Minerva Indian Restaurant

I purchased a surprise lunch from them, so I was a bit nervous about what I'd get. I do love Indian cuisine. My meal had chicken tandoori, veggies, lemon and Jasmine rice, along with a veggie fritter. I'm happy to say that the food was very tasty. The seasoning in the tandoori was well-balanced and the chicken moist.BTW, the ambiance is nice and the place decorated nicely.

We arrived here on Sunday at 12:30. We're not big buffet people because we typically don't eat a lot of food or sit down for extended period of times to eat. But Indian buffets are not something you normally see.The insides was Indian themed and it was a very nice cozy atmosphereWe were sat immediately and brought water and we were told to we could start the buffet. We walked down the line once first to see everything they had.They had fried cauliflower, a couple of soups, egg masala, butter chicken, tandoori, goat curry, a chicken and pepper dish and several different rice , cheese dishes and a lentil. I'm going to say we tried a little bit of all of the meats and I tried the spinach paneer. Mine and my husband's food was barely warmer than room temperature and there was hardly any chicken in the butter chicken and the goat curry was primarily bone with no meat on it. I had three pieces of bones and only one piece had meat on it. All of the dishes that had sauce was more sauce than meat or vegetables or beans.They had a couple of desserts and then a couple of other things that I'm not sure what they were, but we did not try them A gentleman came out and asked if we had any questions and I was asking him what a few of the things were and he's telling me what they were in English and I suggest that he put the English name underneath so people know what it was and he replied that most people know what they are . One of the items was "baingan"and that's eggplant. Sorry I did not know that was eggplant and I probably would've tried it. Had I have known what it was.$38 for two plates of food and we only had one plate of food that was mostly sauce and bones. We did not get a second plate. I feel it is a bit expensive unless you're going to sit down and make several trips or you are a big eaterBased on the fact that the food was not hot and it was more sauce and bones, then meat, vegetables, beans, etc. I most likely will not be back.

No water offered, had to ask a few times and were asked to wait for it.Had to ask for plates and silverware to eat food.No napkins at the table and not offered. Had to get up and get it from the buffet table.No apologies said, had to wait for atleast 15 minutes to get the naan after the semi cooked daal came. Appetizer was inedible since it tasted like cornflour basically. Short staffed and staff working is running frantically, haphazard like chicken with no head.Absolute waste of time, money and calories.

We tried this restaurant for the first time while traveling through Jacksonville and I must say I really liked it. We made reservations and were seated right away. The ambiance is very nice and our server was very sweet. The service was quick and the food was delicious. We ordered chicken dum Briyani, vegetable jalfrezi, and mysore dosa with Rasam. Everything tasted really good. I loved their fresh coconut water with basil seeds. It was very refreshing and see photos of the food below. As a nice gesture and surprise, they treated us with complimentary ras malai at the end!

Chicken was well seasoned and for the price, I'm happy with it. $6 for TooGoodToGo takeout through the app. Wish they put more chicken but the sauce went well with the rice and naan bread

I had a mid week day off work, and my wife wanted to go to lunch. Normally my wife wants me to watch the kids, why she goes to lunch. So I guess I should be honored that she wanted me to go to lunch and of course pay for lunch:-)I wasn't sure what to expect it. Minerva, it had been several other restaurants all of them serving Indian cuisine. At one time it was so well-known that people were flying in from other states just a sample of food here. It did not survive the outstanding service and the quality food remained. First off the menu is huge, and if you are vegan or just enjoy vegetarian food, they have pages of things that you will enjoy. The ambience is nice, I wouldn't say romantic, but perfect for Business lunch or even a family lunch. In fact, we ended up meeting somebody and talking to them while we were in the restaurant, which continued outside. It has that kind of atmosphere..Before I tell you about the food, I want to reiterate that service was outstanding. Our server was intent on getting our food correctly and when food was served they took time to explain what each dish was.The food:Naan - I chose a non-bread that had pistachio and other nuts in it. I've seen it on menus before, but I've never tried it and this was really tasty. My wife got her own with her meal, so thankfully, I didn't have to share.Saag Paneer- love paneer and saag paneer especially because it has flavorful spinach mixed with the cheese. I never really gave much thought to what paneer cheese was, and our waiter told us it was made from bison milk, since cows are sacred in the Indian culture. I really didn't know that.King Thali - my wife had one of the specials, and it came with non-bread, chicken, and a whole bunch of sauces to partake. I have to admit I was envious, as her food just looked like it was more fun than mine was. Mine was good granted, but she kept saying oh taste in this, oh my gosh, she just had so much fun. Note to self get the special menu when we return, and we will return.Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy food and you enjoy good service .

We really like Minerva! Authentic Indian food that is legitimately spicy (you've been warned) and served with a smile.

Service, Ambience, and food was sensational !We always enjoy eating here as I'm sure you will too.

I honestly have never been a big fan of Indian cuisine. The last time I went to an Indian restaurant, I told myself I have satisfied my curiosity and would not frequent another similar restaurant. But my daughter and son-in-law told me they are big fans of Minerva. Minerva is about halfway from my home and office, so it is not only convenient, but I drive by it every day. It is also one of about 6 Indian restaurants on Baymeadows Rd. , which makes them more like Burger King, McDonalds and Wendy's. I decided to try Minerva for lunch today. First of all, it was really beautiful inside, very nicely and traditionally decorated. I understand it has been recently renovated I ordered what my kids recommended: Biriyani and naan. So I got the Biriyani Lamb and Garlic Naan. It was all fantastic. I really loved my food. And they gave me enough for two people, easily. Actually, two people could go there for dinner, get an excellent meal ad atmosphere for $20 before the tip. This place has great value considering the quality of the atmosphere and the food.The service was also very good. My waitress was very nice and accommodating. She was a pretty young girl with a friendly smile.I now am a big fan of Indian cuisine, especially Biriyani and especially at Minerva. I give it a 5 star rating.

Excellent buffet at a reasonable price. Clean surroundings and comfortable seating. Best selection of foods by far.