IKEA for Meals Out - Deals Through Christmas, Includes FREEBIES!

The other morning, my husband and I made it to IKEA's restaurant for the first time for breakfast with our daughter. We were totally wowed! Not only was the food generously portioned and delicious, but we paid less than one breakfast at IHOP or Denny's would have cost - to feed all three of us. We got four small breakfasts (boy were we surprised to see the size of the small in real life) - $0.99 each.

Each small breakfast includes a generous helping of home fries (technically sold as hash browns, but they're cubed potato chunks, so...), scrambled eggs, and two slices of bacon. We also got two free coffees (see below) and a free fountain drink glass (also see below) - and our final ringup was ~$4.19. For everything. Whoa! Breakfast for a family doesn't get much cheaper than that - not even at a fast food drive-through. You can also get a $1.99 breakfast that includes the bacon, eggs, and home fries, along with three large french toast sticks.

At IKEA, the restaurant opens 30 minutes before the rest of the store does. If you arrive in this 30 minute window, you get FREE COFFEE! This was delicious coffee - I had the decaf and my husband had the regular, and we both remarked that we wished we could linger over the FREE refills. (You get free refills on coffee, tea, and soft drinks any time of day, regardless of whether it was free or bought.) This free coffee is advertised by IKEA, but we also got a fountain drink glass for my daughter's water in this time window and were not charged for it, so it may be that all drinks are free before the store opens.

And talk about family-friendly: As IKEA advertises, you also get FREE BABY FOOD (one jar) in combination with an adult meal. (If I remember rightly, ours had Beech Nut baby foods.) Choose any kid-sized item for $0.99/each or three items for $2.49. Finally, there is a play area by the cafe for children, too, and in many IKEAs, a restroom with changing tables nearby. What more could you want in an outing with little ones?

There are organic and vegetarian offers every day, as well. For instance, a bowl of the organic soup of the season is $1.99. Talk about appealing to a wide variety of eaters!

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My IKEA 2010 catalogue arrived recently, and the back few pages of it has some listed deals at the IKEA restaurant. Considering our wonderful breakfast experience, I have a feeling we'll be snagging some cheap meals out using these offers. This catalogue was targeted to a Woodbridge, VA, IKEA visitor, so if you're closer to another IKEA, be sure to check the deals at yours ahead of time by looking through your catalogue or calling to check on offers. Go here to subscribe to receive the IKEA catalogs.

A good deal, that's tasty, too! (Go here to see the IKEA 2010 catalog online, and move the scroll all the way to the right, to pages 372-373)

Swedish Meatballs with potatoes, cream sauce, and lingonberry jam, $2.49 (normally $4.99)
Every Tuesday, 4 p.m. to close, Sept. 1 through Dec. 29, 2009

Swedish Princess Cake (pastry made of sponge cake, raspberry jam, whipped cream, and marzipan) and a cup of coffee, $0.99
Aug. 24 - Sept. 4

BOGO on the $1.99 Breakfasts: Get TWO breakfasts of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and French toast sticks for $1.99!
Sept. 14 - Oct. 2

BOGO on the Swedish open-faced shrimp and egg sandwich (w/side salad), normally $2.99 for one.
Oct. 5 - Oct. 23

Organic Penne Pasta with Marinara Suace, $0.99 (normally $1.99)
Oct. 26 - Nov. 13

BOGO on Swedish Marinated Salmon, normally one for $4.99
Dec. 7 - Dec. 24

In the Swedish Cafe Section (By the Bistro Behind the Regular Checkout):
1 bag of frozen Swedish meatballs, $21.5 lbs.
2 packages of cream sauce, 1.4 oz./ea.
2 packages of rosti potatoes, 16.9 oz./ea
1 jar of lingonberry jam, 14.1 oz.
All this normally $17.14, half-priced at $8.57.
Nov. 16 - Dec. 4

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Find your local IKEA here (this will lead you to restaurant and store hours in the store page's left-hand column, so that you can plan your FREE coffee run). NOVA/DC/MD folks, you're likely to seek out the IKEAs of Woodbridge, VA, Baltimore, MD, and College Park, MD.
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