One of my favorite things to do is go to IKEA, grab a meal at the restaurant, and then spend way too much time browsing home decor I absolutely do not need. So that's exactly what was on the agenda. If you've never been to an IKEA restaurant, they are known for the Swedish meatballs. They also have salmon, plant-based options, kids meals, desserts, drinks, and seasonal specials. At the Mission Valley location, the restaurant is upstairs and hard to miss once you walk in. The dining room is huge and I love that you're basically eating inside an IKEA showroom surrounded by the furniture they actually sell. The process is pretty simple. Grab a tray, walk through the line, pick out any drinks, desserts, or snacks you want, and then head to the entrée section. One of the biggest reasons this place stays so popular is the pricing. Everything is incredibly affordable, especially considering the portions. This visit, we ordered the Swedish meatballs with mac and cheese on the side and decided to try the new falafel balls as well. Honestly, the highlight of this visit wasn't even the food. It was the employee helping us. He was so friendly and genuinely seemed excited to be there. He welcomed us, asked if it was our first time, and even offered samples when we mentioned we were debating between items. He was joking with us, asking if we wanted the meatballs drizzled or drenched in gravy, and just made the whole experience feel more personal. It's such a small thing, but great customer service really does make a difference. The Swedish meatballs were exactly why I keep coming back. My favorite part will always be the lingonberry jam. I put it on the meatballs, the mashed potatoes, basically everything. The gravy is fine, but the jam is what really makes the dish for me. The mac and cheese, unfortunately, was a miss. It reminded me of hospital mac and cheese. It wasn't very cheesy and just felt bland overall. The falafel balls were surprisingly good. They came with a garlic aioli, a vegetable couscous, and a wedge of lemon. The falafel itself was a little dry, but that's pretty common with falafel in general. The garlic aioli helped a lot and the lemon was absolutely necessary. That extra acidity really brought everything together. The vegetable couscous, however, was probably my least favorite thing on the plate. It felt underseasoned and honestly had a strange flavor that neither of us could really figure out. One funny thing we spotted was an April Fool's special: a meatball-flavored lollipop. Naturally I grabbed one. It's currently sitting on my coffee table because I'm still trying to build up the courage to actually try it. I'll definitely be back. Probably for the meatballs. Definitely for the jam. read more

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Alright food, didn't have an issue with the food nor service. All the workers in the food department looks so depressed and have no customer service whatsoever and I'm speaking from someone that's worked in the food service...asked where we can grab cups and one worker pointed and didn't say a word. Another one by checkout with the ice creams sighed and rolled his eyes because we knocked over our ice cream on a paper sheet specifically for that reason. Customer service is an absolute ZERO. Hopefully they make changes or those specific people quit and find something they actually wanna do :) read more

Needed a dresser and IKEA had the one I was looking for. No stop at IKEA is complete without SWEDISH MEATBALLS! Deeelicious! They also sell them frozen for purchase on your way out! IKEA is jumping on the self checkout band wagon and it is a s**t show. It was very unorganized and I had to sign a waiver for my dresser which the lady had to come over and key it in anyway! They need more than one employee to help assist 4 terminals! read more

IKEA Restaurant - 8 piece Swedish meatball plate - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

I just love Swedish meatballs, if you want tasty inexpensive food come here. Ambiance is an ikea food Court so it's ok ish. Service is prompt and corteous read more

A must eat are the Swedish meatballs ( veggie meat balls we're not bad but prefer real meat!). Tastes great plus veggies and mash.... classic and great price. remember to add gravy and the sweet jam for a savory finish. The dessert was great too... like a chocolate candy bar crunch cake like tart!! I would have loved eating this as a kid! Service was cafeteria like prompt. Ambience is nice open with plenty of seating. Wish they'd wipe down the table more though. Fun stop while shopping. read more

IKEA Restaurant - my meal with my hand painted cup - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

This IKEA Swedish restaurant serves great food. I especially loved this Yogurt for my breakfast snack. There are plenty of seats here and the workers are friendly! Laid back and casual atmosphere! read more

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SWEDEN FLAG STICKING OUT FROM A MEATBALL IS GIVING!!! (5 stars) Meatballs is -gt Furniture - FOOD: delicious - PRICE: affordable - SERVICE: quick - AMBIANCE: lol cafeteria in a furniture warehouse You know it's going to be a delicious meal when you see that flag propped proudly with pride on your food. I have been a fan of eating at IKEAs kitchen since my broke college days. There is something nostalgic and mouth watering when eating tender meatballs drenched in gravy, smudged in lingonberry sauce, paired with basic mash potatoes and a couple of peas getting air lifted and rolling off the fork; the combination description and appearance may not sound appetizing but the savory bite taps every tastebud. You know me, kids meal because I eat like a bird! Always get the Lingonberry drink at the fountain machine. It's so good but for those with GERD, you gonna be gerd'ing after this meal. SWEDISH MEATBALLS = HIGHLY RECOMMEND Do buy yourself a frozen bag at the Market before exiting. It's worth it. I massively stocked up during the pandemic and was happy at home eating meatballs. I didn't think air frying them was the best choice, it gave the meatball a tougher slight charred outer layer and dried them out. I would suggest adding water in the air fryer for a more steamed taste over the scorched taste. Until the next IKEA outting... read more

IKEA Restaurant - Kids meal Meatballs Plate - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Swedish meatballs are always a hit. The entree comes with mashed potatoes, gravy and peas. And the Stockholm fish entree was a good choice too. Entree includes Marinated salmon with a side salad and potato salad. Tables and chairs need to be wiped down more frequently. Almost every available table was dirty. We were there around 5p so the dinner crowd hadn't started yet. Couldn't imagine what it would look like during a rush. Overall I give it 4 stars for the food and price. Took off 1 star for dirty tables. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Stockholm salmon entree with salad and potato salad $8.99 - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

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Such a great idea to have a restaurant in IKEA to ward off the hangriness that can sometimes come from shopping, or to just come for a regular meal. You really cannot go wrong with their Swedish meatballs and free coffee with your IKEA family card. Not to mention the free slice of cake for your birthday. Along with everything I just wrote, this is a convenient and popular spot with quick cafeteria-like service. While they don't have a huge menu, there is a good variety of items and specials. The prices definitely went up like it has everywhere else but it is still a decent price and won't break the bank to feed a family. The large eating area is also nice and is a good place to sit down after a long day of walking around the huge showroom. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Swedish meatballs, rainbow cake, veggie cakes & egg salad sandwich - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Reliable food at reasonable prices, this is one of my favorite casual dining spots. Tho the hot entree choices don't change, sometimes there may something new in the refrigerated cases, like the rarely seen salmon baguette (my favorite!). The desserts and salad are not always available, but when they are, they are fresh and flavorful. I haven't figured out when the best time to visit is, to get the greatest selection of salads, desserts, and sandwiches. If you're a Friends and Family member of IKEA, you can claim a free cup of coffee or tea. Bus your own tray to the rack, and clean up after yourself. In December, but not this year, they set aside one day to have a spectacular Julbord with all sorts of Swedish foods, for a set price (about $25, cheaper if you're a Friend and Family member). On this day, the dining hall is festively decorated and festooned, and there is a lot of staff to assist. It's something to put on your radar because only a set number of tickets are sold. read more

Always a cheap place to get some yummy meatballs! The service was the usual, just feels like going down the cafeteria line but the workers are always friendly. The sitting area is a messy, it's hard to find a table/chair that was actually clean. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Meat balls - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

I love coming to the food court at IKEA! The cakes are delicious and the meatballs are the best. I am plant based and I am so glad they have the plant balls so that I can still enjoy them. Service is fast but friendly. Make sure to order the larger plate because the meatballs are really savory and the buttery potatoes make it so comforting. I love to get a slice of cake as a sweet treat to top it off. My husband and I went during our birthday month and as members we each got a free slice of cake. Shopping is fun and you can come here just to spend time without buying anything. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Cakes! - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

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Love there Swedish meatballs and fixings but wanted to try their breakfast as I was here at 10:30am. I got the Big Breakfast which has the Swedish pancake with longinberry sauce which is not on the Small Breakfast. Came with 2 pieces of bacon, eggs and diced potatoes. Eggs and potatoes were okay but highlight was the pancake with berry sauce. Can't beat the prices! read more

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Always passed this restaurant when shopping at ikea but decided to finally try it out! Got the meatballs w/ mash potato, Mac n cheese and corn bread. Surprisingly it wasn't bad at all and was pretty good. It was also affordable. If you like their meatball, they sell it in frozen bags also! read more

IKEA Restaurant - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Overall, I'm not mad! You can't beat getting a cod plate for 11.99. Came at 6:30 on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy/got everything quickly. Out of everything, that was definitely the plate to get! They sadly didn't have the salmon at the time so I can't compare to that, but the cod was good (peas were just okay). For me, the meatball plate very much needed the lingonberry jam otherwise it was just too much of the same thing. I would probably skip on the mac & cheese, Next time, but the fries were great side pick though. Would go with the Swedish apple cake as the other one was just too sweet to eat the whole thing. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Garlic lemon cod plate, mac and cheese, caramel almond cake. Meatball plates, fries, and swedish apple cake - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Some go to IKEA to window shop; we came to have lunch! Window shopping was a close second. Walking off the munchies perusing appliances was never so much fun! read more

IKEA Restaurant - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

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IKEA is a Swedish furniture store with sleek, sustainable, and affordable furniture; their food court also follows the same theme in providing quality at wholesale prices. You don't go to IKEA for high end glitz and glam. You are a practical individual, and the same applies to their food court; it feels like a school cafeteria as you grab a tray and go down the line, choosing entree and side items as you go. We ordered a few food items to hold us over until dinner: kids meal Swedish meatballs, Stockholm salad, and the buffalo chicken wrap. The kids meal size Swedish meatball was 5/5, the right size and portioning with a little bit of everything without committing to a whole entree. It was like Thanksgiving dinner all over again with cranberry sauce and mash potatoes which was really fun. Their Stockholm salad was a 6/5; I didn't go in expecting much BUT the vinegarette, with the mustard dill sauce and the salmon was a perfect melody of tangy and savory that was surprisingly fulfilling because of the protein portion. We went back into the store to buy the mustard dill sauce because we liked it so much to recreate it back home. Lastly, the Buffalo chicken wrap was a wildcard (3/5) that wasn't for me. Although the menu didn't specify that there was apple in it, there was a distinct sweet fruit-like apple flavor with the spicy Buffalo sauce and potent blue cheese that wasn't meshing well. Overall, I had a great time and was pleasantly surprised with the quality and taste of the IKEA food court. Highly recommend the Stockholm salad, it's going to be my go-to item from now on. read more

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Always have to stop for their Swedish meatballs when you come in, and I happened to come shop on a day when ikea family members got a 40% discount on their Swedish meatball meal. The food is good, and there are plenty of options for everyone. read more

I love coming here ever once in a while for the food. My daughter's go to is the mac&cheese, and my son always gets the tenders. Of course you can't go to Ikea without getting the Swedish meatballs! This was the 1st time I tried the fish. Everything is always consistent and actually pretty good for cafeteria food. It moves like a cafeteria as well, you grab your items& check out at the end. read more

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Nice walk through warehouse of household goodies and furniture. But this day we went for lunch. Become an IKEA Family Member and get discounts on lunch at the register. Meatballs and gravy are excellent light light or get a BLT chicken wrap! Both are great. Had soda fountain, but the ice maker wasn't working read more

IKEA Restaurant - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

The line can get long on the weekends/during busy hours, so I would only choose to dine here when there's not very many people. The Swedish Meatballs aren't bad when you feel like taking a break from shopping. The Mashed Potatoes and Lingonberry Jam compliment each other quite well. And their Mac n cheese is decent. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Swedish Meatballs - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Fast, easy breakfast, with several choices, I got the medium breakfast, which is scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and a couple of Swedish pancakes, in other words, crêpes. They put a generous helping of lingonberries on top of your crêpes, something that I love to eat. I also had a Tropicana juice, and the total cost of the breakfast was about eight dollars, and that's hard to beat anywhere. Now you do have to put up with the fact that the food is not going to be steaming hot. It's just Luke warm when you get it and it's cold by the time you finish, but I was starving and I didn't really care but for the price can't beat it read more

IKEA Restaurant - Medium breakfast - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

I will forever love IKEA. The furniture is great and all the displays they set up are really nice. However, this is about food so let's go on with it. I will forever love their salmon here. I had a salmon salad at another location and was sad to not see it, but the salmon here was still good. It was juicy and the sauce really went well with it. The veggies were alright, but that veggie medallion was bomb. I would've loved to buy more, but sadly I was too ashamed to walk back and order more. Service was really nice and really took me back to the cafeteria in elementary school. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Salmon and veggie medallions - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Restaurant is one floor up by the showroom. You take a right if you walk up the entrance stairs. I got the kids Swedish meatball, a chocolate cake, and a complimentary coffee, all for $10.00. Pros: -love the convenience of cafeteria style meals -can't beat free coffee or tea (free to sign up- there are QR codes on the table) Cons: -n/a read more

IKEA Restaurant - Breakfast of champions - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Yes, I'm posting this review twice because I want to give a 5 star rating for both the food court and the store! IKEA never lets me down, especially when it comes to their food court. The Swedish meatballs are such a great deal! Delicious and super filling for the price. But the real standout was the Lingonberry drink. Seriously, it's one of the best drinks I've ever had. They have to start selling it in stores because I'd buy it non-stop! After our meal, we wandered through the store. The way they've set up the bedroom, kitchen, and small space displays is impressive. So many creative, beautiful ideas that gave us tons of inspiration for our own place. We also stopped by what my boyfriend and I call the "Swedish shop" to grab some treats. The cinnamon rolls, raspberry cakes, and, of course, more Swedish meatballs with gravy and Lingonberry sauce were all amazing. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and just so comforting. IKEA truly excels in both food and home decor. Can't wait for the next visit! read more

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I used to have a cup of coffee and some European dessert every time I needed to go to Ikea. This year the experience is bad. The coffee is very thin (better not to make this diluted one any more), they are "out of milk and cream" at 5pm on Friday, and do not have the dessert they advertise on the display. read more

I wanted to check out if they had any dairy free options which turns out they have plant based meatballs. Yay for that win as I wasn't expecting plant based options, but was surprised that they would offer a plant based protein and still offer dairy items for the sides. They were able to accommodate the sides for dairy free and doubled check the ingredients to make sure the peas were dairy free. I felt bad bc they were short staffed and having trouble keeping up with people ordering and cleaning tables. I appreciate the menu options and prices, but hope they are able to have a full staff so the people are not stressed. Would I come back? Yes! Vegan meat balls were good! read more

Thankfully, when we arrived I was able to secure a table for my husband and son. The line was long and the place was crowded! We all ordered their signature dish Swedish Meatballs. It was delicious and under $10, what a great value! The place was brightly lit and exceptionally clean. They cleaned off the tables often. We were so hungry and anxious to go shopping that I forgot to take more photos. I would recommend coming here during the week instead of the weekends. We definitely would like to return and try more offerings. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Yummy Swedish Meatballs orders by all three of us. - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Good hot food! We had the lemon cod with peas and mashed potatoes. We also ordered a small salad and garlic bread. The servers were fast and friendly and the food actually tasted homemade. It was super busy so we shopped for a little bit and went back when the line went down. I would eat here again. read more

Possitive Vibe, the return policy is great, specials in some return materials are great, the technology of the kitchen furniture is a plus plus read more

I used to love ikea food, but idk what happened! I think it went downhill for me when they got rid of the corn bread. The meatball plate wasn't as good as I remembered. I always want to try the smoked salmon salad, but they never have it anymore. The chicken tenders and fries are standard. I did try the red berry juice and was a fan!! read more

I haven't been here at breakfast time since my daughter was in preschool but I found myself here on a day off and had to see if they still has the yummy cheap breakfast! Got my tray, jumped in the short line, was greeted by the super friendly cook staff and they filled my plate right up. I got bacon, eggs and country potatoes for $2.50. Plus as a member you get free coffee so I coupled that with my meal and had a great start to fuel my shopping. read more

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How could I not have eaten at the sit down cafeteria on the second floor all these years? The food is different than the "to go" food on the first floor. This restaurant has 4 Swedish meatballs for $1.00 (what a deal). Entrees for kids meals and adults range from $4 to $9 and the side dishes are like $2. Chicken tenders and fries were good but the mac cheese not so much. (Breakfast is served too in the mornings.) Love the cart that carries your trays to push. Easy for my daughter to use and help out. read more

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I love Ikea store and food is always very good! I wish they would start having Lox and cream cheese again because it is the best! Store is great and has many good products that can not be found any where else! The Best! read more

IKEA Restaurant - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

We began our shopping trip at IKEA by following the arrows on the upper level. The restaurant is strategically placed at the end before you head down to the lower level. It was the perfect place to rest and have a cup of coffee. Tip: Join the IKEA family loyalty program for a free cup of coffee or tea per visit. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Free coffee with IKEA family loyalty card - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

This review is for the IKEA Restuarant. I have fond memories of coming here with my family growing up, and always thought this was a place to get a good meal for a great price. I have revisited here as an adult after many years, and it isn't as great as I remember. FYI the prices have risen... 1 plate = 8 meatballs, for $7.99. I swear years ago it was more like 10 or 12 for around $5. 8 seems like a small amount. You can add a side of 4 meatballs for $1 more. The meatballs still taste good, and I like that they have added some veggie options over the years. Got a side of green beans -- completely unseasoned. At least I could dip them in the gravy. the hot sides and some desserts are reasonably priced though, we like getting garlic bread and chocolate cake for around $1 each. There was some major mislabeling at some of the appetizer shelves. There were some shelves that had a salmon appetizer, on the shelf it was labeled as $2.99 so we grabbed it because we thought it was a great deal. At the register, they charged it as a $6.99 salad... We explain that it was labeled as $2.99 so the cashier went to check and she said it was for a different salmon side. It was very misleading because that was the only sign up on those shelves so we got scammed. The IKEA Restaurant has lost some of its magic, and I was disappointed at the rise of prices. The food quality isn't even that good to justify the rise of these prices. I would go elsewhere if I wanted to spend $10-20 on a meal. read more

IKEA Restaurant - meatball plate + side of 4 meatballs - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

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I came here during a long day of shopping and it was perfect. I wanted the salmon but they didn't have it, so I got the garlic lemon cod meal which came with mashed potatoes and peas, and I also got a side of Mac n cheese. The Mac was a little bland, but still decent. It didn't break the bank, although prices have gone up a bit due to inflation like everywhere else. I was able to have an enjoyable meal in a cozy cafeteria and luckily it wasn't crowded around 6:30 on a Saturday. The employees were friendly and helpful; I appreciate that. I will definitely be back for the Swedish meatball dinner which comes with the cute flag on a toothpick. A great, affordable option for decent food. Thank you IKEA! read more

Always here for the Swedish meatball meals. It's been awhile and first time taking our toddler here. The drink machine is down but overall still good for the pricing. We will be back! read more

IKEA Restaurant - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California

Food: 3.5/5 Service and Setting: 3/5 Value: 3/5 Sometimes, especially after not eating IKEA for several years, you think that you are eating the best food in the world. I thought that too, but I foolishly went back a week later with more sanity to provide a more honest review. The cafeteria is definitely pretty dirty at times and you will often have to clear your own table before sitting. Service is fast and gives serious middle school lunch vibes. As I sat and ate I realized that I would describe the entire experience as "hospital chic". Swedish Meatball Plate: 4/5 Yes, the meatballs are slightly dry. Yes, the potatoes are definitely from powder. And yes, the broccoli is literally 1 minute away from turning into mush, but altogether, it creates a memorable meal that you have to get before or after buying your reasonably priced furniture. The gravy and lingonberry sauce really tie everything together and while the cheap food tastes are strong, there is this harmonious level of savoriness that is addictive and comfy. Veggie Hot Dog: 3.5/5 The price of these are freaking amazing and you can eat two and be pretty full. The bread itself is stale and the veggie dog doesn't really taste like anything. The fried onions and honey mustard really carry this dish and even though you cannot taste anything else but honey mustard, sometimes that is what you need. It seems like a pattern at IKEA that the sauces are the true stars in each of their creations. Daim Almond Cake: 2/5 This cake, to the right person, might be a 5/5. Layer of cake, chocolate, and chunks of almond brittle sounds like a good time BUT this thing is so sweet. It is literally sweeter than eating a spoonful of sugar and made my tongue hurt. I think with a hot cup of coffee or tea this might be the perfect accompaniment but there is a good chance you will get diabetes from it. Worth a try though! read more

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It's IKEA cafeteria food - sure it's not fine dining or made from scratch on the spot but it's quick, tasty and super inexpensive. Brings back memories of shopping here with my sis years ago. We'd always stop by the cafeteria after our shopping trip. It's nostalgia and it's yummy. read more

IKEA Restaurant - Veggie balls & kids chicken fingers - Diners Near Me - San Diego, California