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1 / 13#13. Anthony's Health Hut & Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5329 South Florida Ave. Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Health Markets, Sandwiches, Vitamins & Supplements
- Read more on Yelp
Highest-rated restaurants in Lakeland by diners
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.
But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.
Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.
To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Lakeland, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.
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2 / 13#12. Nineteen 61
- Rating: 4.5/5 (528 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 215 East Main St. Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Latin American, Spanish, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
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3 / 13#11. Zarza Latin Food & Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4648 Cleveland Heights Blvd. Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Colombian
- Read more on Yelp
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4 / 13#10. Cafe Zuppina
- Rating: 4.5/5 (220 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4417 South Florida Av Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Turkish
- Read more on Yelp
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5 / 13#9. Chef T's Garden Grill
- Rating: 4.5/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1525 East Gary Road Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: American, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
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6 / 13#8. Hana Tea House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (20 reviews)
- Address: 4525 Florida Ave. South Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
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7 / 13#7. Divicious Deli & Coffee Shop
- Rating: 4.5/5 (147 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 128 East Main St. Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Delis, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
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8 / 13#6. Sweet Cup Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1401 Lakeland Hills Blvd. Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Mexican, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
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9 / 13#5. Subs 'n Such
- Rating: 4.5/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1008 South Florida Ave. Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Delis, Diners, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
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10 / 13#4. Black & Brew
- Rating: 4.5/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 100 Lake Morton Drive Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, New American, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
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11 / 13#3. Savory Thai
- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 5109 US Hwy 98 South Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Thai, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp
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12 / 13#2. Krunchy Krab
- Rating: 4.5/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1142 Texas ave North Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Seafood, Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp
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13 / 13#1. Tea RX Cafe Lakeland
- Rating: 5.0/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 3114 Florida Ave. South Lakeland, Florida
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Vietnamese, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 331 metros.
