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Plant-based restaurant serving food with Mid-West-meets-California flair. House specialties include Nashville hot shrooms, cast iron mac and cheese, cashew mozzarella, and different flavors of pizza. Also has a separate brunch menu with dishes like French toast, frittata, and chocolate tart. Relocated from 2949 Fifth Ave. Open Mon 5:00pm-9:00pm, Wed-Sun 11:00am-3:00pm, 5:00pm-9:00pm. Closed Tue.
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2611 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, California, USA, 92104
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- Delivery
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 26 Jan 2025 by DonnaJeanSD
Update business info -
Added by westcornersville on 23 Feb 2017
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266 Reviews
First Review by Mike Weinberg
JazDisney
Points +914
Great spot for plentiful vegan options - Edit
Overall had a good experience at Donna Jean, service was warm and friendly, the restaurant itself was very nice to sit in, and food options were amazing! I had the hot shrooms and the cast iron shells and cheese (both recommendations from my server and previous reviews). Personally I wasn’t super sold on either, they were tasty but nothing overly special, think next time I’d get a pizza as they looked amazing, also missed out on the cookie skillet which I’d also love to try! Definitely up for coming back as overall a good experience, just maybe picked the wrong dishes for me!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-07-01
Guest
RisBurton
Points +1335
I wish there was no racism - Edit
This is the third time we came and got our food last. We have been coming here since around 2017. Our final time here we got here before four other tables. We were a party of two, when a party of three, one of five and two other tables arrived after us and all got their food before us.
Read moreI think the cooks or servers are either racist or they just don't like me for some reason. I never make a scene, and I to well.
Donna Jean, I used to love your food and atmosphere but it sucks so bad now. Can you please talk to the cooks and see if they are racist? I wish I could take back the $100's of dollars i wasted here. The only redeeming quality is the food, unless they spat in it, or something worse;
Updated from previous review on 2026-06-15
Guest
Serenity333
Points +247
Delicious & Thoughtful Always - Edit
I’ve been going to Donna Jean since 2020 regularly and I’m always satisfied. Practically everything is good on the menu.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-05-24
Guest
VeganBoatBum
Points +255
Best vegan restaurant in San Diego - Edit
Wow! The pizza and lasagna were amazing. We also got the spicy shrooms which were OK but the lasagna and pizza were the bomb.! Of all the vegan restaurants in San Diego, this is my new favorite. 
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-04-27
Guest
Marcellab
Points +37
Plant-Based Perfection in Sherman Oaks - Edit
Donna Jean in Sherman Oaks is 100% plant-based and absolutely killing it. We went hard on the menu and it delivered across the board. The house bread comes with a sunflower seed garlic butter that you will want to drink straight from the bowl. The broccolini and Caesar were fresh and well executed. The hot shrooms, Nashville style fried oyster mushrooms were crispy outside, savory inside, and one of the best things on the table. The cast iron mac and cheese with truffle cream is pure comfort food done right, and the lasagna, layered with house-made sheets, roasted zucchini, and truffle cream, was next level. We also tried the Fungazi and The Widow pizzas, and both delivered bold, creative flavors you wouldn’t expect from a fully vegan kitchen. Don’t skip dessert either. Vegan or not, you’ll leave a fan
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-03-29
Pros: Food is very satisfying and the service is warm, Everything is made from scratch in house, Aaccommodates a variety of dietary needs
Cons: Chairs are uncomfortable for longer meals, Parking is tricky
Guest
MicheleStrawnHart
Points +108
Drive here, no matter how long it takes - Edit
It's so easy to give a vegan only place five star s just for general appreciation of effort. But this place has it all... Truly! You have ambience, you have all vegan, you have tasty delights, but the real WOW factor is how this is also a scratch kitchen.
Read moreGuest
VeganWineLush
Points +2327
The OG in SD - Edit
Love Donna Jean
Read moreAnd it doesn't get better than the original in San Diego.
This five star must has it all, from great service, to an abundance of seating, both indoors and outside on their back patio. Partnered up with neighboring businesses like Evolution. It's a plant-based paradise.
The menu is incredible, from brunch to lunch, "linner" to dinner.
Blackberry Buckwheat Pancakes
Raspberry French Toast
Chicken Fried Shrooms
Smoked Maitake Steak & Eggs
Breakfast in Bread Calzone
The power of super salads like Really Good or Caesar.
Don't even get me started on their Pizzas! Badmotorfinger all day, Fungazi is the way and our new favorite Vulgar Display (of Pineapple).
Try it all little by little including the desserts, Cast Iron Shells & Cheese, House Bread, Home Fries and Hot Shrooms.
Open daily 11 to 3pm and again from 5pm to 9pm, closed only on Tuesdays.
Pros: Brunch menu, Great seating indoors or outdoors, Shared space with Evolution: Fast Food
Cons: Parking
Guest
kathykate
Points +71
Mouth watering pizza & mushrooms - Edit
We chose deep dish style pizza and the crust was delicious, crunchy and soft focaccia-like.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-01-24
Pros: Crunchy outside, chewy inside, Hot Mushrooms YES!, Loved the Heathen! Four Horseman too!, Pleasant atmosphere
Guest
totalfilth
Points +1322
Italian - Edit
Food was very good. I liked the Mac and cheese more than the lasagna. The tomato sauce was a bit sweet for my liking, but still good.
Read moreGuest
Lacey_Lee
Points +34
My new favorite pizza - Edit
I dream about their pizza. Thick, fluffy, cheesy and a total flavor bomb. ✨
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-01-09
Pros: Flavor, Presentation , Portion
Guest
Vegan_Hiker_Foodie
Points +6463
Delicious food and wonderful service! - Edit
Two of us split the breakfast in bed and the really good salad. Both were excellent! I would have loved to have tried more menu items but only was able to stop by once during my visit to SD. Hopefully I can come back and try more since everything was too notch. I would skip ordering coffee from the in house coffee spot (Evolution) as the drinks weren’t good at all.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2026-01-06
Guest
RadicalEmpty-Nesting
Points +357
Great food, great hang - Edit
From the Hot Shrooms to the Really Good Salad to the Amazing Pizza, we loved our meal at Donna Jean. The staff was great and we were able to hang out and enjoy our food. Thanks, Donna Jean!!!
Read morePros: Best Vegan Pizza anywhere, Excellent Staff, Hot Shrooms!!!
Guest
Herds
Points +123
AMAZING - Edit
OMG the brunch is absolutely incredible. Can't wait to go back. Parking was easy too
Read moreGuest
meefamily
Points +469
Tasty brunch - Edit
Great variety of items for brunch, from sweet to savory. The housemate bread was sooo good.
Read morePros: All vegan menu, Wine, sangria, mimosas, hard kombucha , Variety of items available
Cons: Slow service-but friendly!
Guest
ChrisCather
Points +428
Reservations required - Edit
Get a reservation the day before, otherwise the wait for brunch is very long. Chicken fried mushrooms, Mac 'n cheese, and the Widow pizza. Every bit of it was outstanding. Portions could have been a little bigger for the prices.
Read moreThis time I got the Heathen pan pizza. First, it's spicy, but the menu gives no indication that it is. Second, it's not a pan pizza, which really disappointed me. It's just a hand tossed pizza shaped into a rectangle, and was largely crust. Disappointing.
Updated from previous review on 2025-09-22
Pros: Excellently prepared food
Cons: Expensive, Reservations required, The "pan pizza" is not a pan pizza
Guest
JimBoulter
Points +414
Amazing pizza and pasta - Edit
10/10 heathen pizza and cast iron shells. Great fried mushroom wings. Will certainly go back. Highly recommend.
Read morePros: Pizza, Pasta, Mushroom wings
Cons: No Seattle location 😂
Guest
AlisonMHell
Points +148
Excellent - Edit
Kid approved. Really good food, service was a bit slow though.
Read moreGuest
Rafiki
Points +40
OMG Shrooms - Edit
It was amazing food and a lovely dining experience!
Read morePros: Hot Shrooms were to die for!, Caesar salad very traditional but yet vegan!, Add one with the white sauce delici
Guest
zoierose
Points +827
One of the best vegan pizzas - Edit
Love the new location! Been coming to DJ for a while now and have never been disappointed! We love the pizzas and pastas so much we have to get both every time! The cast iron shells& cheese is hands down one of my top 3 favorite vegan mac n cheese of all time. 10/10
Read moreLots of different unique options.
Updated from previous review on 2025-07-06
Guest
Eduardosm243
Points +24
10/10 some of the BEST pizza - Edit
Title says it all, such a fantastic and flavorful pizza. Had the 4 horsemen and the heathen. Waitress was very nice.
Read moreWill be a staple whenever I’m in the San Diego area.
Guest
5150_68
Points +351
Expectations met - Edit
I've been reading so many reviews about Donna Jean's and finally had a chance to eat there. It was so worth it! I went with the Fungazzi pizza and cannot wait to go back and try some of their other menu options.
Read morePros: Hot Shrooms, Fungazzi pizza
Guest
CeeDee
Points +185
What a fun and yummy place! - Edit
It had been a while since I had been to Donna Jean. I visited the prior location and really liked the food and ambiance. Since then, they have done a bit of a rebrand to become an amazing restaurant focussing on pizza (there are other things on the menu) and are sharing a building with Evolution Fast Food. San Diego has become something of a vegan mecca, literally outshining San Francisco with its diversity of plant-based food.
Read moreDonna Jean is more upscale, with downscale prices and a terrific location. If you like pizza (I know you vegans miss that the most ;-), this is the place! There is such a variety of pies for everyone’s taste. And they do a brunch calzone with tofu scramble (which is what I ordered) which was super yummy. I love a good pizza crust and Donna Jean did a great job on this.
Sadly, traveling alone does not afford me the opportunity to eat all the food on the menu. But, with this last experience and my prior one, I am sure that the rest of the menu is fantastic. Additionally, the service was great and the atmosphere is beautiful. They have outdoor seating that’s heated, in case of May gray or June gloom. And there is a parking lot which makes it easy to visit. Additionally, if you feel more like a burger and a shake, you can just nip over to EFF in the same place.
San Diego, you are doing a great job at vegan and I am grateful that people seem to be showing up for the healthiest, most environmentally friendly and smartest type of food!
Pros: Lovely atmosphere , Fabulous pizza dough and pizza, Easy parking in a fun area of San Diego
Cons: Slightly noisy, Not a fan of heat lamps so I sat inside, They don’t offer espresso drinks
Guest
ChristyMarklingBoring
Points +130
Unbelievaby delicious - Edit
Staff was kind, place was packed, food excellent! Had the Hot Shrooms which were out of this world and not what we expected. Lasagna was the best we’ve ever had. Pizza was level up from “just pizza.” Wonderful experience!
Read morePros: Kind staff , Excellent flavors
Guest
Rikkaa
Points +337
Great pizza and people! - Edit
The food was delicious and prices are OK, our food did take a while but the server was very nice and gave us our cast iron cookie on the house for the wait. Will definitely come back to try pastas next time!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2025-03-30
Guest
kbarthol9
Points +107
Awesome Dinner w/non-vegans - Edit
Loved this place, everything we had was delicious! Everyone loved the hot mushrooms, the lasagne was u the warm skillet cookie dessert, really treats that are hard to find vegan. House made sauces (we had the pesto and garlic butter) and cheeses were fabulous. Beer and wine choices were perfect. Highly recommend!
Read moreGuest
Tom1973
Points +749
Great pizza and cheesecake - Edit
This review is a little late but I was talking about great pizza and Donna Jeans really came through. Everything about the pizza was great from the crunch of the crust to the sauce to the cheese. The dessert of cheesecake was fantastic and tasted just like I remembered. #Veganuary
Read moreGuest
cherribabe
Points +102
Fantastic food - Edit
The food was delicious. We ordered the Nashville hot shrooms , the lasagna (how could we not!) and the fungazi pizza. Everything was delicious.
Read moreTook two non-vegans with me and they loved it and were very impressed which always says a lot. #Veganuary
Pros: Fungazi pizza - so rich and mushroomy , Hot shrooms (not that hot though, still amazing), Prices were reasonable
Guest
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