Quick Take:
Location: Lake Wales
What I ordered: Breakfast Burger Combo (Waffle Fries & Drink) and Grit Tots
Extra Order
(Wife/Katie's Order): Standard Burger Combo (Waffle Fries & Drink)
Final Score: 5/5*
Price: ~$10–20 per person
For our eleventh stop on our Polk Food Quest, we visited The Brake Burger Garage in Lake Wales.
We've been wanting to venture out to Lake Wales since we mostly hit Lakeland, Winter Haven (and a couple Bartow / Auburndale spots); but we were waiting to see which location had the most recommendations coming in from subscribers.
The Brake Burger Garage was the spot.
And it did NOT disappoint.
The exact opposite, actually.
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: Burgers!
Which means we ordered a breakfast burger combo, a standard burger combo, and grit tots (each combo came with waffle fries and a drink).
And, if you like burgers, you can also check out these reviews:
How Does This Work?
I order the standard item for that category (for burgers that’s a regular cheesebuger), 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*
Brake Burger Garage was absolutely incredible.
I gave Adler's and Grievous Angel 5/5 for taste, and they were well deserves, but I'm giving Brake Burger Garage a 5*.
I did this for the Overall 5/5* when I reviewed Lovebird Chicken as well.
For that review I made it clear that Lovebird Chicken was the gold standard in their category (Overall); and for this one I'm saying that Brake Burger Garage is not only a 5*, but a gold standard for their burgers.
Absolutely incredible.
Here's a quick breakdown for my quick scanners, though:
- The Standard Burger: Incredible. There are some places that feel like they're trying to do too much and we feel like we can't even finish the whole burger; but this wasn't it. This was perfect.
- The Breakfast Burger: This one blew me away. I liked it so much I'm almost disappointed with the fact that now I'll want to get it every time I'm there instead of trying different options!
- The Grit Tots: This was a lot of fun and a different option that we wanted tom try. Very good. Have not seen them anywhere else.
Please go give Brake Burger Garage a try if you like burgers and haven't been there yet.
Value: 5/5
The value on this one is coming in at a 5/5 as well.
With the taste being a gold standard and the vibes EASILY getting a 5/5 (more on that below) for the branding and the service (the staff was great), this was an easy choice.
The breakfast burger was SO good. I wish it was a couple bucks cheaper ($5 more than the standard felt steep); but still well worth it.
That said, the rest of the menu felt like an obvious 5/5.
This is how everything priced out:
- Standard Burger = $7.99
- Combo (Drink + Fries) = +$5.00
- Breakfast Burger = $12.99
- Combo (Drink + Fries) = +$5.00
- Grit Tots = $6.99
It's also important to note that they had a wide selection of specials and options that were all priced extremely well, so while I made a note on the price of the breakfast burger; that was only one specific item that also blew me away in flavor.
Vibes: 5/5
The Brake Burger Garage was so much fun.
They describe themselves as "served in a 1950s gas station with casual counter service."
And it was perfect.
On top of that, the staff was the best we could have asked for. Extremely friendly, helpful and inviting.
Easy 5/5 all around for vibes.
The ONLY thing that wasn't absolutely perfect was the fact that it's not centered right in a downtown, but I suppose for some people having it right on FL-60 is a perk as well.
Overall: 5/5
Overall Brake Burger Garage is an easy 5/5.
A new gold standard for the taste of burgers in Polk County, incredible location and staff (vibes), and great value.
Burger spots in Polk County will be compared up against this one from now on.
And they'll have their work cut out for them.
Here are some of the new standards I like sharing in the Overall section:
Would I bring my visiting family there?
Without a doubt.
It's a bit far for Katie and I (almost 40 minutes away), but if they were in the mood for a burger this would definitely be on the top of the list.
Here’s how I’d sum up Brake Burger Garage:
The standard burger is perfect, the breakfast burger blew me away, and the 1950s gas station vibes with incredible staff make it one of the best experiences we've had in Polk County.
This is the new gold standard for burgers around here. Every burger spot is going to be compared against this one from now on. It's a bit of a drive for Katie and I (almost 40 minutes), but if we're in the mood for a burger this would definitely be on the top of the list.
If you like burgers and haven't been there yet, please go give Brake Burger Garage a try.
Before You Go....
Hey!
I want to know what you think of Brake Burger Kitchen.
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.
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