Mint Kitchen — Attraction in Charlottesville

Cloud kitchen with pick-up & delivery only, no dine-in space. The dosai here is the bestseller but as a fellow Tamil who manages my own dosai, I am here to endorse the mutton biryani.

Mutton biryani is the G.O.A.T (pun intended) of South Asian biryanis and it’s my contention that Charlottesville had no mutton/lamb biryani worth speaking of outside of my home until Mint Kitchen. The meat is tender & yielding. Unlike other places in town, the biryani rice smells and tastes like it’s actually cooked in the mutton stock with a delicate layer of fat (& did I find little bits of marrow, hallelujah?!). It is made with basmati rice though (not the more traditional jeeragasamba rice — I’m not complaining!) in the Tamil style, which is not as rich as its Hyderabadi or Awadhi counterparts. It needs no raita or any other accompaniments and can be eaten as is — as God intended — because the rice and meat are moist & flavored perfectly with cardamom, saffron, & I think, kewra. The proportion of meat to rice is about 35:65, which I find perfect if the rice is also flavored with mutton stock as this one is.

Minhaj told us he sources the goat locally and these are high-quality cuts of meat treated with respect and care. This is bone-in goat, so go at it with your hands if you really want to appreciate the meat.

The biryani is mild by desi standards of spiciness, so feel free to ask for extra salna or khatta, the accompanying gravy, which has a good hit of spice. The raita and pineapple sambal are good but really not necessary, in my opinion.

Dont snooze on the dosas, this is the only place in town you can get them & they insist on making it fresh & as close to time of pick-up as possible. Slight wait times should be expected and appreciated as the cooks are dedicated to making the best possible food. :)

Instructions for pickup: the entrance is in Suite 1; the door is sometimes locked till 5 pm, so if you get there 4 pm on Saturdays, hover until Minhaj spots you & lets you in. Make Saturday your biryani night, it’s the best you’ll find in...

If you’re craving comforting, flavorful South Indian food, this cloud kitchen is a hidden gem you’ll want to keep on speed dial.

From the first bite, it’s clear this kitchen knows its roots. The idlis are pillowy soft, the dosas are perfectly crisp, and the sambar—rich, aromatic, and just the right amount of spice. Their coconut chutney is fresh and cooling, while the ginger chutney packs a flavorful punch.

One standout dish was the Keema dosa which is filled with fresh goat meat hits all the right notes.

Whether you’re missing the taste of home or just exploring South Indian cuisine, this cloud kitchen delivers both quality and authenticity. Highly...

Don't bother scheduling ahead of time for a pick up. They don't seem to honor or care. When I arrived (few mins past) my pickup time, I was told to keep waiting. That is fine but they were fulfilling other orders of folks who were just walking in and my order wasn't even started. So I had to wait my turn as if i didn't order before hand. When the order arrived, i took it home and realized they messed up the order as well..added a non-vegetarian dosa to my vegetarian order. The food is fine but I'm rating it low based on my first time experience at this location. Its chaotic and they seem to not be prepared for...