Minerva Grand - (Near Tracy, CA)

1 /5 Amol Bhatia: This place felt like a complete sham. The food was undercooked, and the restaurant itself appeared dirty and unhygienic. There was only one person handling everything, and they didn’t seem properly trained to run a restaurant. I had a bad feeling as soon as I walked in. I ordered an appetizer and a beer to test it out and couldn’t even get past one bite. The beer was room temperature.

5 /5 HP Gedda™: A very delicious n delightful experience at Minerva on a sunny Sunday today as we stopped for lunch on our drive up north ! I’ll share a detailed breakdown in the next few lines. The service n staff was excellent, the food was delicious n worthy try.They had a lunch buffet n we gave it a try, menu was mentioned on their website which was good n did help us make a choice as it had items we never tried before. Our first time experience of Duppudo Goat Biryani was the star of the show - flavorful, aromatic, and cooked in ghee n small onions you can get that amazing taste to perfection when chewing, n an another best was Andhra fish curry really good. The starters, especially the chicken 65 n Andhra Chicken fry ( though deep fried n oily , ok for a cheat day :) ) were served hot , mouth-watering and left us craving for more. I’m no chef but have tasted good n authentic food from even most rural parts of India during my travel n can certainly mention this menu is very authentic n takes u back to the Coastal coast n Godavari Basin cuisine.The Naan n double ka meeta sweet could get better, I’m going to ignore those 2, as Andhra cuisines are not about those. The menu had good Veg items too, we didn’t try much of those so cannot comment more. The place is closer to an exit on Central Valley , well-maintained, spacious, not too crowded n perfect for a gathering. The owner n staff surprisingly we happen to know them from Fremont Beemavaram Ruchulu were delighted to see us, super courteous, n we were really happy for their success n spreading their wings across with their great hospitality. In addition to the authenticity with food, they made every guest feel special ( like any place they had one odd attitude guest group today :) u know what I’m talking about , but the Staff handled really well). Based on our personal experience would rate 5 stars for the authentic n amazing food n their service.The pricing was 17.99$ + taxes which we felt is decent, given it’s not a regular Menu, n honestly takes alot to prepare such an authentic food n give that experience specially in a state like Cali where even a routine Biryani costs averagely a 13-15$. Highly recommend for an authentic Andhra style dining!

5 /5 Ramakrishna Chandu: I recently had the pleasure of indulging in a buffet here, and I have to say, it was an absolute treat for the taste buds. From start to finish, the meal was nothing short of fantastic. I kicked things off with the appetizers, which were diverse and delicious. The variety was impressive—crispy samosas, tangy pakoras, and perfectly spiced kebabs. Each bite was packed with flavor and set the stage for the rest of the meal. Next, I dove into the buttery goodness of the Butter Chicken Curry. Rich, creamy, and bursting with flavor, it was everything you’d expect from a classic. The chicken was tender and succulent, soaking up the aromatic, mildly spiced gravy—just perfect with a soft, warm roti. The highlight for me, though, was the Biryani—both the chicken and goat versions were a delight. The rice was perfectly cooked, with just the right balance of spices and herbs, while the meat was tender and well-seasoned. The goat biryani, in particular, had that deep, rich flavor that only slow-cooked meat can deliver.

5 /5 Naren Prathipati: Really enjoyed this Indian buffet great variety and everything tasted fresh and flavorful. The staff was friendly and attentive, and dishes were refilled quickly. The place can get a little busy, but overall it’s a solid spot with good food and service. Would definitely come back.

5 /5 mayur patel: Great lunch buffet on Saturday 11:30am-3pm for $17.99. The cilantro chicken and tandoori chicken were standouts for me being very fresh and juicy. The place was crowded but seemed organized enough to serve everyone without much interruption to service when they needed to reload a dish from the buffet line. They also have a great variety of dosas, I tried a chicken keema dosa which was pretty good, solid deal for $12 for a dosa plate which I found to very filling and good quality. Highly recommend checking out the Saturday lunch buffet first