Aromas of India

By Mary England, La Mesa Chamber of Commerce

Photos courtesy of Carrie Smedley Photography

February 19, 2025 (La Mesa) -- The owner of Aromas of India Bar and Grill, Dinesh Shah, made history in La Mesa at the February 5 grand opening of his newly renovated restaurant, located at 5270 Baltimore Drive. Dinesh and his staff offered complimentary dinners to the public and La Mesa Chamber of Commerce guests for three hours from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., which has never been done in the Chamber’s history and possibly never in the La Mesa business community’s history.  The robust marketing plan generated over a thousand reservations for the evening and brought hundreds and hundreds of people to La Mesa to savor this new restaurant.

Guests were advised when they RSVP’d that parking was non-existent and public transportation or another form of transportation would be needed to attend. The lines of eager guests began to form at 4 p.m. By 5 p.m., the line traversed all the way up Baltimore Drive.  The wait did not dampen the mood of the guests, who were excited to serve themselves and choose from the eight different menu items that were offered:  chicken tikka marsala, naan, vegetable samosas, basmati rice, vegetable egg rolls, mixed vegetable curry and dal makhani.

Chef Prakash and his team did a remarkable job of preparing the food for the evening, as well as refilling the serving dishes as needed. While guests waited outside to take their turn at the buffet tables, Indian dancers provided entertainment for their pleasure. Inside the restaurant while dining, guests were entertained by jazz musicians, making the entire evening a memorable experience and  totally delightful.

“We are thrilled to have this new Indian restaurant in our city,” says Mary England, president of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce.  "Dinesh Shah and his staff produced a first-class evening that entertained hundreds of people and introduced them to his menu.  He took a vacant building and totally remodeled it into a showpiece that includes a new bar and a tasteful inside and outside dining area.  We are grateful for his investment in La Mesa and for providing jobs, a great menu for locals and visitors and for stimulating our local economy.” 

Due to the crowd, the Chamber held several ribbon cutting activities and photo opportunities beginning at 6 p.m. that captured the family members, the management team of the restaurant, the elected officials, the La Mesa Chamber, Miss La Mesa Samantha Luevano and Miss La Mesa Teen, Jaeden Roy and other friends to celebrate this historic moment. Presentations were made to Dinesh and his family and team by Jason Wiecz representing Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, La Mesa City Council members Laura Lothian, Lauren Cazares and Genevieve Suzuki and the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce.  We were thrilled to have the Honorary Consul General and Honorary Consulate of Nepal; Rishi P. Dhakal travel to join us for this momentous occasion.

This new addition to the dining landscape in La Mesa offers an additional opportunity for locals and guests to savor Indian spices and flavors while dining in a modern fine dining atmosphere. The motto of Aromas of India Bar & Grill is “Dine Like Royalty” and you certainly will.  Stop in and enjoy a delicious meal, while supporting a new La Mesa business and welcome owner Dinesh Shah to La Mesa!  For take-out orders or to contact the restaurant call 619 439-6072.

Dinesh also offers catering services for 100 to 2,000 people, so keep that in mind when you are planning your next business or family get-together.

You can visit their website to view the menu and other facts at aromaslamesa.com.