Livermore Restaurant Tips by AlbuqRay

Sansar: Good East Indian Food

Sansar is a cozy, two-room restaurant in downtown Livermore. The lunch buffet is small but tasty. The service is excellent. There is some outdoor dining available.

Favorite Dish: Try the Indian chili with nan.

Address: 2220 First Street, Livermore, CA

Comparison: about average

Directions: Near the corner of First Street and North Livermore Avenue

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Indian

360 Degree Gourmet Burrito: Oakland Airport Fast Food

The Oakland airport is the closest airport to Livermore. When I am there, I like to get a 360 Degree Gourmet Burrito. They are fast and delicious. It is in the old terminal (#1), so you must go through security to get to it.

Favorite Dish: The lime and garlic dressing chicken burrito with black beans is excellent.

Comparison: about average

Directions: Terminal #1 at the Oakland Airport

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Fast Food

Uncle Yu's at the Vineyard: Classy Chinese Restaurant

Uncle Yu's is a small chain of three very upscale Chinese restaurants. The Livermore site is called Uncle Yu's at the Vineyard. Both the food and the service are excellent. It gets good reviews. I don't drink but the wine list is extensive. There is also a patio dining area.

Favorite Dish: The Singapore Noodles entree is delicious. It has rice noodles, shrimp, pork and vegetables mildly spiced with curry. At $10 it is one of the bargains on the lunch menu.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Near the fountain at the intersection of Livermore Avenue and First Street

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum

Website: http://www.uncleyu.com/

Trio Cafe at Stony Ridge: Casual Lunch at a Winery

The Cafe Trio is located at the Stony Ridge Winery. It is only open for lunch. There is a small indoor dining area, which tends to fill up (you may want to make a reservation if you prefer to sit inside). When the weather is cool, you may sit outside on the elevated front porch with a view of grape vines in the foreground and the hills in the background. If it is hot, there is a large graveled patio out back beneath a canvas-covered trellis which blocks the sun. The dining is casual with selections of various Mediterranean-slanted soups, salads and sandwiches made by the owner/chef, Billie Calfo. It is the least expensive of the three Livermore wineries that are popular for lunch (the other two being Garre and Wente). The friendly cat on the front porch is really good at hustling snacks for itself.

Favorite Dish: The fresh-roasted garlic was delicious with the tomato-potato soup.

Address: 4948 Tesla Road, Livermore, CA

Comparison: about average

Directions: Near the intersection of Mines and Tesla Roads

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Other

Sai's 3: Neighborhood Vietnamese Restaurant

We were staying at the DoubleTree Club Hotel in Livermore, CA, and noticed this small Vietnamese restaurant in a strip mall about a half-a-block away. We found a good review online, so we decided to try it. Sai's 3 turned out to be an excellent find. It is a small family restaurant with delicious food at a good price. It is a clean, friendly place and even has flat screen TV's.

Favorite Dish: The garlic noodles are great! The noodles are cooked al dente and then stir-fried with lots of garlic. They have some crisp spots that add to the flavor and texture. There may have been a little cheese sprinkled on them too, but I am not sure. What I am sure of is that they were delicious. I also had the stir-fried lemon grass flavor prawns with vegetables. It was more like a Thai dish but quite good. The shrimp was fresh and cooked perfectly. The jasmine-lily tea was strong but tasty. All-in-all a very nice meal for $10. The noodles were a side dish (add $1.50) for the shrimp and the tea was included.

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: In the strip mall one block east of First Street on the north side of I-580 in Livermore, CA

Phone: 925-294-8698

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Alekos: Eat Middle East Food in North Livermore

Alekos is a new restaurant in the Springtown area of Livermore. In Sep 07 it had been open for ~5 weeks. They have Greek and Mediterranean food. You order at the counter and your food will be ready quickly (5-10 minutes). There was a steady stream of people doing take out, but if you decide to eat in, the service is friendly and good.

Favorite Dish: I have only been there one time. I had the vegetarian Greek Platter with falafel, hummus, baba ghanoj, fasolia gigante, dolmades, yogurt and pita bread for $9.25. The grilled vegetables looked so good that I got them also... grilled eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes for $3.50. I had namora (baked coconut and yogurt) for dessert.

Address: 1536 North Vasco Road, Livermore, CA 94551

Comparison: about average

Directions: Just north of Scenic Drive on North Vasco Road

Phone: 925-245-9769

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Middle Eastern

Kawa Sushi: Cozy Downtown Japanese Restaurant

Kawa Sushi has been in downtown Livermore for a while (since 1998). It may be taken for granted a little now but it is a very nice place to eat. Kawa Sushi has been voted as the Best Sushi Restaurant by Tri-Valley Herald readers numerous times. Both the food and the service are excellent. Small groups may have their own side room or eat teppan style.

Favorite Dish: I had the three item bento (box lunch) with saba shiokai (broiled mackerel), tempura, and gyoza (pot stickers) for $12.95. The gyoza sauce was the best I had ever had! The house premium green tea was excellent also.

Address: 2180 Third Street, Livermore, CA 94550

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: One block east of North Livermore Avenue on Third Street

Phone: 925-606-7222

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Japanese/Sushi

Website: http://www.kawasushi-inc.com/

Waikiki Hawaiian BBQ: If You Are Hungry on a Small Budget

The Waikiki Hawaiian BBQ restaurant just opened in downtown Livermore. It has a good location next to the Lemon Grass Restaurant. If you don't have much money and are really hungry, go for one of their plate lunches. They are huge with plenty of meat, macaroni salad, rice and cholesterol. We thought the place might be totally authentic but our Hawaiian colleague said no; they did not have a turkey special on Thursday. They did have typical plate lunches like chicken katsu, pork lau lau, kulua pig and BBQ short ribs. Mini plate lunches (big) are around $4 and the regular (huge) size around $6. The seafood combo at $7.25 was the most expensive item. It had mahi mahi and deep fried shrimp with a choice of teriyaki steak, BBQ chicken, BBQ short ribs or katsu chicken with two scoops of rice and one scoop of macaroni salad.

Favorite Dish: I did not really have a favorite. There was just too much batter for me. The chicken katsu sauce did have a good flavor. Next time I think I'll try the beef curry or the teriyaki pork chop.

Address: 2206 First Street, Livermore, CA

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: On First Street near the intersection with North Livermore Avenue

Phone: 925-456-0178

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 2

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Milano's Pizza and Pasta: Great Pesto Sauce

Everyone says that Milano's makes the best pizza in Livermore; however, the pesto sandwiches were recommended to me and that's what I have always had since they are delicious and I don't get to Livermore often. Milano's is in a neighborhood strip mall and has plenty of room, along with big-screen TV's. Don't miss this place for lunch.

Favorite Dish: The pesto chicken sandwich is made with focaccia bread, plenty of grilled chicken and peppers, and drenched in a rich creamy pesto sauce. You will definitely feel full after having this sandwich for lunch.

Address: 4433 First Street, Livermore, CA

Comparison: about average

Directions: About 1/4 mile south of the I-580 First Street Exit in a strip mall on the east side of the street near Las Positas Road

Phone: 925-373-6727

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Italian

Terra Mia: Pastas Trattoria Is Now Terra Mia

Terra Mia replaced Pastas Trattoria in Feb 2006. It is located in a strip mall in east Livermore. Don't let the location fool you. It is an excellent authentic Italian restaurant with an extensive wine list. It has both indoor and outdoor dining. You will probably need reservations if you want to have dinner there. However, be prepared to pay the price. Their cheapest pasta dish is $10.50 and everything else (salad, soup, etc.) is a la carte. The menu is the same for lunch and dinner, which makes the prices okay for dinner but high for lunch. I recently had the Ziti al Salmone for lunch with no salad or soup and drank water; total bill including tax and tip was $19.

Favorite Dish: Any of their dishes with smoked mozzarella cheese.

Address: 4040 East Avenue, Livermore, CA

Comparison: more expensive than average

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 3

Theme: Italian

Website: http://www.terramiarestaurant.com/