It's time to get hungry: Check out your new favorite Lakeland restaurant

A table full of trays with barbecue, hot dogs, burgers, and more. — Our mouths are watering looking at Crave’s menu of hot dogs and barbecue.

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Newly open

Coming soon

Some people make to-do lists — we make to-dine lists. Many hot new Lakeland restaurants have opened over the past several months, from Food + Beer’s American fare to Fresh Kitchen’s delicious bowls.

To satisfy those who are starving for fresh dining options, we’ve got details on several more Swan City restaurants coming soon, too. Grab your forks as we dig right in.

Newly open

An exterior shot of La Granja's red building on South Florida Avenue — Stop by La Granja for Peruvian fare.

La Granja, 3919 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Peruvian cuisine
Stop by for an order of fajitas, a steak, chicken, or seafood platter, or anything else from this new spot’s extensive menu.

Exterior shot of Fresh Kitchen in Lakeland, FL — Signage is up at Lakeland’s first Fresh Kitchen location.

Fresh Kitchen, 4520 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Build your own bowls
Pick and choose your favorite staples from Fresh Kitchen’s line to create your perfect bowl — we recommend the cauliflower potato mash and the salmon.

LAL_Food_and_beer_sept_2023 — You can’t go wrong with a Food + Beer burger.

Food + Beer, 3615 S. Florida Ave., Ste. 1350, Lakeland | American
This modern sports bar serves made-from-scratch food until 2 a.m. Try a wide variety of good eats and drinks like Tin Can Nachos, burgers, and the Strawberry Feels Spritz while watching one of the 38 TVs.

Three rolls of sushi — Stop by Lakeland’s newest sushi spot for your next roll.

Sushi Masa, 5700 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Sushi
Looking for rolls as far as the eye can sea? Lakeland’s newest sushi spot offers endless lunch and dinner specials.

A plate with bbq food items on a silver tray. — Try the vegan burnt ends (top right) next time you’re at 4 Rivers Smokehouse.

4 Rivers Smokehouse, 4729 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Barbecue
We tried almost everything on the menu at this new BBQ spot and are happy to report it’s just as tasty as we hoped it would be.

An exterior shot of Jessie's on Edgewood. — A drive-thru option is coming soon to this new spot.

Jessie’s Gourmet Sandwich Cafe, 1825 E. Edgewood Dr., Lakeland | Sandwiches
We’ve got your lunch plans right here, Lakeland — Jessie’s Gourmet Sandwich Cafe opened on Edgewood Drive in late September. Stop by for hot + cold sandwiches, plus vegetarian options. A drive-thru option will be coming soon.

The front entrance of Crave Hot Dogs and Barbecue, viewed from the parking lot. The building is painted red and white, with red brick accents, and it has the business' sign on the front wall. — We’re craving everything Crave has to offer.

Crave Hot Dogs & Barbecue, 2250 Griffin Rd., Lakeland | American | Barbecue
Lakeland’s newest ax-throwing venue is located in a former bank. The spot serves hot dogs and barbecue to customers who can also help themselves to the self-pour draft wall while throwing axes.

Four hands hold up various colorful tea drinks from Tsaocca Tea. A Tsaocca sign is lit up on the wall behind the hands in the dining area. — Cheers to new tea options.

Tsaocaa Tea & Michi Ramen, 4238 US Hwy. 98 N., Lakeland | Ramen
Lakelanders are loving this spot’s extensive menu. Highlights include the ramen noodles, fried chicken, and seemingly endless list of specialty teas.

Bedrock is open late on Fridays and Saturdays.

Photo by LALtoday

Bedrock Wings, 127 S. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland | American | Chicken wings
The restaurant in the former location of Pita Pit in downtown Lakeland specializes in chicken wings, burgers, sandwiches, and more. There’s another Bedrock location on Edgewood Drive as well.

A hand holds a gingerbread flavored cookie in front of the Crumbl Cookies in Lakeland. The building in the background has a Crumbl Cookies sign and a "Grand Opening" banner. — Crumbl keeps you coming back week after week.

Crumbl Cookies, 919 Lakeland Park Center Dr., Ste. 370, Lakeland | Desserts
This new cookie shop brings a rotating menu of flavors that changes every week. All cookies are freshly made in-house — peek inside.

The exterior front entrance of Low and Slow Barbecue. The walls are painted orange, and the front porch dining area has large windows looking out onto the parking lot. — Low & Slow is open for business and slinging barbecue.

Low and Slow Smokehouse, 1853 E. Memorial Blvd., Lakeland | Barbecue
This North Carolina-based eatery offers barbecue classics like brisket, burgers, fried pickles, and shrimp + grits. End your meal with the Sheriff Judd dessert: Two MoonPies served with vanilla ice cream.

The front patio at Andrew's Coffee, formerly known as happyfastdelicious. The building is white with purple trim, accented with trees and plants, and yellow seating. — Stop by Andrew’s Coffee to drive thru or enjoy the patio.

Andrew’s Coffee, 3601 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | Coffee
Formerly known as happyfastdelicious, this coffee shop is a new concept from the same owners and staff. The building itself has a fresh paint job, an updated patio, and a new ordering system — customers also have more drink options at lower prices.

The front entrance of the Lake Morton Market & Deli. The top of the building shows signage for the market and for Pizza Daddy's pizza shop, and the front windows are filled with neon signs. — Find Pizza Daddy’s inside the Lake Morton Market & Deli.

Pizza Daddy’s, 811 E. Palmetto St.
This takeout spot offers freshly made pizzas, subs, wings, and more. Opening in late 2023, it took off thanks to word of mouth from satisfied customers. Try our favorite pie, the New Bicycle, on your next visit.

Two chefs cook barbecue in an industrial kitchen at Catapult — The team behind The Cultivated Pig will be the first to try the program.

The Cultivated Pig, 502 E. Main St., Lakeland | Barbecue
Selected as the first to try Catapult’s new restaurant residency program, The Cultivated Pig is serving up live fire-cooked meats. Try it for lunch and dinner on the Catapult patio.

Coming soon

Exterior shot of a gray building downtown. — Hakucho is bringing Japanese small plates downtown.

Hakucho, 207 E. Main St., Lakeland | Izakaya | Projected opening: Spring 2024
Japanese-inspired small plates (think: similar to a Spanish tapas bar) are coming soon to the longtime vacant spot between Linksters Taproom and Black & Brew Coffee House and Bistro on Main Street. This eatery is coming to you from the same local owners of Sabu Ramen, located in The Joinery, who tell us they’re eyeing a June opening.

The front exterior of the Peach House restaurant. The restaurant is in a large bungalow-style building painted light peach, dark green, and white. Landscapers plant small bushes by the front entrance path. — We caught landscapers working their magic in front of the Peach House before it opens.

Peach House, 733 E. Palmetto St. | Nomadic | Projected opening: Early 2024
The owners of Revival are opening a new food concept at the former home of Red Door Lakeland, just off the shores of Lake Morton. You can expect a marriage of midcentury modern and Palm Springs aesthetics, “nomadic” food inspired by Mediterranean, New Orleans, and Florida flavors.

Bandidas, 1755 E. Edgewood Dr., Lakeland | Pastries | Projected opening: Early 2024
Owners Gabriella and Giovanna Favilli-Vigoreaux plan to sell baked goods Wednesday-Sunday. Breakfast, lunch, and grab + go options will also be enjoyed indoors or on the patio.

An exterior shot of the former Crispers building in Lakeside Village. — KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot is coming to Lakeside Village at the former Crispers location.

KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, 1568 Town Center Dr., Lakeland | Korean | Opening: Monday, Feb. 19
You’ll soon be able to enjoy your custom creations at the former Crispers location in Lakeside Village. Get ready for all-you-can-eat hot pot and Korean barbecue cooked at your table.

A screenshot of a Facebook post depicting changes to a building facade. — Lakeland Loft and Island Breeze owner Solomon Wassef shared this rendering of the upcoming biz.

Island Breeze Tiki Bar, 201 E. Main St., Lakeland | Tiki bar | Projected opening: TBA
Soon, you won’t need to make a beach trip to enjoy your favorite tropical drinks. Island Breeze will bring blended tropical beverages and an updated facade to the location formerly home to Dart World Gaming Arena.

The exterior of the Sabrina's Delicacies building. It has white walls, dark green columns, and a dark roof topped with a business sign. There are trees in the background behind the building and cars parked in front. — Sabrina’s Delicacies is available for online orders before the storefront opens.

Sabrina’s Delicacies, 4610 Cleveland Heights Blvd., Lakeland | Charcuterie | Projected opening: TBA
This formerly mobile-only biz is bringing its charcuterie boards to a brick-and-mortar shop near Tea Largo. The best part? You’ll still be able to enjoy grab-and-go boards in addition to dine-in seating.

The dining area of The Peach Cobbler Factory, which is decorated with orange walls, light wood floors, and orange chairs. The ordering counter has a printed design with words like "sugar" and "cobbler." — Here’s what we have to look forward to.

The Peach Cobbler Factory, 5261 US Hwy. 98 S., Ste. 8C, Lakeland | Desserts | Projected opening: TBA
Get ready for Southern-style desserts like banana pudding, brownies, cookies, and — of course — many different types of cobbler. This location will come to the Highland City Town Center plaza.

Exterior of Cafe Zuppina's new building at the former Cafe Roti. The downtown building has a black awning and is attached to the Gaines Jewelers building. A large tree is planted by the entrance. — Cafe Zuppina is making the move downtown.

Cafe Zuppina, 116 S. Tennessee Ave., Lakeland | Mediterranean and Eastern European | Projected opening: February 2024
This Lakeland favorite is moving downtown into the space formerly occupied by Cafe Roti. Owner Berna Nar plans to increase dining occupancy compared to the cafe’s South Florida Avenue spot, meaning table service will return.

The exterior of the new Mootown Scoops location, a white brick building with large dark windows and black trim across the roof edges. — Mootown Scoops will be located next to Mister Fish.

Mootown Scoops, 719 E. Palmetto St., Ste. 3, Lakeland | Ice cream | Projected opening: TBA
Max Miller, owner of Blue Dog Craft Barbecue in The Joinery, is behind this new ice cream shop coming to the Lake Morton area. Expect a great playlist — the shop will have a Motown theme.

An interior view of Pour Bear Coffee's counter area. The building is being remodeled, so paper is taped to the floor. A vintage yellow chest of drawers serves as the ordering counter, and an espresso machine is set up on the back counter. The walls are painted tan and burnt orange, and one accent wall is covered in a retro orange and yellow wallpaper. — Get ready for midcentury design and classic coffees.

Pour Bear Coffee, 4608 Cleveland Heights Blvd., Lakeland | Coffee | Projected opening: Spring 2024
A new coffee shop is opening in the same plaza as Tea Largo and Sabrina’s Delicacies. We got a sneak peek at the remodel as the team brings in vintage furniture, midcentury wallpaper, and reclaimed wood accents to create a cozy space. Owner Jordan Bjorn says the shop will specialize in staple espresso + coffee drinks.

Is your most-anticipated eatery not on our list? Tell us what you’re looking forward to — we trust you have good taste.

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It’s time to get hungry: Check out your new favorite Lakeland restaurant

Dining in Lakeland is always a fresh experience with new restaurants popping up all the time — and more on the way.

Newly open

Coming soon