Very nice place to have a meal and spend quality time with tour friends and family. Love the atmosphere the place exudes. GPS routed me to the other side of the building which was a bunch of offices but I kept driving and found the Refuge around the corner. Had I waited one road to turn Ii would have pulled into their parking lot. My mistake or rather my GPS' mistake. E we were a very large group of people and they were very accommodating. We had several tables set up and actually had another person show up and they quickly added another table for us. Everything was served in waves which kept things flowing and allowed us all to catch up on talking. Appetizers were excellent. The fried calamari especially, these are probably the best I have had as they were not as chewy as most other places. Great job. Entrees came out and we were amazed at the portions and taste of the meals. Excellent dining experience. Have to mention the bathroom area as there are all down a corridor with a small room for each toilet area. Comfortable and private. Overall a great place to dine and socialize. read more

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Food doesn't match the decor or service. Sat at the bar; bartenders were personable and the drinks were better than average. Decor and vibe were great. Appetizers were very creative but meh. Sandwiches were poor. Someone in charge of the food needs to taste what they're serving. Seems like the recipes are well conceived, but execution falls short. read more

Came around 3 pm with 2 friends for happy hour on a Thursday. When we got there we were the only people there. By the time we left the place was packed, not a single open seat and the lines of people waiting was out the door! I got pizza, my friends got sandwiches or burgers, and all the food was tasty and fresh. Lastly, we shared a crème brûlée which was top notch that I would love to have again! I will definitely come back here again as a nice centrally located place with great casual but delicious options! read more

Walked in around 9 PM on a Saturday and was greeted and seated immediately. We ordered a Mahi wrap and a chicken quesadilla. The quesadilla came out piping hot and the wrap was deliciously seasoned but messy. Why put dressing and cheese drizzled on the outside, when a wrap is a hand meal. One star lost. Otherwise it was an excellent experience. read more

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Came here as a last minute birthday brunch. We all left in love of the place. Great selection of food. Every option we had was delicious. Service was super sweet and helpful in helping us make our final decisions. Great atmosphere. You can watch games at the bar seated in high tops, host a private event, take in the scenery in the outside patio or check out the fun decor inside. Interesting finds and decor. Drinks were amazing. So much to choose from. Looking forward to coming in on a Thursday evening when they promote happy hour specials & live entertainment. We will absolutely be back soon. read more

We had reservations here on Sunday night, we arrived on time and got seated pretty quickly. Our table ended up having a big sauce blotch on it that we only noticed after we lifted our glass off it which was pretty nasty and we only had knives and no forks when our appetizers came around. I know that businesses get slammed on holidays but they need to have more staff working to keep up with demand for days like this. The food was okay, we ordered a burger, pasta, and quinoa crusted salmon. The burger was fine but the salmon and the pasta were both way too salty. I can't give more than two stars seeing as we had a reservation, still got seated at an unprepared table, and 2/3 of the entrees we ordered weren't good. Pretty disappointing. read more

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My friends and I all decided to have a "girl dinner" at the refuge for the holiday season and we had a great time! This was my second time here, but I enjoyed this one even more than my last. Due to the holidays there was a DJ which set the perfect vibe for a Friday night. We made a reservation so we were seated immediately, and our server was the nicest ever! She was attentive, friendly and super patient with us. There is Sooo much to choose from on this menu which makes it hard, but we all got different things than we did the first time. For appetizer we got "the bomb" which is a cheesy bread with multiple cheeses and tomato. This was delicious and perfect to share amongst us four. I would get it again! For my entree, I got the sizzling shrimp, and it did not disappoint, it was hot, and the perfect amount. it also comes with tortillas to create your own tacos if you'd like! To end the night we had the delicious Tres Leches which is my favorite! I recommend and already want to be back! read more

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I had dinner at this location twice in one week when I had colleagues in town on business. There is a dedicated Gluten Free menu and in both occasions I was able to order a meal without getting sick. The staff, service and ambience were great. read more

It was a holiday so I know it's more crowded but then again the restaurant knows they're gonna get more people on this particular holiday so I think they should be prepared. The table was dirty. We had to call someone over before we got any food and it took a few minutes, but they came in, but they didn't do a great job of cleaning it so we kind of didn't want our silverware to touch the table. Food was OK that's all I can say. I wouldn't say that I would recommend this place. read more

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Parking can be a problem even though it's a huge lot but if they're having an event you'll be looking for a bit. Decor is really nice but food was just ok. I enjoyed the appetizers more than my meal. I got the angry shrimp and it was lacking flavor. Didn't enjoy it at all. My friend who has been before said she was underwhelmed before and still didn't really care for it. Service was great though! read more

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Beautiful decor and style Service is friendly and quick Food is tasty and well presented Drinks are well prepared -- I had the skinny spicy margarita it was perfect The ropa vieja nachos are flavorful but need more protein and less cheese. Prices are reasonable Big portions And they have truffle fries There are no happy hour deals :( Tres leche dessert was yummy and made in house There's ample parking and close to the highway Lastly this place is popular so reservations are recommended. read more

The location is so beautiful. I've been here about twice in the past five years and I wish I went more often. The food, service and place was good then and still is now. Our waiter was Jarrett and he was very kind and patient with us, great guy. The food was delicious and well seasoned. I am unsure of the ratings but keep this location open guys ..so many great places are closing out here.. it is also a gem for the locals and its understandable they don't want this gem exposed. They also constantly have events and specials so its definitely a go. read more

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Love the look of this place. It was my first time for brunch and so I was very excited. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. It's very pretty inside and I love the saloon vibe. It's HUGE. I ordered the chicken Parm pizza with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. It was pretty tasty. I did have to send it back because the bottom of the pizza was completely black. I know that it's hard with a wood fire stove, and they had no problem making me a new one. The chicken was a little dry. There were so many things on the menu, I did have a hard time choosing. Next time, I would order something other than the pizza. Everyone loved their food. I think the stand out was the crab meat eggs Benedict. The peanut butter espresso Martini was also a hit. I would come back again and I would go with a smaller group and reserve one of those cute little inner private sitting booths. Our group was too large for it, but I saw them on the way out and I thought they were cool for a group of six. read more

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Cool outside bar ! Great bartender ! Gave us great recommendation! The nachos were generous with toppings! Chips were fresh and crispy! I would def explore more of the menu ! Cheers ! read more

The Refuge - Latin American Near Me - Melville, New York

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The Refuge has a beautiful ambiance with great service. Their menu is wide and full of variety including their drink selection. I wanted to absolutely love it here but thought it slacked which is why I gave it 4 stars. I loved their drinks but their food was just okay. I think their wings were great but my brisket bowl wasn't phenomenal and their skirt steak wasn't great either. The service is incredible and I'm glad I tried it here. It's a good place for large parties and celebrations! read more

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Gone are the days of hanging out on the patio of The Refuge on a Friday/Saturday night. Those were the nights, when we would drink margaritas the size of our heads while trying to yell over the blaring DJs top 40 spins. But that's ok because this place doesn't just have a bangin' event/nightlife scene, it's also got really delicious food. I hadn't been since before COVID. A little fun fact is my sister catered her wedding from here in 2021 and the food was outstanding. I also had never been here during brunch, so it felt like a new experience overall. The brunch menu is great and has a Latin flare. My Abuelita Salad was recommended by our server and she did not steer me wrong. I was able to catch up with friends over my brunch cocktail, the Split Decision. It had tequila, triple sec, orange juice and Prosecco. I think this is my new favorite brunch drink. It was amazing. They have a vegan menu with a variety of options which is so great. Our server quickly brought it out to us. Speaking of, she was so wonderful and really knew her way around the menu. The Refuge itself hadn't changed much since my last visit. I think they have a bigger event space attached to the dining area now. The place itself has a wooden rustic charm. The guac still remains one of my favs. Honestly, it's one of my favorite spots on LI and if you don't come here, you're doing something wrong. read more

The Refuge - Latin American Near Me - Melville, New York

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Place is huge! Lots of items to choose from on the menu. Drinks were tasty! Service was great! Outdoor area is nice as well (we looked but didn't sit out there we chose to sit inside). Food was delicious! read more

The menu and quality of the food. I just find no interest in the food selection it's quite boring.

Great vibe , amazing drinks ‍ Place looked nice. Didn't eat though. Crowd was a little too bougie for my taste. Might have been the night. But the place is still cool. read more

My partner and I have been coming to this restaurant for a few years. The place is BEAUTIFUL! The staff are attentive and caring. Though I would skip the pizza, the Chopped Baked Clams are a MUST TRY! And the Paella is delicious& can be split with a friend. The portions are generous, a rustic charm with indoor and outdoor seating. I would say this place is Picky-Eater proof. There's something for everyone! I highly recommend the Refuge (: read more

The Refuge - Chopped Baked Clams - Latin American Near Me - Melville, New York

I came here for my friend's beautiful baby shower. I have been here once before for lunch. I had no idea they had such a beautiful private room for celebrations.The food is always so good here. I need that Bella chicken dish in my life again.I love the attention to detail the refuge has.The staff is very nice too. Honestly such an amazing place to celebrate such a beautiful day. I really enjoyed celebrating my girl's special day. To know me is to know, how much I love a good brunch!!! Keep the mimosas coming . Oh and the carnival dessert package is a must. I cannot wait to come back. read more

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I wanted to like The Refuge, but it missed the mark. The service was fast but they brought out the wrong order. The decor was strange, like a Day of the Dead theme mixed with Cracker Barrel, and the menu was just as confusing. I ended up with a pizza after the mix-up. It was thin crust, slightly burnt, but edible. My boyfriend actually enjoyed the sauce, so I'll give them credit for that. Unfortunately, the prices are outrageous for what you get. Think Manhattan prices with wobbly chairs, a dirty table, and table one leg held up by a drink menu. Fast service and good sauce aside, it's not a place I'd rush back to read more

We had a nice dinner there last night. It's a very large space with a cool saloon vibe going. it's extremely loud so conversation is a challenge. the menu is nicely varied and service was excellent. shout out to Ayana our server and the other staff who were very attentive. Food is good, portions decent but very expensive imo. It's not like the food is organic or grass fed but i guess that's pricing in the area. They have a pizza oven which is a cool addition and my family enjoyed the margarita pizza. read more

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My friend and I dined at the Refuge for Sunday brunch. Not my first time, but it was hers. Our Server, Nicole, was just absolutely out of bounds terrific. So happy, attentive, welcoming, gave suggestions when asked and in general brought our dining experience to the next level. Our food was fantastic, I had the crab eggs benedict, sooooo delicious and luxurious and my friend had the corn flake French toast with blueberries. We enjoyed cappuccinos after our meal. As a whole, it was an extremely relaxing and enjoyable experience. Thank you Nicole for being our Server, we would ask for you specifically next time! read more

The customer service was really nice and the guacamole was amazing, definitely recommend this as an appetizer. The reason this is a 4 and not a 5 is mainly because of my Entre. I ordered the Mohi bowl and everything was flavorful but the pico de gallon was a little dry, chicken wasn't the best, and the tortillas were a little soggy. Although assembling this dish was really fun and I am glad I ordered it, will try again later maybe. The ambiance of the restaurant was really pretty and it was a fun getaway. I do belive this is a place worth coming to! read more

Delicious food and drinks! The service was excellent too. The only confusing thing was the menu which seems to be a fusion of Mexican and Italian dishes. The calamari and the steak with chimichurri sauce were really good. All of the pastas we had were also quite tasty. Highly recommended! read more

My partner and I visited on a Wednesday evening around 7pm were seated quickly. We ordered the Mama Mia Pizza, the pizza came out quickly but they brought the wrong pizza. I believe they brought the mambo italiano. It's loud in the restaurant so it's possible our waitress misheard me. Our waitress came over to ask how everything came out and when we explained we didn't order this pizza she was very nice and put in another order. While we were waiting for our pizza the waitstaff came out to celebrate someone's birthday. Part of their celebration included a gun that shot out bubbles that were going into other guests meals. Once the new pizza came out it was over cooked and burnt. We ate the pizza because we felt bad and didn't want to complain again. The red sauce is very good! However the bottom and the edges were definitely overcooked/burnt. The decor of the restaurant was strange. It seems like they're trying to do too much with the decor. It creates a strange atmosphere. All of the wooden chairs are stained at the bottom. All Of the molding is also dirty/stained. Our table was being propped up with a drink menu. In my opinion for what they want to charge for a meal it's not worth it unless they make some Improvements all around. Personally I would give it another try, but I wouldn't recommend this place based on my first experience there. Hopefully my opinion will change next time I visit. read more

The Refuge - Our Mamma Mia Pizza was burned. It left a bad taste in my mouth and was unpleasant to eat. - Latin American Near Me - Melville, New York

Vegan brunch alert! Normally I avoid brunch. Rarely, unless it's a dedicated veg establishment, are there options for us, beyond adapting the good 'ol avocado toast, which I can easily make at home. The Refuge has options and they are good ones! You do need to ask for the vegan menu, however... if you don't know this and look at the typical menu, you'll think there are no vegan options at all. It might be helpful if they noted a vegan menu being available if they don't want to automatically hand one to each table. I love the environment. Somehow they made a huge building into a cosy, rustic environment and during the holidays, it's beautifully decorated. We were seated right away and our server was wonderfully attentive (bring on the bellinis, please!) Although one may not consider ravioli and meatballs as very brunch-like, if you grew up going to Sunday dinner in an Italian American household, you will feel it's just the thing you want at this time. I really enjoyed my food and liked how toothsome the meatballs are, which can often be mushy affairs when plant-based. The tomato sauce is also excellent and it's a generous portion of ravioli. I really enjoyed my time here and I'll be adding The Refuge to my Long Island list! read more

The vibe and ambience were really good, and the service was great -- kudos to Emily for being so kind and attentive! Food took a bit longer than expected, but they offered complimentary bread, which was a nice touch. The quantity was generous. My husband really liked the Salmon Quinoa dish -- it was flavorful and well-prepared. I had the Gomiti Pesto Pasta, which was a bit too bland and low on salt for my taste. Overall, a good experience with great service and a pleasant atmosphere. read more

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Fantastic food. Especially enjoyed the whopper burger pizza and Pasta alfredo! on certain days this location is dog friendly and our family brought our dog Bentley to sit besides us for this Graduation dinner. Service was quick and the mood was very rustic and softly lit. It was fantastic. read more

Beautiful rustic decor, good selections and portion sizes, nice staff. Music is extremely loud making it difficult to hear. read more

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We were blown away by the whole experience! Service: I gave our reservation and name to the hostess, she greeted us like family. That was the best greeting I've had at a restaurant. The waitress, Kayla, is such a sweet person! She was really personable, and showed her passion/adoration for The Refuge very well. She really is a gem! The Ambiance: As I said earlier...blown...away! This is a dimly lit restaurant themed so well. The ceilings are draped with "christmas lights" right now they are red, and there's a cute heart "chandelier" hanging down. Look around, there is so much to see from the ceilings to the chairs, not one detail left blank. It is almost like you are outside in the middle of a small town. Some people compare it to being in the Pirates of The Caribbean ride. We were lucky enough to have one of the beautiful high rise gazebos, it really makes you feel important, i can't get over the secluded beauty that it is. The Food: Phenomenal! We had a taste of the Valentine's Day menu to come. There is the filet mignon, crumbled lobster, with heart shaped ravioli in a cream sauce. You can't miss this! We also had one of the pizzas (there were two of us and we shared it easily). Shout out to the Volcano Shrimp Alfredo Pizza...they are handmade out on the floor (feel free to watch them at the special station). Everything was cooked perfectly, and with so much care. For dessert, we had a special Valentine's Day creation...A mini full Raspberry Cheesecake, with a sweet sauce to compliment it all, and a chocolate covered strawberry... So delicious and perfect for two! The cocktails were delicious and had a nice kick, wow, can't wait to come back!!!! Btw, check out their event hall and smaller meeting spaces inside, they are so beautiful and very separated from the noise and busyness of the restaurant. read more

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The scene: Thursday late night drop in Music was great live dj playing a little of everything. Very loud though so not a good spot for chit chatting great for vibes ! Drink : spice spice baby (Spicey marg ) Very sweet. Prob bc they use sour mix? I wouldn't order it again. Service: was just okay our server was nice-ish no complaints but no compliments either. The ambiance: I do love the look of the place. It has a large bar a pizza oven station you can see a large dinning area and bar high tops. My favorite thing about this place is the outside. It's winter now so too cold for that but love coming here in good weather. The food: So far in my visits I've had the lobster mac, the charcuterie, the po boy, the pizza and some other things off the menu. Everything I've had has been great! Overall a go to for me for sure. read more

The Refuge - Lobster Mac & Cheese - Latin American Near Me - Melville, New York

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Food was real good. Company was decent. Service was great, no issues. The atmosphere was busy, crowded and the vibe was lovely. Will return if in the area!! read more

The Refuge - Pineapple margherita - Latin American Near Me - Melville, New York

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I'm never disappointed when I go here. My husband and I are vegetarian so the vegan options are our go to and we always enjoy it! The drinks are great as well and it always a vibe. read more

Good Place huge seating and outdoor area with bars in and out.Went there for a Xmas Party there was about 120 people open bar and appetizers until the main coarse there was 2 food stations with different choices.Spacious room,staff was polite and helpful nice place. read more

always great food and ambience at The Refuge...dancing on Friday and Saturday nights not to be missed....See you there!!! read more

The Refuge - Latin American Near Me - Melville, New York

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We had a great experience here!! Food was excellent, service was good and we loved the vibe. Very cool, rustic and eclectic atmosphere. Highly recommended the pretzel appetizer with hot cheese! read more

Party of 6, we had reservations and were seated promptly. Our server Maggie was nice and told us all about the specials. The decor was semi Latin inspired but also like they were a late teenager who didn't know what they wanted to be when they grew up. The menu didn't match the decor- lots of Italian style options. It was confusing. They were counting down the days until Cinco de Mayo- I really expected more Latin or Mexican type food. The live music didn't match the menu OR the decor. The live band was SO incredibly loud we couldn't hear each other during conversation. They didn't need to play outside AND put a speaker inside. So totally overwhelming. Did I mention it was way too loud?? I ordered the $6 margaritas (Ladies Night?). The drink was too sweet and unbalanced and they used table salt on the rim. They highlighted their margaritas on the menu so I expected better. I also purposely didn't order a flavored margarita because I didn't want it too sweet. For dinner I got the shrimp tacos, again because it was highlighted on the menu as a favorite. It came with plantains and Spanish rice on the side. The plantains were great. The rice was dry and flavorless. The shrimp tacos were disappointing- a lime crema, some sort of drizzle on top, something acidic to liven it up would have made ALL the difference. There wasn't even a wedge of lime on the plate to squeeze over it. Overall we had a good time because we had good company and the waitress kept the drinks flowing but based on what I expected, I was disappointed in basic quality of the food and drink. read more

These nachos were the best I ever had. They even tasted amazing after I retweeted them at home. The drinks were delicious, they were very well balanced with no strange aftertaste. The food tasted fresh and everyone at the table loved their food regardless of what they ordered. The ambiance is very cool and they can accommodate large groups with eaze. The service was amazing. The full team worked together to make sure we got everything we needed. This is a great restaurant. read more