Canonical: https://jburnspizza.com/best-pizza-in-lakeland/ (image: Two square-cut pizzas fresh from the oven) A local’s guide # The best pizza in Lakeland, FL 8 shops locals actually love, ranked by a pizza shop Updated July 2026 · By the crew at J. Burns’ Pizza Shop Lakeland is quietly a great pizza town. Within a fifteen-minute drive you can get thin square-cut pies that haven’t changed since 1965, New York slices from a pizzaiolo with Manhattan credentials, creative pies downtown, and old-school family Italian joints that have fed generations. This guide covers the eight local shops we’d actually point a neighbor to, depending on the craving. Ratings and details were pulled in July 2026 from Google, Yelp, and Tripadvisor and will drift over time; the pizza is the constant. Living on the south side? Our [south Lakeland shop](https://jburnspizza.com/lakeland-south-florida-ave/) sits in Maryoma Plaza. **TL;DR:** For square-cut, thin-and-crispy pizza, that’s us: J. Burns’. For New York slices, locals point to By The Chef. For a downtown sit-down, Palace Pizza is the institution. For creative pies, try Folds Pizza on East Main. **How this guide works.** Full disclosure: this guide is written by J. Burns’ Pizza Shop. Yes, we put ourselves on our own list; we’ve been making square-cut pizza in Polk County since 1965 and we’re not going to pretend otherwise. Every other shop here is real competition we respect, with details you can verify. The list ## Shops locals actually love 1 ### J. Burns’ Pizza ShopThat’s us Square-cut, thin & crispy (tavern-style) · 2306 E Edgewood Dr & 5615 S Florida Ave #101 That’s us, so no rating brag, just the facts. J. Burns’ has made the same thin, crispy, square-cut pizza since 1965, from a dough made specially for us. Two Lakeland shops, fresh subs, and the most serious gluten-free program on this list: rice flour and cauliflower crusts made for celiac guests, every day. [Visit J. Burns’](https://jburnspizza.com/lakeland-edgewood/) 2 ### Palace Pizza New York–Italian, downtown institution · 114 S Kentucky Ave, plus north Lakeland & Palace Southside The most-searched pizza name in Lakeland, and the busiest dining room. The downtown Kentucky Ave original holds a 4.6 Google rating across roughly 3,600 reviews (July 2026) with a menu that runs from gourmet pies to calzones and pasta. 3 ### By The Chef Pizza New York slices with Manhattan pedigree · Lakeland The buzziest name in Lakeland pizza right now. Led by a pizzaiolo who previously worked at Mama’s TOO in Manhattan, it gets called a top-3-in-Florida contender in regional pizza groups. Expect proper NY-style slices and lines at peak hours. 4 ### Folds Pizza Creative artisan pies · 640 E Main St, Unit 3 Small shop, big ideas: think truffle mushroom and cacio e pepe pies. A 4.8 Google rating (from a smaller review base, July 2026) makes it the pick when you want something you can’t get anywhere else in town. 5 ### Pizza Odyssey Neighborhood favorite · 811 E Palmetto St A 4.7 Google rating across about 280 reviews (July 2026) and the kind of regulars who review the staff by name. Reliable, friendly, and consistently in Lakeland’s local-pack top three. 6 ### Solorzano’s Pizzeria Old-school slices at the mall · Lakeland Square Mall Tripadvisor’s #1 pizza in Lakeland in July 2026. A family operation with roots in New Jersey pizza-making, and proof that great slices can live in a food court. 7 ### That 716 Pizza Joint Buffalo-style · Lakeland The name is the tell: 716 is Buffalo’s area code, and this Yelp top-10 regular brings western New York pizza (and wing culture) to Polk County. 8 ### Romeo’s Pizza & Pasta Family red-sauce joint · 2346 Griffin Rd North Lakeland’s neighborhood option, with specialty pies like Buffalo chicken and Philly cheesesteak alongside a full pasta menu. The kind of place that feeds a family without fuss. Pick by craving ## Which pizza style are you? Style What you get Where to go Square-cut / tavern-style Thin, crispy, cut in squares; crispy corners, cheesy centers; feeds groups well J. Burns’ Pizza Shop New York slice Big foldable triangles, chewy crust By The Chef, Solorzano’s Downtown sit-down Italian Pies plus pasta, calzones, and a full dining room Palace Pizza Creative / artisan Chef-driven toppings, small-batch Folds Pizza Buffalo-style Cup-and-char pepperoni territory, wing-shop energy That 716 Pizza Joint Gluten-free / celiac-friendly Dedicated GF crusts, not an afterthought J. Burns’ (rice flour & cauliflower) Whatever the craving, start with the [square-cut pizza menu](https://jburnspizza.com/menu-pizza/), check the [gluten-free menu](https://jburnspizza.com/menu-gluten-free/), or plan [group orders](https://jburnspizza.com/catering/) on our catering page. Good to know ## Questions people ask ### What is the best pizza in Lakeland, FL? It depends on the style you’re after. For square-cut, thin-and-crispy pizza, J. Burns’ Pizza Shop has been the local standard since 1965. For New York slices, locals currently point to By The Chef Pizza; for a downtown sit-down, Palace Pizza is the institution; for creative artisan pies, Folds Pizza on East Main is the one to try. ### Who has gluten-free pizza in Lakeland? J. Burns’ Pizza Shop offers two dedicated gluten-free crusts every day, rice flour in 10″ and 14″ and cauliflower in 10″, made for guests with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, at both Lakeland shops. ### What pizza places are in downtown Lakeland? Palace Pizza anchors downtown on South Kentucky Ave, and Folds Pizza is just east on Main Street. Pizza Odyssey on East Palmetto is a short hop from the core. ### Is there good pizza in south Lakeland? Yes. J. Burns’ Pizza has a south Lakeland shop in Maryoma Plaza at 5615 S Florida Ave #101 (33813), and the Palace family runs Palace Southside on the south side. ### What is square-cut pizza? A thin, crispy pizza sliced into squares instead of wedges, also called tavern-style or party-cut. It’s J. Burns’ signature: crispy corner squares, cheesy center squares, and easy sharing for groups. ## Come taste the 1965 original Two Lakeland shops, Edgewood Drive and South Florida Ave, plus Winter Haven. Thin, crispy, cut in squares, with gluten-free crusts every day. [Order for pickup](https://jburnspizza.revelup.online/) [Best pizza in Winter Haven](https://jburnspizza.com/best-pizza-in-winter-haven/)