Lakeland, Florida
Polk County · 733 restaurants
Lakeland sits at the crossroads of I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, and its downtown has quietly become one of Central Florida's most charming dining districts. Nearly 600 restaurants serve a community that takes pride in its local identity — from the historic Munn Park area's independent eateries to the growing restaurant scene around Florida Southern College's Frank Lloyd Wright campus. Lakeland offers a taste of Old Florida that the coastal cities have largely lost.
Data on this page
InspectFL turns public DBPR inspection records into city-level score trends, grade breakdowns, and restaurant history so this page is useful for comparison, not just a list of names.
How to use this city page
Start with the citywide grade mix, then use filters to narrow by category, grade, or inspection dates before opening the full restaurant record.
What the citywide data means
Lakeland's grade mix looks fairly mixed, so this page is best used to narrow the list before checking each restaurant's full record.
Best supporting links
How to read a restaurant page, editorial standards, and corrections.
About Dining in Lakeland
Of Lakeland's 732 graded restaurants, 63.4% earned an A grade — roughly in line with statewide averages. Currently, 4.4% of restaurants hold a failing F grade, representing 32 establishments with significant health violations. The average InspectFL Health Score across Lakeland is 92.8 out of 100, based on 2,414 inspections on record.
What Inspectors Look For
Florida DBPR inspectors evaluate restaurants on food temperature control, employee hygiene, pest activity, and equipment cleanliness. Violations are categorized as critical (immediate health risk), major (significant concern), or minor (procedural issue). Learn more about how grades work.
Explore More
- Polk County restaurants — see all cities in this county
- City rankings — compare this city with others across Florida
- Editorial standards — understand what is official vs. InspectFL analysis
- InspectFL Blog — analysis, trends, and deep dives on Florida restaurant inspections
Highest Rated in Lakeland
Lowest Rated in Lakeland
Restaurants
Page 1 of 30KEKE'S BREAKFAST CAFE
4115 US HWY 98 N
LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE #5407
3392 US 98 N
MANNA INTERNATIONAL STREET FOOD
1042 E ROSE ST
TAQUERIA SABOR TORREON
2080 E EDGEWOOD DR
TEPPAN EXPRESS
3800 US 98 N #660
BOB EVANS RESTAURANT 123
3130 US HWY 98 N
COUNTRY CHICKEN N' FISH KATHLEEN
1263 KATHLEEN RD
DUNKIN DONUTS
3110 S FLORIDA AVE
EL TINAJON
2080 E EDGEWOOD DR
MAY FLOWER
4676 E CR 540A UNIT 8
PALACE PIZZA
5235 HIGHWAY 98 S
SANDWICH FACTORY
5024 LUNN RD
TAQUERIA MATTEO
1405 N COMBEE RD
BUBBAQUE
5100 US HWY 98 N STE 18
HIBACHI EXPRESS
5351 N SOCRUM LOOP RD
MARGARITA’S COCINA MEXICANA
4715 S FLORIDA AVE
TAQUERIA EL CHILANGO
3230 N ROAD 98
TASTY THAI
6737 US HIGHWAY 98 N
ABUELO'S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY
3700 LAKESIDE VILLAGE BLVD
BLACK & BREW COFFEE HOUSE & BISTRO
205 E MAIN ST
CHILI'S GRILL & BAR
3750 LAKESIDE VILLAGE CT
SMITH'S AMERICAN TAVERN
124 S TENNESSEE AVE
TACO BELL #128
2520 E MEMORIAL BLVD US 92 EAST
THE PURPLE ONION DELI & GRILL
316 N KENTUCKY AVE
BAHIA BOWLS ACAI CAFE
3800 US HWY 98 N UNIT 680
Important context for city pages
City pages are comparison tools built from public Florida DBPR inspection data. They help surface local patterns quickly, but they are not official government rankings and they should not replace reading the individual restaurant page before making a decision.
