rueben you've ever had, this is THE place.
Now, onto the beers! God, I LOVE the beers here! They're fabulous! I'm a Belgian beer fan already but this is great! I love how they have all of the appropriate glasses for ever beer. On a side note, because I know you beer lovers don't care (scoff), some of the beers are like 12% alcohol and really yummy! I like the one called The Gnome, personally.
Decor wise is the only area they lost a star. It's pretty bland. But in the end, when you're stuffed to the gills and drunk as a skunk, you won't even notice that!
A friend of ours recommended the place for us to gather and hang out on a saturday evening.
My husband and I arrived there just a bit earlier and we took a quick look at the place. The decor is neat; the place was actually smaller than i imagined it from looking at the photos online; people seemed to be having a good time. One thing stuck out to me that i didn't like right away was that it was noisy. Not sure why but the dining room was just plain noisy, and I realized I had to semi-shout through my dinner conversation that night. So we thought we would ask for a table outside (they had a few). When our friends arrived, we asked to see if there would be a table outside, but apparently the ones that seemed available were reserved. So we took what we could get. The wait staff was nice though and said as soon as a table was open outside, he would switch us.
We eventually did get a table outside. So that was alright. But the place is pretty noisy (something about the accoustics maybe?). The expensive pastrami sandwich apparently is pretty darn good according to my friend who had ordered one. I was adventurous (and wish I wasn't!) and ordered the tortilla soup they offered at $12. I thought at $12, the soup must be pretty outrageously good. Well, it was an absolute disappointment. The soup was good, but no better than a good taqueria. OK they said it's pulled chicken, but there wasn't much chicken at all.. and the flavor wasn't anything special. It was maybe $6-good, not $12. I ordered the chopped salad and that was alright.
It's a pretty cool place. I wouldn't go back on my own, but if if a friend wants to go again, I may think about it. I like to be able to talk with my friends more and the atmosphere was too noisy for me and the food too costly (I'm kind of a cheapie) but I'd definiely order the pastrami sandwich the next time I go there cuz that seems to be more worth it. It was kinda hip though, so if tha's the type of place you like, it's worth checking out.
Mouth wateringly delicious! I decided to come back here to try the burger because it looked so delicious from the previous times that other people ordered it.
I had the cheeseburger (which was cooked to perfection...well at least the way i like it - pink) with fries and it was not a dissapointment. I know my fellow yelpers can relate when something is so good we try to savor every bite and chew not swallow (I spent an hour eating the burger) haha I did not want the taste to ever end. I def will be back for the burger.
It was quite a surprise when we got to this location. Not at all how the pictures on yelp look… Read more »
Finally had a chance to check out The Refuge and had one of the best (and most expensive) pastrami sandwiches I've ever had.
Pastrami sandwich was pretty awesome - thick homemade slices of pastrami perfectly seasoned and tender mixed with sinful and tasty russian dressing and homemade coleslaw. All between 2 slices of fresh rye bread, served with an ample mound of fresh pickle slices on the side.
It is a rather quaint place with an eclectic menu. You can get anything from a variety of pastrami sandwiches, burgers, cheesesteaks, and salads along with a decent selection of wine, belgian beers, cheese, and even risotto on the menu. The place is cozy with a friendly feel but with the ecletic nature of this place, I can't decide if this place is great for a date or a good place to grab some beers and pastrami sandwiches with the guys... perhaps both.
Service was very friendly and very quick.
Bottom line: The prices are rather high - $13-16 for a pastrami sandwich (same for burgers and cheesesteaks too), but pretty dang good. Great place to spend your recession relief checks to support the local economy.
I love The Refuge. At $13-16 a sandwich, it's definitely a Splurge Lunch (or company lunch if you can get it comped!) but so totally worth it. I came here when they first opened and have been back at least once a month since and it's consistently delicious. One time, I made a mistake of ordering the pulled chicken sandwich and regretted it immensely. Not because it was all that bad, but just because I didn't have that melt-in-your-mouth pastrami like everyone else at my table.
They've recently started giving you a side of sliced pickles instead of salad or fries. Really awesome for people who like pickles, but since I don't, it's not as nice. Still though, the sandwich more than makes up for it. The portions are big so I can only eat half a sandwich, although sometimes I find myself eating the whole thing because it's just that good. It definitely doesn't taste quite as great the next day since the rye gets soggy, buuuut I'm not complaining as it means I get pastrami two days in a row!
I want to try their charcuterie and cheese plates, but I haven't been able to fork over the big bucks yet. Maybe one day when I'm feeling fancy. :)
This place is awesome!
I fared the traffic this afternoon to go to The Refuge from my house in Pacifica.The first time I had a sandwich from here someone brought it to me and they only got it with mustard, while I like it with Russian dressing. Someone told me they have different style pastrami sandwiches there and I should give it a try again. The distance kept me from going for awhile, but it was well worth the 20 minute drive. I got the pastrami sandwich with Russian dressing, coleslaw on rye bread of course. The pastrami was large thick pieces. I went to Moishe's Pippic (I really like them too!) in the City yesterday, and this pastrami was much thicker and tastier - advantage Refuge. The place advertises pastrami on the outside along with a charcutrie and Belgian beers. Most people in here are eating pastrami sandwiches or Reuben with a large glass of Leffe or Chimay....very nice beer. I had the pot de creme of chocolate for dessert as well and it was very rich and thick, a good pot de creme.
I also noticed they have a sandwich called the toasted #19. They don't have numbers on anything else, the reason they call this the toasted #19 is the flagship pastrami at Langer's (my most favorite deli of all time) is named the #19. It comes just how the Refuge does it pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and coleslaw but Langer's doesn't toast the bread, you have to get a Reuben for that.
Now that I've had it fresh from the source I can honestly vouch as Pastrami King of the Bay that this pastrami is as good, if not better than any pastrami around. They say on the menu it's house made from the navel cut of the beef like it's supposed to be. The chef/preparer of the pastrami does an excellent job and the thick cuts are perfect sized. http://www.refugesc.co...
You can read about the meat maker there, but basically he learned from French meat curers and incorporated his Jewish cuisine experience to make his own pastrami. Merci bien pour le pastrami, monsieur!
Is it possible the best pastrami sandwich comes from a small bistro gastropub in San Carlos, CA??? Yes, it very well might be true!
Yeah, I went a little crazy...and ended up in a hospital in Redwood City. My dad brought me a… Read more »
Every time I drove by this place it was packed, so I figured they were doing something right. I went for lunch with a group of co-workers and had a burger with smoked bleu cheese on it. The burger was THICK and good (although I prefer bleu cheese crumbles to the kind of cheese they used.) The fries were great. You won't find your average crap-beers on tap there - no bud, miller, heineken, etc. Nothing but high quality Belgian beers (but they're pricey.) I'd give the place 5/5 if their prices were lower. Especially for lunch, it ain't cheap.
The pastrami was excellent. The "rye bread" it came on and the "swiss cheese" was cheap diner or high school cafeteria grade.
$65 for one and a half beers (when I order a draft beer I expect a pint glass not a wine glass), one small salad, and two mediocre sandwiches is waaaayyyy to much.
What to order (in order of tastiness):
* Beer: The bartender had some good recommendations. I had a St. Bernardus ABT, followed by a Buffalo Stout. Both were excellent and flavorful. Bonus points for a perfect pour for each.
* Pastrami burger: Their pastrami is cut thick, very tender, and incredibly flavorful. The burger patty itself was also cooked perfectly--a little pink in the middle, but it still had a good texture to it. However, the bun itself was a bit underwhelming.
* Garlic fries: This is an interesting approach to making garlic fries: Instead of topping the fries with minced garlic, they season the fries with garlic purée, which distributes the garlic flavor evenly across the fries. They came with a side of this spicy mayo sauce, which was incredibly rich and indulgent.
*Cheesecake: Like the spicy mayo, this was very rich and indulgent. Unlike a lot of other cheesecake I've had before, this one had a stronger, richer cheesy flavor to it.
I'll have to make another trip back here to try their other charcuterie a la carte and some of their other beers!
I met up with some friends here the other night and really enjoyed it. The atmosphere was loud and energetic. Not a place for an intimate conversation. The service was great, very attentive and quick. A great selection of beers. The garlic fries were really good. I had the patty melt and it was amazing - and I say that as someone who rarely eats red meat. I will definitely be going back.
I've met friends here on several occasions for one thing, and one thing alone. And its name is: Delicious Belgian Beer. Because really, who can resist flavor descriptions like: "ozone after rain", or "utterly transcendental" or "feel the power of the gnome"? I certainly can't.
Their beer selection is impressive, and each brew comes in its own particular style of glass, a really cool touch. The only issue is the beers are $6 -$9 a pop, so drinking here for a long period can be a strain on the funds. One beer is actually $40, though it comes in a large bottle with enough to share.
Service on our last visit was initially poor. I was the first one there, and sat at the uncrowded bar. I was completely ignored for several minutes, even though the owner and 2 staff were within 10 feet (and I was trying hard to make eye contact). Finally they noticed after I began gesticulating wildly. Friends started arriving and we switched to a table outside. Service at that point was fine, if a bit too pushy (Food? No?? Are you sure? Just beer? OK. Sure about the food? etc.)
Another star loss for closing at 10 pm. On a Friday night !! We were just getting warmed up too (we arrived at around 9:15), but I suppose it was a good thing in the end for our wallets.
The pastrami are little chunks of heaven with a little bit of fat to keep things viscous. It is a perfect balance of meat to bread. The 1/3 sour pickle (not quite half) could be a menu item on it's own. The beer is cold, on tap, and nothing I have ever heard of before which made it all the more special. I look forward to trying more menu items soon.
Fine... I was a little harsh last time.
Gave it another try since my buddy really wanted to go here. I have to admit, the food was good. The pastrami sandwich was a good filling size, had a great balance of salt and slight sweetness... overall I really enjoyed it.
I just have a problem with what they charge.... I don't think it's appropriate to charge as much as they do for the type of food. They would be a definite 4 or 5 star type joint if they were a little more reasonably priced.
I really, really, really wanted to love this place..... really. I mean it sounds like heaven on… Read more »
San Carlos, CA
Category: Wine Bars
San Carlos, CA
Category: Wine Bars
San Carlos, CA
Category: American (New)
Redwood City, CA
Category: Wine Bars
San Carlos, CA
Category: Middle Eastern
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