It’s a cafeteria. So… you know. Expect the cafeteria experience. If you can’t remember, you’ve never been to public school. I loved it! Smells delicious. The staff was friendly efficient awesome. but don’t expect people to fall over your feet. Again. It’s a cafeteria. I was a little disturbed by the negative reviews I saw. I did not in anyway have a bad experience. My ONLY issue is that I could NOT find menu pricing ANYWhERE on the internet so. I am providing pics of menus as of July 2025. Remember people… it’s a cafeteria.
Daniel Carpintero
Delicious and classic Swedish food
Andia Feriz
Swedish meatballs are good. Peas and mashed potatoes were nice, could use a little salt tho. The plant balls were also pretty good, I liked them better than the meatballs.
Austin Perez
Took my mom shopping for some much needed furniture and thought hey let's get some lunch while we are there. We were here when this Ikea opened and it had great food service and ambience. Today I cannot say the same, the entire dining area was abysmal and void of life, the nice seating areas by the windows were all blocked off and we were told we couldn't sit there. The food was expensive and couldn't even fill us up halfway. I got the breaded fish with mashed potatoes and peas and my mom got the grilled chicken with rice beans and plantains. The food was maybe the most bland food I've ever had in my entire life. Mashed potatoes were worse than boxed mashed potatoes, there was no salt, butter, pepper, or anything that went into it and it was dry and tasted like nothing. The fish was cooked well but honestly the serving size wasn't even a full filet. The fish was also not seasoned in anyway and there was just no kind of flavor. The same applied to my mom's meal. There were only 2 employees in the entire cafeteria and neither seemed like they had any kind of energy or awareness, essentially zombies no offense to them, I'm sure they merely adapted to the environment and culture of Ikea. Lastly the drink machine didn't even work. So I spent 25$ on a lunch with my mom and honestly I should have just gotten a refund. I'm going to take my mom to Culvers or something now but honestly we were really disappointed in what was once a great place. The same level of ambience and employee apathy could be seen in the furniture section of the store and the overall experience was just soulless. I will not be coming here again not for food, not for furniture either.
Kelly
The Ikea Restaurant has gone downhill in terms of offerings. We hadn't eaten there in a year but used to go often before that. We were very surprised to find they weren't selling chicken tenders at all, a staple they always had for years that was great for kids and adults but mostly for picky kids. And you don't get to pick what sides you want now. Everyone just given cold peas and nasty potatoes and the tiniest amount of lingonberry sauce and gravy. There is no lingonberry sauce dispenser anymore for those like me who love it. I guess all this is to save money. Didn't even have the chocolate bars upfront, just some other small bar and gummies, gummies not being very practical with a meal but maybe that is just me. For those who may not know they used to also sell Pepsi and drinks, all gone. Unless you really like meatballs or salmon or cake the fun experience is gone.
As others have said, the tables are all dirty. But I had good service from the workers. Everyone was nice. Also there was almost no line on a Saturday. That shocked me but now I see why.
Maryam Adiyeva
Overpriced
william young
First time here. I wasn’t impressed at all. Tenders were decent but not hot. Fries were cold and dry. Peas halfway burnt and cold. My meal came up to almost 20 bucks. What a rip off. Never again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tenders
Volker H.
The food quality is good but everything else is not. Some items e.g. salad not available. Grumpy staff. Tables, chairs and general seating area are dirty, with no staff to clean or place in order. There was a time when the restaurant was a highlight of every IKEA visit, but no longer here.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
A. Hussain
Food was generally good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Robin Burgess
They were out of mac & cheese! The meatballs were on point and the fries were good, but I was really feeling some mac & cheese being flashed every 45 seconds on the menu boards!!
The IKEA Restaurant in Charlotte: A Culinary Catastrophe
If there was ever a restaurant experience that deserved less than a single star, it would be the IKEA Restaurant in Charlotte. Typically, one might not expect five-star dining from a furniture store cafeteria, but even the most basic expectations were shattered during my visit. What I had hoped would be a quick, satisfying meal turned into a culinary nightmare that I would not wish on anyone.
The troubles began with the mac and cheese, a dish that is nearly impossible to get wrong. Yet, somehow, IKEA managed to defy the odds. Instead of the creamy, cheesy comfort food I anticipated, I was served a bowl of noodles coated in what can only be described as dosa batter gone horribly wrong. As much as I appreciate the crispy, savory goodness of a well-made dosa, it has no place masquerading as mac and cheese. The tangy, fermented flavor overwhelmed my palate, leaving me questioning whether this was an experimental dish or just a gross mishap.
If I thought things couldn’t get worse, I was sadly mistaken. Next came the chocolate cake—a dessert that should be a reliable ending to any meal. But this cake was no sweet treat. Instead, it tasted alarmingly like mint toothpaste. The texture was passable, but the flavor was as if someone had emptied an entire tube of toothpaste into the batter. Each bite felt like an assault on my taste buds, leaving a lingering medicinal aftertaste that ruined my appetite altogether.
The rest of the dining experience didn’t redeem these culinary disasters. The ambiance was bleak, with cafeteria-style seating that felt more like a high school lunchroom than a restaurant. The service was lackluster at best, with employees looking as though they, too, were questioning their life choices.
IKEA’s tagline may be “Designing for the many,” but if this restaurant is anything to go by, it seems they’ve forgotten about the importance of quality food. While their furniture may have its fans, their food should come with a warning label. If I could give the IKEA Restaurant in Charlotte zero stars, I would—no hesitation, no regret.
For now, I will take solace in knowing that this meal was a lesson learned: next time I visit IKEA, I’ll stick to buying furniture and skip the food entirely.
H Hamzoz
My wife and I have always been loyal IKEA customers, not only for their products but also for their restaurant, which we’ve frequented without issue. However, our recent visit to the IKEA restaurant in Charlotte, NC, was marred by an incredibly disappointing experience that I feel compelled to share.
Upon approaching the counter to place our order, we were met with dismissive and discriminatory behavior from one of the employees. The staff member appeared to judge us based on our appearance, making us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Despite there being no apparent reason for this behavior, the employee refused to take our order.
At this point, we asked to speak with a manager. Thankfully, Zack, the manager on duty, quickly came to our aid. He handled the situation with professionalism and empathy, apologizing for the employee’s behavior and immediately taking our order. His response reassured us that this type of treatment was not typical of IKEA, and we truly appreciated his efforts to resolve the matter.
It is deeply disappointing to experience such behavior at a company we’ve always admired. Discrimination of any kind has no place in a customer-facing business, and employees like the one we encountered can harm IKEA’s reputation and drive loyal customers away. While Zack’s prompt action helped salvage our experience, it’s unfortunate that we were put in this situation in the first place.
We hope that IKEA takes this feedback seriously and ensures better training and oversight of its staff to prevent others from facing similar discrimination.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Salmon Fillet
Jessica D
Drove an hour and a half with a whole group to get here and they randomly decided to close the restaurant an hour and 10 minutes early. This is very disrespectful not to communicate this anywhere, and to close it down for no apparent reason as well. This is not some small mom and pop shop that had something come up. This is just straight poor business practice
It’s a cafeteria. So… you know. Expect the cafeteria experience. If you can’t remember, you’ve never been to public school. I loved it! Smells delicious. The staff was friendly efficient awesome. but don’t expect people to fall over your feet. Again. It’s a cafeteria. I was a little disturbed by the negative reviews I saw. I did not in anyway have a bad experience. My ONLY issue is that I could NOT find menu pricing ANYWhERE on the internet so. I am providing pics of menus as of July 2025. Remember people… it’s a cafeteria.
Delicious and classic Swedish food
Swedish meatballs are good. Peas and mashed potatoes were nice, could use a little salt tho. The plant balls were also pretty good, I liked them better than the meatballs.
Took my mom shopping for some much needed furniture and thought hey let's get some lunch while we are there. We were here when this Ikea opened and it had great food service and ambience. Today I cannot say the same, the entire dining area was abysmal and void of life, the nice seating areas by the windows were all blocked off and we were told we couldn't sit there. The food was expensive and couldn't even fill us up halfway. I got the breaded fish with mashed potatoes and peas and my mom got the grilled chicken with rice beans and plantains. The food was maybe the most bland food I've ever had in my entire life. Mashed potatoes were worse than boxed mashed potatoes, there was no salt, butter, pepper, or anything that went into it and it was dry and tasted like nothing. The fish was cooked well but honestly the serving size wasn't even a full filet. The fish was also not seasoned in anyway and there was just no kind of flavor. The same applied to my mom's meal. There were only 2 employees in the entire cafeteria and neither seemed like they had any kind of energy or awareness, essentially zombies no offense to them, I'm sure they merely adapted to the environment and culture of Ikea. Lastly the drink machine didn't even work. So I spent 25$ on a lunch with my mom and honestly I should have just gotten a refund. I'm going to take my mom to Culvers or something now but honestly we were really disappointed in what was once a great place. The same level of ambience and employee apathy could be seen in the furniture section of the store and the overall experience was just soulless. I will not be coming here again not for food, not for furniture either.
The Ikea Restaurant has gone downhill in terms of offerings. We hadn't eaten there in a year but used to go often before that. We were very surprised to find they weren't selling chicken tenders at all, a staple they always had for years that was great for kids and adults but mostly for picky kids. And you don't get to pick what sides you want now. Everyone just given cold peas and nasty potatoes and the tiniest amount of lingonberry sauce and gravy. There is no lingonberry sauce dispenser anymore for those like me who love it. I guess all this is to save money. Didn't even have the chocolate bars upfront, just some other small bar and gummies, gummies not being very practical with a meal but maybe that is just me. For those who may not know they used to also sell Pepsi and drinks, all gone. Unless you really like meatballs or salmon or cake the fun experience is gone.
As others have said, the tables are all dirty. But I had good service from the workers. Everyone was nice. Also there was almost no line on a Saturday. That shocked me but now I see why.
Overpriced
First time here. I wasn’t impressed at all. Tenders were decent but not hot. Fries were cold and dry. Peas halfway burnt and cold. My meal came up to almost 20 bucks. What a rip off. Never again.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tenders
The food quality is good but everything else is not. Some items e.g. salad not available. Grumpy staff. Tables, chairs and general seating area are dirty, with no staff to clean or place in order. There was a time when the restaurant was a highlight of every IKEA visit, but no longer here.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Food was generally good.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
They were out of mac & cheese! The meatballs were on point and the fries were good, but I was really feeling some mac & cheese being flashed every 45 seconds on the menu boards!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Swedish Meatballs
Restaurantji Recommends
The IKEA Restaurant in Charlotte: A Culinary Catastrophe
If there was ever a restaurant experience that deserved less than a single star, it would be the IKEA Restaurant in Charlotte. Typically, one might not expect five-star dining from a furniture store cafeteria, but even the most basic expectations were shattered during my visit. What I had hoped would be a quick, satisfying meal turned into a culinary nightmare that I would not wish on anyone.
The troubles began with the mac and cheese, a dish that is nearly impossible to get wrong. Yet, somehow, IKEA managed to defy the odds. Instead of the creamy, cheesy comfort food I anticipated, I was served a bowl of noodles coated in what can only be described as dosa batter gone horribly wrong. As much as I appreciate the crispy, savory goodness of a well-made dosa, it has no place masquerading as mac and cheese. The tangy, fermented flavor overwhelmed my palate, leaving me questioning whether this was an experimental dish or just a gross mishap.
If I thought things couldn’t get worse, I was sadly mistaken. Next came the chocolate cake—a dessert that should be a reliable ending to any meal. But this cake was no sweet treat. Instead, it tasted alarmingly like mint toothpaste. The texture was passable, but the flavor was as if someone had emptied an entire tube of toothpaste into the batter. Each bite felt like an assault on my taste buds, leaving a lingering medicinal aftertaste that ruined my appetite altogether.
The rest of the dining experience didn’t redeem these culinary disasters. The ambiance was bleak, with cafeteria-style seating that felt more like a high school lunchroom than a restaurant. The service was lackluster at best, with employees looking as though they, too, were questioning their life choices.
IKEA’s tagline may be “Designing for the many,” but if this restaurant is anything to go by, it seems they’ve forgotten about the importance of quality food. While their furniture may have its fans, their food should come with a warning label. If I could give the IKEA Restaurant in Charlotte zero stars, I would—no hesitation, no regret.
For now, I will take solace in knowing that this meal was a lesson learned: next time I visit IKEA, I’ll stick to buying furniture and skip the food entirely.
My wife and I have always been loyal IKEA customers, not only for their products but also for their restaurant, which we’ve frequented without issue. However, our recent visit to the IKEA restaurant in Charlotte, NC, was marred by an incredibly disappointing experience that I feel compelled to share.
Upon approaching the counter to place our order, we were met with dismissive and discriminatory behavior from one of the employees. The staff member appeared to judge us based on our appearance, making us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Despite there being no apparent reason for this behavior, the employee refused to take our order.
At this point, we asked to speak with a manager. Thankfully, Zack, the manager on duty, quickly came to our aid. He handled the situation with professionalism and empathy, apologizing for the employee’s behavior and immediately taking our order. His response reassured us that this type of treatment was not typical of IKEA, and we truly appreciated his efforts to resolve the matter.
It is deeply disappointing to experience such behavior at a company we’ve always admired. Discrimination of any kind has no place in a customer-facing business, and employees like the one we encountered can harm IKEA’s reputation and drive loyal customers away. While Zack’s prompt action helped salvage our experience, it’s unfortunate that we were put in this situation in the first place.
We hope that IKEA takes this feedback seriously and ensures better training and oversight of its staff to prevent others from facing similar discrimination.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Salmon Fillet
Drove an hour and a half with a whole group to get here and they randomly decided to close the restaurant an hour and 10 minutes early. This is very disrespectful not to communicate this anywhere, and to close it down for no apparent reason as well. This is not some small mom and pop shop that had something come up. This is just straight poor business practice
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Great value and delicious food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Portions are tiny but the prices are higher
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Swedish Pancakes, Swedish Meatballs, Cinnamon Roll, Pancakes, Wedge Salad, Marinated Salmon Add-On, Salmon Fillet, Chicken Tenders, Salmon Salad, Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake Slice
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