Welcome back, Polk County.
Mike here.
A couple months ago we covered The Best Mexican Food in Lakeland and what you guys came back with were requests for specifically the best TACOS in Lakeland.
And here we are covering it for you.
Some of the spots from our list of the best Mexican food carried over to this list, and some didn't.
For this list I also made an editorial decision to include a special "runner up"; which is really a bonus addition for a food truck that frequents Lakeland as well.
So if you're looking for tacos specifically (which I know a lot of you Polk locals are); you've come to the right place.
But, without further ado:
The Best Tacos In Polk County.
And, as always, this isn’t just a list I’ve put together based on my own preferences…
This list was built from HUNDREDS of votes, from locals just like you.
Let’s go 
Special Author’s Note:
Katie and I have been to three or four different Mexican / taco places so far for our Polk Food Quest (food reviews) and we have one specific favorite we want to highlight! No spoilers, yet.
First Place: Lake House Kitchen
The Best Tacos In Lakeland, Florida
Lake House Kitchen — 2405 EF Griffin Rd, Lakeland
Coming in at number one for the best tacos in Lakeland is Lake House Kitchen.
Lake House Kitchen absolutely dominated.
They have food trucks throughout Lakeland and Winter Haven, and also now have a physical location in Bowen Yard (Winter Haven), and another coming in Auburndale.
So this one came as no surprise. They are a Polk County favorite.
Voters shared:
- "Lake House Kitchen hands down the best!"
- "Lake House Kitchen!! 1000%"
- "The food was to die for!!!"
Katie and I shared a Lake House Kitchen Review recently, and we really enjoyed everything and can see why this one is held in such high regards.
Second Place: Taqueria El Burrito
The Second Best Tacos In Lakeland, Florida
Taqueria El Burrito — 1035 S Combee Rd, Lakeland
Coming in second is Taqueria El Burrito.
This one had a weird mix of people who seemed like they almost wanted to keep it their secret spot and others sharing that you HAVE TO TRY IT!
The big thing that came through was not only the taste, but also the price.
The 6 tacos for $5 votes/comments continued to come up over and over.
With voters sharing:
- "Taqueria El Burrito!!!"
- "THE best tacos."
- "Must try on Combee!"
Where Lake House pulled the broadest support, Taqueria El Burrito is the authenticity pick. The food and price do the talking here.
Third Place: Mega Mercado
The Third Best Tacos In Lakeland, Florida
Mega Mercado — 2009 George Jenkins Blvd, Lakeland
Coming in third is Mega Mercado.
Mega Mercado came in at NUMBER ONE on our list of the best Mexican food in Lakeland, so seeing them in the top three makes sense.
They had some serious support from the local community.
Voters said things like:
- “Mega Mercado hands down the best”
- “Mega Mercado is #1.”
- “Mega Mercado everything they have is delicious
”
Mega clearly has a passionate following.
Fourth Place: Taqueria La Raza
The Fourth Best Tacos In Lakeland, Florida
Taqueria La Raza — 600 N Wabash Ave, Lakeland
Coming in fourth is Taqueria La Raza.
This is another one, like Taqueria El Burrito, that clearly has credibility with the authenticity crowd.
With voters sharing:
- "Taqueria La Raza is legit."
- "Taqueria La Raza off Wabash."
- "As a Mexican…definitely Taqueria"
You know that when a recommendation for tacos starts with "As a Mexican…" it's meant to throw around some weight. 😂
La Raza didn't have enough total votes to make it into the top three, but the people who voted for it were extremely passionate.
Fifth Place: Mr. Pollo
The Fifth Best Tacos In Lakeland, Florida
Mr. Pollo — 4981 US Hwy 98 N, Lakeland
Rounding out the top five best taco spots in Lakeland is Mr Pollo.
Mr. Pollo didn't come in with an abundance of overall votes and/or comments, but it was consistent.
They also came in at number seven on our best Mexican restaurants in Lakeland list, so it's clearly a top spot in Lakeland.
With voters sharing:
- "Mr Pollo on 98."
- "Definitely Mr. Pollo."
- "In North Lakeland, Mr. Pollo Mexican Grill hands down!"
North Lakeland definitely showed up for this one.
Bonus Shoutout: Savage Taco
Bonus For The Best Tacos In Lakeland, Florida
Savage Tacos — Food Truck Throughout Lakeland
Savage Tacos gets the Polk Squeeze bonus shoutout nod.
Savage Tacos just opened up their first physical location in Winter Haven, but they still frequent Lakeland in their truck.
This is one that was continuously brought up and voted on and would have made the top ten in votes (and definitely been higher if they had a Lakeland physical location); so we wanted to give them a shout.
Voters said things like:
- “Savage Tacos 100%”
- “Savage Tacos”
- “Savage, easy!”
Full transparency: this is also mine and Katie's favorite Mexican/taco spot in Polk right now, so we felt strongly about adding in the bonus shoutout here.
Other Great Taco Spots In Lakeland, Florida
If you’re anything like me, you want to try all the best tacos in Lakeland, Florida so you can be the judge for yourself.
So here are the rest of the top ten taco spots in Lakeland, Florida (in order 6-10):
- #6 — La Patroncita
- #7 — Plaza Mexico
- #8 — Monica’s Tacos
- #9 — La Calentana
- #10 — Taqueria y Paleteria Guerrerense
Which gives us the full top 10 taco spots in Lakeland.
And brings us to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
My personal opinion (that no one asked for 
).
Here are my top taco shops:
- Savage Tacos
- Saving This Spot
- Lake House Kitchen
I normally reserve my third spot until I have tried every spot on the list, but this time I'm going to reserve my second instead.
I personally really enjoyed Lake House Kitchen tacos, but I also think they get a bit of hype in Polk County for some reason. I think they're top 3-5, but don't think they're number one, even in just Lakeland.
THANKS!
Thanks for reading this edition of The Polk Squeeze today.
Share this with a friend who's been looking for the best tacos in Lakeland.
- Mike Romaine
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