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    Thai Star

    4.4 (188 reviews)
    ModerateThai
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Thai Star Takeout or Delivery

    Thai Star Photos

    THAI STAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Quiet
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Thai Star

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    Reviews With Photos

    Pad Thai
    Daisy C.

    The best Pad Thai I've had in Merced. The portions are huge and the prices are fair. I will definitely return to this restaurant and try more items. It was busy during lunch but the food was worth it.

    You will not find this on they're Menu but there Garlic Chicken is to die for. You won't find anything like this anywhere else!
    Alberto N.

    Love this place! Delicious food and great customer service, every time!! Ordered some appetizers with dinner, never disappoint.

    Pad Thai (chicken)
    Faby V.

    Yum! Been looking for another Thai place, this is one of the closer ones to home. Quick order and it was ready when I showed up. Fantastic flavor and killer spice! Requested 4 out of 5 on spicy and it did not disappoint. Had to take a break mid meal to let the heat mellow down! I'll be back!

    pineapple fried rice
    Yun-Wen L.

    Food/Taste/Flavor: 3/5 - very different ratings on the dishes. We got both at spiciness level 3 but it was odd that the spiciness comes from chili pepper flakes (more like pizza topping than Asian spices). 1/5 - Pad Thai with Pork was overly sweet and the protein extremely dry. The noodles were really stuck together even while it was still hot. Couldn't finish this dish based on texture and flavor 5/5 - Pineapple fried rice with beef has great flavors with sweetness from the pineapple and saltiness and earthiness from the seasoning. Ambience: N/A - got food to go. Some nice paintings and Asian decor Service: 5/5 - cashier was really nice and allowed us to sit indoors while waiting for the food Value for price: 3/5 - dependent on dish. Would definitely recommend the fried rice which tastes great and can almost feed two people

    Eggplant beef lunch
    Dennis X.

    Still one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Merced! This cozy mom and pop shop makes everything delicious! Some dishes to recommend: green curry, pad Thai, Tom yum soup, yum nue salad, eggplant dishes, papaya salad, and anything from their lunch menu. They serve lunch options up until 3:30, and it comes with rice and a delicious veggie/butternut squash soup! The family who owns this restaurant are kind people and they always give me great service! Would highly recommend!

    Soup vegetables broth

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The food was okay. I didn't like the papaya salad I ordered it was too sweet. I wouldn't order from here again

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    3 years ago

    Delicious food with generous serving portions. The staff provided kind service. Clean dining area.

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    2 years ago

    Food was excellent, quick service and cozy atmosphere. One of the best peanut sauces in the Valley.

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    2 years ago

    Good food good price. I enjoyed the spring rolls and cucumber salad. Simple yet refreshing. I'd go back.

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent vegan dishes! My favorite dish, the som tam salad (green papaya) is made perfectly without any fish sauce or shrimp.

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    2 years ago

    Amazing food. Spice level 3 is the perfect mixture of spice and flavor. Anymore than that, good luck.

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    3 years ago

    Excellent food in intimate environment. Spices and seasonings were just right, but we prefer crispier fried tofu

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    2 years ago

    Very good flavorful food not as spicy as I'd like but delicious. Their peanut butter sauce is so good

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    Page 2 of 5

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    Sam Cafe

    Sam Cafe

    4.1(485 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Found this place while traveling. Food was prepared very quickly and it was YUMMY. We had Pad Thai…read moreand Pad Seew. Spice level 5 was really pretty mild, but great for traveling. Server was really nice and attentive.

    Upon arrival, the restaurant had plenty of space and a friendly, booming owner to welcome us. We…read moresat wherever we wanted, and menus were brought over quickly. We chose to order: - Imperial Rolls (chicken, shrimp, a lettuce, cucumber, cilantro, and bean sprouts in rice paper wrappers) with a delicious peanut-soy dipping sauce; - Tom Kha Kai soup (Coconut Chicken), Spicy 3 (1-10); - Chicken Pad Kee Maow (Drunken Noodles), Spicy 3 1-10). The food came out quickly and very fresh. The Imperial Rolls were tightly wrapped and stuffed well (albeit more like cigarillos than the larger egg roll size you'd expect). And they had 2 small shrimp in each, as opposed to the pictures in the menu which showed 3 shrimp lining the insides. Cuts happening everywhere. ‍ The Tom Kha Kai was well-blended (coconut and broth melded beautifully and creamy!), chicken, mushrooms, and white onion slices were perfectly cooked in a serving bowl and not the usual sterno-fueled soup contraption. It was mildly spicy and probably the best I've ever had! The Chicken Pad Kee Maow was different than others I've had. Sam Cafe adds in a little sweetness (Tamarind?), broccoli, chunks of cabbage (also slightly sweet), carrots, onions, red peppers, tomato chunks, and basil...along with the requisite large rice noodles and white meat chicken. Truly satisfying and delicious without feeling super oily, burnt, or lacking sauce. The entire meal was a great deal and an amazing find in the middle of the Central Valley! Next time I'm up this way, Sam Cafe is on my itinerary!

    Photos
    Sam Cafe
    Sam Cafe - You get 1/4 of Mongolian beef. :(

    You get 1/4 of Mongolian beef. :(

    Sam Cafe

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    Noah's Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine - Chicken pho

    Noah's Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine

    4.1(490 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $

    Wow I forgot how good and cheap Noah's was. The service is always excellent and you get your food…read morefairly quick. The spring rolls are perfect and only $6 you can't beat that. The banh mi is my favorite in Merced. The meat is flavorful and all the veggies taste so fresh. I had never tried the shaking beef before, but I loved it. The meat was so tender, the rice was perfectly cooked, and the salad brought some freshness to the dish. The restaurant is pretty large and quiet so perfect for a quick dinner.

    Driving up to Yosemite through Merced. Wanted to grab a bite to eat before we started entering the…read morewhere there is not many food options. Ordered a large Bún bò Huế and spring rolls to share. FYI, there is no pork blood in this dish in case you're looking for that. It was definitely enough and such a deal compared to the Bay Area. We asked to share everything and they brought us appetizer plates, bowls, and a servicing spoon. Quite surprised as I feel like we typically have to ask for this stuff from a restaurant staff. I felt like it was extra which is nice. Like I didn't expect appetizer plates or a serving spoon. Super kind. The wait staff was also super great. It wasn't very busy when we came by because it was like 6pm, a bit early for dinner. The wait staff came by and checked in on us. It was nice. They even let us know when they were going on their break. It's a big restaurant so I'd say it's really good for groups and there are tables that sit probably at least 8. Anyways, I'd come back if we're in the area.

    Photos
    Noah's Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine - There's Wifi, perfect for a working lunch

    There's Wifi, perfect for a working lunch

    Noah's Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine - Beef spicy pho

    Beef spicy pho

    Noah's Vietnamese Fusion Cuisine - Vermicelli Bowl to-go

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    Vermicelli Bowl to-go

    Houa Khong 2 - Phat Se Iw

    Houa Khong 2

    4.0(168 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    We were frequents of this place prior to it changing ownership and we absolutely loved this place…read more We finally decided to try it since the ownership change. Let me tell you-from the second you walk in being warmly greeted to the second you walk out with warm "thank you for coming in, hope to see you again soon" , it's amazing! The ambiance and decor is warm and bright. It's tropical feel with the mix of burnt salmon orange and cool pops of aqua are inviting. It's clean and modern. It's cozy and feels home like. The place was updated with new tables and chairs, nice navy blue table cloths, chairs and bench seating, a new check out counter was all tastefully done, the dishes are clean white "china" with gold trim. The glasses are like a dainty goblet and you feel like you are in an expensive, ritzy place. You can sit anywhere you'd like. You are greeted and conversed with, taking your drink order. The drinks are brought to you with a smile and you tell her what you'd like to eat. If there is something you aren't sure of they are excited to explain. The presentation is absolutely amazing! We eat with our eyes first and let me say that my eyes were very excited and happy! We were used to the cuisine we had before and so we didn't know what to expect. Our dishes didn't disappoint! I had my usual, Panang Curry with chicken and added mixed vegetables and sticky rice. My husband had BBQ Beef. My sons had the combination pho and chicken satay. From the first bite to the last it didn't disappoint. The Panang was gorgeous and flavorful! The veggies were perfect and I ate until I couldn't eat anymore! The BBQ Beef was tender and perfectly seasoned. My son loved the pho, it looked and smelled amazing and tasted so good! My younger son didn't waste any time with the chicken satay. It was tender and flavorful. We will definitely be back. It is STILL our favorite Thai restaurant. It's a gem in Merced.

    I didn't know they had a second location because my friend took me to their first location once…read more The day I went they were closed so I drove to their second location and was not disappointed at all. The raw beef Larb was made perfectly in texture and flavor. The Pad Thai was also very good but I was most impressed with the duck curry bc they were very generous with the duck. Most Thai places would serve duck curry with very limited duck meat but this place made it worth the order. This will definitely be my go to place whenever I'm in or around Merced area.

    Photos
    Houa Khong 2 - Coming inside everything's new, nice and clean

    Coming inside everything's new, nice and clean

    Houa Khong 2 - Shrimp salad

    Shrimp salad

    Houa Khong 2 - Fried Tofu

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    Fried Tofu

    Thai Star - thai - Updated May 2026

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