Like so many of the home furnishings made by Ikea (7500 S. Ikea Way, Oak Creek), there is a bit of assembly involved in putting together a meal in the Swedish company’s stores. The food is served cafeteria style with servers doling out the Scandinavian and domestic fare on white china. Wraps, bagels and desserts may be taken from window displays on the way through the cafeteria line. The Swedish meatballs are delicious morsels offered in beef, vegan and seafood varieties. A pleasant milkiness pervades not only the curry sauce served with vegan option, but the gravy available with the meaty ones. Other sides worth trying include a broccoli-peapods-string beans medley and a mix of grains and the lingonberry sauce that resembles a cranberry garnish. Lingonberries also appear as one of the preserves available to top the pancakes in Ikea's signature Swedish American breakfast; those crepe-like flapjacks share a plate with hearty scoops of scrambled eggs, brown cubed potatoes and a pair of mildly-spiced chicken sausage links. Sadly, that morning repast is only served for 90 minutes daily.
Shoppers pressed for time or not wanting to take the somewhat lengthy walk to the restaurant in the back of the store may still find unique eating at the bistro in front; the specialty there is a meatless hot dog topped with the brand's proprietary sweet and spicy mustard, pickled red cabbage and roasted onion. Pair it with a sundae of vanilla yogurt and berries for a substantial snack or light meal in itself.
