Welcome back, Polk County.
Mike here.
Two weeks ago I stopped at Concord Coffee (which came in at number one on our list of the best coffee shops in Lakeland), and a few weeks before that I stopped by Unfiltered Coffee and saw how incredible the vibes were.
I actually love coffee, and coffee shops in general (as someone who has always owned businesses/wrote online and worked for himself), so much so that I really could have a separate Polk Coffee Quest (who knows, maybe one day), and I decided it was time to have the ultimate list.
The Best Coffee Shops In Polk County.
For a second I thought maybe we need our Winter Haven list first.
But then I realized: regardless of which one comes first, it doesn't change the ultimate county-wide list.
So here we are. About to crown the top coffee shop in the county.
And I should preface this with the fact that we have a couple coffee shops that are coming this year, AND a couple new spots that likely didn't have the traction to get enough votes just yet — so, as we do with all of our Best Food In Polk County lists, we'll be updating this list over time.
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:
As I mentioned above: I LOVE coffee and coffee shops. I run on caffeine and vibes.
I have always built my own businesses in marketing and writing online, and therefore always worked remote — so coffee shops have been a spot I have frequently been to get out of the house and work in another environment with other people.
First Place: Concord Coffee
The Best Coffee Shop In Polk County, Florida
Concord Coffee — Lakeland (Dixieland) and Winter Haven (Downtown)
Coming in as the number one coffee shop in Polk County is Concord Coffee.
This one shouldn't come as too much of a surprise considering Concord Coffee came in at number one on our list of The Best Coffee Shops in Lakeland; but the top two were pretty close.
Concord recently opened in Downtown Winter Haven (which I visited for Mike's Food Quest recently), right across from Grove Roots Brewing, in January 2026 and also just announced they are opening in Orlando Health Lakeland Highlands campus as their fourth location.
It's safe to say they're doing something right and there's a reason they're able to expand and have the support of us locals.
And the votes came in and agreed.
Voters said things like:
- “Concord is best.”
- “Concord has the best tasting coffee.”
- “If you actually like craft coffee, it’s Concord without a doubt.”
Concord is one of my personal favorites, and if you go through The Polk Food Quest Experience you'll see it listed as "Mike's Favorite" in the Coffee Crawl.
The next location was right on Concord's tail, but right now Concord owns the market as the top spot in Polk.
Second Place: Haven Coffee
The Second Best Coffee Shop In Polk County, Florida
Haven Coffee Roasters — Winter Haven & Auburndale (Downtowns)
Coming in second is Haven Coffee Roasters.
Similar to Concord, Haven is expanding from their original location and growing in Polk as well.
Haven just opened in Downtown Auburndale (which is the coffee shop I frequent most being that Katie and I are walking distance), and also announced a new drive-through location in Winter Haven as well.
That said, the amount of praise Haven received across Polk County coffee discussions was incredible.
Locals said:
- “The coffee is the best I've had.”
- “The owner roasts the beans they serve on site.”
- “Their monthly specials are always so good.”
Haven has locals and voters talking about the team, the location, and more — but the thing that came through the most was the fact that the actual coffee is the best you'll find.
Third Place: Hillcrest Coffee
The Third Best Coffee Shop In Polk County, Florida
Hillcrest Coffee — 119 Hillcrest St, Lakeland
Coming in third is Hillcrest Coffee.
Hillcrest came in at number four on our list of the best coffee shops in Lakeland; but once we included the whole county it moved up a slot; even with the same competition included.
It was also one of the shops, outside of the top two, that had the most consistency across the board.
With voters sharing:
- “Hillcrest Coffee Great coffee and live music.”
- “Different rooms and seating inside and out.”
- “Good place to work or read a book.”
And similar to Haven, Hillcrest is another one that had people mentioning the actual coffee — which is huge considering the vibes inside.
Fourth Place: Black & Brew
The Fourth Best Coffee Shop In Polk County, Florida
Black & Brew — 4 Locations Throughout Lakeland
Coming in as the fourth best coffee shop in Polk County is Black & Brew.
Black & Brew came in as the second best coffee shop in Lakeland, just behind the top shop on our list, Concord.
Black & Brew has four locations throughout Lakeland ranging from Downtown and Lake Morton to Southside and Lakeland Hills.
This is definitely a local hotspot, and had people saying things like:
- “Great coffee, food, and atmosphere.”
- “One of my regular rotation spots.”
- “Always a solid choice.”
This also stood out as a favorite because of the food.
Black & Brew has a much larger menu than the majority of the shops on this list, and is a spot you can stop by and expect to get a full meal (not just snacks).
Fifth Place: Richard’s Coffee
The Fifth Best Coffee Shop In Polk County, Florida
Richard's Coffee — 330 Avenue A NW, Winter Haven
Rounding out the top five coffee shops in Polk County is Richard's Coffee in Winter Haven.
Richard's is attached to The Winter Haven Library and is a local favorite.
Even though new spots are coming into Winter Haven like Concord, Foxtail (and already dominated by Haven); Richard's still has an extremely strong local fan-base.
With voters sharing:
- “Richard’s.”
- “Richard’s downtown.”
- “Richard’s by the library.”
Richard's didn't have people raving about the coffee or the food; but they did have a ton of consistency and people raving about the vibes (the location, the people, the owners, etc.).
Other Great Coffee Shops In Polk County, Florida
If you’re anything like me, you want to try all the best coffee in Polk County, Florida so you can be the judge for yourself.
So here are the rest of the top ten coffee shops in Polk County, Florida (in order 6-10):
- #6 — Mitchell’s Coffee House
- #7 — Pressed LKLD
- #8 — Banker's Brew Coffee
- #9 — Pour Bear
- #10 — The Coffee Grove
Which gives us the full top 10 coffee shops in Polk.
And brings us to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
My personal opinion (that no one asked for 
).
Here are my top coffee shops:
- Concord Coffee
- Haven Coffee
- Hillcrest
- Saving This Spot
I normally reserve my third spot and only give my top three, but in this case I'm reserving my FOURTH spot until I have tried a few more.
The reason for this is because I have a bias towards Haven Coffee being that the Auburndale location is walking distance from my house and I spend a decent amount of time there; so I wanted to give Hillcrest a shout because I think the location is just soooo cool, the vibes are always awesome and the coffee is great.
I also feel pretty confident about my fourth choice NOW ... but I want to give a couple other spots the opportunity.
THANKS!
Thanks for reading this edition of The Polk Squeeze today.
Share this with a friend who's been looking for the best coffee in Polk County.
- Mike Romaine
Never Miss An Event Or Story
Love the crazy Greek so I’m sure Nook and Griddle will be great.