Herndon Welcomes NH44 Indian Brewing Co. as Indian Dining Expands Across NoVA
Herndon's Indian dining landscape gained a distinctive new entry this summer with the soft opening of NH44 Indian Brewing Co., the area's first Indian-themed craft brewery and restaurant. Across the Dulles corridor, a new restaurant in Reston and renovation news from a Northern Virginia institution round out a busy season for the community's food scene.
🍛 NH44 Indian Brewing Co. Opens at Arrowbrook Center
NH44 Indian Brewing Co. has opened its doors at Herndon's Arrowbrook Center off Centreville Road, bringing something genuinely new to the local dining landscape: an Indian-themed restaurant and brew pub under one roof. The team kept the soft opening quiet, but word has been spreading steadily throughout the community. The location sits alongside Paris Baguette and the Super Kyuramnen Japanese ramen restaurant, with a Huey Magoo's Chicken Tenders location planned nearby. The food menu blends Indian and American fare, offering starters such as Stuffed Jalapenos, House Wings, and Onion Rings alongside distinctly subcontinental dishes like Shrimp Tandoor, Lamb Seekh Kabob, and hand-tossed Chicken Tikka Pizza. The Kisan, or Farmers, pizza arrives loaded with fresh vegetables. Desserts include Kheer, a rice pudding delicately flavored with cardamom. On the brewery side, NH44 pours its own craft beers: a Sarpanch Amber Lager, an Asli Tiger West Coast IPA, and a Dharma and Karma Pilsner. The name itself carries meaning — NH44 stands for National Highway 44, India's longest highway running north to south across the subcontinent. The Burn had first reported on the brewing concept back in February 2025, more than a year before the doors finally opened to the public. [2]
🍛 Masti Indian Restaurant Brings New Flavors to Reston Town Center
A new Indian restaurant with strong Northern Virginia roots has opened in Reston, just minutes from Herndon's dense South Asian community. Masti Indian Restaurant launched at 1825 Discovery Street, located inside the Hyatt Hotel at Reston Town Center, offering diners views of the center's covered plaza and seasonal ice skating rink. The restaurant is the latest project from Chef Ram Thapa, who already operates two Indochen restaurants in Alexandria. He has partnered on the Reston venture with co-owner Kumar KC, who is heading up the project's day-to-day operations. The name Masti, which translates to fun in Hindi, reflects the restaurant's intention to deliver a lively and celebratory take on Indian dining. The menu brings together well-known Indian classics alongside inventive new preparations that draw on Chef Thapa's established regional reputation. The opening adds to a growing cluster of quality Indian restaurants serving the substantial South Asian diaspora population spread across Herndon, Reston, and the broader Northern Virginia corridor. For Herndon residents who frequent the Reston Town Center for shopping and entertainment, Masti offers a new reason to linger over a meal in a setting that pairs South Asian culinary tradition with a stylish hotel dining environment. [5]
🏢 Minerva Indian Cuisine Pauses at Gaithersburg While Herndon Legacy Endures
Minerva Indian Cuisine, a name closely tied to the origins of Indian restaurant culture in Northern Virginia, has temporarily closed its Gaithersburg, Maryland location at 16240 Frederick Road. A store representative confirmed the closure is due to ongoing renovations, specifically the replacement of kitchen equipment. No reopening date has been announced, leaving regular patrons uncertain about when service will resume. The restaurant chain holds special significance for the Herndon community because its very first location opened there in 1998, making Minerva one of the earliest Indian restaurants to establish a foothold in the region during the wave of South Asian professional migration to the Dulles technology corridor. Over the following decades the brand expanded to additional locations across Northern Virginia and Maryland, cultivating a loyal following drawn to its range of authentic Indian cuisine. The restaurant is known for representing multiple regional culinary traditions from across India and maintaining a consistent focus on traditional flavors and careful presentation. The current Gaithersburg closure is described as temporary, and the chain's broader network of locations continues to serve the regional community while kitchen upgrades are completed. The Herndon founding chapter remains a touchstone in the story of Indian dining in the Washington metropolitan area. [4]
Sources: [2] The Burn · [5] Patch · [4] The MoCo Show -