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| - It's an IKEA, but it's notable for being the only IKEA in the state of North Carolina. If you've never been, check it out at least once for the full Swedish furniture experience, and be sure to stop by the restaurant and market.
Like all IKEAs, this place is a labyrinth. Expect to spend hours following the meandering trail through the showrooms and the downstairs shopping area. Keep in mind that unlike, say, Wal-Mart, the layout of the store can be changed if they get a new display, so the path through the labyrinth might be a little different next time. (That's why the direction arrows are projected onto the floor rather than painted--they can be moved.)
The restaurant has surprisingly good food at reasonable prices. Some of it, notably the meatballs (in pork/beef, chicken, and veggie varieties) can be purchased downstairs in the grocery area if you like it enough to take some home. Our favorites in the grocery section include the chocolates (all of them are excellent, but you really can't go wrong with the Daim or Marabou brands), the bins of mix-and-match candy (I love the chocolate hearts with caramel centers), the ginger thins, the flatbreads in the refrigerated section, the soft serve (a dollar per cone for a low-budget treat), and of course the things most people like at IKEA--the meatballs and cinnamon rolls. I can vouch for the vegan balls, which are made of actual vegetables rather than soy.
The place gets super busy, well, pretty much anytime, but especially weekends. If you buy furniture, just go ahead and set aside another entire afternoon--or maybe a day--to put it together.
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