Good Thai- a few nice outdoor tables with umbrellas. Accommodating. But kind of expensive for what you get

I would give it a 4 star but the service was horrible. Took a while to take our order, did not clean up our plates before dessert, and never refilled our water. Only 1 server the entire time. Good thing we got there before 7 pm. Food taste was typical Thai resto. I've tasted better ones (Krung Thai in San Jose) Tom yum lacks the sour taste, too sweet for me. I like the eggplant salad. Food presentation and decor was great. read more

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This place was awesome! Service was spectacular and shrimp and scallop dish I ordered was well prepared. Would highly recommend!

Okay people. All the buzz about this place is credible. Being the amateur food critics that we are, it was going to take more than hearsay to impress us though. I've actually been trying for weeks to convince my husband to try it out, but since he's not too big on Thai, it wasn't happening. Then, when I least expected it, he surprised me. So off to dinner we go with our friends. As we were seated, I looked around at the decor and paint colors and imagined the food being a blend of modern and exotic. The menu proved they weren't afraid to think out of the box. The generous wine offerings and servings brought a smile to my face. My husband ordered the Thai beer and was immediately hooked. The sampling began as the apps arrived. The food was displayed so beautifully in front of us, I was compelled to take a quick photo. I was thrilled when the waiter said I could request any of the dishes as vegetarian. I ordered Translucent Shiang Hai Noodles w/ tofu and Buddah's Delight w/ ginger and tofu. The pumpkin soup displayed in the pumpkin was amazing. As was the sauce from the pumpkin salmon. All of the dishes were full of fresh flavors and blended well on our palates. We were in awe that a restaurant this good was sitting in downtown Livermore all this time. Of course I need to add that the wait staff was professional, friendly and had a good sense of humor. Have we jumped on the bandwagon? You bet we have! read more

Food - 3 star quality Service - less than 1 star If you've ever eaten good Thai food before, don't come here. If you've never eaten Thai food, don't come here...it gives Thai food a bad name. Tom yum soup - made of lemongrass ... Or lemonade ? Too sweet ... Nothing in it... A few mushrooms and shrimp in a soup base. The rest of the food was fine. Nothing special. BUT THE SERVICE? We walk into the restaurant and are not greeted for a full 5 minutes. I get it, the restaurant is full and there's only one guy working - but he doesn't even acknowledge us or apologize. We begin to order. He forgets part of our order. I order it again, he doesn't even realize he forgot. No eye contact, no manners, nothing. Would not come back. Dessert was also waaaay to sweet. Nothing like the yummy mango with sticky rice we're used to...it was drenched in a honey like substance. read more

Anyone who has kept up with my reviews lately (hi mom!) has figured out that I don't get out much anymore. So, when I do, I try to choose carefully. Star Anise has been on my list for quite a while. We went in in Friday night at prime time, around 8 pm. The table were all full so we opted for the bar. We weren't there for a show at the Bankhead or a movie but it was a nice touch that the server asked if we were. The food was marvelous, the wine list wasn't great but did have several Livermore selections that were well-priced. We had fun with another couple also sitting at the bar. great food. Good vibe. Nice decor. read more

Lovely spot in downtown Livermore. Always impressed with their choices. We will always dine here when craving Thai!

One of my local factories. Pumpkin glazed salmon is awesome. Slightly expensive, and the curries could be better, but I frequently come here when I need my Thai fix read more

YUMMMMMMM!!!! My hubby and I came here as soon as they opened and we are having but good things to say! Make reservations as they are small, and be prepared that they don't have much of a staff. But once you get your food it is so worth it! YUM! Everything we have ordered on the menu is really good. I love the yellow curry dish, the chicken is super moist! Kinda pricy, but if you want a good place to go on a fri/sat night and want a romantic atmosphere this is the place for you! read more

Walked into this empty Thai place that was dead, seriously me and 2 others were the only ones inside. We figured we already walked in so we thought let's try the place. The service wa fast and the food was amazing. No questions about it. Why the one star? Let me tell you. The waitress complained how I left her just a 10$ tip, she thought I didn't hear her but I did. I told her she was rude and she acted like she didn't hear me. First off never complain about how much tip you get, don't work as a waitress if your just going to complain about the tip you get. Never will I go back. That women needs to be fired. read more

Been here twice, both times around dinner time (5pm or so) and on both occasions it's been almost empty - a big plus! I'm sure it gets busy though. The food here is simply amazing; it's the best Thai food I've had, hands down. Every dish is consistently good; it's hard to choose a favourite. If I had to though, I'd choose orange chicken. It's so good! The mango chicken fried rice is also great! Service is fast and friendly, can't fault it really. Highly recommended! read more

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I'm not the biggest fan of Thai food...mostly because so many Thai restaurants don't seem to cook with the best quality ingredients and in particular oils. But this place served up a nice veggie dish with peanut sauce that met my healthy standards. Brown rice was available. The vegetables were varied and cooked well. My entree was big enough to bring home enough for another meal. My partner had a fish curry dish which she devoured. read more

The taste of the sauces used in the food were really good but the chicken and shrimp were overcooked. I would give the food 4 stars but the service was not great. We walked in at 9, am hour before closing. The young gentlemen greeted us in what looked like sleep ware (crocks, bball shorts and a faded black t-shirt) in a way that seemed obvious he didn't want to be there. When I asked him for suggestions of the menu he was not pleasant at all and we could tell he just wanted us to hurry and choose. The server was also not in the best mood, barely smiled at all just like her colleague. All in all not good customer service. But the food had good taste. Maybe it's a different experience for lunch when the staff hasn't been there all day. read more

Star Anise - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

Star anise is one of my favorite Thai food spots! There is always the same two people working (the owner and his wife) and they are always friendly and welcoming. My favorite dishes are the yellow curry and the pumpkin salmon. They always have the same quality taste and never fail to disappoint. The inside of the restaurant is small which gives it a homey feel. If you are in Livermore, make sure to check out this original Thai food spot :) read more

Star Anise - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

Had an excellent dinner tonight at Star Anise. Best Thai food with superb service. Was even served 2 hot molten lava cakes for our friend's birthday! read more

What a great little place in DT Livermore! We were planning on eating here or Yamato. After walking past Yamato, we decided to at least check out Star Anise. I'm glad we made the walk. Great decor, nice lighting. Not too dim, but not bright either. Its a smallish place, so not great for a BIG group, but 6 or under would be just fine here. They have a nice little bar where you can order wine, which seems to be mandatory if you're in Livermore. Ordered 2 dishes, an app and white rice for 2 people. It was PLENTY of food and we had left overs. Total was under $50 all said and done. And we even ordered some of the more expensive dishes on the menu. The sea bass special was just ok. I didn't notice on the menu how they prepare the sea bass, it was either deep fried or heavily pan fried. Either way, it felt like a waste to do that to sea bass. The flavor was ok. Also order the curry duck, but had them do it with yellow curry. Funny, this place is called Star Anise, but the other yellow curry duck that I have had, had Star Anise in, and it was crazy bomb. This on was good, but just not quite as good as the other one that I've had. Also had the avocado spring rolls. What a great little appetizer! I'll be sure to order this again! I left surprised to have found a place like this in Livermore. Maybe I need to start giving more Livermore places a chance. This sure has given me a new outlook on the town. It would have been a 3, but I'll give them an extra star for the interior decor. read more

The best Thai restaurant in Livermore.. I went there last weekend and the service was really slow, it took 15 mins for the waiter to take our first drink order. These what i ordered: appetizer: lumpias (4.5/5) main entree: yellow curry (4/5) and sea bass (2/5) too full and had to skip the dessert though.. why did i just give 2/5 for the sea bass?? because it's too overpriced ($18) for such a tiny portion.. never order that again.. read more

Had a wonderful experience here. Stopped randomly in Livermore looking for dinner on our drive back to Bay Area. Unique roti was topped w fresh veggies cooked to perfection. Enjoyed their salmon & mango curry. Great service too!! read more

Star Anise - Chicken lettuce wraps - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

Great Thai food, modern decor! The service is good they are polite and curious! We usually have Angel wings 3 1/2 stars Shrimp fried rice 4 stars Spicy tilapia 5 stars read more

Star Anise - Spicy tilapia - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

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Great Pumpkin Salmon curry dish served with rice very generous portion enough for lunch the next day. Fish was soft and perfectly cooked veggies not soggy and sauce delicious. Very sweet family who owns place. Excellent service highly recommended!!! Will definitely be back!!! read more

Really nice environment , classic place , calm music and great service . My food cane out right on time , and very nice presented. Delicious salmon with pumpkin curry . Definetly coming back ! read more

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The food was okay--most DEFINITELY not worth the price. What really bothered me though is they kept refilling my husband's drink without asking us or letting us know that they would be charging us full price. $15 dollars for three sodas. There are way better Thai places nearby that are much more reasonably priced and actually tastes delicious instead of "eh". Don't waste your money. read more

This has been a favorited restaurant for several years. The chef does an outstanding job with specials, i.e. spicy fish. Yellow curry, duck, seafood combination are also outstanding. The staff is responsive if you have a special request and the service is exceptional whether you are dining in or ordering carry out. If you want a memorable meal, this restaurant delivers. read more

Really delicious food. The owners and operators are very gracious and welcoming. That is just like

Stopped in here for lunch with a coworker, and was pleasantly surprised by the lovely decor on the inside. It's modern and welcoming. My coworker and I split two of the lunch specials--Basil Minced Chicken and BKK Beef. Both dishes were delicious! Lots of good flavors, and enough spice for both of our liking. Each dish came with a side of rice and a small salad. The portions were fairly large, and left us full and happy. The service was great, especially considering it was pretty full with only one server. Our food came out pretty quickly, and we were in and out in less than 40 minutes--perfect timing for our lunch hour. I can't wait to come back for dinner or to order takeout. read more

This restaurant has a very comfortable cushy decor and ambiance and affords you the luxury of relaxing to old slow remixed contemporary cheesy 80s songs remixed into jazz. The waitress was nice and professional, working diligently to serve everyone in the restaurant. They open at 5pm for dinner. By 6pm, the place was almost full. This is a nice place for a low light semi intimate vibe. Checka check it out read more

We went to Star Anise for dinner after friends posted food pics and rave review on Facebook. It was my first time to eat there, and I was not disappointed. We ordered the avocado spring rolls, chicken Pad Thai, roasted duck, and mango fried rice. Everything was beautifully plated and tasted as good as it looked. The mango fried rice with chicken and shrimp is my new favorite Thai dish. Will absolutely return again and again. Service was very attentive and we enjoyed the outdoor seating that was set up for social distancing. read more

This is my "go to" place for any food !! Each time I visit, Ann is the ultimate hostess, and takes care of every food request I throw at her. Today, she brought me a super tasting soup, with coconut milk, pumpkin, shrimps, chicken, vegetables and noodles. It was if I had died, and went to Thailand for the most original recipes for lunch and dinner !! Then for topping of EVERY MEAL, treat yourself to some Sweet Mango Rice !!! How does Ann always get the sweetest mango in the world. Love the food, and the service keeps me coming back for sure !!! Thank you Ann ! read more

This place has absolutely horrible sevice and food. We had a party of 4, sat down at 6 o'clock pm. Two of 4 dishes came at 7 o'clock. The third dish came 10- 15 minutes after the first three. When the 4th dish came it was 7:30!!! I tried waiting for my friends dish but my curry was getting cold. We got no apologies for this. I got the pumpkin chicken curry. It had maybe 5 small pieces of chicken and 2 cubes of pumpkin. My friend's food (the one who waited an hour and a half) looked like someone dropped a bottle of seasoning on it. She couldn't eat it because it was gritty with seasoning. As a local to Livermore, I will never go here again. read more

Kids unfriendly, poor service , worst host and bad attitude towards guests. Horrible experience would never recommend this place esp for family with kids. I would have given a negative star if I could. read more

I wasn't expecting much but the food at the this place turned out to be delicious. We were a party of 6, and ordered a bunch for stuff. Lamb Kabobs really stood out for me as one of the best dishes - you don't expect to get good kabobs at a Thai restaurant but these could give some Afghan restaurants a run for their money. Duck was average, the soups (wanton and tomyum) were as expected, and the chicken in Penang sauce with white rice was yummy. And or course, sticky rice with Mango and ice cream never disappoints. read more

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As someone who's used to eating really cheap and excellent Thai food in Hollywood, I was a bit apprehensive when I heard about Star Anise. Upscale Thai food in Livermore? It's definitely the prettiest Thai restaurant I've ever seen, and fortunately the food lives up to the decor. The menu is mostly Thai with a bit of fusion - rotis and lumpia are some of the featured appetizers. There's also a fair share of duck on the menu, which I've never seen at a Thai restaurant before. The Island Finger Lumpias caught my eye so we started off with that. They were pretty good, although I wish they were a bit meatier...thumbs, I guess instead of fingers. My friend told me she had never had Thai food before, which I found hard to comprehend, so I told her that we'd start with the basics. I told her to order the Pad Thai and she liked it -- gotta start somewhere -- but I thought it was just okay. I ordered the Panang Beef, and it was a revelation. Short ribs (yes, short ribs!) are braised in a mild Thai red curry, and the meat was delicate, buttery, and melted in my mouth. It's definitely something I'd order again. Star Anise is a beautiful addition to downtown Livermore and definitely a place I'd like to return for dinner or with a group so I could try a bunch of other dishes. I'd gladly hand over a fifth star if they can impress me again. read more

The bad: Don't believe all the reviews for this place saying its a great Thai place. This place is Thai fusion at best. Our shrimp wasn't cleaned properly and our roti was dripping oil. Nothing was Thai spiced. Not worth the price for the portions. The panang curry was VERY salty. The good: The chicken satay was very tasty. Presentation and general ambiance was nice. Service was adequate. read more

I was in the area visiting family and we decided to give this place a shot. My Mom had been here before and really wanted to go with us here again. From the outside this place looks kinda fancy! I wasn't sure how the prices would be so I was nervous coming in but my Mom insisted that this place was affordable. When you walk inside you are transpired into this beautiful serene restaurant with lots of Asian inspired decor. It was gorgeous. We were kindly greeted by a young male hostess dressed in a beautiful green traditional Thai blouse shirt. He served us waters right away and took our order. Their menu is small and they don't have a lot of vegetarian options but they can change that. They had a basil chicken dish and I asked if I could substitute chicken with eggplant and the waiter nodded and said that would be fine. My Grandma ordered the same thing I did. My Mom got a chicken dish that she loved. We all shared an order of Garlic rice. It's a typical small bowl size but we didn't need that much rice so we all shared it. The basil eggplant dish was awesome! I loved every bite and was so happy I substituted it with eggplant. Since we were the only people in the restaurant at about 2pm on a Saturday, we had quick service and our food came quickly and made to order. We were all happy and satisfied with our late lunch. They also have a full stocked bar which is probably quite popular on the weekends at night. Service was excellent here and our waters were continually refilled and our waiter attentive and checking on us every so often. Lunch for 3 came out to a little over $30 (our dishes were each $10) and I felt like what we got was worth the price. And even better for me...Grandma gave me her leftovers! I would definitely be back....I can't think of one thing I did not like about this place! read more

Went to this restaurant for the first time last night and to say I was disappointed was an understatement. It began badly when the hostess wanted to seat us, a party of three, right next to the front door on an unusually cold and windy night. We asked if we could be seated at one of the two larger tables that were vacant, and were told no because they were reserved. Ironically, a few minutes later another party of three older folks came in and said that they said they did not have a reservation and were graciously taken to one of the larger tables. Unfortunately for the proprietor, we could hear everything from our cold vantage point by the front door. A short time later another party of three came in without a reservation and were taken to the remaining larger table. The hostess must have noticed our displeasure, because after we were served our food, she offered the opportunity to move to another table across the room. I agree with another reviewer that the vegetarian options were limited. Sadly, the tofu used in our dishes was sour. In all fairness, the decor was pleasant and trendy and the food presentation was good, however when I go to a restaurant I don't go for the decor, I go for the quality of the food and the service. In both cases the food and the experience were sub par, and the prices were higher than average. Not worth another visit. read more

I swear there weren't this many Thai places in Livermore when I was growing up, but one of my intermittent returns we were encouraged to try some. Star Anise is a nice looking restaurant, although there isn't a ton of seating. There was a short wait around dinnertime on a Saturday night, so it's best to make reservations if you're going at a busy time. Now for the food. We ordered a variety of appetizers such as a Noodle-stuffed chicken leg and spring rolls. I don't know how they get noodles into a chicken leg, but it was quite tasty! I also liked the avocado in spring rolls, it seems to be the missing ingredient. Our Red Duck Curry and Pad Thai entrees were also pretty tasty, although not mind-blowing. The duck curry had real chunks of duck and vegetables, which was more than I was expecting. The Pad Thai was a little sweet, but definitely not bad. As others reviews have noted, the service is spotty, but they certainly aren't rude -- just slow. It didn't bother me as much as others, and I'm all about the food anyways. read more

Overpriced food. Not very authentic thai flavors and bad seating management. The only thing they have going for them is atmosphere and you are paying for it. Do yourself a favor and walk down the street and find plenty of better places to eat! BAD BAD BAD menu for any vegetarians out there!!!! Thai is supposed to have plenty of options, but this place certainly DOES NOT! Not to say there isn't anything..... but you will be limited and disappointed. read more

I had to write an update to my review based on my most recent experience. While I love the food, the service is so bad that my husband and I may not go back. The regular male server is inattentive and rude. Until recently I was able to ignore his attitude and still have an enjoyable dinner. Most recently, my husband and I took an out of town guest here for dinner. The female server did her best to manage the crowd while the male server basically ignored us and ate behind the counter. He also got our orders wrong. My husband left a small tip to reflect the quality of service and the waiter actually questioned him about it. It's a shame that such a nice restaurant is left in the hands of such a terrible waiter/server. read more

This is consistently my preferred Thai restaurant in Livermore. Artistically, everything is nice. The decor has a nice modern feel. The food comes out well presented, and it always tastes good too. Massaman beef is my favorite, mmm. The short ribs make such a difference in getting that deep, rich flavor. The pumpkin curry is also a favorite. Service can be slow though when it gets busy. read more

We came here for my birthday dinner and had only been here once before, from my experiences of both dinners, I can say this... The food is good! it's not gonna blow your mind or anything but I can say with confidance that you will enjoy (most of) their food. The other thing I can say with a good deal of confidence is that the service here is.... well....bad! First of all Very Very slow, not much interation, no "how is everything", no "can I get you anything". I need not mention that this is not a good thing when you have a group of 10. Now, I realiaze that this is a small restaurant and it seems to be family owned/ run, but seriously when I call to make a revervation for 12 (2 ppl couldn't make it cuz they were sick) and you get there (on time) and there's no table ready for you, it takes them 10 minutes to even acknowledge that your even standing in their front door!!! It's just BAD BAD BAD! the place was almost full, and there were only 2 servers!!! I think that's all the servers they have. Once we got seated, we were told that since we were no longer a party of 12 we would not get the same "party" ordering method I had discussed with them over the phone, I was not told that it would change if we were less than 12. anyhow, they ended up throwing in 3 free appetizers... which was nice but none of them were enough for everyone so some ppl got stiffed on a few. It took them FOREVER to take our order, a LONG time to get our food, and my guest ending up spending much more than anticipated because of the whole special party menu being changed at the last minute! My guests and I were pretty unhappy with the service, but we all agreed that our everything we ordered was good. So, I leave you with these words of wisedom, do not come here with large parties, in fact keep it to groups of 4 or less...and plan on slow service, so make sure your in the company of ppl you enjoy having great conversations with. I'm not sure if we'll be back. read more