Quick Take:
Location: Winter Haven & Auburndale
What Katie ordered: Oreo Cookie Latte, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cruffin & Fruity Pebble Nuggets
Extra Order
(Mike's Order): Iced Coffee, Iced Matcha Latte, & a Haven Protein Cookie
Final Score: 5/5
Price: ~$1–10 per person
For our seventeen stop on our Polk Food Quest, we visited Haven Coffee in Auburndale (with their flagship location in Winter Haven).
We have been to Haven quite a bit, especially now that their Auburndale location is open and we're walking distance; so we know how good the coffee and pastries are.
Haven came in at number two on our list of the best coffee shops in Polk County against other options with locations in both Lakeland AND Winter Haven, four locations, and more.
So that's saying something about the mark they're making on Polk.
By the way: if you're new here, the concept of my Polk Food Quest is simple: every week I try a local spot, order the most common thing people get, try a few extras, and rank it on taste, value, vibes, and overall.
This week: Regular Coffee!
Which means I ordered an iced coffee, iced matcha latte, & Haven protein cookie and Katie ordered an Oreo cookie latte, cinnamon toast crunch cruffin & fruity pebble nuggets.
How Does This Work?
I order the standard item for that category (for coffee that's a regular coffee and a pastry), plus a few extras so I can get a full feel for the menu.
Then I rank the experience on four things:
Taste | Value | Vibes | 
Overall
Taste focuses on the standard item.
The rest reflects the entire experience.
Taste: 5/5
Haven Coffee has the best coffee, and the best pastries.
Hands down. Easy answer.
They literally won the GoldenBean Overall Award in 2024 for their coffee, and their pastries are on another level compared to every other coffee place we've been to in all of Polk County.
Top that off with the fact that they're always innovating with awesome new treats, new coffees, fun flights, and their Haven protein cookie — and there really is no competition here.
Here's a quick breakdown for my quick scanners, though:
- Iced Coffee: I don't have to say much here, considering they won the award for best coffee. But I can confirm it's great!
- Specialty Coffee: Katie has loved every speciality coffee she has tried, and loves the fact that they are always rolling out new fun options.
- Iced Matcha Latte: I know matcha has been becoming more popular, so I have decided to put this to the test from now on too, and it hit the spot!
- The Pastries: I have to admit to having far more pastries than I should, but I have never had a single one that wasn't incredible. The cruffins are dangerously good, and the protein cookie is to die for.
I don't mean to hype up Haven, but this one really wasn't that hard to rank.
The coffee speaks for itself, the variety and consistent new options keep it fun, and the pastries are incredible.
Vibes: 5/5
Haven's new Auburndale location is spacious and gorgeous.
And they don't let the expansion lose any of their fun branding.
They are constantly keeping it fun with t-shirts, flights, speciality coffees and treats.
Could be Harry Potter, Star Wars, Sweet Tarts, or even just Oreos and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
And while they are constantly quirky, it never subtracts from the brand.
Tack that on with the fact that they know how to train their staff so that the hospitality is always top notch, and this one is another easy 5/5.
Value: 5/5
Even with Haven's award winning coffee they still keep competitive pricing.
With 5/5 taste for the best coffee and pastry options in town, 5/5 vibes for awesome spaces, fun branding and great hospitality, and competitive pricing, they're getting another easy 5/5 for value here.
This section isn't as nuanced as other locations we have in the reviews considering you go to Haven for coffee and/or pastries, and both are priced right — but it is still nice to know that you can go in expecting the best bang for your buck.
Overall: 5/5
Haven Coffee Roasters comes in with easy 5s across the board.
This is mine and Katie's go-to spot for coffee, especially being walking distance to their Auburndale location now.
The pastries can get dangerous because they're so good, but I can't complain.
Would I bring my visiting family there?
110%.
Not just because we can walk there, but because I know going in we'll have an awesome variety of coffee, matcha and speciality drinks for all tastes — and amazing pastries [we can't find anywhere else] to go with them.
Here’s how I’d sum up Haven Coffee:
They've earned every bit of the hype.
A 2024 GoldenBean Award for their coffee. Pastries better than anything else we've found in Polk County.
The cruffins are dangerously good, and the protein cookie might be even better. Add in fun, ever-changing branding and staff who actually make you feel welcome, and it's easy to see why this is our go-to spot now.
If you're anywhere near Winter Haven or Auburndale and haven't tried Haven, fix that.
Before You Go....
Hey!
I want to know what you think of Haven Coffee Roasters.
Leave a comment below.
The more you share, the better, but anything is appreciated.
Each comment helps The Best Of Polk articles and eventually, the yearly awards!
Have a place you want me to try?
Make sure to comment that as well.
Never Miss An Event Or Story
Mike, this review was sent to us from a sweet friend and regular of ours. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting y’all personally! I just want to articulate how grateful I am of your review and of your words. It was honestly a huge blessing to me to read as a business owner that often gets discouraged by so many things in business! It was like you really “got “everything that we work so hard to create. It makes us so happy that not only do you enjoy our products, but that you also even used the word hospitality, which is something that’s super important to us and that we train and retrain our team on. Thank you for sharing this with the public! Positive reviews like this is what helps small business owners so much! Blessings to y’all.
Lynsey Lane
Thank you for this comment!
Makes me so happy I was able to highlight all the amazing things you guys are doing.
That said, you guys made my job easy! 🙏