IKEA Restaurant

Who doesn't love going to the IKEA cafeteria after walking through all their exhibits! Their food is very value and always leaves us feeling satisfied! If you're a member you also get deals and free coffee every time you go.

Our favorite dish to get is the smoked salmon salad, you can also pick up extra plates of just the salmon. The salmon tastes delicious and goes well with the salad, mashed potatoes, and dressing. The chicken tenders and fries are also pretty decent. We also usually get extra Swedish meatballs on the side.

*Special review for the annual 2024 Midsummer Buffet.*

Firstly, the emails and website encouraged advance ticket purchase. I guess the event "sold out" fairly quickly so I placed a call into their customer service and apparently was told the Palo Alto location does anticipate "walk ins" and was advised I had my choice of (2) two seatings, 5:00-6:30 pm & 7:00-8:30.

The cost was $26.99 pp ($21.99 IKEA Family Members) - I remembered it used to cost $16.99! When I arrived at 1:00pm to purchase my ticket a very kind lady explained that she had plenty of tickets for the 1st seating and said when they open up at 5:00pm sharp I can proceed without waiting. Well that didn't happen as I still ended waiting in line about 10 minutes to enter the dining room because the person coordinating the guests through the line seemed to be "emotionally overwhelmed" by all the people. Even when I presented my pre-purchased ticket she seemed confused as to what to do with it.

I haven't been to this event in about 4 years due primarily to pandemic and subsequent postponement post pandemic on their part.

First thing I noticed there seem to be just few less choices this year. Not that what they did offer wasn't satisfying enough. See menu photo.

The biggest "GLITCH" was the fountain beverage machine which apparently was out of C02 and there was no sign to indicate it was out of order. Everybody, including myself, was trying in vain for dispensing something only to discover the ONLY option was water. I had to flag down someone to ask about the machine and she in a frazzled but kind demeanor pointed they have just the Lingonberry and Elderflower beverages in large insulated beverage dispensers that were sort of unobtrusively visible. Coffee and tea were visible and no issues.

It was AYCE, but initially served portions by the staff were more than adequate, I only went back for another smaller serving of the salmon which was moist and delicious.

Despite the initial confusion of the event all around...advance tickets, service issues, etc I will still make my annual pilgrimage.

We recently got a chance to eat at IKEA restaurant and I was blown away by the quality and options of food. We got veggie balls platter, garlic bread, Mac and cheese, fries. And everything was delicious. Our kiddo especially enjoyed the Mac and cheese. In desserts we got almond cake and it was an absolute delight.

Service is nice and quick. You get in line with your trays and tell the staff what you like to eat and they will plate it for you. Garlic bread is self serve. Once you get the food, you can get some cutlery and checkout. Staff is really helpful, and friendly. They work really hard to serve the volume of people that turn up.

You won't find much of ambiance here as it's mostly a cafeteria style restaurant. But the place is clean and there are lots of seating options available. Overall a nice spot for some food.

I was craving IKEA meatballs and stopped by the restaurant. I wish I had gotten it to eat at home instead because everything other than the meatball was not that good. The only thing that has flavor is the gravy on the meatball. Thank god I got it on the side with the fish fillet, because I put it on the fillet, peas, and mashed potatoes. However, this price is the same as that of many fast foods these days, and I'd like to believe it's at least healthier than that although it has no flavor. It brought me back to cafeteria food when I used to work in Europe.

Probably the cheapest restaurant food in downtown San Francisco and it's good! At IKEA, you can get the meatballs (and plant balls, which are just as great) for $9 which brings back memories of my childhood before inflation

The plant balls are great! Also came with cauliflower rice, jam, and split peas.

Most of the sides are also under $1!

At the new downtown IKEA, you can also sit in the main food court or in ikea! Lots of seating and feels new

IKEA is a great place to get a meal for cheap, especially now they have their summer special deals. I went on Tuesday where they have their $3.99 hot entree deal and got a meal for myself, my boyfriend, and a meal to-go all for $16.45! But even regular price, the meal (~$12) is probably the cheapest you can find for a sit-down restaurant (that's not fast food). I don't usually like meatballs but their's are juicy and savory. I've also had their salmon and strawberry cream cake and it's not bad.

There's not usually a line, but one time I went on Friday evening where they have their 50% hot entrees and the line was super long. But I've gone on other Fridays (i.e. before 50% hot entrees) or on weekday evenings and the line is never too long, so we get our food pretty promptly.

The restaurant itself feels like a mix of college cafeteria mixed with minimalistic IKEA furniture.

In the days of high prices at restaurants, this place brings you back down to earth. Always busy and a good cafeteria style restaurant with quick service and good quality food. Casual and relaxed dining experience which is also great for families.

The food is so worth it and very cheap. It is best to go when it is the weekday because they have a special discount going on until August. Each day Monday to Friday there is a different deal that just makes going to ikea to eat worth it even if it's a 20 minute drive for me. I went on a Friday and it was half off adult entrees. I will definitely be returning on Tuesday for $3.99 on all adult entrees.

The Swedish meatballs are everyone's favorites. I recommend trying it with a bit of the jam that comes with it.

The salmon fillet was cooked well. I usually like it a bit more on the medium side but honestly most places cook it all the way to be safe. The sauce was really good on top. Somewhat sweet and slightly sour.

The crab cake was so good. I could probably just eat a bunch of those as a main dish.

Fries were okay. Just reminded me of cafeteria fries.

The strawberry shortcake was a sponge cake that wasn't dry but not too moist. It was not too sweet as well which is usually how I like it.

The service was very quick and simple. The cashier was nice and talkative.

The area reminds me of a cafeteria. There's lots of seating.

Food was 8.5/10 and service was 6/10!

When we walked in, it wasn't as crowded so that's good. We went for their current deal for food and it was pretty worth it! $4.99 for 8 meatballs?? What a great deal! I got the Swedish Meatballs, Strawberry Shortcake, and the Marinated Salmon. I'm not a big fan of the peas, but everything else was delicious. I've had their food a couple of times, but this time it felt underwhelming. It might be because of my mood, but that's how I felt while eating it. The salmon had a nice balance of seasoning. It wasn't too salty and it tasted like smoked salmon. I had a little taste of my partner's salmon filet dish and it reminded me of a Vietnamese dish because of the sauce that was on top. The cake was delicious! It was dense and it tasted like a sugar cookie! It was a nice addition to my meal.

The service was nothing out of the ordinary. It was quick and simple. I think the only "issue" was that they forgot the lingonberry sauce, but it was quickly resolved by me just asking for it.

Of course I would go here again! Not just for the food, but to look at their furnitures and other items they have to offer!

The ikea restaurant has always been a favorite casual hangout spots for my friends and I. The big windows provides a lot of soothing natural lighting. The workers have always been nice and pleasant. My friends love the Swedish meatballs and it's respectively a classic. Their gooey cake is impeccable.