11 IKEA Food Court Menu Items, Ranked Worst To Best

Anyone who's been to IKEA knows that visiting the store is more than just a mere shopping trip: It's a whole experience. From the multitude of furniture displays to the seemingly endless selection of decor and home goods, you could spend hours at IKEA — and still have half the store left to explore. Luckily, if hunger strikes during your exploration, you can just swing by the store's food court to fuel up.

Though the idea of a store having a food court isn't exactly new or unique, IKEA's is impressive nonetheless. After all, its restaurant food is quite cheap, and there's a large number of items available The chain's Swedish meatballs are undoubtedly the star (and drawing point) of any IKEA food court, but there are quite a few additional food options to be found, ranging from hot plates to wraps to salads to desserts.

As a frequent IKEA shopper who's previously tried several dishes from its menu, I knew I was up to the task of ranking some of the store's more popular food court items. For the sake of fairness, I opted solely for foods that fell into the entree or main course category for this ranking. When determining my ranking order, I paid close attention to the flavors of the food, how well the components of a dish worked together, and whether the dish had a particular element that truly set it apart. With that in mind, here are 11 IKEA food court menu items ranked.

I love a good Caesar salad — so much so that I'd argue it's my favorite type of salad. Additionally, I'm pretty forgiving with certain takes or iterations of the salad, be it switching up the ingredients or tweaking the Caesar dressing itself. Ideally, a modern Caesar salad (which differs from the original) will have a romaine lettuce base, crunchy croutons, Parmesan cheese, as well as a super creamy, tangy, and savory dressing. Now, for the most part, IKEA's Caesar salad delivers on those expectations. But despite technically meeting all the qualifications that make a Caesar salad what it is, there just wasn't anything special about IKEA's version.

The romaine lacked a fresh crispness, the Parmesan wasn't particularly flavorful, and the croutons were merely fine. Also, the dressing for the salad just comes in a packet. This isn't necessarily a bad thing or completely unexpected for an item you purchase from a food court, but it does man the dressing isn't nearly as tasty as it could be. As a whole, this Caesar salad just doesn't stack up against other, far more impressive items on this list, so it comes in last.

Potato pancakes are a masterclass in savory breakfast items when they're made right. The spuddy stacks are perfectly tasty on their own, of course, though there's a whole slew of toppings you can put on potato pancakes (my personal favorite is good old sour cream). Now, I was pretty excited to see potato pancakes on IKEA's menu, but my excitement ended up being fairly short-lived.

These potato pancakes weren't downright awful, but they were super bland, weirdly flat, and rather stiff. In short, they were sort of boring overall. The sour cream didn't do much to help salvage the pancakes themselves, making for a lackluster dish all-around. A big issue with the texture of the pancakes is that they seemed almost stale, and they didn't have any strong flavors to really help make up for that unsavory texture. I wouldn't exactly expect potato pancakes from an IKEA food court to be super fresh and hot, but these ones were disappointing nonetheless, and a menu item I would not return to in the future.

The presentation of IKEA's egg salad sandwich was undeniably impressive, so that alone had me excited to try it. I know egg salad can be somewhat polarizing, but I happen to be a big fan of almost any iteration of the creamy, mustardy egg dish. I also tend to prefer really plain egg salad (as opposed to an elevated egg salad of some sort), so IKEA's take on the sandwich seemed like it'd be a winner in my book before tasting. However, that wasn't the case.

Now, to be fair, there wasn't anything grossly wrong with IKEA's egg salad sandwich. But it was so incredibly bland-tasting, to the point it was simply impossible to overlook. Even the slightest bit of salt would have gone such a long way in bringing more flavor to this egg salad; but alas, it was what it was, and wasn't all that creamy, either. The lettuce accompaniment was fine, and I do appreciate that it helped keep the bread from getting too soggy. But seeing how it was unexciting for the most part, it comes near the bottom.

Depending on which IKEA location you visit, there's a good chance you'll come across a few different types of wraps on the food court menu. My IKEA only had one wrap on its menu at the time that I visited: The Buffalo chicken wrap. For starters, I was pleased by the presentation of this wrap; it appeared to be genuinely loaded with chicken, and was just nicely assembled overall. Yet somehow, despite being called a Buffalo chicken wrap, the Buffalo flavor was nearly completely lost here.

Aside from the Buffalo chicken itself, the wrap included lettuce and blue cheese on the inside. While I'm admittedly not a huge fan of blue cheese dressing, I can certainly tolerate it. Unfortunately, the most overwhelming flavor detected in IKEA's Buffalo chicken wrap was the blue cheese – which I think even the world's biggest blue cheese lover might take offense to.

Since the blue cheese dominated while the chicken seemingly sat blandly in the background, I felt this wrap had the distinct lack of balance, which kept it from ranking higher. I do think it succeeded in offering some interesting textures, and it certainly felt like a hearty lunch. While this kept it ranked above the bottom entries, it definitely wasn't my favorite menu item on this list, either.

Salmon is an incredibly versatile fish, working equally well in both complex dishes and more simple presentations. I'd argue that IKEA's salmon fillet plate falls into a more simple presentation category, but that's not something I had a problem with. The fillet came with a scoop of mashed potatoes and a medley of green beans and peas, which appeared very bare-bones when it came to seasoning or sauce.

Now, again, as long as everything tasted good and was well-prepared, I could be a little forgiving to a dish that's simple and slightly boring. And while I ultimately didn't hate anything on this plate, I didn't love anything, either, so it ranks in the middle of the pack.

The salmon was okay, but it definitely wasn't the freshest. In fact, all of the fat had sort of congealed, leaving some bites more pleasant than others. The mashed potatoes and veggies were incredibly boring, as well; I wish there had been a drizzle of gravy or something to help breathe a little life into the plate. This isn't the worst thing on IKEA's food menu, but it's far from the best — hence it's placement.

Ah, good old chicken tenders and fries. Quite frankly, it's pretty hard to beat this combo for those picky eaters (and even any non-picky eaters). There's something deeply comforting and familiar about a plate of chicken tenders (not to be mistaken for strips) and french fries. IKEA is smart enough to tap into the demographic of folks (both adults and kids) who want such a meal during their shopping break. There's nothing fancy about it, but there doesn't have to be, and sometimes that's all you can hope for from a food court meal.

Now, I'm definitely in the demographic that generally enjoys IKEA's chicken tenders plate, but I won't sit here and pretend it's the best thing on the menu. I appreciate the fact that the tenders are nice and big, featuring juicy chicken on the inside and a mostly crunchy coating on the outside. The fries are fine, and certainly hit the spot when you're really craving them. But just like the tenders, they're ultimately nothing to write home about.

A good option when something like meatballs or fish doesn't sound that appealing, IKEA's chicken tenders can certainly save the day when you want something simple and basic. Consequently, this is a good middle-ground dish, which is why it ranks right in the middle. It's a decent execution of a familiar favorite, but not the best thing you can find at IKEA's food court.

Though I'm not a vegetarian myself, I always appreciate seeing plant-based options on any menu. IKEA is certainly no stranger to offering plant-based options, and its plant balls plate is perhaps the best-known example of that. Very similar to its classic Swedish meatballs plate — but with plant balls instead of classic meatballs — this plate allows vegetarians to get in on the fun without skimping on flavor. While I really enjoyed IKEA's plant ball plate, I could only rank it so high, considering it's just a vegetarian duplicate of the Swedish meatballs.

Even still, from the classic mashed potatoes and peas to the savory gravy to the sweet-tart lingonberry jam, the flavors work really well here. I don't think the plant balls are as good as the meatballs by any means, but they still offer plenty of savory flavor, as well as a decently meaty texture (for what it's worth). I don't necessarily see myself ever going for the plant balls over the Swedish meatballs, but this was still a good plate of food nonetheless, and a good option for those vegetarian shoppers out there. Given that, it belongs in fifth place.

Another example of a successful vegetarian option on IKEA's menu are the veggie balls. This hearty plateful also features a romesco-esque sauce and a blend of sauteed peppers and veggies. Unlike the plant balls, the veggie balls aren't necessarily meant to mimic the flavor of meat. Rather, they're meant to look like meatballs while still tasting like they're made of veggies — and I'd say they're pretty successful in doing so. Thankfully, they also happen to taste pretty good in general, which is why this IKEA food court item comes in fourth place.

When paired with that romesco sauce, it's hard not to enjoy these veggie balls. Despite being a simple plate, I think the sauce really elevates this dish to the next level. The veggies aren't necessarily bursting with flavor (like so many others on this list), but a quick mix into the sauce solves any issue there.

Overall, I really enjoyed the savory, subtly tangy, and veggie-forward flavors that this dish had to offer. And unlike the plant balls plate, I could absolutely see myself opting for these veggie balls over the Swedish meatballs — if only for the romesco sauce alone.

Though IKEA's salmon fillet plate didn't exactly wow me, the garlic lemon cod plate was a whole other story. I really wasn't expecting much from this dish, and that's not because I dislike cod; I actually quite enjoy cod. However, if there's anything I know about the neutral white fish, it's that it has a tendency to taste either bland or super fishy — and it's hard to capture it anywhere in between. But despite my qualms, IKEA's garlic lemon cod turned out to be quite delicious. So many entrees on this list suffered from blandness, yet this cod was far from lacking in that area.

Both the garlic and lemon were very apparent with every bite, and both of those flavors worked oh-so-well with the flaky, delicate fish. I also appreciated that the cod didn't taste super fishy, but served as a worthwhile vessel to some really nice flavor components instead. Admittedly, the mashed potatoes and peas were a little bit on the boring side, but they ultimately worked well with the flavorful cod.

I found this to be a really well-rounded plate overall, and it's one fishy favorite that I'd certainly return to the next time I visit an IKEA. As a result, it comes in third place among these IKEA food court items.

It should come as no surprise that a Swedish food court manages to do lox-like marinated salmon just right. And, indeed, IKEA's Stockholm salad was a big hit in my book as a whole. The salad featured slices of marinated salmon, mixed greens, a scoop of potato salad, a sweet dill-mustard dressing, and a lemon wedge. While it seemed like a hodgepodge of ingredients at first glance, the dish just really worked with all the ingredients together, which is why it came in second place on this list.

To be sure, the flavors were complementary enough to make for one tasty salad. But I also enjoyed eating this salad in a more deconstructed way, which I think is the only way to really do it. A bite of potato salad here, a little bit of lettuce there, and some sauce-covered salmon after that. Frankly, you've got bite after bite that simply tastes delicious.

This plate felt like a breath of fresh air compared to some other dishes on IKEA's menu. For those visits when chicken tenders or Swedish meatballs just feel a bit too heavy, the Stockholm salad makes for the perfect alternative, hence it's high ranking.

Anyone who's ever been to IKEA's food court — or anyone who's even just heard of it, quite frankly — knows its Swedish meatballs are where the money's at. Really, then, could any other IKEA food court item have come in first place besides Swedish meatballs? Don't let that sentence fool you into thinking the meatballs were going to come in first place no matter what, though. These meatballs had to earn their top spot, and earn it they most certainly did.

There's just something about the flavors of this plate — which features additional goodies like gravy, mashed potatoes, peas, and lingonberry jam – that work so unwaveringly well together. The meatballs are tender and juicy, and taste even better when smothered in that savory gravy. The lingonberry jam is essential, adding a tart pop that nicely contrasts against all of the plate's savory elements.

There's also the mashed potatoes and peas. Though these certainly aren't the stars of the show, they're both worthy side players nonetheless. Simply put, there's really no better dish you can get from IKEA's food court. When in doubt, the Swedish meatballs simply won't let you down, which is why this item takes the top spot.

Though I've tried many IKEA food court items in the past, for the sake of this ranking, I purchased each list entry at the same time, and tried them all side by side. I did this to obtain the clearest picture possible regarding which items shined bright, and which dishes were more disappointing. This also ensured I gave a fair shot to those items I hadn't tried before, or perhaps don't get as often.

When ranking these IKEA food court items, my main criteria was how good each plate of food tasted, how well-balanced the dish was, and how well all the flavors worked together. For example, I found that the Buffalo chicken wrap lacked balance and was too blue cheese-heavy. The Swedish meatballs, on the other hand, struck a near-perfect balance between savory, rich, sweet, tart, and veggie-forward flavors. Since I also found many items on this list to be a rather bland, the blander-tasting items with fewer redeeming qualities ranked lowest.