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    Bates Burgers

    4.4 (427 reviews)
    InexpensiveBurgers
    Open 7:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    BATES BURGERS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Cheeseburger Coke
    Zara H.

    Food came out super fast and thank god it did I was on my lunch break and needed to be in and out fast :) taste was perfect, onions caramelized and sweet, cheese was just enough, pop was fountain which is my fav. Service was super fast and ladies were nice. Nice ambiance along the road you can watch all the cars go by as you eat on the bar stools.

    Dean A.

    Chicago has Portillos. NYC has Juniors. Philly has Geno's or Jim's. And Livonia has Bate's. If you're near Detroit and want an authentic slider or Coney Dog with an old fashioned shake at an old fashioned bar stool, Go straight to Bate's and do not pass Go. You won't be disappointed.

    Menu
    Christal P.

    First time here after hearing about the hype surrounding Bates Burgers as an institution in Livonia. I ordered the fries and cheeseburger. Nothing stood out in terms of taste or quality. The fries aren't crispy. The burgers are small so if you're hungry you'll likely have to order more than one. I couldn't finish my one cheeseburger and fries because the taste wasn't worth the calories. I could hardly taste the cheese and the bun was hard. Service is mediocre and the wait can take a while. I prefer Telway for this type of small takeout burger joint. The price adds up - a guy who picked up his order when I was there paid over $92 for three dozen hamburgers. A typical guy could probably eat three of these small hamburgers before getting full. He could have spent around the same amount of money if he had bought and cooked wagyu hamburgers at home for his party. Bring cash. There is a 3% credit card fee.

    Sliders with cheese.
    Doug R.

    This Bates location is a classic white box burger, breakfast, chili and slider restaurant. Good food. Cramped parking. Good service. Cramped parking.

    Double cheese with onions! I prefer light onions because they really pile them on! But it's delicious! Smaller burgers but big flavor!
    Brandon W.

    Bates burgers, an old fashioned burger joint established in 1959! With the smell of fresh patties and onions, it's hard to turn away! The locals have been coming here since they were kids! The place is absolutely packed with a convenient pickup window, great for on the go! I decided to get their cheeseburger. Two smash burger patties in between a slice of cheese, loaded with onions! If you like a small staple restaurant, with big flavor and a hint of nostalgia, BATES is the place to go.

    Clearly the sign says open.
    Brittney C.

    DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!! If I could give zero stars I would. This might be my first comment EVER. The location says open until 10pm, light was still on that says open. We arrived last night at 930pm to locked doors and staff cleaning the restaurant we tried both doors because maybe they just lock one door for safety at night. The staff proceeded to laugh at our attempts to open the door and made very unbelievable comments that I won't share here. We got frustrated and said we would be complaining. There was a lady who ended up coming outside to confront us to see what we had said and put all of us in a very dangerous situation. With the economy being so bad people should be more aware when people are trying to spend money with their establishments and also consider how dangerous it is to follow customers and taunt and harass them in the parking lot. The owners should be aware of who is running their business.

    Bill. I was charged for a Double Cheeseburger!
    Michael S.

    I returned on 06/09/2024 after a 10-year hiatus. It's still the same as I remembered. Fortunately, the food tastes better than it looks. I went on a Sunday after church and was able to get a stool at the counter. I ordered and paid for a double cheeseburger ($4.42), but it only had 1 patty and 1 slice of cheese inside. The Chili Fries w/Cheese ($3.29) were a HOT MESS, but tasty and fun to eat. The small Chocolate Shake ($3.10) was the highlight of the meal. RICH and FLAVORFUL. Ambiance is NOSTALGIC like the early days of White Castle. They have been going strong in Livonia for 60 years. They won't suffer or go out of business without my patronage. I am not in any hurry to return.

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    10 months ago

    Great tiny burgers at a great price!! Simple ingredients. Will have to come back again!

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    2 years ago

    Best sliders place there is, legendary in livonia. Always loved taking my son there after hockey game or practice.

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    Been a Livonia Staple for me since 1979!

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    The Rolling Stoves

    The Rolling Stoves

    4.5
    (187 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Great food and friendly service. Will definitely be back. Have driven by many times, but tried it…read moreafter a friend recommended.

    Excellent Burger joint! I was drawn to this business based on all the excellent YELP reviews which…read morewere well deserved in my opinion and my new YELP quest to find the best Burger in Metro Detroit. For my first visit here I got their basic cheeseburger where I added Bacon and a second patty upgrading from a 1/4 pounder to a 1/2 Lb burger. My Burger was cooked to perfection and probably the juiciest burger I have had in this area (get extra napkins(: ). It was very tasty and clearly in the upper echelon of the burgers I have tried. At $10.50 which included the two upgrades of bacon and 2nd patty was a deal in my opinion especially when you consider the quality of the burger. Relative to staff and facility, the staff was very friendly and checked in on me twice during my meal to include the owner which is amazing when you consider this is a counter order operation. Facility itself is clean and large with a lot of tables, both indoor and outdoor dining. This restaurant has an open kitchen/grill that is visible to the dining area offering great sight lines into their operation which I actually enjoyed. Overall a top shelf unpretentious burger centric joint. If you are into well made tasty burgers and are in the area than this is a must visit that should not be missed!

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    Inside
    Inside
    The Rolling Stoves
    The Rolling Stoves

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    Bates Burgers - burgers - Updated June 2026

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