Welcome back, Polk County.
Mike here.
When we ranked The Best Burgers In Lakeland, I promised we'd get to the whole county soon.
Well... it's soon.
We already have The Best Burgers In Winter Haven too, so this one was all about one question: when you put the whole county in the same room, who actually wins?
And this one was CLOSE at the top.
We have reviewed a good handful of burgers now for Mike & Katie's Polk Food Quest — and you'll find a lot of our favorites like Grievous Angel, Brake Burger, and Adler's — but I'd be remiss to not mention Fat Maggie's and Super Duper Spot, which we’ve also reviewed and thoroughly enjoyed.
Which brings us to...
The Best Burgers In Polk County, Florida.
And, as always, this isn’t just a list I’ve put together based on my own preferences…
This list was built from over 1,000 votes, from locals just like you.
Let’s go 
Special Author’s Note:
Just a few notes for general housekeeping: our second spot on the list has three different locations, so take into account that its voters are spread throughout the county, while most of these spots only have their one location. I also wanted to note that Grievous Angel is very new. It did great on our Lakeland list this summer, but it just doesn't have the built-up hype yet to compete with some of these Lakeland staples (more on that below).
First Place: S&L Restaurant
The Best Burger Spot In Polk County, Florida
S&L Restaurant — 2915 S Combee Rd, Lakeland
S&L won Lakeland in a landslide, and it wasn't just the Lakeland locals, it was everyone in Polk who came out to let us know.
S&L also took first in our Best Burgers In Lakeland, and that one wasn't close either, so I was curious to see if they'd sweep this one too (especially with over 1,000 total votes coming in).
It's a small, cash-only diner on South Combee that's been around for over 40 years.
It's only open through lunch and it's busy, so the most common advice from voters was simple: call ahead.
Voters said things like:
- "Being in Polk County 72 years the best by far. Is S & L and they have the best service and staff!!!"
- "S&L do call ahead, reserve a table and also put your order in. Been eating there since 1989!"
- "If you go anywhere else but S&L, you'll be going to the wrong place..."
It also came in third on our list of The Best Breakfast In Polk County, so it's not just the burgers.
Second Place: Adler's
The Second Best Burger Spot In Polk County, Florida
Adler's — Locations in Winter Haven, Auburndale & Davenport
Coming in at number two is Winter Haven's favorite.
Adler's ran away with Winter Haven (it won our Winter Haven burger list by a mile).
There are three locations now, so you don't have to drive to downtown Winter Haven anymore. The Auburndale one even has a bar attached (Revel Jane's).
Katie and I reviewed Adler's and gave it a 5/5.
I switch it up between a classic and a Twitty burger — but everything I have had has been amazing — including the fries and other sides.
Voters said things like:
- "Hands down Adler's - the bourbon BBQ burger is my absolute favorite!!"
- "Adler's or Andy's. The best fries? Adler's for sure."
- "I vote Adler's or Lucille's for some place different. If we can't get a parking space at Adlers, we head over to Lucille's
"
If you're anywhere east of Lakeland, this is probably your answer.
Third Place: Burger Bunker
The Third Best Burger Spot In Polk County, Florida
Burger Bunker — 1360 US-92, Auburndale
Burger Bunker is Auburndale's S&L.
Anytime someone specifically mentioned being from Auburndale, this was the answer they gave for the best burger.
But that doesn't mean it was the only time it showed up.
People from across the county named Burger Bunker as a local-favorite.
Voters said things like:
- "Burger bunker best in county"
- "Burger Bunker-without a doubt."
- "Burger bunker in Auburndale is #1"
My brother, Ryan, LOVES it, and Katie and I are excited to review it soon (especially since we're right around the block; we just don't want to show any bias towards Auburndale and have too many reviews coming out over here).
Fourth Place: Mariyah's Smash Burgers
The Fourth Best Burger Spot In Polk County, Florida
Mariyah's Smash Burgers — 306 W Memorial Blvd
This is the one I have my eye on the most.
A food truck coming in at number four in the whole county. That says a lot.
Mariyah's was Lakeland's clear number two behind S&L, and it also landed at number three on our Lakeland burger list.
If you're a smash burger person, this is probably your spot.
Voters said things like:
- "Mariyah's Burgers support local!!! this business singlehandedly puts every chain to shame!"
- "S&L southside / Mariyah's Burgers north side"
- "If you like smashburgers, mariyahs is amazing!!"
It's a truck, but they have a regular spot at the location above, just don't plan on walking into a restaurant that you can sit inside at.
Fifth Place: Brake Burger Garage
The Fifth Best Burger Spot In Polk County, Florida
Brake Burger Garage — 206 FL-60, Lake Wales
Rounding out the top five is the one I called the gold standard.
When we reviewed Brake Burger Garage, I gave it a 5/5* for taste.
The breakfast burger still lives in my head rent free.
I have no idea how it didn't make the list of votes coming in for The Best Food In Lake Wales, but people in Lakeland and Winter Haven and all over Polk kept mentioning how it's worth the drive.
And Katie and I agree.
Voters said things like:
- "Brakes ! That is the only place I'll go . True"
- "Brake Burger Garage! Their garlic burger is the bomb!"
- "Brake Burger Garage is worth the drive to Lake Wales"
Every time we go to Lake Wales for a review I have to stop myself from just going here instead. 
Honorable Mention: Grievous Angel
Special Mention — The Newest "Best" Burger In Polk
Grievous Angel — 801 E Main St, Lakeland
Before we get to six through ten, I have to make some room for Grievous Angel.
It's fairly new, so while it did get a lot of votes, it just didn't stand a chance against some of these other local fan-favorites that have been around for a while.
But when we ranked The Best Burgers In Lakeland this summer, it came in at number two, right behind S&L.
It's from Jeremy and Leah Brumley, the same couple behind Lovebird Chicken, and it's become one of the go-to smash burger spots in Lakeland.
Katie and I reviewed Grievous Angel when it opened.
Voters on our Lakeland list said things like:
- "Easy answer: Grievous Angel."
- "Grievous Angel... it's a new place down by Lake Mirror."
- "Grievous for smash burgers. Amazing."
Give it another year of votes and I don't think it'll need an honorable mention.
Other Great Burger Spots In Polk County, Florida
If you’re anything like me, you want to try all the best burger spots in Polk County, Florida so you can be the judge for yourself.
So here is the rest of the top ten best burger spots in Polk County, Florida (in order 6-10):
- #6: Chop Shop (Lakeland)
- #7: Dino's Drive-In (Winter Haven)
- #8: Davenport Diner (Davenport)
- #9: The Purple Pit Stop (Polk City)
- #10: Andy's Igloo (Winter Haven)
Which gives us the full list of the top burger spots in Polk County.
And brings us to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
My personal opinion (that no one asked for 
).
Here are my personal favorite spots:
- Brake Burger Garage
- Grievous Angel
- Adler's
I need to IMMEDIATELY tell you: as I'm publishing this article I have a lunch date to try S&L for the first time TOMORROW.
So there is a shot that I come back and my personal favorites change to include S&L on here as well.
I'm more so curious to see where it lands in this top three.
THANKS!
Thanks for reading this edition of The Polk Squeeze today.
Share this with a friend who's been looking for the best burger in Polk County.
- Mike Romaine
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