Minerva houses the kind of buffet that Indian food buffs dream about. The restaurant's head chefs, each specializing in a different region's cuisine, create a menu featuring classic dishes from six different regions of India. Its offerings include Chicken Masala and Lamb Vindaloo as well as a sizable vegetarian section and more. Minerva gets busy for lunch and then reopens a few hours later for dinner. It is part of a local chain that started in Herndon in 1998 and has since grown to include Fairfax, Gaithersburg and Chantilly.