Came here for lunch around noon on Monday. There was a short line, and it moved fairly quickly. By the time we brought our food and drinks to the table, the line had disappeared already. There're plenty of tables to choose from; some regular tables, and some high tables. I saw Plant Balls on their menu and wanted to try it, but they actually didn't have any. I ordered the Falafel Balls instead. It came with couscous, garlic aioli sauce, and a wedge of lemon. Portion was quite small, but it's only $5.99 for 8 balls. Couldn't really complain. With the fresh lemon juice and garlic aioli sauce, both the falafel balls and couscous tasted pretty good, much better than they looked. As an IKEA Family member, I also got a cup of tea for free. My husband enjoyed his lunch and free tea as well. Overall, it's a very convenient, inexpensive and efficient light lunch. We'd continue to dine here next time we shop at IKEA. read more

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We came here to shop and decided to eat dinner beforehand. Parking was ample. The restaurant is upstairs and there was plenty of space for seating. The restaurant is cafeteria-style so we had to wait in line for them to serve us and then find a table to sit. We ordered the Swedish meatball plate and salmon plate. Shoutout to Laura for upgrading my birthday cake slice to a bigger slice during check-out! Considering that each meal was ~500 calories, the food tasted healthy and savory. The meatballs were our favorite. The portions were small, so we went to the food court downstairs to buy a hot dog and cinnabon bun. The restaurant is family-friendly and calm. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for an affordable meal. read more

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I really love that with a few bucks, you can be filled with food literally all day! I almost tried ordering every food item they had! The best part is that after you're done eating, you can resume shopping again. read more

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While shopping in IKEA, you have to check out their restaurant to get their famous Swedish Meatballs. The Swedish Meatballs with Ligonberry sauce was to die for. Again, fast forward to present day and had the chance to get the Swedish Meatballs entree. Served with a side of peas and mashed potatoes. I felt like the meatballs were seasoned more in the past and the Ligonberry sauce was not as watered down. The peas ans mashed potatoes were fine. Sadly, the meatballs weren't how I remembered them. But, would I get them again? Of course! LOL. The inside dining area is spacious and clean. They do have a few tables outside on the balcony to enjoy if you prefer. Cafeteria style restaurant order and they scoop out tour food from the steam table and pay at the cashier. The prices have increased with the times but still affordable. read more

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Whenever going to IKEA, I feel compelled to eat at the food court because it reminds me of my childhood when I'd be stuck there for hours with my parents. Now that I'm all grown up (allegedly), I still find my way back. On this last visit, I got the 12 ball meatball plate, garlic bread, and chicken tenders with fries. Total came out to almost $30, which is far cry from the affordable food court I grew up with. Maybe my palate has changed but I feel like the meatballs and gravy used to taste so much better. It definitely needs some salt and pepper added on it. The mashed potatoes also lack some flavor and probably butter. It was all very bland. The chicken tenders were surprisingly good. I had low expectations but the it was crispy and fresh. The fries were also solid. But for $13, it feels steep for a food court. While it's not as good as I remember, will I eat it again? Probably. Just for the nostalgia factor and to break up the shopping trip. read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

For a furniture store, the food is pretty good and on the cheaper price side. There is a long line sometimes around lunchtime. There is usually the same entrees to pick from including their Swedish meatballs. I got the salmon and the chicken tenders and my husband got the meatballs. The tenders were actually good. I would come eat there again. read more

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Not many choices. And line goes by super slow. They need more workers serving the food section. Workers for the most part are okay just neutral, not nice but not rude. Food is not bad. We got the Meatballs, Chicken Tenders, Salmon and Chocolate Cake Dessert. Tastes the same as usual. Cafeteria style. Inside was actually pretty clean. Private lot in building. read more

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Stopped by the IKEA food court and got the Swedish meatballs. Honestly pretty solid comfort food for the price. Meatballs were flavorful, gravy was good, and the mashed potatoes hit the spot after walking around the store forever. The food court has a casual, busy vibe but it's still comfortable enough to sit down and recharge for a bit. Fast service and plenty of seating too. read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Line went by quick considering we reached the food place around lunch time. It's cafeteria style.. you grab a cart and place the trays on top and order as you're up front. Of course we got the Swedish meatballs. Doesn't disappoint. It came with mashed potatoes and peas. We also got the chicken tenders. And they were surprisingly juicy. Good stop while browsing and shopping. read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Updating my review due to two things: Upstairs 2G2G bags started getting smaller and smaller and smaller over time and the attitude of the people that work there after the last event I don't know (except for cash register girl) what happened to the sweet kind staff from before? Bistro from downstairs: I didn't see how to post about bistro from downstairs but I don't know ikea I receive Last 4 orders with 2 bags of well under cooked hot dogs that were a texture and color that I have only received in my 2G2G bags from the bistro. IKEA I'm not expecting fresh but I'm also not expecting trash and slight pink undertone dogs read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Nice spot to stop while shopping with decent food and options and great pricing. Really enjoyed the desserts. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Kids bites - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

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they've changed vendors or they no longer deep fry the fries long enough to give it a crunchy exterior. The fries are a good quality as far as fries go but they would be even better if the exterior were more crunchy. The serving staff were as wonderful as they always are, very helpful and efficient. The seating are is typical Ikea, very clean and airy. Always a nice retreat from the craziness outside I must admit, the coffee today at this location was actually pretty good, I've had ikea coffee at other locations and they were nothing but brown tinted hot water. Can't understand how that could happen but I've actually experienced it. This was certainly a nice break when you want a little snack. read more

IKEA Restaurant - chicken tenders and fries with gravy - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

I love coming here solely for the breakfast deal here. The egg salad sandwich was surprisingly good coming from IKEA. Free coffee for members was a nice bonus. The meal filled me up before exploring every nook and cranny of IKEA, which is very neccessary! Food did come out a bit lukewarm, but there's a microwave in the dining area if needed. read more

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We arrived after 6PM for our first visit to any IKEA restaurant, and I am grateful for the kind and patient employee who thoroughly answered my question(s). Cafeteria layout. Line up with or without a cart, grab 1+ trays, select silverware, and line up. The menu differs from weekdays to weekends, and it is presented via screens throughout. I suggest to arrive early if you are interested in Caesar Salad and/or Gooey Cake. Also, the soda station was unavailable. Fortunately, they did have, what everyone raves about, meatballs.* Their Swedish meatballs* paired with the gravy and lingonberry sauce are delicious, and I wish I ordered more. I was pleased with my Stockholm salad [sustainably sourced marinated (raw) salmon, mixed greens, and potato salad.] Our party also ordered Potato Cheddar Cod Chicken [sustainably sourced cod crusted with potato, cheddar, and chives, paired with mashed potatoes and peas], Tenders with Fries, some fruit, and a side of Macaroni & Cheese. The price and quality of the food helped balance the lengthy wait to order. We will gladly visit the restaurant when shopping the store again. *frozen Swedish meatballs, gravy packets, and lingonberry spread jars are available via in-store purchase for home consumption. read more

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The food here as you know is always fantastic. The service is top nut came here. Got here early for some good old breakfast. The ambience is nice and quiet, but it's picking up a little bit as people come in but we have a beautiful view and what the hell I'm in East Palo Alto California can't get no better than that. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Two medium breakfast and an eight piece meatballs - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Just wanted to give a special shout out to Adrian who took care of my family really well with grace and calm. We had many different orders but he was smooth and helpful, not easy during lunch rushes. And wow, falafel balls are awesome. read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Love the options! I like how they change it up and the meatballs are always a classic. Love the new options like plant based meatballs and I also love how you can pick how many meatballs like 8, 16 Etc. plenty of seating and silverware is clean. Line moves quick. read more

The lines are always long but move quickly. The servers do their best to keep line moving. Two servers take orders at the same time to help move as many customers as possible while remaining calm and helpful. The food was a disappointment. The chicken tenders were so salty and the fries were just ok. The red pepper with Gouda soup tasted like they completely forgot the Gouda and where they actually added tomatoes. The Swedish meatballs were good but the side of peas was just boiled like toddler food and the side of mash potatoes also lacked flavor. The pasta in marinara sauce had the be the most disappointing. The sauce was just watered down tomato sauce and plain cooked pasta mixed in. The pasta was just floating in the water portion of the sauce. I ended up adding the plain pasta to the soup. The cafeteria space was loud as expected. There were plenty of tables to have dinner but every table I passed was dirty. read more

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Just like any other ikea in my opinion, with wifi if you want to do work! my friend was vegetarian and i'd say there's good options for them. I don't recommend the rainbow cake as it was very lackluster. Though everything else looks and tastes like play food, which to me is the point! Service was good and ambiance was a little chilly (like a little too chilly). On a non-vegetarian day, i always recommend the chicken tenders!!! read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

ORDER -Veggie Balls with Mac and Cheese -Swedish Meat Balls STARS (stand out qualities) -Friendly and quick customer service from cashiers -Bright, clean and beautiful dining area -Compostable takeout boxes -Swedish meat balls were tasty. Gravy is pretty good and berry sauce id delicious -Plant based meatballs have this orange sauce that is more flavorful than the gravy STAIRS (areas of growth) -More promotions would be great -Food is similar quality to hospital food which I have experienced as good if expectations are not too high TIPS -Sign up and use family rewards card read more

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Surprisingly this place is pretty good !! We got the meatballs here for such a great place ! Wanted the garlic toast but they said they were all out.. not sure if they didn't want us to wait to hold up the line or what.. but I was slightly sad about it ! It can get really busy so I'm not sure what time is the best time to come. It's clean inside ! Would come back once in a while ! read more

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Not much in the way of good choices. Meatballs were overpriced. Not how I remember it being. Lingonberry water had no flavor. Just a huge waste of money tbh. Soft serve downstairs..strawberry was bleh read more

IKEA Restaurant - $15 for this ? Really - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

We felt like some old school Ikea meat balls so here we are for lunch. I was surprised at how many people showed up in line. Here's a tip, if you are looking forward to having brunch/lunch here on the weekends, be here earlier. Crazy right? I know! The inside ambiance is modern, but is filled with your typical Ikea made tables and chairs. The area is well lit from the light coming through the window but it is not too warm inside. The seating is similar to one you would see in a cafeteria and It is child friendly, therefore we saw a lot of families here for a good hearty meal. I ordered the 12 meatball meal, a cod meal, and a smoked salmon salad. I'll rate them altogether because they all tasted in similar quality in my opinion. 4 / 5 - The food is fairly well prepared, not the best but definitely better than average. Out of all of their meals, their famous meat ball always hits the spot and if you've never had a meal here before, this would be the one to try. No pictures for this review, we were hungry and we munch on the meal as soon as they came. :( They are celebrating a 40 year anniversary currently so if you have a family membership to them, you get a 40% off on their meatball meal! Overall, if you are looking for a decent meal at an affordable price that's semi-healthy I would recommend checking the Ikea Restaurant out. Would I come back? O, definitely! read more

Not quite a 4 but not a 3. Besides can't go to ikea and not get the Swedish meatballs. Love the Swedish meatballs, wish it came with some pasta and more gravy. It would be a a great meal. Right now their entree includes a mashed potatoes and peas and lingonberry. Replace those with pasta and it would be a hit. Mac and cheese was just okay. Garlic toast could use a bit more garlic butter. They only had one line open which took awhile to get served. And since it was a weekend it was very busy and a tight squeeze. Tried the drinks and only the lemon flavor was palatable for me. The others tasted like medicine. read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Good little area to get some Swedish meatballs, all kinds of deserts like cake, Something to drink and much much more when I was little this place was amazing and affordable I personally thought the Swedish Meatball dish was so good at the time the only twist you have is that you have to walk very long out of Ikea every single time you leave the area but there is ice cream and other things at least Nice Ambiance I remembered too. read more

I feel as though the majority of people have never had real home cooked meatballs. For years I have heard people rant and rave about ikeas Swedish meatballs, and omg am I blown away by the lies I have been told. These are frozen meatballs "warmed up" (if you can even call it that since they are hardly served warm), kfc style plain mashed potatoes, probably frozen Mac and cheese, and I completely avoided the peas since they are dreadful to begin with. The food has zero flavor. Watered down gravy. Mushy Mac n cheese. Texas toast, barely toasted (also a frozen item). And you're telling me that frozen meatballs are famous?! What are people eating these days that this is a food they are calling amazing and to die for. It is so easy to make meatballs at home and a flavorful gravy and with any other vegetable besides peas. I am appalled and disappointed in the people who have told me that ikea has the "best" meatballs. Never again will I come to ikeas restaurant. If I could give this a zero star rating, I would. So my 1 star is for the bottled Pepsi and good ice from the fountain machine. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese. - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Always heard good things about IKEA food and didn't understand why until now! My partner and I were pleasantly surprised by the quality of their food and were actually bit hesitant to try it out. For the price & quality, it's definitely worth eating here first and walking it off. We tried 4 things, the almond cake (5/5), Swedish meatballs (5/5), garlic butter cod (4/5), and smoked salmon salad (4/5) I've never been into meatballs, but THESE were soooo good, especially with the gravy. The meatballs were kind of addicting and wished we got more. The lingonberry sauce was also good, but I'm not into sweet and savory that much. I would say peas and mashed potatoes is just standard. The garlic butter cod was breaded well, tasty & didn't have a fishy smell. It was good but I rather get meatballs. As for the salad, we wished there was more dressing. They don't give you enough and my partner had to eat the salad dry. The potato salad was good though. Lastly, the almond cake was AMAZING. It tasted like a biscoff cake with its sweet crisp layers. I'd totally eat this dessert again. read more

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Noelle's Yelp Notebook 2024 Post Pandemic Chronicles TLDR: Noelle LOVES the IKEA restaurant!!! The IKEA restaurant located in the IKEA store in East Palo Alto is definitely a favorite spot of mine. I know you're probably surprised. It was only a few years ago I finally tried the Swedish Meatballs. Now, I'm a huge fan of the Swedish Meatballs. I'm such a fan that we always have a bag of frozen Swedish meatballs at home. Recently, we came here on a weekday. Before shopping we decided to get breakfast from the IKEA restaurant. My husband wanted to have bacon with his breakfast but they ran out so he opted for the Swedish meatballs and scrambled eggs. My eyes were bigger than my appetite (as usual). I ordered the Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, veggies, a side salad and chocolate torte. It was a beautiful morning. We got there when it opened. The dining space is full of morning sun. The food here is always hot, fresh and delicious. I love coming here with my husband :) and son. Noelle's Notes Delicious food Family friendly Cheap eats read more

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Still love the food but sad to see my orders of food getting smaller and smaller each time. A 2G2G regular if that matters Still like it here read more

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I come here for the original Swedish meatballs which are the best I've ever had and the price for a meal here is incredibly inexpensive as most everyone already knows. I will come here even if I don't need to buy anything from Ikea or plan to browse. The line is cafeteria style and so is the seating area, but its well designed with their beverage stations in an area away from the traffic of people in line to get food. The servers are fast and efficient. They give you a paper container if you have leftovers so I always bring my own plastic containers to take home an extra meal to use for leftovers. The food is consistently good. The other day I had their newer breakfast which was an astonishingly low price for a Swedish pancake, protein and eggs. Getting through the line is fast and you can be on your way--to either shop or go home to eat your meatballs. read more

One of my favorite thing about going to ikea is stopping for food. We went super early to avoid the long lines and it's well worth it. Our favorite is the meatball so we always opt out of the combo and just get meatballs as a side. It's $1.50 for 4 and you can get as many sides as you want. We wanted to add the garlic bread but that's not ready until 11am. The cinnamon roll was also great! It came out warm and workers there are always so nice. read more

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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. read more

IKEA Restaurant - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Super disappointing. I was excited to try the plant based meatballs and after waiting in line for at least 15 min found out that they are not serving them....no reason given, Ended up getting a side of mashed potatoes with no flavor at all read more

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. read more

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Ive often heard how yummy the good is here & so we had lunch, ordered the chicken strips & fries, swedish meatballs, & a piece if the rainbow cake, the chicken really was delicious, the meatballs were ok & the cake wasnt fresh at all read more

Surprised at how long the line was at 2:30 pm on a Saturday. Ordered the Swedish meatballs (12 pieces) but you can order it in 8,12, or 16 pieces. It comes with peas , mash potatoes , gravy and lingonberry sauce. The Swedish meatballs are tender and pair well with the gravy and lingonberry sauce. My baby also enjoyed the meat balls and mashed potatoes. I ordered the frozen meat balls and sauce for home to try. Hopefully it's just as good read more

IKEA Restaurant - 12 Swedish meat balls - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Came here on a Saturday afternoon and it was packed. We had a hard time finding seats after we got our food though. I got the meatball plate and a side of mac and cheese. The service was pretty quick and everything tasted fresh. The portion sizes are good for the price as well! read more

IKEA Restaurant - Meatball plate and Mac and cheese - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

Average food- ordered a few vegetarian options from the menu but no flavor atall. Desserts were very average, honestly local shops around my house do better job than this restaurant. I know it's like a fast food restaurant for people who need a break during shopping at IKEA, but I personally feel they can do a better job and serve better food with a little bit more options. read more

Perfect place to get a snack after getting some steps in walking around to get inspired with furniture set ups. Near the end of day it is not busy. But they were out of the lingon berry sauce. :( Also almost all the tables in the dining area weren't clean. :( But hey it was just a quick snack for just under $13. So it wasn't too bad. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Swedish meatballs - American Near Me - East Palo Alto, California

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! read more

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