Ikea is the DIY lovers Target. When you go inside, you may just be looking for a lamp and the next thing you know, you have a whole new living room. The first floor is full of inspiration with different rooms designed for you with tags telling you exactly where to find each product. That is one of my favorite things about Ikea. The store is huge and I wouldn't want to spend uneccesary time looking around for things I want.
The cafe is actually pretty good. They provide simple dishes with a Swedish influence. I hear the veggie "meatballs" come recommended.
I have always found the staff to be really helpful and attentive. It even seems that they have hired more people to be in the departments on the years. The help desk on the second floor is really helpful because sometimes the locations of the items can be a but confusing.
I do miss the self-checkouts but I certainly can understand why they took them away. There is a speedy check out, though.
You can set up delivery after you check out and they also have items available to help you pack fragile things like glassware.
Before you leave, you can grab a cinnamon bun or an ice cream cone. They also have a place where you can buy Swedish food like meatballs, candy, and they have some really good chocolate. The chocolate hazelnut bar is my favorite!
You can pull your car up to the door to load up if you have big, heavy stuff.
I really like Ikea and I'm happy to have a store in Pittsburgh.