Lakeland, Florida
Polk County · 695 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 looks stronger than average on current grade mix, but individual inspection timelines still matter more than a citywide headline.
Best supporting links
How to read a restaurant page, editorial standards, and corrections.
About Dining in Lakeland
Of Lakeland's 695 graded restaurants, 93.4% earned an A grade — above the statewide average, reflecting strong food safety compliance in the area. Notably, no restaurants in the area currently hold a failing F grade. The average InspectFL Health Score across Lakeland is 98.9 out of 100, based on 210 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
Restaurants
Page 5 of 28DENA'S PLACE DINER
4525 S FLORIDA AVE STE 28
GASKINS BARBECUE & LOBSTER
1614 TOWN CENTER DR
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES - #36-117
3427 US 98 N
JIMMY JOHNS FLORIDA AVE
4128 FLORIDA AVE S
LOUIS PAPPAS MARKET CAFE
1318 TOWNCENTER DR
MOE'S SOUTHWEST GRILL
1326 TOWN CENTER DR E
PALACE ITALIAN RESTAURANT SOUTHSIDE
4780 S FLORIDA AVE
SENDERO TROPICAL
741 N WABASH AVE
APPLEBEE'S NEIGHBORHOOD GRILL & BAR
230 ARTEVA DR
SCOOPING DREAMS
1310 W DAUGHTERY RD
HUNGRY HOWIES #3000
2805 SHEPHERD RD
KFC
3630 US 98 N
RED LOBSTER #6208
3706 US 98 N
CHICK-FIL-A SHEPHERD RD
6875 S FLORIDA AVE
NEW MOON SUSHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT
4231 S FLORIDA AVE
WINGSTOP 1994
4217 S FLORIDA AVE
BREWLANDS BILLIARDS
5733 SOUTH FLORIDA AVE
POPEYES CHICKEN & BISCUITS#104
2550 US 98 N
FANCY Q JAPANESE INC
5615 S FLORIDA AVENUE, SUITE 115
LA PINATA
850 S TENNESSEE AVE
CRAVIN SEAFOOD BOIL
703 N COMBEE RD
DON CRIOLLO BAKERY & RESTAURANT
2101 S COMBEE RD UNIT 24
FLIPPERS FRY AND GRILL
2500 US HWY 92 E
HGI LAKELAND GREAT AMERICAN GRILL
3839 DON EMERSON DR
MISSION BBQ
4014 S FLORIDA AVE
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.
