I know it feels like IKEA “just opened” not too long ago, but it’s actually close to 10 years since the Swedish furniture giant unveiled its first Las Vegas store. With a new Henderson location arriving in less than a week, let’s give praise where it’s due. And I’m not talking about tables and chairs. I’m talking meatballs 😋
🛋️ Fun with Furniture
IKEA was founded by a 17-year-old in the 1940s and grew into a global success story of nearly 500 worldwide stores, selling furniture and home goods with simple (and occasionally confusing) do-it-yourself assembly instructions. The fanbase is so fervent, at least one business was successful driving in product orders from California IKEA stores to Las Vegas before one opened here.
🏜️ A Commissary with Views
Unlike other IKEA stores, the one in Vegas doesn’t require a long walk to reach the in-house restaurant. I hit the escalator at the front entrance for direct express service to the dining room and its second-floor perch, overlooking the Durango casino and Spring Mountains through floor-to-ceiling windows.
😋 When in Doubt … Meatballs
I appreciate the Scandinavian affection for fish like salmon and cod, but the meatballs are the best reason to eat at IKEA. (It took 10 months to perfect the recipe, after all.) I love to show up with my laptop, take advantage of the reliable WiFi, grab a tray, and make my way past the refrigerated grab-and-go items before having those meatballs spooned on a plate in front of me — high-school cafeteria style.
The small chunks of beef and pork are just fine in a platter — eight to an order with gravy, lingonberry jam, and a pair of sides for $8.49. But the real deal is ordering the meatballs by themselves as a side item — four to an order and you keep the gravy and jam. The cost? $1.50 👀 With tax, it’s $1.63. It’s small, but hearty — and surprisingly filling. I leave happy.
💸 A Leader in Loss
IKEA intentionally keeps prices low as a loss leader to draw in customers and associate the brand with value. At last check, you could order sliced marinated salmon on its own for $4.49 and a sampler of four Swedish desserts for $5.66.
🤔 So About that Henderson Store …
IKEA opens near the Galleria at Sunset on Oct. 15 — but sorry, no food here. It’s a smaller, newer plan and order point store, which is more of a design center for kitchens and bathrooms with products delivered or arranged for pickup elsewhere.
- Let’s continue our culinary adventure, from Sweden to the Far East. City Cast Las Vegas has an insider’s guide to Japanese restaurants in Las Vegas with all price points represented. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
