Quick Take:
Location: 117 E Lake Ave, Auburndale
What Mike Ordered: Dirty Rice And Eggs
What Katie Ordered: Italian Focaccia
Bonus Order: Custard Stuffed French Toast
Gluten Free Options: Yes
Vegetarian Options: Yes
Final Score: 4.5/5
Price: ~$20–50 per person
For our twenty seventh stop on our Polk Food Quest, we visited The Abigaile in Downtown Auburndale.
We didn't mean to stop in Auburndale in back to back weeks (having visited Pizza Brothers last week); but we couldn't help hitting up The Abigaile shortly after their soft opening in mid-August.
The Abigaile is owned by Tina and Tim Calhoon, the owners of Frescos Southern Kitchen & Bar in Downtown Lakeland.
Frescos was voted number one on our list of The Best Brunch Spots in Polk County, and made the top ten for the best date night restaurants in Polk as well.
So this should give you an idea of the caliber of restaurant we're reviewing for this one.
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: A variety...
Normally I'd tell you exactly what we ordered based on a specific criteria (like a cheese slice of pizza, or street tacos, for example); but for this one we're reviewing it on multiple menu items.
Because of that, this review is being held at a higher standard than most of our reviews, so we want to be upfront about that ahead of time.
How Does This Work?
I order the standard item for that category (for this specific review, things were changed because The Abigaile is not a place that you go and get ONE specific item. You go here for an incredible menu and the vibes), 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: 4/5
Everything we had was great.
That said, we're also reviewing this on a different scale than we would normally be reviewing.
This isn't just a review on cheese pizza, a street taco, a pastry or a pulled pork sandwich — this is a review on multiple recommended (by the amazing servers and managers) menu items at a restaurant that is in a different price category.
With that, we are giving The Abigaile a solid 4/5, and acknowledging that it was great food, but just didn't WOW us enough for a perfect score.
Here's a quick breakdown for my quick scanners, though:
- Dirty Rice And Eggs: I would personally pass on this the next time I go. Good, but definitely not great. For $22 I don't think it had as much flavor as I needed, and really didn't do it for me the way I expected.
- Italian Focaccia: This was great. Katie ranks it at nearly a perfect score, and I agree. For $17 it was good, but again, didn't necessarily floor us.
- Custard Stuffed French Toast: This one was so different and fun. For $17 I'd likely order it again if I went with a new group because it was massive, soft and hit the spot (also great as a secondary almost-dessert-like item to go with the main dishes).
Overall a 4/5 for us on this one is a great score given that we're ranking it more harshly considering the category of restaurants they're in at a $17+ dish menu, with options going as high as $34-46 on the lunch and dinner menus.
Vibes: 5/5
This is why you go to The Abigaile.
Of course the food is in a different category, but the hospitality, vibes and level of service they hold themselves to is on that different standard as well.
We were helped by our fantastic waitress, and multiple managers stopped by to check on us, give recommendations, and always make sure we had what we needed (usually before we even knew we needed it).
Reminder, I rank vibes on:
- The Physical Location
- Hospitality/Service
- The Interior/Space
Right in downtown Auburndale, which is becoming a hot spot with new local spots opening, the hospitality is incredible, and the location itself is gorgeous.
This one gets an EASY 5/5 for vibes.
Value: 4.5/5
With a 4/5 for taste and a 5/5 for vibes, the 4.5/5 value is a great spot to be for The Abigaile.
This is definitely on a different price scale than some of Polk County might be looking for ... BUT, if you're looking for a fancier spot with food and service that is on a different level — then you're likely okay with paying a bit more for it — and The Abigaile is a spot you should be.
As I mentioned earlier, The Abigaile is being held to a different standard due to the category it is in.
We're in a unique position where we can drive an hour to Tampa and an hour to Orlando if we wanted to hit some good food scenes.
That makes the category they're in even harder to scale
BUT ... in terms of Polk County, The Abigaile finds itself in a top slot along with their other restaurant, Frescos.
Overall: 4.5/5
The Abigaile gets a 4.5/5.
We will definitely be back, and this is the spot we'll be visiting when we want to bring our family out to a nice local spot.
Tina and Tim have brought what they have in Lakeland with Frescos to Auburndale with The Abigaile.
Would I bring my visiting family there?
I will 110% be bringing my family there when they visit.
We are walking distance, and this will be THE new spot we go when we want a nice spot to sit down and grab some good food with great hospitality.
Here’s how I’d sum up The Abigaile:
This is the spot to go when you want to feel a little fancy without leaving Auburndale.
The food was great across the board, the Custard Stuffed French Toast especially stood out, and the Italian Focaccia is nearly a perfect dish. The Dirty Rice and Eggs was good, just not quite as memorable as the rest of the table.
And the food is backed by real hospitality to match. Multiple managers stopped by our table, our server was fantastic, and the space itself is gorgeous. Between the two, it's an easy 5/5 on vibes.
Tina and Tim have already proven with Frescos in Lakeland that they know how to run a top tier restaurant, and they've brought that same level of care to the kitchen and the floor at The Abigaile.
Yes, it's a step up in price from most of what we cover on the Polk Food Quest. But if you're looking for a nicer night out with food and service to match, this is exactly the kind of spot worth spending a little more for.
We'll be back, and it's already on our short list for when family comes to visit.
Before You Go....
Hey!
I want to know what you think of The Abigaile in Auburndale.
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?
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