Ed U.
Yelp
Now I know why the actors in Ingmar Bergman's films look so depressed. They must've gone to IKEA for their meal breaks. I finally tried the cafe on the second floor on a quiet weekday, and while there were few customers in the store itself, the cafe was busy. It appeared to be doubling as an employee cafeteria. No problem with that except most of the tables were taken by individual diners.
I decided to get what I presume to be their most popular plate, the $9.99 Swedish Meatballs. You get eight with a standard order, and while I know there are devotees of these spherical bites, I have to say they get a big meh from me. They referred to the gravy as cream sauce, but I didn't get that. The lingonberries and mashed potatoes were pretty predictable (photo: https://yelp.to/ZZhA0v4ryo).
My one discovery of delight was that the peas were not mushy. I decided to get the $4.49 Caesar Salad as a side, and it came in its own container (photo: https://yelp.to/uKiwf9MIaY). For the price, it wasn't bad, though they used a Newman's Own packet for the dressing. I know IKEA's cafeteria-style food, especially the meatballs, has its fans, but I have to say I was underwhelmed. The next time I ever get a shelving unit, I'll probably go elsewhere to eat.
FOOD - 3 stars...not clear what the appeal is with the meatballs...geez, I almost bought a dozen
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...it does look like an employee cafeteria...bonus points for their individual restrooms
SERVICE - 2 stars...not much...and they gave me a dirty plastic fork
TOTAL - 3 stars...I upgraded my rating for the restroom
RELATED - Exploring western SoMa? Here's my collection of places l've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2H0VGTV