Used to be decent. Must have changed hands. We ate a few bites--bhindi, lamb vindaloo--and left. Never to return.

I was charged extra ten dollars by the waiter. When I asked him to explain the bill, he said by mistake he added the extra amount. As far as I consider, he tried to cheat. When in the end, I asked him to give me a printed bill, he denied saying that when you swipe your card you will get the printed bill from the credit card machine. read more

The food was ok. Typical Indian buffet. Place is small but decent for the traffic. Price is good for buffet in the area. Not somewhere I would make "my spot" good for a 1-timer read more

Wow. Simply and honestly wow. Second time we have ordered from here and it was memorable. Tried a dish I had never had before, the chicken vindaloo. I am ecstatic to say it wasn't good....it was GREAT. Amazing. So delicious and flavorful it is now my go to meal. I hadn't felt this satisfied after a meal out in a long time and Minar was perfectly on point. It wasn't just a meal...it was an experience; and a positive and memorable one. Fantastic job folks. Can't wait to go back and have it again. read more

I have tried Indian when I was younger and wasn't a fan. My 2 year old daughter spilled some curry in the kitchen and for some reason I craved Indian food after that. I ordered out from Minar and got two chicken dishes and was very surprised. Not overpowering and large portion sizes read more

My clothes still smell like curry. Does that say something? I had the chicken biryani - the chicken was little too dry but it was a very sweet dish. After a few bites you def feel the spicyness. Loved the naan, I believe it was the garlic naan that we ordered and it was soo good. The boy and I also shared the kheer (rice pudding.) it was missing raisens. =( read more

First all you can eat Indian buffet food I've ever tried. Went there a few times with my Indians college friends, anything is better than college cafeteria food. My Indian friends might have missed their version of food from India, but they would never call this stuff good. Makes me want to go to India and see what the good version would be like. For a place in upstate NY, it's hard to find any Indian resturant, since I've moved to California and Colorado, I have tasted better versions. read more

Caution: may cause intense Indian food cravings off business hours! This has got to be one of the best Indian cuisines I have tried across the US. The ingredients are uber fresh, and the dishes are spiced to perfection. Delightful and delicious! Order in, out, or feast at the buffet! I usually order the chicken curry, medium-spicy. Chicken is tender and never has any bones. The Basmati rice is steamy and the hot Naan bread heavenly! The vegetarian options are marvelous also! The folks there are always friendly and polite. The owners really masters the *art of serving*. Depending on when you come in, once in a while you can catch some Indian Top 40 (which I even tried to Shazam to no avail)! read more

Service is terrible. Sat for 10 minutes then got myself a menu. The food is pretty bland, almost tasteless. The rice however, is decent. Will not be returning. read more

The service leaves something to be desired but the food is great. Not sure why someone complained about it being stale. My food was very fresh - the spice was dead on. Overall, I am pleased. read more

Minar - Great bear! - Indian Near Me - New Hartford, New York

It's damn good. Their shit is tight. Excellent vegan and vegetarian options on the buffet. Came w/ my own order of fresh hot nan waiting at my table for me while I was serving myself. I'm a fan. read more

This restaurant was recommended to us by the owners of a bed and breakfast in which we were staying. I need to find places to accommodate my vegan diet and Indian food is almost always a safe bet. The problem is that there are many variations in the quality of Indian restaurants. I'm happy to say, this is one of the best. There is nothing fancy about Minar but the food is phenomenal. I had the Chana Masala and while my companion's portion of his Vegetable Biryani was twice the size of mine, I was not disappointed. Not to say my portion wasn't generous (we both brought home leftovers) but his was huge. There's nothing like bringing home leftovers from an outstanding meal! The service was very good if not a little slow at the end of our meal despite there being so few patrons left at that late hour. Our server was very knowledgeable and was able to steer me away from the Naan bread because it contained.dairy. That kind of consideration is not found in every restaurant. Overall, we both were very, very pleased at the taste and quality of the food and will definitely go here again if we find ourselves in Utica. read more

Excellent service, food is always delicious. I usually get peshawari naan, lamb biryani, or lamb tikka masala. I've literally never ordered anything that wasn't delicious. read more

This is my favorite Indian restaurant in Utica. The lunch buffet has all of the best food and everything is delicious.

So impressed with this place. The food was delicious, the staff was very nice and helpful while ordering. I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality! read more

Minar has wonderful Indian food and the nicest staff!!! We were having a bunch of people over for the 2020 super bowl and thought that Minar was the best place to get food for this party, it was. Unfortunately almost everyone could not come but all of the food was still devoured because it was all remarkable! Very convenient place and great environment! Thanks Minar for a wonderful meal and many more to come!! read more

Nice Indian place, good buffet entries, friendly service, Indian beer... easy to get in and out quickly when on a road trip.

I recommend going on a day they have a buffet because it is always packed with delicious options (as well as meatless choices)!

Have been to this place very often in the past few years. Have always gotten the buffet. If you like Indian food and are in the area for lunch, you have to check this place out. I've been to a few different Indian places, and this beats them all in terms of variety and flavor. Just fantastic food. The chai tea is wonderful, as is the rice pudding and mango custard. The price for the buffet is great, and the service has always been pleasant even though it's just buffet service. Will be visiting again. read more

I LOVE Minar!! After moving from a bigger city with tons of Indian choices I will say that Minar is seriously a treat for the Utica area! Everything we have ever tried has been delicious, I especially love the Paneer Naan and the Chicken Mahkni. They have excellent vegan and vegetarian options and cater to everyone. The buffet is reasonably priced and also always includes multiple vegetarian dishes. I recommend trying it out! read more

If you haven't tried Minar then you are missing out on some of the best Indian food in this area. I'm not sure how authentic the food is but it doesn't matter, it's amazing. Whenever I crave for Minar, I always stick to their lunch buffet on the weekends because that is the best time to go. My favorite dish is the chicken tikka masala with Nan bread that is made fresh and hot per table. The other dishes that they offer is just as equally tasty like their tandoori chicken, tomato soup and the others that I can't pronounce. The waiter is extremely friendly and the service is outstanding. Minar is a must try and believe me, you will return for seconds. read more

I've ordered a chicken biryani, lamb biryani and lamb curry... I've never ate such a worst food in my whole life... I guess the lamb curry was made ages before... the food was spoiled and he still served it.. and it ended me having a food poisoning. .. so plzzz don't ever go there read more

Probably the worst Indian buffet I've ever been to. I have a feeling it was the lunch buffet leftovers, sitting in the heatlamp all day. Everything was dried out, and the sauces were paste. The buffet was limited to a tiny table, about 1/4 the size of any other buffet. There wasn't even a paneer dish. There was little heat or flavor, and the sauces were way too sweet. I'd never go to the buffet again. That being said, there were a lot of indian families in there, and none were using the buffet. I'd imagine their menu food is decent, but I was never given the option. I'd try it again if ordering takeout from the menu. The staff was very attentive and friendly. However, they brought me "extra naan" that was taken from the leftovers of another table...who does that? read more

I really enjoyed each time I've been to Minar. Great food, and they spice it up just right for me! Service is pretty attentive, and the wait isn't very long before your food arrives. I haven't tried their buffet, but typically order off the menu. Different curries, and have tried some of the vegetarian dishes. Their basmati rice is amazing - it comes with many dinners. Garlic nan is very filling, especially if you already have rice. Patrons are dressed either in business or casual attire, no rules that I'm aware of. I took one star off just because portions have shrunk the past few years - I used to be able to have tons of leftovers! Also, they also used to give you a little appetizer at the table - has sample of three different "relishes" and thin crispy homemade cracker. One was definitely spicier than the others, but I enjoyed all three. I think they eliminated this service this past year. read more

Love this place! I had a friend in high school originally from Bombay, India & I've had her mother's home cooked food quite often, this is pretty darn close to it! I always go for the buffet, I am a vegetarian & the choices for me do not disappoint! Over the years the restaurant has changed the interior decor, not glamorous, but inviting enough. The staff is always attentive & friendly, sometimes a language barrier might impede. The buffet menu does vary on certain days, I have never gone to an evening buffet, but my coworker has & raved about it. I wish I could have the recipe for their Eggplant Marsala, it's to die for! The tomato soup is the absolute best, naan is always hot & fresh, sometimes they run out of mango juice & chai on the buffet line. Desserts are usually decent, love the rice pudding. They had potatoes & green beans one day & I could not get enough! It was delicious, I wish they always put it on the buffet! Sometimes I wish they would change the buffet choices up a little more, maybe have samosas for an appetizer. But anything they make is delicious! Worth the trip for sure! read more

Love their buffet! Great vegetarian selection! They keep it pretty diverse and new so you're not eating the same thing every week. Great Nan bread included as well. I am on the one and a half plate max rule because it could be bad for my waistline-it's so tempting! read more

Consistently great food and great service..owners also do a lot for the community!! I have to come at least once a month!

First time to an indian restaurant and loved it! The ambiance was nice, well decorated with beautiful white leather chairs. Service was prompt with excellent suggestions. The menu had full explainations of each menu item. It was easy to find spicy and non spicy items. The naan bread is a must! We were there for a sit down dinner so can not comment on the buffet but from the set up in the back it looked like there would be plenty to choose from. Looking forward to returning read more

The food here was really good. As someone who does not eat meat there were a lot of options for me. And you really can't beat the price for the buffet - it's only $10. The server also went out of their way and brought us roti in addition to naan. I will definitely be back. read more

Indian food is my favorite, but this place is hit or miss on a number of levels. Sometimes the food is just straight up bad (although that's not usually the problem). The main problem is that they do not keep the buffet temperature high enough to safely serve the food. It is at or below room temp too often. I would recommend arriving right when they open if you want safe, tasty food. Otherwise it will be cold and likely full of bacteria. Yum! read more

Came in here after buffet hours and not knowing what type of indian food estabilshment this was going to be before I showed up. I found it off Yelp as I am from out of town and was here to order food to go. I wanted to get a variety of items. Upon realizing the food was only on the menu in the large sharing size dinner sizes I was bummed, but the owner/manager was very helpful and allowed me to order smaller sizes anyways so I could try more items as I was only ordering for myself! Much appreciated! And prices were very fair. As for the food it's self, all I can say is WOW!!! I honestly wasn't expecting much as Utica is far removed from the costal big city areas I reside in that usually have more variety in ethnic restaurants, but boy was I in for a surprize. I've eaten at many different Indian Restaurants in my time and this was honestly in the top few. I got the Chana Masala. Saag Panner, and Chilli Panner along with naan and rice. Naan was soft and delicious and the rice was good as well. All three main items were delicious and bursting with flavor, much more so than most other Indian cuisine I typically come by. I also got kheer and gulab jamun as deserts, both were good but in a slightly different style than I am used to as both items where a bit less sweet than other versions I have had. Good if you are looking for indian desert that isn't overly sweet. Only downside is I live no where near Utica, NY and can't come here on the regular! read more

Minar is definitely one of my favorite restaurants around. I love Indian and the selection here is the best! Chicken tikka masala is perfect, any lamb dish, all their curries, and their vegetarian options as well (all about the okra)! Naan is an absolute must. Great service, great food! P.s. - Highly recommend the dinner buffet on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but make sure you go hungry because you will wind up stuffing yourself to the brim! read more

Enjoyed our takeout. They provided plenty of rice for the delicious sauces. Personable attention over the phone when placing our order. Will definitely return when in the area. read more

While the atmosphere is nothing fancy, the food is always consistently good. My husband and I eat here frequently. The owner is friendly and gracious. I have tried a variety of dishes, including chicken, lamb and vegetarian meals. I have never been disappointed! I just wished my kids enjoyed Indian food as much as I do. :) read more

What a superb lunch buffet. Hardly expected to find such an outstanding place in a one horse town like Utica. The buffet had splendid choices, the food was delicious..don't miss this place. Only thing you should not order is the mango lassi which is very very sweet! read more

This place sucks.looks good from outside but once you get in trust me, the food is terrible.i am an indian and I know about our food and I haven't had food that tasted more stale.specially the papads,samosas and the pakoras and the sauces and the chutneys.please don't eat these things if you visit this place or I would suggest you totally avoid this place. read more

Best Indian food in town. The lunch buffet has great options and the food is always fresh. They bring fresh naan to your table. Would recommend to anyone looking for good authentic Indian food. I have never had a bad dish from here and the staff is very friendly! read more

Went for lunch buffet....DID NOT ENJOY IT!!! The chicken chilly was cold, they turned on the burner after some other people walked in. The chicken tikka masala tasted like it was made from a packet. Mango chicken and Chana masala was horrible. The best part was, they asked what kind of naan we wanted. - plain or garlic! GUESS WHAT??? THEY CHARGED US for the garlic naan, and there was no garlic on it...I got cilantro on it though. MAYBE You should tell your customers, there is extra charge. There were about 10 students, and when one of them came to pay in front of me, he even complained. He said we didn't know, we thought it was included. Dessert looked horrible and so was the taste. The guys working were talking to me, and said we are the same people who own the DOSA GRILL in Syracuse. I have been to DOSA GRILL, many many many times, never any complaints. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Also, clean up the place a bit too... read more

I LOVE Minar. I bring everyone I know here. The trick with Indian food is knowing what you order. But you can never go wrong with the buffet! read more

I once wrote a great review for this place, but the days of great Indian food at Minar have come and gone. The past few times I went it was sub-par at best. I have no idea what happened to this place, but it's a huge disappointment. I think they must have changed ownership towards the end of 2014, because the food isn't good at all anymore. Now I go to the Taj Mahal in New Hartford instead. read more