Lakeland, Florida
Polk County · 724 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 723 graded restaurants, 61.3% earned an A grade — roughly in line with statewide averages. Currently, 3.2% of restaurants hold a failing F grade, representing 23 establishments with significant health violations. The average InspectFL Health Score across Lakeland is 93.0 out of 100, based on 2,318 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 16 of 29SHANGHAI CHINESE RESTAURANT
2344 GRIFFIN RD
CHILI'S GRILL & BAR
3750 LAKESIDE VILLAGE CT
CURRY LEAVES LAKELAND
3260 US HWY 98 N
PAPA JOHNS PIZZA #2420
6747 US 98 N
HOT DOG ZONE
2080 E EDGEWOOD DR
JAMAICAN JERK KITCHEN
210 W 8 ST
DAIRY QUEEN
4710 US HWY 98 N
FIRE HOT POT & BBQ
4250 US 98 N
CLARKES SMOKE HUTT
1800 FL-559
SOUL CITY CATERING
304 E PINE ST 109
EL SABOR DE MICHOACAN
2701 SWINDELL RD
KING'S WOK
5363 N SOCRUM LOOP RD
UVA BAR AND LOUNGE
5153 US HWY 98N
C&E BACKROAD EATS
2080 E EDGEWOOD DR
DECKSIDE POOL CAFE
1600 GRASSLANDS BLVD
LAKELAND DONUTS
2810 S FLORIDA AVE
GOT CANDY & MORE AKA GOT DESSERTS
2614 LAKELAND HILLS BLVD #8
LIL RED WAGON CONCESSIONS
4410 AARON MORGAN RD
CHILI'S GRILL & BAR #216
3980 US 98 N
KPOT KOREAN BBQ & HOTPOT
1568 TOWN CENTER DR
LA CALENTANA MEXICAN STORE & RESTRAUNT
1725 N MEMORIAL BLVD
LONE PALM GOLF CLUB
800 LONE PALM DR
MARRIOTT TOWNEPLACE SUITES
3370 US 98 S
THE CHICKS COOP
1263 KATHLEEN RD
MAY FLOWER
4676 E CR 540A UNIT 8
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.
