Minerva Indian Cuisine
500 Boston Providence Tpke, Norwood, MA, 02062
Minerva Indian Cuisine Menu
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Address :
500 Boston Providence Tpke
Norwood, MA, 02062 - Phone (781) 551-9797
- Website https://bostonminerva.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
India is the birth place of Chicken Tikka Masala and Curries. Indian foods are prepared with a blend of finely mixed spices quite popular across the region. The spices develop the rich taste in Indian food enough to boggle your mind. The ever-increasing fan base of Indian food around the New York city is steadily increasing because of the large number of Indians who traveled to the land of dreams. The Indians also brought their very own vibrant, colorful, and aromatic authentic dishes for the people in the West. While most of the Indian population is Vegetarian, Indian food is great for people who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food option. If you are a Meat lover, don't get disappointed yet. Indian food also boasts of some popular non-vegetarian dishes too. Few examples are the famous Butter Chicken, Mutton Biryani and Tandoori Chicken are enough to satisfy your taste buds.
Indian food has gained reputation all over the world especially in the United States. You can find many places serving the appetizing Indian food across all major cities in the US. India is a diverse country with different food culture originated from different parts of the country. While the Northern region boasts tandoori dishes and korma offering royal taste, the Western Ghats offers sea foods that is made in naturally sweet tender coconut milk. The South Indian food servers a quality of different dishes made from rice accompanied with spicy chutneys, curries and famous sambhar. Also, the Indian sweets are a delight to relish. If you ever want to have a burst of sugar syrup in mouth, don't forget to try few Bengali Sweets. Be it spicy, tangy, or sweet flavor, you can find everything in the Indian cuisine. Be assured that the melody of spices will surely bring delight to you.
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Dawn A.
Minerva is not the best Indian Restaurant I have been to, but it is far from the worst. It is actually quite good, but I have been to better. It is the best in the 128 area, however. The lunch buffet is quite varied, and during the week it has mostly traditional choices like Chicken tikka Masala or Butter Chicken. They have a good selection of breads and a nice selection of vegetarian dishes. Although I am not vegetarian, I do enjoy many of the dishes. The food on the buffet turns over quite quickly which always makes for a better food experience. On the weekends, when the crowd is primarily an Indian crowd (usually very busy too), the dishes are a little more exotic. You wont find the staple of chicken tikka masala or the butter chicken. I have tried many different kinds of dishes when I go on the weekend. If you are adventurous, you may prefer the weekend buffet. I have also eaten dinner here for a sit down meal. The service is very attentive. I actually eat at Minerva probably twice a month, and they recognize me and always have a friendly hello for me. Minerva is a good choice for Indian food, particularly if you do not want to go into the city. You probably wont be bowled over, but you will get a good meal.
(4)Amanda M.
I love Minerva! The food is always delicious with huge portions. The staff is great; always remembers us and is really quick to refill water (a must with spicy food). We come about once a week now. The lunch buffet is the best.
(5)Jimmy K.
Minerva has some great food, but the atmosphere and environment is alittle uncomfortable and stuffy. The quality of the food was fantastic and filling...I don't think I ate the next day. The servers seemed frazzled and nervous when coming over to my table. When I asked him a question about what Indian style or Japanese style on a specific dish, he simply didn't know. I forgive him for not knowing but he does work there so he should know if it is on their menu. The naan is great and their food is good and hearty overall.
(4)Sketch H.
My husband and I like the food here; we've had dinners and just last week stopped in for their luncheon buffet. I'd definitely go for the buffet again. The dosas are delicious also, though the chicken filling in the last (enormous -- about 14" in diameter!) dosa I had was a bit too heavy on the chilies. I have noticed something about Minerva that's really offputting, though. The first time we went there (after Jaipur Cafe closed down and the place metamorphosed into Minerva), the waiters seemed quite attentive to my husband, while I had trouble getting their attention. I chalked it up to new-restaurant bumpiness. The second time we went, the wait staff virtually ignored me -- jumped to fill my husband's water glass when he took a sip, left my glass alone as I drank my water, for instance. When it was time for table-clearing, the waiter cleared my husband's place and piled all of the dirty dishes on top of my plate, without moving my plate from in front of me. We'd had a big meal, so there was a big stack of plates and dishes right under my nose, which was off-putting. I felt quite dismissed and ignored. And I know I'm a friendly, sociable, and quite pleasant person! I mentioned what was happening to my husband, and he started noticing the discrepancy between how he was treated and how I was treated. Does this all-male waitstaff have some kind of collective dislike of women? We went for dinner one more time after the garbage-stacking time, and again, I experienced the same frosty dismissiveness. I'm not interested in going back for dinner any more. We were hopeful that lunch might be different, and as I say, we stopped in for the lunch buffet last week. I immediately noticed that I was the only woman in the place -- all the other customers and the staff were male. I'm assuming that other women have experienced the same thing as me, and like me, are now inclined to stay away or just do takeout. Too bad, as their coconut naan is completely delicious....
(2)Deirdre S.
The food was pretty good, but the arrogant attitude amonst the staff makes my first visit my last. I had been once before when it was Jaiupers (sp?), it was also Indian food and I would imagine it must be the same owners because I left there after my only and fist time visit with the same impression. My family and I felt like we were inconveniencing them by just showing up. Nobody smiled or refilled our drinks and they just dropped the food down and ran off. Very arrogant, we felt like we needed to apologize for spending 90 something dollars! Skip it!
(2)Mandeep K.
Excellent food. Nothing to shout about service. If you're looking for authentic South Indian cuisine you can't go wrong with this place. Especially good are their dosas (rice flour crepes) served with scrumptious coconut chutney, tomato chutney and sambar. One of my favorites is their special goat roast, a perfectly spiced dry mutton (goat meat) curry with curry leaves and green chillies.
(4)Anne A.
The quality of the food and the service has gone down hill over this past year. My husband & I once loved to go out to dinner here, but no more. Too bad for Norwood.
(2)Bella and Aleksey R.
We came here during a weekday lunch buffet. Great traditional choices, all the classics were there, including tandoori chicken, different types of naan, that spinach dish with cheese, some lamb, etc.. Predictable, but tastes good nonetheless, and that's the important thing. Price is reasonable.
(4)Karen M.
My first time at Minerva was for dinner. We ordered the Vegetable Samosa, Chicken Tandoori, Masala Aloo Gobi, and Nann. All dishes were delicious, served hot and prompt. I'm on an expert on Indian, food, but I enjoyed our meal. Not to mention, service was excellent - my water glass was never empty! (something I expect when going to restaurants in order for them to deserve tip :p ) I would definitely go back next time, perhaps to try the lunch buffet or branch out from my usual menu and try something new.
(4)Phelim F.
decent lunch buffet. the vegetarian dishes are good.
(3)Ash J.
In my opinion, if you do not like Minerva's, then you do not like authentic Indian food. I drive for 1 hr to get tom this place to get the true taste of India. As soon as I walk into that place I forget I am in the US. Indians families enjoying their food, eating with their hands... great atmosphere. And of course, the food is perfect. I am a vegetarian and my wife loves meat, we both absolutely loved the food. Their coconut chutney, Bhaturas and all their curries are so good.
(5)Reese D.
The buffet has a great array of offerings. Love that. Fish, chicken and goat curry......check. Dosa n Idli.....check. They have chicken briyani as well as plain rice, which is nice. The usual fare of Palak Paneer, tandoori, naan, chickpeas curry is there. Must give them a shout out for the good coconut chutney. The tomato sambar is too mild for my taste. I am missing the onion sambar, which is a standard Indian food offering. Oh well. I drank like a gallon of water when I got home. I am suspecting there are a lot of MSG action going on there. Definitely a minus for me. Taste wise, it is not bad. Just doesn't come up to par when I compare it with my favorite joint in Quincy. If I am in the area, I will drop by. Just not enough to make me go out of my way to get it now. My only complaint is the cleanliness of the restaurant. The place definitely needs a lot of TLC. The dimly lit restaurant just make everything looks dirty. They can use more light and update to their decor.
(3)Scott M.
Semi decent buffet. Helpful wait staff. One big issue I have is there is no mention on their menu or buffet which dishes are vegan. Many were vegetarian but there needs to be more obvious labeling to ensure some dishes don't have dairy or animal products. Even their naan and one of their rice dishes had butter. It's a good thing I asked the waiter who checked with their cook. Vegan dishes need to be clearly labeled.
(3)Emily S.
Since there are really no Indian places around me, I was so happy when I finally tried this place. My table and myself ordered an array of food. The server was helpful in guiding us in the right direction in what we were looking for. Everything was explained to us in what is was, and what would go nicely with it. I love the different types of Naan and the various dish choices. I am so happy that this is close by and now I know that it is worth is to go again, I would love to make it in for the buffet some time and try more new dishes.
(4)Bonnie M.
I love this place! The waiters are always kind and helpful! The food is awesome, and plentiful, and great. The buffet is a literal cornucopia of Indian delights and you could spend all afternoon there. Service excellent, attention to detail. Love it!
(5)Kayla R.
I'm not quite sure what the owners of this place are thinking. The table cloths on the majority of tables were stained (why use white if you're not going to bleach them?), the table I sat at in the back had two holes in the wall covered by duct tape (in February, there's a cold draft, tape doesn't stop it), and there was hair in between the glass border and table cloth at my table. It was so dirty in there, I will never go back. Oh, and they don't offer coffee, only tea.
(1)Vidhyasankar N.
Quality is not consistent all the time. The restaurant should realize people come there and spend their hard earned money, they don't come there having excess money and need to throw away some. There should be value for money. They served us a chicken dish yesterday that was not prepared yesterday. It tasted stale, it was just re-heating, coming from my cooking experience. Possible health hazard!! Beware. Look at their restroom, yuck. Agree I'm not going to a restaurant to pee but if I had to, I wish it is clean, sanitized and not stinking !!!!!! You'd puke if you open the door, it's that disgusting.
(1)H P.
I tried this restaurant 4years ago, I don't like food that time and very dark low light restaurant, hardly you can read menu. Same style still no changes... I heard they improved food quality but it's wrong... Still they serve worst food in this area... Ordered Chicken65 is medium but extreme spicy, it's good some spicy sometime we like but not always. Gobi Manchurian is extreme hard and very less quantity. Worst punjabi subji's, option is 1 naan or rice with subji that written in menu means no free rice with subji and no separate order for naan. Rice is worst... Customers service is poor so I not paid tips. Butter chicken is worst no taste at all. Worst spring dosai, inside spring dosai just garlic red chilly paste extreme spicy and just only too much white spicy onion, spring dosa have nice soft vegies and cheese too or shredded paneer... sambhar is tasteless, I love udupi bhaban in Lowell , but tried this restaurant for change, I don't know how other indian Origin or rest other people eating food here.... Waste of money... Waiters don't care about customers... I asked to we want seat down in corner table with sofa because of my 6years old daughter like sofa, but they told its reserved and no reserved board on table, later they told to seat down other table we said Okay, we spent 1hour and 30minutes but no one came on reserved table....and its closing time of restaurant too... So here they liars... Now I will never eat here in future oh my god , I waste money and made big mistake to eat here, midnight 12:20am my tummy burns and upset.. My 6years old daughter also told that food is worst.. Darkest restaurant in Massachusetts. Also extremely costly.. $3 to $4 over cost than other restaurants... For example in Quincy punjab cafe most of all subji's are $10.95 and here is $14.95 and tasteless.. I choose punjab cafe for good food.. But not this restaurant... Avoid to go and waste your money as well as don't think that indian food is worst if you first time eat here... This restaurant food is worst not indian food at other places.... Try udupi bhavan Lowell for South Indian , try Mayuri restaurant food westbourogh and punjab cafe in Quincy...
(1)Karthik S.
We came here with very high expectations given our positive experience with the Natick outlet. But we were immensely disappointed! The staff was friendly but the quality of the food sucked! Every vegetarian dish was badly prepared, to say the least. The kadhai paneer did not taste like it was freshly prepared. The bread was cold and rubbery, and the bagara baingan was extremely oily. The pav bhaji was the biggest disappointment- it was tasteless and tepid. The fruit cream contained canned fruit instead of fresh fruit! I will be sure to avoid this place until I see better reviews.
(1)Fish A.
Food was really good but the waiter was very RUDE...we had waited for friends for around half hour before the rush time and when our friends arrived we promptly had our lunch buffet...even before we finished, the waiter came and handed us the check and said that they don't let people sit for longer than 25 min and literally stormed away with the check as we were placing our credit cards in! ... There were vacant tables by the time we finished and there were no people waiting!!!...I hope the management asks it's waiters to treat it's patrons better. REALLY DISAPPOINTED
(2)Lilly S.
Just had dinner here for the first time. I wasn't totally blown away but had no real complaints. We had samosas and they were very fresh and elicious. I then had naan and palak paneer. It wasn't the best I have ever had but it was definitely flavorful. We were the only people there so everything came out quickly. Reasonable prices and friendly service, as well!
(4)Dave T.
OK, here's the good news: the food is good. And that's the most important part anyway, right? We sure made a mental note to request "less spicy, please" off the elaborate and enticing menu, for future reference. But through the oral blaze, the excellent flavors came in a close second place. Indian food is just *dam* good, right? We noted at the time of our visit the majority of customers were Indian, too. This speaks well for the place. A previous visit to the buffet lunch was satisfactory, as well. The bad news: the service is bizarre. We ordered one Mango Lassi to drink, along with the rest of our drink order. Two lassis arrived. We reminded the server only one had been ordered. He said, "That's all right, you can keep them both." Then another server spoke harshly to him, in their native dialect, then the original server returned to the table and repossessed the extra drink without comment. Like I said, bizarre. Please show me a customer who appreciates such treatment. Management, take note. On top of that, when ordering our full and complete meal, the server who had directed the retraction of "our" mango lassi said, "Are you sure you don't want to order more? The kitchen is about to close." Bizarre. And this came half an hour before the restaurant's posted closing time. Like I said, bizarre. But the food is good. Go figure. Oh, and yeah, one final comment. The Himalayan Bistro in West Roxbury is way better, especially the lunch buffet. Put that in your lassi and sip it.
(3)krishna m.
I went to this restaurant few times, and usually it is good but the last visit was terrible. All the items are empty( Buffet), and asked the management few times but they did not care much. Hope Mr Prakash Reddy will correct such mistakes and staff's attitude. Should be 4* but because of the recent experience cant give more than 2*
(2)Timothy T.
Came here for a weekday lunch buffet. My one-line description is that it is best compared to a standard, decent chinese buffet, except Indian. Venue: seems like it hasn't been renovated since the late 80's. There is not much Indian in the decor. For example, they have many unrelated paintings on the wall, including one of Paris. Patrons: diverse. Everyone from local businessmen to FOBs to random Asians. Service: Pretty good for a buffet. And by pretty good, I mean they consistently made sure my water was filled. They were also quite polite and happy. Food: 3 sections to the buffet: meat, vegetarian, and desserts/condiments. The meat section had non-meat options too, however. Aside from the staples of Chicken Tikka Masala and Tandoori Chicken, they had Goat Biryani, Ginger Chicken, and Fish Madras. The only non-meat items I ate were the Onion Naan, the Mushroom Bajji, and some dessert. In general, the food tasted the way it looked. For example, the biryani looked good but not freshly made, and that's exactly how it tasted: good but not fresh. The tandoori chicken and the tikka masala did not look so appealing, and the flavor matched the visual. The gem of the buffet, though, was the ginger chicken. Essentially smothered in some brown curry, it was not so possible for me to predict how it would taste. However, the chicken pieces were moist, tender and delectable. The mushroom bajji was basically a battered and deep fried mushroom. Most of the dishes here had some kick to it, but none seemed like they would be too spicy for the typical Bostonian. All in all, the buffet was a good value at about $10. Worth a try if you are in the area, but probably not worth a long drive. Maybe their made-to-order food is better. (o_O) Venue (^_^) Service (^_^) Options (^_-) Taste (^_^) Bang for buck Glad I came. Too far for me to come back, though.
(3)Josh N.
I love this place. I always think it's a good sign of authenticity if 99% of the people eating here are Indian. I have never done buffet but have done dinner here many times. It's by far the best Indian in the area. My only critique is they need to remodel the restaurant and make it a little more stylish and newer looking. I'm sure this scares off your average whitey. Its always busy and I have gone the full gamet of the menu and loved everything. There naan is awesome there sauces are killer. 1 of my favorites in the area. So hungry just thinking about it. My recommendation the lamb korma, and chicken vindaloo extra spicy and don't forget the naan ....mmmm so f'n good
(5)Bethany E.
We've ordered takeout from Minerva's twice. Both times, among our order were chicken tikka masala and goat curry. Both times, we've gotten what to us appeared to be a very bland chicken curry and giant bones in masala(?). I called the restaurant the second time about the mixup and they didn't seem like they knew how to handle it. Sure it's not super expensive for Indian food, but it is too much to pay for mediocre food that doesn't resemble the dishes you'd order elsewhere. As the saying goes, fooled me once, shame on you; fooled me twice, shame on me.
(2)Edward P.
An Indian co-worker told me about this place. Well on a Saturday I thought I would try it out. All I can say is OMG the food was outrageously good. As others have said when you see the majority of patrons are Indian then you know you are in a real Indian restaurant. If they keep it up with the great food then they can count me in as a happy customer. The only thing is some of the food has a little heat to it, but I like that.
(5)Prasanna C.
Most dishes were old. stale food. do not visit this place esp on mondays. would u pay 11$ for leftovers and stale food. yuck to say the least!
(1)Derek H.
One of the few times that I have ever tried Indian food! Decided to come here after hearing great things from a coworker from India. It was quite good here! The portions of rice were extremely large, the curry was very delicious and seemed to have just the right amount of spiciness. The flavors were also not too overpowering and the place had a nice ambiance and was able to quickly accommodate our large party. One complaint was that our grilled meat was pretty dry and some of the food came out cold, which was disappointing considering how delicious the rest of the meal was. Now, ill try more Indian food once I come back home!
(4)Rohit T.
Disappointed with my recent visit. The restrooms were stinky. We ordered a chicken curry and the chicken seemed stale and very chewy. This one pales in comparison to the other minerva location.
(2)Lynette S.
Overall, okay. Not my favorite Indian restaurant by a stretch. Food was okay. Dosa was good. Pakoras were a greasy, queasy, unhappy stomach mess. They are always fried but these were too heavy and we should have sent them back. I would probably only return if asked by others or it was convenient.
(3)TinoX T.
Delicious,Nice, Good to try it
(3)Kristi L.
Disappointing! The food was average at best, but the service was non-existant. For a first timer, it would have been helpful for SOMEONE who worked there to tell me it was buffet only. I sat at my table likely looking pretty dense as I waited to be served. I'm a little biased as I cannot stand buffets, and this didn't do me any favors. I have been eating indian food for nearly all of my 30 years on this planet, but it's still never that pretty to look at. When you throw it into a buffet setting, it's that much worse. The restaurant seemed dirty, especially as I was in a window seat and only could see a blurry version of what appeared to be a golf course behind the restaurant. The carpets are worn, and there are significant dips in the flooring as you walk through the restaurant - this could very well be a tripping hazard.
(1)Alex W.
great staff, the food is ALWAYS WARM, ALWAYS FRESH, the manager has a good personality, " Jay " I would recommend this place to anybody, hands down, I would always take the extra twenty minute drive to come here over stupid AS$ Bakhura in jamaica plain and the himalayian Bistro in west roxbury, believe me, the service here is better, nicer people, the food hands down spiced well..
(5)ThulsZ G.
One of the finest restaurants in southern boston region to provide good South Indian spicy foods... Their weekend buffet, is one good option to visit this restaurant.. Though, not very often, this name strikes my mind everytime I would like to taste dum briyani!
(4)Matt M.
i've had so many good visits here but the last one was terrible. they made three mistakes with the order. first, they forgot the appetizer. server claims he did not hear, but every other server I've ever had at any restaurant repeats the order to verify that it is correct. sorry. second, we asked for two dishes at the table and one to go. but they brought all three to the table. when we reminded them that one was to go, they brought us a take-out box and instructed us to pack it up ourselves. third, one of the entrees was room temperature at best, so I sent it back.
(2)Mike T.
I haven't eaten the buffet so this is a dinner review. If you like Indian food don't pass this place up. This is easily the best Indian cuisine I've eaten in the US. I pretty much travel for a living and eat out more than the average person. My coworkers do too so when many of them suggest the same place, you learn to listen. I'm glad I did. Everything was cooked perfectly and I mean everything. The flavors were excellent although if you don't like spicy then you may ask them to tone down your dish as it seems things here have a little bite. Start with the fried cauliflower - it's the first thing on the menu. The interior isn't great but I really could care less and it's really not that bad. The food is good enough that I would eat here even if the service was horrible. The service wasn't amazing, but it was fine. I had the Andhra Chicken Curry and the meat was juicy with good flavor, the sauce was thick and there's a huge bowl of rice to go with it. Did I mention to start with the fried cauliflower? yeah, trust me on this one. ** Plenty of vegetarian choices. At least 40 dishes.
(5)Amelia F.
I absolutely love this place. I will come to their lunch Buffett on occasion but I usually get dinner take out. I love the nan bread and the staff really knows their stuff and answers any question I have. I will keep coming back.
(5)Food L.
We went for lunch Buffet today and had good experience. Nice appetizers , biryani and curries. Food is hot and fresh. Value for money YES. Recommend this place
(4)Jason T.
I have yet to have their buffet, but I will speak very highly of their takeout. I have had a few dishes from here, vegetable samosas, chicken curry (med & mild spice), chicken vindaloo, Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, goat do pyaza, garlic naan, and their mixed Tandoori Grill. I am very pleased with everything I have got. I find that even their mild dishes edge a little on the spicy side so keep this in mind if you are accompanied by someone who can't take a bit of spice. I cannot speak of their interior, looks clean enough, location is meh, but it is Route 1, whatcha going to do. Acapulcos is right in the complex and they don't suffer from their location either. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is their front of house service is a bit lacking. Their phone etiquette has a bit to be desired, can barely hear them and can't understand what they are saying as they answer the phone. Not entirely friendly at the front and since that is all I have seen since I only do takeout, that is important enough to me. But the food is spot on. Give it a shot.
(4)Nick E.
After reading the many great reviews on here for this restaurant, I was very excited to visit it, so excited that I walked 6 miles to visit it. (I decided to give my daily walk a destination) I can only conclude that the people that gave it 4-5 stars have never had any REAL South Asian Food. Not only was the food poorly prepared it didn't taste as it should either, here are a few examples: The Goat Biryani was goat fat and rice. I couldn't eat any of the meat, but the rice itself was decent. The white rice was dry but did it's job. The lemon Rice was just gross. The Tandoori Chicken was either dry, burnt, or both. I only found one piece that was edible and it was only mediocre. Like it was leftover, oh and it was cold. The Chilli Chicken was delicious, it isn't a dish I've ever had, but it had good flavor. Oh and the lentils were very bland. Most importantly is the Naan. You can always tell the quality of an Indian Restaurant by it's naan, and this stuff shouldn't even be called naan. I've had better Deep frozen naan. It was thin, flat, hard, and tough. It was the opposite of what naan was supposed to be. Naan should be light and fluffy, there should be little air pockets and it should melt in your mouth, I had to forcefully rip this stuff apart. Needless to say I won't be going back there, If you have a friend that doesn't know Indian food, you may be able to trick them into thinking it was good food. Take this from me, as someone who has been to every good Indian around here and has had the pleasure of having authentic home cooked dishes, skip this place if you are looking for quality. If you are looking for something equivalent to a cheap chinese buffet, go to the chinese buffet, at least then you will actually have some flavor. You would be better going to Zamzam's for their takeout bar (And that isn't even a proper restaurant) I wish Seema's was still open. :/
(2)constantconsumer c.
Fantastic buffet but we've been here for dinner too and love the chicken tikka masala, the lamb saag, the fish fry and the garlic naan. If you come for buffet, try everything. They are pretty creative with their dishes and offer a really good variety. Their cardamom rice pudding is sooo yummy.
(5)Andrew M.
I was a big fan of this place until I found a BABY COCKROACH in my rice last night. Absolutely disgusted and disappointed. I loved the chicken tikka masala but I'll be making it at home from now on. If there's one cockroach in that place there's hundreds. If I could give no stars I wouldn't even have given it one. EAT HERE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!!!
(1)Abhilesh L.
always disappoints...went after a long time and voila they are worse off in terms of vegetarian fare and taste....not my kind of plate...next stop after 3 yrs perhaps if this is still around
(2)Dawnmarie S.
For the 'burbs around Boston, this place is an excellent option for Indian cuisine. I prefer to do take-out, but we've eaten here with friends a few times for the buffet and for dinner, and everyone has always been pleased with their meals. The Butter Chicken is delicious, as is the Chicken Vindaloo. We also usually get the Palak Paneer. I always have to ask for extra spicy, but that's b/c nothing seems to be spicy enough unless I request more.
(4)Y. K.
Great authentic food. I drive from Boston to Norwood just for their biryani! Good service. They offer both N. and S. Indian cuisine.
(4)Avinash T.
WORST LUNCH BUFFET EVER!!! I am really disappointed with this place. Have tried 4 times so far and it has never been good. First time tried the lunch buffet and was surprised to see that almost everything was awful, how could someone make such bad food ? I have tried indian food in so many US cities like Dallas, Fremont, Newyork, Boston, SFO, San Jose, Seattle, Orlando..and this is by far the worst place and this lunch buffet is not worth even half of the price they charge. ZERO STAR.
(1)Des L.
This review is on their lunch buffet on a weekend. The selections were limited. The naan bread was dry and cold (hmm, were they from yesterday? We got there right after they opened for lunch.) The chicken dishes were either on the dry side or were largely bones. When they say "on bones", they probably meant "only bones". The vegetarian dishes were OK. To decor gave out a stale feel, and the services left a bitter taste in the end.
(1)Pooja N.
I have been to this place. There was no manager around .. waiters we very un-inviting . It was a lunch buffet and there was still half an hour for buffet to get over. As soon as we entered the way we were told that they will be closing made us feel that we are late and we should just get out of the restaurant. Their Nan has eggs in it and the guy was ready to server us just one tandoori roti and wanted 4 of us to manage with one roti because his cook was busy cutting chicken in the kitchen... I swear I wud never visit this place again!!! I do not recommend this place to people who really expect good hospitality and good service. Very rude waiters.
(1)Karl R.
This the best Indian buffet! Most buffets have a limited selection of bland, boring Indian food. But not this one! The selection is great, the food is spicy and it goes way beyond just tiki masala. The day I went they had an awesome, spicy goat dish. I loved it.
(4)Melo-Raja S.
I have to admit that the first time my wife and I visited this restaurant, I was not really impressed. We came in toward the end of their lunch buffet and I wasn't thrilled about the quality of the food. I am critical of Indian cooking because my wife is an excellent cook and I use her cooking as a standard for Indian cuisine. The second time we were in the area and craving some Indian food for lunch, I decided I'd give them another try since this time we'd be going there at the start of the lunch time. What a big difference from the first visit! My wife, who is from South India, really enjoyed the food this time around (and so did I)! Their Goat Biryani was deeelish! We had to make a return trip for their Biryani on a different day, and we were not disappointed. I would recommend this place for lunch, but I'd definitely be there for the beginning of their lunch time as opposed to the tail-end. Oh yeah...before I forget...wasn't impressed with the decor. I appreciated that they at least played Hindi music while we were there. I enjoy eating in places where the decor matches the cuisine (but I'd still prefer good food over fancy decor).
(4)Ariel P.
I took my father here for the lunch buffet a couple days ago. They had a great selection, but the food was luke warm at best. The naan was pseudo fresh. It was fresh, but became soggy. We like spicy food, so we asked for spicy gravy. It was the only thing we ate that was actually hot (temperature wise), but still wasn't that spicy. $6 for a side of spicy gravy seems like a bit of a rip-off. The chicken was definitely over-cooked. I would normally give this place only 2 stars, but their rice was very good, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt.
(3)Marty M.
Love the lunch buffet at Minerva! They got some wicked spicy curry.
(4)Gkg G.
Really good indian food. I took the advice of fellow yelpers and glad I did - good food. I had the non-veg thali it was ok but can't really complain because I knew what I was getting just wanted to try something different like the keema samosa which isn't for my taste liking-like the original better.
(4)Katie R.
This place was my first Indian food experience and it was awesome. Since I have been to several other Indian restaurants. I give this one four stars. Their food is probably only 3 but the service was good and I loved that I got to try a little bit of everything. It looks kinda blah from the outside because it is in a strip mall but it is worth checking out if your into Indian Buffets. Also if you are a vegetarian they completely separate the veg food from the non veg food into two different buffet stations.
(4)Amy W.
Love Minerva's! Went last night with a friend and had a delicious meal. For appetizers we ordered the Phool Ghobi Manchurian which are cauliflower fritters fried & tossed in a tangy Chinese sauce with dash of Indian spices. It was a very generous serving and had lots of green peppers and onions mixed in. Also got the Kashmiri Naan which is unleavened white bread stuffed with paste of cashews, almonds and raisin, baked in tandoor clay oven. Both were beyond awesome and the two of us ate every bite of the appetizers. For main dishes we ordered Tandoori Chicken and Lamb Biryani. The Lamb Biryani was a little too spicy for my liking, but the taste was great. The Tandoori Chicken was perfect. These dishes came with more Nann (plain) and raita (yogurt based sauce). Portion size was ginormous; way more than we could ever eat. Been here twice now and can't wait to go back!
(4)Jen S.
Vegetarian buffet table!!! Kind of greasy, but tasty... Mildly spicy. Great service. I would like to go back and order off the menu. I don't remember what I had but I think I tried almost everything.
(4)sn B.
I had high hopes for this place after seeing four star overall rating but at least for the lunch buffet, that rating is completely wrong. Whoever is rating this place any higher than three stars have not tasted real Indian food ! To make my point clear let me list the good and the bad - first the good: - Saag Mushroom was quite good - Curd rice was nice - The jalebis were nice a crispy But far too many items were in-edible or poorly made: - Corn munchurian didn't taste either chinese or indian - dosas were uncooked !! - naans were either undercooked or smelt of backing soda - rest of the curries were very greasy - bhel was completely soggy - have they ever tasted real Bhel ? Please please avoid this place !!
(2)Rosebeads S.
This is the best Indian food i have ever had. The staff is great and attentive, and the lunch buffet is AWESOME!! love it here.
(5)Casper T.
We had yet another great event - thanks to the food catered from Minerva. Gobi manchurian, chicken 65 totally rocked.
(5)J G.
Dine in becoming very bad these days gave three try's and all are bad experience had great experience on catering but big NO to dine in chicken dum briyani's chicken was horrible and tasted old. The gravy was very bad as well
(1)Gina K.
Have been looking for decent Indian cuisine on south shore for quite some time and have finally found it! The samosa and lamb man was amazing! The chicken tikka masala was spicy and delicious...lamb rogan josh , mouthwatering! We will be back.
(4)Melita B.
Great Indian food! Rice was very fluffy. Channa Masala and the tandoori chicken are our favorites. The naan is great too. And service is awesome. This place is a total hole-in-the-wall, as all great suburban Indian restaurants are. The last time we ate there, I was going nuts trying to figure out what was feeling so "off" until my hubby pointed out that the walls weren't at right angles to each other, so the booths are like ever so slightly off-kilter. Which is super annoying. And they have some of the weirdest, ugliest artwork on the walls. I have to sit on the other side of the booth to shield my eyes from it... it looks like people dying with blood spewing down in bright acid green. Okay but seriously, this is really an awesome Indian place. Check it out!
(5)Jon P.
Minerva has an awsome selection of foods daily at its buffet. Tandori chicken and chicken tikka masala are staples and always at the buffet. They also have 2to3 kinds of rice, 2 kinds of naan, a mixed salad and plenty of chutneys. Then they have differant dishes day to day that are always good. Good indian resteraunts are hard to come by, so when you find one, its got to get 5 stars!!
(5)Heather W.
My friend and I come here every other month or so to meet up for dinner. It has become our spot. We originally went because she is vegetarian and it has a very extensive vegetarian menu. I have never not loved and wanted more of the foods I have ordered. My favs are the garlic naan, ginger chicken and Chicken Saag. The service is always good, food comes out quick and delicious. I have recommended Minerva to many and will continue to.
(5)Daley C.
Went for dinner last night. Very tasty food, and a good amount for your money. One of the biggest nann bread basket's I've gotten in a long time, with a good variety too! Also a plus, a kid's menu. Good for having a wee one that's a little finicky. Only reason for 3 stars - The main waiter seemed a little off and not really happy to be serving us, and the atmosphere needs a major overhaul. But the other waitstaff did compensate for the main waiter, and the food did make up for the ambiance.
(3)Bindiya T.
Probably 4 1/2, only next to Mela in Boston. My second most fav Indian restaurant in MA. Great food, you can't go wrong with anything you order here. Even their buffet is good. Usually many Indian places don't do as good a job on their buffet as their a-la-carte. Very friendly staff! On the expensive side but so worth it! Try their dosa, chole batura, both north and south Indian gravies and yes, biryani too!
(4)Kasey F.
My boyfriend and I are regulars here both when we lived in Milton and now that we're in Brookline. We have enjoyed the traditional dishes but I feel absolutely comfortable trying new things here as well. We both like spicy food and the food is always catered to how we ask, even when we don't want it too spicy. The service is really great, although the last time we went was very slow it surprised me, the servers are friendly and attentive. I've tried the vindaloo, chicken curry, Minerva Special 65 (new favorite!), and a few other chicken and fish dishes. All have been great. We've been to Indian places where rice or naan is not included in the main entree but at Minerva you have the option of either. Take-out is just as good as well!
(4)Phil M.
I have yet to try the lunch buffet, but I can speak well for the dishes that I ordered for take out. There lamb dish with the almond sauce was delicious and tasted of a good, fresh quality. -There naan to me is o.k.- would prefer it to be more crispy than doughy. My favorite thing there is the mango lassi, really nice sour cream mango taste.
(4)Chris M.
A definite must in the Norwood area! I totally crave the buffet at least once every couple of months and what is great is that they change what they offer for the buffet often enough. I absolutely love the flavors and variety! The service is not their strength. Although friendly enough there is definitely a stand-off-ish vibe that is constant when I visit even when they smile and greet me when I arrive. I would have rated the place with 5 stars, but between the staffing and cleanliness (the bathrooms are deplorable) I think that I'm being generous with a 4-star. All due to the food by the way. It is appropriately priced too.
(4)Joann A.
I watched my boyfriend drool. He's from South India and he ate everything from the buffet. Literally. I ate there for Valentines Day. We got there just before the crowds and everything out on the buffet was freshly cooked, and adequately seasoned. The food was very flavorful, and not just hot. The waiters were very pleasant and the service was excellent.
(5)Rick P.
Our family loves this place! Their lunch buffet has a nice variety, everything is hot and clean. The wait staff loves my kid, and are really nice to him (even though they may not all speak english that well). For dinner, it is good too, but we usually just get the two dishes we always get, so I'm not so sure about the rest of the menu.
(5)tom k.
Great place for indian lunch buffet. Everything here tastes fresh to me, and it gives me the opportunity to try many different dishes w/o eating out all the time. They have two buffet stations (both included) one Veg. and one Non-Veg.. There are something like 10 choices at each, so there is plenty of selection. The tandoori chicken tastes nice and smokey. They also have a condiment station with various chutneys, yogurt sauce, etc. Bring your appetite because you'll want to try everything, and that's one big order ...
(4)Sean D.
New favorite. Don't know what the dining-in experience is like, but the takeout is absolutely fantastic
(4)AD C.
Food is generally very good. They could go easy on frying some of the vegetarian items like Okra. As an indian, I would say that food is decent but not remarkable. Buffet is probably the most extensive atleast in MA. The only negative is the ambience and I think given the volume, it is difficult to maintain it. If you like to go out for a nice dinner with your wife, try restaurants in Boston OR Coriander Bistro in Sharon. But if you just want to eat Indian food and do not care about the service, then this is the place.
(4)Bob F.
As far as Indian buffets go, this is the best one I've ever been to. Much more selection than your average buffet (including a whole vegetarian only section), and all solid dishes. When I'm in the mood for Indian food, I see no need to go anywhere else.
(5)Erika W.
I cannot rave about this restaurant enough. Simply put, Minerva is hands-down THE BEST Indian food I have ever had. I have never dined in the restaurant, only ordered takeout, so I cannot review the wait staff or the cleanliness of the place, but I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will never dine anywhere else in Massachusetts for Indian food. The food is flavorful without being just spicy, and I feel like the amount of heat in the dishes is just perfect. Minerva also has many vegetarian and vegan dishes! A much needed aspect in the Norwood area. If you like Indian food, you cannot go wrong with this place. Edited to 4 stars because as good as the food is, the more I go to this restaurant, the more awkward the service gets. The ambiance isn't the greatest, and I always feel a bit out of place inside. But again... AMAZING food.
(4)Pre S.
Always our favourite ! Been there for lunch, dinner and also got them catered for my son's birthday. Its been 2 years since the time we catered and our friends still rave about the lamb biriyani. WOW ! Simply love the jalebis and we even heard another restaurant say, only Minerva in MA makes them. The lamb biriyani is simply THE BEST. The only problem I would see here, is the space. They need to have more space, because it sometimes gets very awkward to walk very close to the tables while others are eating. Well, the food is awesome so, would definitely go back.
(5)Secret S.
I would give four stars but every time I go the menus are so dirty, stuck together and gross. I would give five stars if the menus were clean and the service wasn't awful. Hire some cute chicks with personality? And a penchant for cleanliness? Food is A+
(3)Kenny S.
The food here is awsome. Don't miss the lunch buffet. They put out a good selection of various rice, meet, and vegi dishes. The price for lunch buffet is $12, a steal considering what you get. If you've ever wanted to try indian food but was afraid, go here. Because of the various dishes they put out you get a good sense of what the food is like.
(4)Dave A.
My family and I have been here around 5 times now, and we love the place and the food. They have a wide selection of items. My daughters always go for the Tiki Masala, while I tend to go for the lamb dishes. All have been great. The staff are friendly and the service is attentive. The atmosphere is nicely dark, but is not formal. The wine list is limited, but overall a great place for dinner. We have not been there for the lunch buffet, so cannot comment on that. It has never been crowded when we have been there (all mid-week nights), so reservations do not seem to be needed.
(4)Kevin L.
Loved it!!! I've eaten at a few different Indian places around Boston and in Seoul, Korea as well (if you're ever in the Anam-Dong area by Korea University there's an amazing Indian restaurant there that serves the largest naan bread I've ever seen!). I recently ate here with my fiancé, who I introduced to Indian food while in Korea, and we were both pleased by the amount of food and the friendly waitstaff. We ordered our favorite Chicken Tikki Masala and Chicken vindaloo which came with a choice of naan or rice. We both chose naan as our side and added a side of rice as anyone who has eaten Indian before knows you can never have enough naan. We had so much food that we had plenty for leftovers the next day. So glad this place is nearby. :)
(5)Mayo B.
I have been here only for their lunch buffet during the week since its close by my work. This isn't my favorite Indian restaurant but its not terrible. The food is tasty and they have a great variety, especially on the buffet. I would probably go back, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here.
(3)John A.
I was a big fan of the original Jaipur Cafe (the predecessor restaurant) before Jaipur fired its original manager about three years ago and spiraled downhill. Well, change in ownership and a new name. I have to wonder the marketing genius who came up with the name "Minerva" for an Indian restaurant. Last I checked Athens was 3,100 miles from New Delhi. It was one of the reasons I resisted trying for so long. Well, last Thursday I went with a colleague for the lunch buffet. The place is essentially the same inside except for a new coat of paint. Could use a very good cleaning, but I am a neat freak so probably fine for most. Plenty of help -- probably 5 or 6 people there to serve you (for a buffet!) and while they weren't overly attentive they didn't ignore us. The place was packed. A few people came in and had to wait for a table to be vacated and cleaned. 90% plus of the people there were Indian...always a good sign. The buffet was laid out as vegetarian and non-vegatarian as another reviewer noted. That is a big plus for me. All of the dishes at the buffet were clearly labeled and there was plenty to choose from. They have easily doubled the number selections available compared to Jaipur. The food was moderately flavorable. Not knock your socks off great, but better than average and more than enough to satisfy the pang for edible Indian. I had only vegetarian dishes so can not comment on the meat dishes, but all were tasty. The desserts mirrored the food. Better than average but unremarkable. Satisfied the urge for something sweet. Still, if you are in or passing through the Norwood area and hanker for an Indian meal, this is the best around and deserves a try. You won't be disappointed (unless you are expecting hummus and olives!). Perhaps Minerva will grow better with age in which case I'll be eager to write about any future improvements.
(3)