I wanted to try this restaurant for a long while. I finally was able to try this place since I was in this neighborhood. I was surprised it was quiet on a Sunday lunch time. I expect downtime Livermore during lunch time will be busy. Only two tables were occupied inside. The host and server was nice. I like the long dining table with wooden booth that they offered to my party. I ordered the Roti Paratha and Fried calamari as the appetizers. I love the veggies combination with the light green curry sauce, but the battered for the calamari was not good. The Thai tea without ice was wayyyyyyy too sweet for me. The Star Anise fried rice with duck was good. Glad that I ordered this since I seldom find fried rice with duck meat at other Thai restaurants. The seafood claypot was tasty. I wish the portion can be a little bigger though. Overall, it was a good dining experience. I will come back to try other dishes on their menu when I am in the neighborhood next time. read more

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Wow, this restaurant has a nice ambiance. I went on a Thursday night, so it wasn't crowded, and we were seated quickly and the waitress was very attentive (didn't have to ask for a water or soda refill). Ones of the things I look for when I dine at restaurants is the stickiness of the tables and this place has nonsticky tables which made me feel good about the hygiene practices here. The food was so good that we ordered a pad Thai to share as a third entree between the two of us! The duck was very soft and the bok choi was super good as well. The pumpkin curry was amazing too! The pumpkin cubes really have a great flavor to it and the flavors blend really well together. The veggies in the pad thai were super fresh and the dish didn't taste great at all. Will definitely be back to try other dishes as well (and the same!!) and bring friends. read more

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Star Anise never disappoints. We love the interesting appetizers, especially the corn fritters, even through they're not terribly Thai. This time, we had the avocado spring rolls, which were not all that different from other spring rolls. We get takeout a lot, but this time we ate in. I had the Two Lover scallop and prawn with rice, and The Wife, who is on a low spice diet, had the pad see ew. I finished mine easily, while the wife had leftovers. I've had wine here before, just a small selection, but not tonight. Service is always good, and we've never had to get reservations, despite the small size of the restaurant. Just a consistently solid meal in a clean environment. read more

Star Anise - Avocado spring rolls - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

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We waited 40 minutes for our chicken satay. The other dishes are still not made. Ambiance is quiet cause only two other tables are here. read more

Star Anise - The satay chicken thats swooped up as soon as it was served cause it took too long - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

I'm updating my review from four to five stars since the last few times my food was so delicious. I just love going to Star Anise.

This place has wonderful food and the presentation is amazing. We can go out of our way to go into Livermore to eat here. They put beautiful flowers on the plate and make it so very beautiful. And the food is great. read more

Amazing food and service? Come to Star Anise. They're located in downtown Livermore by the movie theater. There's parking on the street or a short walk to the free parking garage. We've been coming here for years so they pretty much know our order. We get a Thai iced tea, crispy chicken, Thai fried rice and pad Thai. Sometimes we change it up with drunken noodles or another appetizer. You really can't go wrong with the menu because literally everything is good. The service is excellent as the staff is very nice and attentive. They certainly have their regulars and have a nice atmosphere with clean tables, calming music playing, a water fountain (did I mention calm?), clean restrooms and a bar to sit at. We came at an odd time right before dinner so it was pretty empty. I can tell you that it fills up on nights and weekends. If you are craving delicious food and want to get your Thai fix, come to Star Anise in Livermore! read more

The server is sweet but the food is god awful. It tasted like it was nuked in the microwave for like 45 seconds. The meat tasted rotten and the veggies were limp. read more

I visited Star Anise on Tuesday, 10/03/23, during dinner time. I was able to try the Corn Fritter and the Chicken Pad See Ew. I loved the taste of Corn Fritter, especially when it was dipped with the cucumber sauce. The Pad See Ew was truly delectable and flavorful as well. The service was great and friendly. The inside of the restaurant was also beautiful and nicely put together. Overall, Star Anise has wonderful Thai food. I will be returning whenever I am in the area. read more

Star Anise - Corn Fritter - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

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This was a really good little spot for Thai food. The service was friendly and the food was really good. We had the crispy calamari, drunken noodles with chicken, and Star's Sea, a combination of prawn, scallops, calamari, mussels, and salmon with red curry, kaffir lime leaves, green beans, etc. The calamari could've used a teeny bit more sauce but it was cooked really well and the sauce was yummy. It had peanuts, so keep that in mind. I can't decide whether I liked the star sea or drunken noodles better, but they were both delicious. The red curry was so good, and the texture of the drunken noodles was amazing. The two of us ate it ALL because it was so good, and then we were over-full, so this is your warning! When I go back, I will probably order less, and then add dishes as needed. read more

Star Anise - Stars Sea & Drunken Wide Rice Noodles - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

It was my first time coming to Star Anise and 3rd time eating Thai food. I came for a friend's Birthday lunch, last Friday. We got seated right away and we ordered the beef and the crispy chicken lunch specials which was very good. The soup that came with the lunch was super delicious & slightly spicy, and the perfect temperature. We ordered an appetizer of corn fritters which were the most delicious appetizer I've EVER had in any cuisine. HIGHLY suggest you order this appetizer! Service was great and the place was clean and beautiful atmosphere. I will most definitely be back. Prices very far and decent for lunch. Service was pleasant and prompt. The dishes were beautifully displayed with the food and were very appealing. This is a nice place to go if you're treating someone for lunch- upscale quality Thai and not too expensive. I had water and my friend had an Orange Thai tea that she enjoyed very much. Our server was very nice and accommodating read more

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I am a Livermore local and have been coming to Star Anise since it opened. I love this place! Great food and wonderful service! I try something new every time I go and everything is always delicious. Definitely a Livermore staple and a must try! read more

Their food is so delicious. They never disappoint! I eat there frequently with many different people. Only one person did not like it and I still cannot figure out why. read more

Ordered the red curry with salmon. I could have licked my plate! Very nice ambiance, love downtown Livermore. read more

This is my favorite Thai restaurant in Livermore! The flavor is amazing, some things are hit or miss like this time I ordered the Pad See Ew & the noodles were doughy but everything else was amazing. The butternut pumpkin curry is SO good. Also the asparagus beef, and that mango sticky rice! 10/10. The prices keep going up & the amount of food isn't a lot for the price. That's the only reason I took off a star. $25 for one item-- i would expect a bigger portion so it can feed more people. It's unfortunate so I only order here like once every 6 months or so. I'd order more if it was more affordable with a bigger portion size. read more

Star Anise - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

Great Thai food and ambiance. Location as well - Livermore downtown. I did find it slightly expensive though. Must try - Corn fritters and Drunken noodles read more

Amazing food and Sevice ! Very nice quiet ambiance.will def recommend this place for date night .

Their Shrimp Spicy basil fried rice is so good! The young lady in the front was super nice! Con: Difficult to find parking read more

Best Thai food in Livermore! Beautiful downtown atmosphere and ambiance! My husband and I have been coming here for almost 10 years and have never had anything on the menu we didn't love!! read more

We ordered take out from Star Anise. We love this restaurant always spot on with their dishes. Spicy Beef 5/5 - you can request the level of spiciness to your preference. This dish is one of our favorite the beef is tender, it has peppers, string beans and onions it is slightly sweet and spicy perfect for us. Pad Thai 5/5 - we ordered shrimp and chicken and it has enough protein to go with this tasty noodles. Panang Chicken 5/5 - oh so good that creamy spicy coconut flavor on this dish will definitely make you come back for more. Island Lumpia 5/5 - crisp egg-roll with plenty of meat is a great started. Love love love this place. We ordered take out but have dined in here several times. The restaurant is well lit, clean, decor is tasteful and the noise level is perfect to enjoy a meal with family and friends while having conversations or catching up. Highly recommend this place. We never get disappointed when we come here. read more

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Excellent customer service and amazing food! Today was my first time trying their New Zealand Muscles. The soup that is underneath that is paired with is a wonderful broth, which has very light salt and garlic with a lot of flavor. It comes with a house special sauce. The broth has light onions and bell peppers. The muscles were the best I had ever had. The broth we left on the table, and we added the house sauce, since my boyfriend liked it so much, and we took turns eating the soup lol. My boyfriend ordered the duck with bok choy also. Bok Choy not overcooked, and we cut through it easily to share. The duck is prepared perfectly and doesn't taste like bacon, which I have gotten from other Thai Restaurants in Livermore. Duck should not taste like pork; it should have a meaty consistency. You should be able to eat through the meat. Also, we ordered the Green Seafood Curry, my favorite at all Thai places. The curry is made with the best ingredients, with fresh green ingredients. Fresh vegetables like zucchini, bell pepper, and onions no bamboo shoots, which I hate. The curry sauce wasn't too thick or clumpy like other Thai places that use powdered ingredients. I didn't take a picture of the Green Curry too busy eating. I posted the Duck Dish and the Muscles Dish. A beautiful restaurant, and you should go there any day of the week. I like my restaurant settings to be not so loud that I can't hear my dinner date when we are trying to get away from a long day at work. Enjoy! read more

Star Anise - No broken shells a lot of meat - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

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Lovely intimate atmosphere, (mostly) delicious food, small portions, expensive prices. Thai Samosa (~$11) - Comes with 6 pieces, these are rolls filled with mashed potato and curry powder which sounds super basic but they were absolutely delicious. The outside wrapper was super crispy and the inside flavors tasted complex and amazing. 5/5 Satay Chicken Skewers (~$13) - Comes with 4 skewers. Apparently half of them were good and the other half we got chicken that had the texture of rubber which was really unpleasant. 0/5 Larb Chicken Salad (~$16) - I always order this dish at Thai restaurants, it's one of my favorites. It was great, packed full of flavor and spicy and delicious. The portion was a bit small though. 4/5 Garlic and Lemongrass BBQ Pork (~$18) - Comes with a papaya salad. I really didn't like the papaya salad, it had an unpleasant texture and taste. Adding the sauce didn't help either. However the pork was juicy and flavorful and great. 3/5 Aromatic Butternut Pumpkin Curry (~$22) - This is kind of a ripoff for the cost. It tasted like a nice red curry and it's served in a beautiful pumpkin, but the amount of ingredients that were in the curry was so disappointing. I think we got about 5 pieces of pumpkin. It was also a bit watery. 3/5 Drunken Noodles (~$16) - Another dish we get at any Thai restaurant. This was delicious and had lots of nice vegetables, but again overall the portion was small. 4/5 read more

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Star Anise is the best Thai food in Eastern Alameda County. Always delicious and the service is always the best.

Traveling through Regina we noticed an abundant number of Indian restaurants. We took a chance with Star Anise. Having traveled all over North America for the past couple months, this is good Indian food, we were pleasantly surprised. The customer service and food were fantastic. The spices were spot on, heat level was perfect. Living part time in India, I consider this to be very much what to expect back in Bangalore. So happy, this is a 5 star meal. We had the fish curry and tandoori chicken. read more

Star Anise - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

Went with the family after a movie at the adjacent theatre. Small place with decently quick service. It wasn't overcrowded for a prime location near downtown on a Saturday evening. Food was decent but not the best. Most of the meats were a little chewy including the duck roast and calamari. Satay chicken wasn't great. The spicy pork with eggplant was the only fish that we really liked. read more

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Good food good service. Cute place in Livermore. Three of us each with different dishes, 1 person is. Vegan. It was all very good

Love everything about this place; the food, the music, and the atmosphere! Definitely one of my favorite places now!

Ambient cozy environment, great staff and AMAZING food. Star Anise is great every time! read more

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We had dinner for the first time tonight through our teenager's recommendation and very glad we did. Food was great. Everything was cooked perfectly especially the scallops and shrimp. The service was awesome too. Highly recommend this place and we're looking forward to coming back with friends and families. read more

My friend last minute hit me up for dinner tonight. She was craving some chicken wings she'd had here before but sadly when we got here the waitress told us they removed it from their menu. Kinda disappointing that a Thai restaurant doesn't serve a staple Thai dish, those sweet and spicy fried chicken wings quite honestly. So the waitress recommends she have the chicken with sticky rice with peanut sauce. And she said it was cooked well. But we both agreed the peanut sauce was not so peanutty as we were expecting. No as much peanutty POW than we've had at other Thai spots. I ordered the pad see ew with chicken and it was also good, fair. But again , I don't know if it's my Asian taste buds but the sauce/ stir fry was toned and tamed down from what I was expecting. The Thai ice tea was good. Can't really mess that up. Overall, food was decent. It's was aite. Crave worthy? Meh. It's still a decent restaurant. read more

Star Anise - Chicken with sticky rice and peanut sauce - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

The food, service and ambience were fantastic. We had vermicelli and hot and sour soup.

Ordered food for delivery.. whoever they use for delivery didn't ring the bell just left the food out front!! Huh?! All that person had to do is ring the bell!! Delivery 101 for goodness sake!! Our food sat outside for 15+ mins and had to be reheated!! Also, please remember to order rice separately. They don't make it easy to figure that out. Thai food, no rice?! Most unusual. We learnt the hard way. read more

Great place, been here a couple times and the food is amazing and the servers are nice. Definitely coming back. Dine in is what we are known for here. read more

We had gone to Livermore downtown to another restaurant which was closed. We walked and decided to give Star Anise a try. My wife and I like Thai and this one turned out to be very good! The place was clean. Ambience is good and the server was very sweet. We had Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, Yellow Curry and Mango Sweet sticky rice for dessert. Each dish was awesome and the potion size is good. The dessert for me was a surprise. Great blend of rice, mango and the sweet syrup they provided. Would come back again with kids! read more

Star Anise - Mango Sweet Sticky Rice - Thai Near Me - Livermore, California

This restaurant is a quiet gem on Main Street in Livermore. Every menu our group of 4 ordered was delicious. The ambiance is peaceful and the servers attentive. I'll be back. read more

Having grown up in Livermore I've always been fond of Star Anise. Their food may not be the best Thai food in the Bay Area but it's still really good. I read a review about not liking their curry which I cannot speak to because I don't personally like curry so I don't actually know if it's good or not. But the dishes I have gotten have always been good. We went with some friends and our kids recently and they provided both the wifi password and phone holders so our kids could watch their videos on our phones while we enjoyed our lunch. We didn't even have to ask for them. It's service like that that really sets them apart from most places who don't take the time to ask. read more

It took me Just one time! First time here and it was very good. I tried the Beef panang; comes with choice of white or brown rice. Side salad with tasty dressing. Hunks of thick beef were bathing in a creamy, savory, wonderfully scented curry. The beef was a bit stringy and chewy, but tastey. Side salad was fresh and the dressing on spot. The brown rice was flavorful and slightly nutty. On Par! The Thai Iced Coffee good as well: deep dark coffee and topped with sweet cream. Customer service: as soon as we entered, we were seated. Decor: upscale and nice. Bathrooms: very clean and modern. Cons: around 1 pm, with two other people in there, the food took a good +20 minutes to make. read more

The evening started out promising. The samosas and the Roti. We ordered 2 Thai Iced teas. Took a drink and I was confused because they don't come with boba, low and behold it was a pincher bug....in my tea we obviously sent it back and they apologized and took it off our tab but there was no real acknowledgement of the fact that I sucked up a pincher bug through my straw. The food was decent, hence the 2 stars but I feel like if one of your patrons finds a bug in any of the items ordered the manager should come and apologize and acknowledge the inconvenience. I'm not asking for free food, just acknowledging the incident would have helped change the review and experience. They took the tea away too fast and I wasnt able to take a picture read more

husband and wife owners that put a lot into this place. food is always fresh, prepared with precision and presented well. the place is spotless (including the restrooms). only suggestion would be to have all organic ingredients, which may raise prices a touch, but would be worth. outstanding and they deserve a visit! read more

Hands down our favorite Thai food restaurant. We've been going for years and they always know my husband by our order! So friendly. The food is always consistently great, it's hard to find a restaurant where the food is always consistently perfection. We usually order take out, but the restaurant is very cute and comfortable as well. read more