Cheap Eats 2009: Minerva Indian Cuisine - Herndon

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Cynthia Hacinli , Ann Limpert , Kate Nerenberg , Rina Rapuano

Great food, low prices, lots of fun

Minerva Indian Cuisine - Herndon

2443-G1 Centreville Rd.
Herndon, VA 20171
Phone: 703-793-3223

Cuisines:
Indian, Vegetarian/Vegan

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
No

Nearby Metro Stops:
None nearby

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
N/A

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

Website:
Click here to open in new window.

Best Dishes
Paneer pakora, fried fritters of paneer cheese in a lightly spiced lentil coating; sambar, a tangy Tamil tamarind soup that accompanies dosas and other southern dishes; lakhnavi methi kheema, ground lamb in a sauce laced with fenugreek leaves; masala dosa, a rice crepe stuffed with curried potatoes; multilayer dosa, a folded version spiced with various chutneys.

Price Details:
Appetizers $3.95 to $7.95; entrées $8.95 to $13.95; buffet $8.95 weekdays, $10.95 weekends. Open daily for lunch and dinner.


 

Reader's Rating:
No Reader Reviews

Why go: While these big dining rooms are impersonal, the cooking transports you to a cozy Indian home, where only an experienced hand could produce such excellent tandoor-cooked meats and complex curries.

What to get: Methu vada, deep-fried lentil doughnuts served with vegetable soup; rava (semolina) onion masala dosa, a lentil crepe stuffed with potatoes, peas, and corn; Chicken 65, neon-red bites of chicken tossed with fried curry leaves; lamb vindaloo, sweat-inducing curry with potatoes; lamb korma, creamy, coconut-rich curry perfumed with cardamom.

Best for: Big groups who like to share and who have similar tolerances for heat; a lunchtime feast—the midday buffets are the area’s most expansive.

Insider tip: Order an entrée as a “dinner” and you get two ramekins of soup, naan or rice, two vegetable sides, yogurt sauce, and dessert for only $2 more.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here