As a place to pick up food and a few Indian grocery items, this is a great place. A few parking spaces are available but it's easy to miss the place if you're driving by. The ambience and the store itself is nothing to write home about, but the food. The masala dosa (spicy potato stuffed crepe) is great, and probably one of the few places in north Arlington to get this South Indian standard, and the Chana masala (chickpea curry) is just hands down one of the best - one of our favorite places to get this in our household. Don't let the appearance of the place put you off - as others said, it's not the place you'd go for a first date, but the food is great. read more

I've been coming to Minerva Express and the adjacent grocery store here for a few years now. The grocery store part is solid--everything I've needed for Indian groceries is here. The fresh refrigerator section is great and I've loved getting the fresh okra, fresh eggplant, fresh cilantro, etc. here. My other favorite is the shelf with the selection of different kinds of mixture--mmm love Indian mixture. It is a small store with a lot crammed in so it can be challenging to maneuver the aisles. Luckily when people come in here, they're grabbing what they need and are coming in and out quickly, so you're never on top of anyone for too long. The adjacent restaurant is overall decent. I've ordered a bunch of times from here and the food can be hit or miss. The idly sambar and vada sambar are solid and there's no one else in the Arlington area where you can find those (or I haven't yet...) so whenever my South Indian tastebuds get their craving, I know I can satisfy here. I called in a large carryout order today for $90 worth and was sad to come home to see 1 of the sambars missing and all of the rices that were supposed to accompany the chicken 65, bindi masala, and channa masala missing. Also the chicken biriyani was off--it seemed like it wasn't cooked thoroughly and tasted stale. Also the chicken 65 is nothing like how it's made in India--it was kind to be in a gravy, instead of little fried chicken pieces which is what the menu described. I ordered everything to be mild but some of the items were really spicy. When Indian food is spicy and done right, the flavors come through bold and delicious, but when it's not done right, it's just not enjoyable. Normally I'd just eat a little more raita/yogurt and move on, but part of the meal was supposed to be for my kids who are not spice tolerant. I called the manager who surprisingly was awesome and understanding, and processed a refund for me immediately and apologizing for the issue a few times. Because of the great customer service, I'd continue coming back here. read more

This place is so good! It's definitely a hole in the wall - don't take a date here if you're looking to impress with aesthetics. I don't recommend eating the place - it's not the most comfortable setting. You walk in (currently the restaurant entrance is closed off) through the grocery store and it's a tight space between the shelves and the countertop. I would suggest calling in your order and then you can take them all home when you come pick up. One thing to note that I did not realize - each order of naan is 1 piece so order accordingly. We got 1 order of garlic naan and 1 regular and only got 1 garlic but 4 regular (assuming because each entree we ordered came with a naan and we ordered 3 entrees). Give this place a try - don't judge it by it's outward appearance! read more

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always the very best butter chicken. My go to at least once a week. If you want good food that's ready when they say it will be this is the place. read more

On those days that I really don't want to make my own meal and I really don't want to spend a couple of Benjamins at Rasika, this is my go-to Indian carryout. I could live off chickpeas and lentils from here. I'd give it another star if parking weren't so challenging. The grocery store really highlights the fact that I need to up my cooking game. read more

A hole in the wall Indian restaurant with authentic tasty food! I got the butter chicken and it was phenomenal the flavors were super vibrant and worked well together! There is also a small grocery store next to it that is definitely a must stop on the way out! read more

Great Indian food near DC. This place is a hole in the wall but the food is outstanding. Do NOT expect 5 star service or ambiance but you can expect amazing indian food. We have tried biriyani from all over the world and Minerva's lamb biriyani is one of the best. They also have a nice little grocery store where you can get all your Indian groceries. read more

Terrible sauce. Picked up food myself. 20 percent more expensive for pick up than on the public menu. Very limited selection. Crowded grocery store. Not everyone wearing a mask. Ripoff. Take out food is 50 percent too expensive. Avoid. A disappointment! read more

We have been loyal customers for 10 years and loved the food. Something has changed! Are there new owners? Change of chef? Penny pinching? I don't know but the food is NOT as good and we've decided to stop eating there. It's a shame because we want to but it's no longer a good option for us. Both times the Palak Paneer has been watery and bland tasting. Also, no chutneys were included in the to-go bag with the food. When my husband was ordered Chicken Vindaloo the guy behind the counter didn't seem to understand what he was ordering. Oh well...it's been a good run. read more

I'm new to this part of Arlington and wanted to find a replacement for my go-to Indian takeout. I was pleasantly surprised by the grocery selection and thought the quantity of food I received in my order was generous. I got a chicken tikka masala which I really enjoyed and had a lot of flavor and really nice meaty chunks and fresh peppers. The lamb biryani wasn't as pleasant - the meat had a lot of gristle - but had excellent flavor, and I'll admit that I'm particularly picky about fatty meat. I probably wouldn't order that particular dish again, but I WILL be returning to try other choices! read more

I am a big fan of Indian cuisine, but admit that I can be a restaurant snob and therefore normally snub the grocery/eatery. Well, I am so glad I did not do that with Minerva Express. They have completely changed my view of the "little guy" restaurant. In fact, I will gladly say that the meal I enjoyed there was better than 95% of other Indian meals I have ever had. Thank you for the life-changing experience Minerva, thank you. Mango Lassi: 4 stars. This was pretty good, and had it been my first mango lassi it probably would have received 5 stars. My first, and favorite, is at Himalayan Heritage in Adam's Morgan. Minerva would be hard pressed to beat it, but theirs is a close second. Chicken Tikka Marsala: 5, 6, 7...10,000 stars. All I can say is this: I realize a lot of people don't like Indian food because they believe the spices are not balanced. A lot of times that is sadly the case. However, this chicken marsala was so well balanced between cream, spice, and the slightest hint of sour that I literally almost wept. There was nothing that could have been done to make this dish better. It was beautiful...even on a styrofoam plate. Dosas: 5 stars. This could have been a meal by itself. The light crepe-like wrap, filled with a curried potato, was only made better by the coconut and tomato chutneys that accompanied it. Crazy good. Makes you want to eat it until you're sick good. Yum.... :) read more

My boyfriend lives almost directly across the street and had been begging me to try Minerva for a solid 2 months. I broke down one afternoon and we walked into the little restaurant/grocery. First impression-- wow, this place is authentic, no frills, and not for divas. We looked at the menu on the wall, but were sold on the lunch buffet. There was a sign on top of the glass that said, "Due to food increasing prices, buffet is now $5.99". What? That's an increase?? We both got the buffet but were slightly confused. Even though there is glass in front of the buffet, you go behind the counter and serve yourself. Its ok, let go of your inhibitions. We both ate everything, and were amazed at the quality of the food for 5.99. Every taste is distinct, everything home-made and delicious. Boyfriend got a second plate, but I was stuffed after one. We each sampled the rice pudding, and were surprised at how sweet it was. Another occasion the boyfriend wanted take out after I had already eaten, and the man behind the counter insisted I try things anyway. "No thank you," I said. "Take, take, please" he responded. I love that this place is small, and grungy. They really want you to enjoy and love their food, and to come back again. And time and again, we do. read more

Yelp, you led me astray with this one. Why does this restaurant have good reviews? The food is edible, but the service is bad and the whole "restaurant" is really sub-par. I think the guy running the place (which is accessed by walking through a small grocery) does speak English, but he mutters and I couldn't hear anything he said. "May we have two glasses of water, please?" "::mutter mutter mutter::" "Um okay, thanks." Five minutes later, when no water is forthcoming, we realize that there's a container of water near the kitchen entrance and tiny styrofoam cups next to it, and that's probably what he was muttering about. You pay afterward, in the Indian grocery. They do take credit cards. This was all very unclear because the guy running the restaurant just muttered inaudibly whenever we asked him any questions, like "When do we pay?" The dealbreaker here is the THIN STYROFOAM SERVING PLATES. How is anyone supposed to split chicken tikka masala (mostly cream, not great) and aloo gobhi (good) when picking up the thin plate risks the whole thing collapsing in your lap? There aren't even trays. I assume they're trying to save money by not washing any dishes at all, but this is just ridiculous. Not to mention, the "naan" was basically supermarket pita. Barely edible. The mango lassis were made from a bulk mix, and tasted significantly pre-made and watery. And the loud TV on in the corner was competing with the loud laptop movie the guy was running behind the counter to amuse himself, maybe 10 feet away from the loud TV. Gave me a headache. WHY WHY WHY can't Arlington have good Indian restaurants? WHY? read more

4.5 stars Ambiance- this place does not have it. We were concerned when we walked in. We couldn't get into the "restaurant" side and had to walk through the grocery store late on Friday night. There was an extremely grating bollywood video from the 1950s playing in the background that made it almost difficult to enjoy our food. We ordered the palak paneer, the lamb curry and they gave us a plate of chickpeas because we weren't eating bread or rice. The amount of food they gave us for the price that we paid was more than generous. The palak paneer was incredibly good. There was lots of paneer (normally you only get like 4 pieces) and the spinach was amazing. I could have kept eating it for hours. The interesting thing was that it was even a little bit spicy. The lamb was just alright in my opinion, but my fiance loved it, and it might just be that I'm not a huge fan of lamb. The chickpeas were also good, and we had to get a to-go container for them. There's also a very reasonably priced Indian grocery in the same space that I recommend. We bought paneer and some peanut products that looked very good. It seemed very popular with the Indian community in the area. Taking off half a star for the bollywood music. It really is a great place to get food; I just wish it was a bit closer to home :) read more

Good hole-in-the-wall. It's a small counter restaurant inside of an Indian grocery store. I saw shoppers both times, so it has community support. Tables are tiny and not the most inviting, but you don't seek out these places for ambience. You seek it out for a shot at well-priced, authentic Indian food and this place delivers: The Good -All flavors and spices on point. I did medium spice for everything, and it had the proper Indian style heat with the spices and chili heat cooked into the food throughout the process. Tastes great, the kind of built-in spiced heat that wrecks my stomach every time. Worth it once in a while ;) -20 min. to cook for a large order, no complaints on time -Biryani is very good -Chiken tikka masala and chili chicken are very good -Samosa chaat is EXCELLENT -Naan and rotis were good, but I could see how they might not be unless super fresh. Mine always were. -Dosa was large, fresh, and well made. The Bad -The little man behind the counter is helpful enough...but, ahem, picks himself in various places casually. I get its a cultural thing that I've seen in other parts of the world, but kind of gross when he's handling your food and what not. -Dosa was good and large, but could have been just a bit more crispy to my liking. I'm nitpicking, but that's only because the quality was so good. An Indian friend mentioned the butter chicken is also great here and I believe it. Worth the 10 min. drive for me when I'm craving no-frills Indian! read more

This place was opened a month and half ago from what I've heard. It's basically a few tables to the side of a grocery store. My friends and I have only had the vindaloo which was not the best I've ever had but very tasty and it comes with rice and four plate sized slices of naan. The vegetable samosa was also fairly tasty and each samosa comes w/it's own sauce. The service is fairly confusing. I put in my order and the guy just turned around to start preparing it instead of asking me to pay. I sat down and they brought out my food fairly fast. They supposedly have complimentary Masala tea which my friend said was good. tl:dr Unorganized service,tasty and good price for what you get. read more

A hole-in-the-wall hidden gem with some of the best take-out Indian food I've had in Arlington. This place has a simple, focused menu but is an awesome value. I liked the aloo gobi, lamb vindaloo and chicken tikka masala. I wasn't a fan of the dal. Note that unlike most places in the area, the CTM and Butter Chicken taste distinctly different--as they should. We got both to compare and the tikka masala was the clear winner in our book. Entrees come with delicious naan/roti and rice for around $10, depending on which dish you order. I also love the veg samosa, which are sold by the piece. The staff are warm and friendly. But they tend to cover both the counter and the kitchen, so I recommend calling your order in and picking it up or else you could be waiting a bit if they have several orders at once. When you pick up your food, it can be easy to miss the sign. I drove past it three or four times. Look for the Subway sign, it is right next door. Before you walk in, temper your expectations a bit on the ambiance front; it is connected to a little family-run Indian market and has a bit of a divey feel compared to the yuppie spots down the street in Clarendon. But the food and value are great. read more

A simple no frills choice for good indian food I'm not sure that I fully understood everything that the guy behind the counter was saying (as he had a strong indian accent) but what I can tell you is that the tika masala that I had was excellent! Before you go in, put aside all expectations as this place is the definition of divey. On one side is an authentic indian grocery store (great place to pick up spices) and on the other side is a counter with a couple of 2 top tables. I wouldn't recommend eating here but luckily for me, this is right on the way home and makes for a quick take out stop. Oh, and prices are reasonable. $10 will get you your entree with some rice and an order of naan. read more

Simply amazing for the price. If you want to be pampered, this isn't the place for you. The dining area is spartan and the guy cooking is often the guy taking orders, so you might have to wait a few minutes to get service. The lamb curry is ridiculously good. It's seriously better than $20+ meals I've had a "higher-end" Indian restaurants. read more

I am married to a person of Indian origin, cook Indian food, and travel to India 4-5 times a year. So I am picky about Indian food. This was some of the best I've had in DC. It's obviously no Rasika or even Woodlands for that matter. Limited menu, slowish service and its not the best ambiance. But for the price, it's great. Reminds me of some places in India. I ordered the Samosa chaat and Bhindi Masala, which for taste was 5 stars. I would only give 4 stars to the Mutter Paneer as it was too much cream, and the paneer did not taste fresh. Overall, if your looking for a cheap authentic Indian meal and you're not in a rush or looking for ambience, this is the place for you. read more

I haven't been inspired to write a review in a while, but Minerva Express was such a pleasant surprise I just had to! It certainly doesn't look or feel fancy, but the food was yummy. We got the chicken tikka masala and chicken vindaloo. Both dishes came with rice and naan and plentyyyyy of sauce for dipping (my favorite part)! The masala was creamy and the chicken was soft and tender without being dry. You get a lot for the price you pay and the waiter was very nice. I would definitely recommend & come back. *They take credit card, but bring cash for tip!* read more

FROM THE INDIAN GHETTO TO YOUR TABLE. That's my caption. Minerva Express reminds me when I was on a trip returning from Dheli. The bus stopped at this place in the middle of the night. That place was lit with low-wattage bulbs powered by a bus battery. You had to walk several muddy yards paved by cardboard, to use the toilet that had no flushing or soap in the sink (but that's usual for India). After a quick lookaround it was easy to determine the place was a bus and truck repair shop by day, with tables strewn about the garage at night for food service. They were unapologetic to the oil stains on the floor and splashed on the walls and ceiling. Minerva reminded me of there. The food was mediocre. We were served everything in styrofoam plates. The water was served half-full in the cups, and we weren't given plastic forks, knives, and spoons to unify the ambience (sic). Really? My gage in measuring a restauant is how well they serve veggies. Indian vegetarian dishes are served in sauce (they're afraid of the taste of food, so drowning in sauce is their thing), but there were so few veggies-to-sauce ratio I almost wanted to ask for 2nds. Same thing with my wife's meat dish. The sign in the lavatory was quaint, "Please don't youes toilet block." Translation required. read more

Dont judge a book by its cover or size. Order indian food from this little shop and be surprisingly amazed. Dont expect to sit down and eat, I always take-out. I usually only order the lamb vindaloo but its pretty fricken good. Rice is good, but they should give you more. Prices went up since I first started going so now its like a $12 meal. Naan is also hard sometimes which pisses me off. My go to place when i dont feel like driving into clarendon or feel like spending $15+ read more

This is what i call a hidden gem. I went to A1 to check their spice selection and found out about Minerva. I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala and my husband ordered Chili Chicken. Both were great, chili chicken was REALLY spice. At first it didn't feel that hot but it was that accumulative spicy thing. We love it. We are both huge fans of spicy food so that was a thumb up for us. Chicken Tikka Masala was creamy and flavorful. I love chana masala so I ordered a small side of it, delicious as well. The guy working there gave us a samosa so we could try and again we love it . The guy working there was super friendly and I give him all the credit for out great experience. All the food plus a bag of basmati rice was just 25 dollars. How not to love that? Now for the snobs out there this place is all about the food. No decor, no restaurant service, disposable plates, utensils and cups. go to Minerva for the food not for the restaurant experience. read more

Minerva Express is located inside a really nice Indian grocery. Just going into the building got my taste buds excited. There are a couple of tables for dining in but clearly most folks do what I did and order for takeout. I ordered Butter Chicken for takeout. The food was prepared quickly and the serving size was good. I like my food to have a fair amount of spice but because I have found that most really authentic Indian restaurants tend to add more spice than I prefer, I ordered the dish to be prepared "mild." The Butter Chicken was very tasty except for being much too spicy hot. I would not have been surprised at the amount of heat had I not asked for "mild" but, having asked for less than the normal amount of heat, I was disappointed. I will try Minerva Express again but will emphasize that I want the "heat" dialed back a bit more than normal even for mild. read more

Decent place for takeout, but I wouldn't want to sit there. First-rate pakoras (that retain their crispiness and flavor even a day later) and generous serving of naan and rice with each entree. But the palak paneer tastes like creamed spinach (blech) and the channa masala is really oily. Paneer makhani is good. This spot really feels like you're in India -- the chaos, the customers cutting in front of you at the cash register, the dingy food aisles. And I say that as a huge fan of India. Worth checking out, but Saran down the street -- even with huge turnover in kitchen staff this past year --gives it a run for its money, read more

Good, fast, indian. Could be a couple dollars less for what you get. And the naan is terrible

My family and I eat frequently at this restaurant. Our faves are Palak Paneer, Chicken Tika Marsala and Chicken Vindaloo! Samosas are awesome, too. As well as the varied chutneys! Reasonably priced and delicious every time! We highly recommend you check it out. The grocery store is an interesting place to pass time while your food is being prepared. Enjoy! read more

Not fancy, but delicious take out. Friendly service. The Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken and Chicken Curry are all solid choices. Enjoy. read more

Going to have to knock a star off from my previous review. They have raised the buffet price by a $1 yet the service has somewhat deteriorated. The buffet is supposed last till 3pm. When we arrived at 1:30 most of the food was gone. Instead of replenishing the food trays they let people fight for what was left. Guests were literally scraping the trays for food and scrambling over the few pieces of fresh naan they were bringing out of the kitchen. I know this is a budget buffet and a no frills operation, which is fine with me... but come on, you shouldn't be charging people for food, and then not provide the food. No frills is fine. No food? Meh... read more

My go to place for Indian. No frills. Inexpensive. Excellent, excellent, excellent food. Period.

After returning multiple times over the past year I've noticed the prices have increased. Granted it was absurdly cheep when it was 4.95$ but they've increased to 7.95$. I'd say its still a good deal, but too much higher and I'll look elsewhere. read more

This review is written with an Indian born consumer participating in the meal. We did takeout. The veggie samosas, for being premade and sitting in a warming enclosure at the register, were surprisingly moist inside and tasty. Sauces provided could be double or triple in volume for normal Indian preference. Idli was fluffy and moist, mostly unexceptional. Sambhar was a bright spot. Not oily and spicy, but more authentic toor daal. It was light on veggies, but high on taste. We asked for Channa Masala mild and palak paneer spicy. We got the reverse. The palak was too creamy and none of us liked it. The paneer part was decent. The chana masala shined as our favorite part of the meal. Rice was just a bit dry, but good quantity. I stupidly bit into cardamom thinking it was a peanut. Bonus points for real cardamom pods in the rice! They also included plain naan, which seemed odd given the rice, but nice as well. The chana masala was probably our favorite. It was fresh, well spiced and overall very tasty. I'd say it's a 3.5 star, though I don't see a way to give half stars. We will order again but stick to easier to make items like chana. read more

Went there for lunch with some coworkers at the recommendation of an Indian coworker. This place is attached to a desi grocery store; the restaurant side is pretty much no-frills, but appeared reasonably clean. It isn't large; there isn't a lot of seating, so arrive early. We did, and it was full about 15 minutes after we arrived. The buffet itself isn't large, and is somewhat confusing as others have mentioned: in addition to the logistics of having to step behind the counter to serve yourself, some of the items on the counter are not included in the buffet. The food itself was excellent. Due to the size of the joint, the selection isn't huge; I'd say it was on the smaller end of places I've been, but there's still a good sample of dishes, and all pretty tasty. I docked them one star for the cramped quarters, and one star for the no-frills nature of the place, but they made up a star for having the highest performance-to-price ratio of any Indian restaurant I've been to. Plus, if you like what you just ate, you could probably step over to the store and buy the ingredients to make it at home! read more

Excellent food consistently. I have taken out the lamb curry and chicken tikka marsala numerous times. Always delicious. Skip the nan not fresh and get extra rice instead. Samosas are great. No ambience just great food read more

A total hole in the wall, but the food is really good. I got the curry chicken. It has a really rich, robust flavor with a delicious tangy tomato finish. You can get it no spice, spice or very spicy. I got it spicy, and it was just right for me. It comes with rice and bread. Only took them about five minutes to prepare it. On the downside, the menu is not nearly as extensive as other Indian restaurants in the area. The place is connected to an Indian grocery store, so it's just a little space off the grocery store cash register. Only four tables. Good for pick-up, but they do not deliver. read more

If you want service, presentation, and a hip spot, this place is not for you. If you want amazing, home cooked, south Indian style food, then look no further. Minerva is by far the best Indian food in the dc area. I have tried all the fancy places and this little hole in the wall next to an indian grocery store beats them all! They have THE best goat Biryani and chicken curry I have every tasted. I am a self-proclaimed Biryani connoisseur, and I had been on a quest to find the best biryani in the DC area for about 1.5 year. And finally on a random Sunday we stumbled upon this gem and my quest was complete! Try their lunch buffet (we have only been here on Sundays) for $5.99... its very good for the price. I'd pay $25 for the same. Their palak paneer is also delish but is not usually included in the buffet. read more

Stopped in on a whim over the weekend. I was greeted warmly by the gentleman who ran the restaurant. I tried the $5.99 Buffet - since I arrived at 2pm the food was getting lukewarm and had obviously sat there for a while. After I was finished eating, they brought out all new food, so I guess my timing was off. I'll try this place again because of the bargain price and the nice manager, but the food better be hot and fresh. read more

Good Indian food that is incredibly convenient to where I live--- nothing amazing, but the convenience makes up for that. Samosas are excellent, but curry and chicken dishes no better than "good". Though not amazing, definitely worth trying out. read more

Tucked inside this Indian grocery store is a true gem! Styrofoam plates, plastic silverware, and crispy, fresh-baked naan--no frills, and that is just fine. This place is wonderful. I absolutely love little places Iike this that take you by surprise. The gentleman at the counter couldn't have been sweeter. We felt very welcome. They had three vegetarian dishes on the ($5.99) buffet that were delicious and just the right amount of spicy. I knew what I was eating was authentic, made from scratch Indian fare. Give this little place a chance! read more