5 Best Restaurants in Livonia, Michigan to Try

A classic Detroit suburb that never sits still, Livonia mixes proud blue-collar heritage with new waves of culinary curiosity.

Here, you’ll find diners and Italian joints where Grandma knows the servers, but also a burgeoning cadre of global spots offering some of the state’s best Middle Eastern, Polish, and creative American plates.

Livonia’s restaurants feel like true gathering places, where you’ll feel like a local even if it’s your first time.

1. Bates Hamburgers

A throwback in the best way, Bates is a classic roadside burger shack that’s been slinging slider-sized marvels since 1959.

The “Bates burger” is an era-defining bite: two-ounce patties, steamed onions, American cheese, pickles, and fluffy buns, perfect for devouring by the sackful.

Customers range from high schoolers after football practice to retirees reminiscing about the first time they “ate here with Dad in the ’60s.”

2. Thomas’ Family Dining

Home-style American fare and Greek comfort blend seamlessly at Thomas’—all-day breakfasts, corned beef hashes, pork chops, and mile-high salads, but also lemony chicken avgolemono soup, dolmades, and moussaka.

Servers call regulars by name and carry out slices of pie “on the house” for birthdays.

3. Buddy’s Pizza

Detroit-style pizza at its finest: rectangular, with a thick, crisp crust, caramelized corners, and dollops of sauce on top.

Buddy’s is the reigning royalty of the style, and their Livonia branch pulls crowds from across Metro Detroit for sausage-and-green-pepper pies and every variation under the Motor City sun.

Start with antipasto salad, stuffed breadsticks, and a draft of local craft beer.

4. Sheesh Mediterranean Cuisine

One of the best Middle Eastern kitchens in Southeast Michigan, Sheesh turns out beautiful platters of lamb shawarma, beef kabobs, spiced chicken shish tawook, pillowy fresh pita, and all the mezze—hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanoush—your appetite desires.

Built for family-style sharing, the platters are heaped full, and the house garlic sauce is the stuff of legend.

5. Mitchell’s Fish Market

Livonia’s go-to for occasions when seafood must be something special, Mitchell’s pairs white-linen elegance with a wide, fresh-catch menu—sea scallops seared and glazed with bourbon brown sugar; Parmesan-crusted flounder; shrimp and grits; and snowy lobster tails.

The oyster bar is an after-work happy hour favorite, and fresh-baked sourdough and signature cocktails show the care in every bite.