Find Cheap Eats in Farmington and Farmington Hills

Sometimes, you just have to own up to who you really are and make the most of it. 

To paraphrase a certain former president, I'm not a cook.

I have never enjoyed cooking, baking, frying, broiling, grilling or anything else that involves taking food from its natural form and turning it into something delicious. In fact, whenever I do any of those things, the result would likely not be described as "something delicious". 

The smoke alarm is my oven timer, if you follow where I've drifted. 

And because birds of a feather tend to flock together, the man I married also does not enjoy cooking – although his two specialty dishes, French onion soup and eggplant parmesan, can keep us dining in for days. Still, we would rather say, "Where are we going for dinner?" than "What are we cooking for dinner?". 

As a result, I have become an expert at finding good food at good prices in our community. Because when you have to pay the check almost every night, you really see how quickly it all adds up. So starting today, this weekly column will share some of the best food deals that can be found in Farmington and Farmington Hills. 

This will also be an interactive column. I encourage you to share your own meal deals and your experiences with the restaurant in the comments, and to leave a review on the restaurant's listing in our Places directory. I'll include pertinent facts about the food, and some information about the restaurant. 

Now on to this week's Cheap Eats:

Basement Burger Bar

Deal: Thursday night burger special

Cost: $3 for a 6-ounce burger, cooked any way you like, with up to five garnishes

What you get: This burger is filling. BBB doesn't skimp on the toppings, and the hamburger buns are good quality as well. For the calorie- or gluten-conscious, order with veggie toppings and no bun, and make it a burger salad. 

Bill for two diners: Burgers, an order of Tater Tots™ (don't judge), one iced tea and one water is around $10. 

This cozy, downtown Farmington restaurant and bar is owned by Jamil and David Azar, who are often out on the floor talking with customers. It's small and often busy – we've waited 15-20 minutes for a table some Thursday nights, so go early if you're planning to catch a movie at the after dinner. The restaurant offers other specials during the week. You can keep up with BBB on their website or on Facebook. 

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