IKEA Cafeteria

LEAVE THE BBQ TO THE U.S. SOUTH, SWEDEN.
IKEA’s menu has been known for their Swedish meatballs and cheap cinnamon rolls. However, there are other Swedish goodies that can cultivate your taste buds. People know IKEA as a furniture megastore, but upon entering, your field of vision is obscured by advertisements of their food and food court. You admire their furniture, but how about the food?
The Food:
BBQ Ribs: SWEDISH STYLE TEXAS BBQ RIBS.
Let us just say that your typical Swedish citizen probably does not partake in BBQ ribs compared to the average Texan. At first impression, IKEA Cafeteria’s BBQ ribs looked like BBQ ribs and smelled like BBQ ribs, but they did not satisfy my craving for BBQ ribs. I know I had to set my expectations low, since I am opting for BBQ ribs at a furniture warehouse, but there were fundamental flaws that made them difficult to eat. From a temperature and texture standpoint, the BBQ ribs were cold (–1 star), undercooked, chewy, and tough to eat (–1 star). Tastewise, the sauce tasted like the generic BBQ sauce made in an industrial factory. Overall, these ribs have a simple and underwhelming flavor that cannot satisfy a craving for BBQ (–1 star). These BBQ ribs are missing the complex components that give BBQ life in the South: what spice rub was used, how was the BBQ smoked, what is that secret flavor that lingers on the tip of the tongue, etc. You would only get these ribs if you had no other option to attempt to satisfy your craving for ribs, similar to getting a cheeseburger at McDonalds when you really wanted a gourmet burger.
Almond Cake: SIMPLY SWEDISH ALMOND CAKE.
The Almond Cake is the kind of cake that would accompany an afternoon session of high tea or a tea party. Partner this cake with a cup of Earl Grey or coffee, and you have yourself a delightful afternoon. It has a mild sweetness with a hint of almond extract flavor that is gentle to the taste buds. Do not expect a saturated, sugary dessert; this dessert is memorable for its calm and mellow sweetness.
The Verdict: KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE FURNITURE.
Honestly, you came to IKEA to shop for furniture. You see the advertisements and smell the food, and suddenly, you become hungry. «Luckily,» the IKEA Cafeteria is there to make sure your needs are met. However, keep your eyes off the alluring BBQ Ribs, because they are as far off from Texas BBQ as you can imagine: undercooked, chewy, tough to eat, the list goes on. Opt for the mildly sweet Almond Cake and a cup of their coffee for a quick break from furniture shopping. Leave the lunch and dinner at home or at a restaurant. Keep your eyes on the furniture and do not stray towards the IKEA Cafeteria unless you are absolutely hungry. If anything, I’d focus on the cheap Swedish Meatballs and Cinnamon Rolls to fill you up; but do not expect anything above average.

Seriously– 10 added meatballs for $ 1.00!!! Yes, please! Can I add on 50 for $ 5? I love the meatballs here, so unless I taste someone else’s food, all you will hear about is meatballs. (YUM)
My husband got the Salmon, and yes I tasted it. It was worth it for him, since he likes Salmon more than their meatballs, but I like the meatballs a smidge more. The Salmon did have a great flavor, and he had vegetables with it. They were nothing special, not bad, just not spectacular. But the meatballs!!! I always get a bowl of gravy to dunk them in, and, of course, the mashed potatoes with gravy, and Elderberry Sauce. It’s like a Swedish Thanksgiving!
The kids got Mac –n– Cheese with the steamed vegetables, and a drink of their choice for $ 1.99. I did taste the Mac –n– Cheese and it was tasty for cold noodles and sauce. (this was about 20 minutes after we had sat down– it was warm and apparently delicious since that’s all either kid ate)
If you have never been to the Ikea Cafeteria, then I would suggest you run, don’t walk, before we eat all the meatballs!

The food here is cheap but not that great in taste.
They offer free coffee for IKEA family members and the coffee is good.

I always come here when I go to ikea. While the Swedish meatballs aren’t the best thing I’ve ever tasted, it’s still pretty good. The mash tastes like regular cafeteria food and sometimes (okay maybe all the time) the meatballs are dry, but hey. Just smother it in the gravy. The Garlic bread is good and not a bad price at 2 for 99 cents or one at like 65 cents. The chocolate cake is super rich and sweet but almost always a must get when coming here. If you come with low expectations like I did, then you’ll be blown away!

Food here is very good and represents authentic Swedish cuisine. Most popular choices here are the salmon filet and Swedish meat balls.
As in all IKEA stores, the cafeteria is located right at the entrance. For those who need lighter eats, there are soups & salad options. Kids friendly meals are available as well. Desserts here are amazing — the Swedish apple pie is a must!
To give the feel of European feel, portion sizes are ideal and taxes are included in the prices. Highly recommended for weekend lunches!

It’s not easy getting the family psyched up to eat a meal at a FURNITURE STORE. But that’s part of being a dad — rallying the troops and dodging the swedish meatballs being thrown at you by your wife!
So let’s get PUMPED UP: The stuffed chicken here is awesome and quite a deal at $ 4.99 (with family card). It comes with veggies most people won’t eat but the Swedish lederhosen boys will let you switch out fries or corn so don’t fret if you’re anti-​vegan.
The Swedish meatballs are always a hit with the kids and you can add on an extra 8 for a BUCK so you won’t break the bank with these. My son ate about 40 and he’s as picky as Mikey.
The cornbread is just decent and the desserts are hit or miss, but where else can you mix Lingonberry juice with Sierra Mist to create the world’s best original Lingonberry Mist soda? It’s fairly awesome.
If you happen to eat downstairs at the Hot Dog/​Pizza/​Cinnamon Bun/​Ice Cream café, just know that Ikea has switched from pork hot dogs to turkey hot dogs that taste kinda gross. They claim to be healthier but they raised the price from 75 cents to $ 1 per nasty dog, so that’s a double blow to both my pallet and my wallet.
Anyways, it’s IKEA. You come for the cheap furniture. You stay for seven hours. May as well have something to eat while you’re stuck in Sweden, Texas.

Well, I ate here. I don’t feel good about it, but then again I don’t feel awful either. Cafeteria quality food. Couldn’t finish my plate because the longer the balls sat out, the more they began to resemble actual human testicle (wrinkly).

OMG. I am going to review the cafeteria in IKEA! I won’t lie– I love IKEA. I am even a fan of the $ 4.99 meatballs, gravy, mashed potatoes and veggies. I like the Lingonberry drink. I like the cake and the dessert. I like the cafeteria-​ness of it too. I love that they have a microwave for bottles and bibs and kid-​friendly STUFF. I like that you can mix and match and grab and go. The price is right and they offer a lot of choices.
But the breakfast! Oh dear. See, I always thought buffet eggs were powdered. I was certain hospital eggs were powdered eggs. I never understood what the big deal was — they were fine. But then I tried IKEA eggs. THESE are powdered eggs. I want to die. The consistency is no. The flavor is overwhelming yolk flavor. Kill me. I only paid $ 2.99, so what can I expect??? The hash brown potatoes are fine. The Swedish pancakes (crepes?) were good. But the eggs. Oh no :(I want my $ 2.99 back so I can eat cake instead.
Even though I enjoy the experience and taste of dinners and lunch here, I could never go for three stars.

Meh! Cafeteria quality food, overlooked, bland, fishy smelling salmon, overboiled vegetables, bland sides, bone dry corn bread.
And the meatballs: flavorless pellets in a nice gravy.
Why do I come here and get tortured like this? Short term memory loss most likely. Note to self: stop it.

Can’t believe no one has reviewed this cafeteria in its own right. After loving the bag of Swedish meatballs we’d bought for our Christmas dinner recently (sometimes my mom just doesn’t want to hand mold 36 meatballs, dammit!), I decided on a whim yesterday that she and I needed to eat lunch there while we were just down the street. Realizing it was a Saturday afternoon, we expected it to be madhouse and the parking lot and store itself WERE but the upstairs cafeteria was fairly uncrowded. Quick line, snap decisions (when you only have a handful of choices, that happens!) and cool rolling cart carrier made it easy to start the meal. Everything is a la carte pricing except where designated and the tables are SELF-​BUSSING except where the previous occupants either couldn’t read the numerous signs placed around the large seating area or were too inconsiderate to care. Luckily neither of these issues took away from the deliciousness and simplicity of the meals we ate. I had the salmon with dill sauce and spinach potato patty with a soft drink. My mom got the Swedish meatballs (surprise) with mashed potatoes. We also shared a piece of the chocolate layer cake. Our bill was just under $ 20. Our plates were clean before you knew it and I loved that the cake was not «American» sweet but subtly sweet and chocolatey. Kids eat free on Tuesdays and you can buy many of the items in the food section downstairs. Having a cafeteria in this behemoth is a brilliant move because you can take a break, refuel with all the food groups including caffeine, and keep shopping for minimalist, good-​to-​mediocre quality home goods! Just be sure you BUS YOUR TABLE! Tack så mycket!