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. Open Mon 5:00pm-9:00pm, Wed-Thu 5:00pm-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 5:00pm-10:00pm, Sat-Sun 11:00am-3:00pm, Sun 5:00pm-9:00pm. Closed Tue.
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2949 Fifth Ave, San Diego, California, USA, 92103
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- Delivery
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 11 May 2024 by DonnaJeanSD
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Added by westcornersville on 23 Feb 2017
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217 Reviews
First Review by Mike Weinberg
dlynch
Points +62
Perfect - Edit
Everything about this place is perfect. Stop reading this review and go eat here!
Read moreGuest
Noku
Points +146
Outstanding. - Edit
Delicious, complex vegan food from scratch. You can’t possibly go wrong here.
Read moreGuest
sydonius
Points +20
Tasty pizza - Edit
Great cashew cheese. 100% vegan.
Read moreGuest
NeilGaudet
Points +349
Good food. Great story - Edit
I love the story of how the restaurant started. The food was good. Not amazing given the prices but I’d go back.
Read moreGuest
Kyrena
Points +78
Fancier Than Expected - Edit
After reading a bunch of descriptions of this place talking about "comfort food" I was envisioning big plates of mashed potatoes and cornbread. I was way off! Not a bad thing at all though, our meal was super delicious!
Read moreWe had the Nashville Hot Shrooms (so amazing), Tortellini (yum!), Dill Pine Nut Agnolotti (delish!), and lemon cornbread cake. The cornbread cake was the only letdown- it was more like cornbread and less like cake than I had hoped. Still yummy!
Due to the fancier nature of the place, the prices are higher. The outdoor seating is very nice and the service was fantastic.
Would absolutely come back and try more! And revisit those Hot Shrooms :)
Pros: All vegan!, Flavorful and complex dishes!, Nashville. Hot. Shrooms.
Cons: I can't think of any!
Guest
RossEcheverria
Points +216
I love it all! - Edit
Have tried something new every time I’ve gone and loved each thing. Right next to evolution which makes it convenient when I want Donna Jean and my husband wants vegan fast food.
Read moreGuest
fsfsfsfs
Points +41
Great vegan cheese options - Edit
Get ready for a rich experience! Pizza, pasta, cheeses. The great thing about dishes here is that they take risks with textures and flavors.
Read morePros: Everything vegan!, We've liked every pasta and pizza we've tried
Cons: Quite expensive for fast casual. $15-20 entrees.
Guest
sadielena
Points +18
Great vibes and yummy food - Edit
The food was delicious! We ordered the Mac and trees and the hot shrooms. The patio is beautiful and they even have a doggy menu!
Read moreGuest
thoge40
Points +42
0% Raw options or willingness to accommodate - Edit
Incredible that a 100% VEGAN restaurant has NO RAW options, nor the willingness to accommodate. It runs out that even the cheesecake factory has more options for HEALTH conscious individuals than does DONNA JEAN, I hope some day this restaurant cares about clients who care not only of animals but also of human health, or at least achieve a higher etiquete of service by accommodating what they must categorize as special need customers (special needs because we want to eat living food).
Read moreHow hard is it to add an actual living salad to the menu?
The only reason I gave 2 stars is because the system did not allow me to give 0 or 1 star, 2 was the minimum
Cons: Not a single raw option, No willingness to accommodate
Guest
Bellimaus
Points +133
Leckeres Essen!! - Edit
Tolle Auswahl, Pizza, Pasta, Salate und Nachtisch. Sehr freundliches Personal.
Read morePros: Alles Vegan! , Sehr gute Qualität , Besondere Zutaten
Cons: Bisschen teurer, aber zurecht!
Guest
ThatsVegayzing
Points +763
Great food, poor service - Edit
One of San Diego’s top-rated vegan restaurants and winner of best vegan restaurant in 2018!
Read moreFood****
We ordered the Four Horsemen Pizza and the Salisbury Tempeh w/ potatoes and red-eye gravy. The latter was a savory dish with a lovely combination of flavors between the Italian-style salad, potatoes, seasoned tempeh and red-eye gravy. This is definitely not something you want to pass up at DJ. Now the Four Horsemen Pizza w/ Ricotta, Pesto, Tomato Sauce and Smoked Cheddar was questionable. Despite all these ingredients we only tasted the pesto and tomato sauce—I might add that we did ask them to add more Tomato sauce to the pizza, which could have been the reason we tasted nothing but tomato sauce and pesto. However, the presence of cheese was lacking. I would recommend not modifying this order, we can’t give a fair review on the pizza since we did modify it but the tomato sauce was not that great and no flavor.
Atmosphere and Parking***
Parking next door at Evolution (vegan cafe)—not many spaces but there’s plenty of free street parking in the area! Space inside and outside the restaurant. Lighting was nice and tables appropriately spaced.
Service*
The waitress we had was very nice and always smiling when approaching the table. However, she served the entrees separately about 10-15 mins apart from each other and when we asked for the check she said she would get it but after waiting for 10 minutes I had to get up and ask the hostess. I’m a very patient person and this doesn’t bother me too much but I imagine it would bother others that attend this restaurant. For that reason the rating for service is low.
Price $$
About $20 per entree
Pros: Great atmosphere and seating with lots of space , The Salisbury Tempeh is to die for
Cons: Service was not great and for the price it should
Guest
StefiPefi
Points +36
Excellent - Edit
It was hard to choose because everything is vegan and looks fantastic, but I had the mushrooms and green salad and both were phenomenal. Staff is incredibly friendly as well.
Read moreGuest
ShelbieMoser
Points +238
Amazing - Edit
I was in SD for work and was so happy with this place. Very relaxing atmosphere. I had that Mac n’ Cheese and ceaser salad and loved them both. #eatingwithshelbie
Read moreGuest
TXRhody
Points +433
Fantastic pizza - Edit
I went here based on the reviews and I was satisfied with the quality. The restaurant is somewhat trendy and cool. The service was ok.
Read moreI had the four horsemen pizza, which was excellent. The outside crust was perfect. The inside was a little flimsy. The cheeses were tasty. It was not overwhelmed by nuttiness or gooey fake cheese. The overall presentation was good. The price was ok.
Cons: Dirty restrooms
Guest
MultiLito
Points +33
Best vegan restaurant - Edit
I have been dozens of times over the last few years and this place is my favorite, I’ve had most of the menu and tried at least half the pizzas, I haven’t had a single bad experience in Donna Jean it is that good. The musts for me are Nashville hot shrooms and skillet Mac and cheese, the rest of stuff I’m always rotating but those are the two plates I always order.
Read morePros: Fully vegan menu with lots of options, Amazing pizza , Great selection of beer
Cons: A bit pricey
Guest
happyslee
Points +28
Delicious Comfort Food - Edit
This is one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego. They have really stepped up my expectations of what a vegan restaurant can be here and the types of dishes that can be put on a menu that everyone can enjoy. I appreciate the quality of vegan cheese here and the variety of choices that aren’t necessarily “fake meat” heavy. Lots of flavor! I love the hot shrooms!!
Read morePros: Amazing thoughtful menu with a variety of dishes, High quality ingredients, Great atmosphere indoors and on the patio
Cons: A little pricey but worth it!, A heavy rich meal vs. light and healthy, A little louder inside than outside
Guest
veganyumyums
Points +331
Spring Menu is Amazing - Edit
Great food, Recommend the Cheese Tortellini & Caesar salad
Read moreGuest
zoeetz123456
Points +168
AMAZING!!!! - Edit
Go to this place. Everything we had was absolutely amazing. The attention to the different flavors where to die for!!!!
Read morePros: No fake meat , Amazing flavors , Super kind staff
Guest
Veganvoyagers
Points +1798
Mac and trees 😻 - Edit
We tried the Nashville shrooms, the Mac and trees, and a pizza. Everything is a little pricey, but totally delicious!
Read moreCons: Expensive
Guest
AmeliaCarnagey
Points +50
Mac & Trees - Edit
Overall an adorable establishment! I loved the atmosphere and the menu had great options! I was quite pleased with the Mac and trees which was vegan Mac with broccoli. My only con was the super slow slow service,
Read moreGuest
edie_eats_vegan
Points +20
Amazing potatoes - Edit
My mom and I went here as our first stop on a trip to San Diego. We ordered the roasted cauliflower, roasted potatoes, and the Gold Lion pizza. Everything was amazing, especially the pizza. Friendly waitress and nice outdoor patio to sit at.
Read moreGuest
spookyspice
Points +70
Yum! - Edit
This was an excellent meal my non-veg family devoured! We tried the Nashville Hot Shrooms, the Bread Fang Pizza and the Gold Lion (Both on the socca crust), and the GFMac and Trees. Our favorite was the Mac and Trees, best Mac we'd all ever had! Everything was full of flavor, and we were very happy.
Read morePros: Delicous, Quick Service, Cozy, quiet vibe
Cons: Limited seating
Guest
jcdoll
Points +160
Fancy pasta and appetizers - Edit
My wife and I had the French onion soup, fried mushrooms, and two of the pasta dishes for a late lunch today.
Read moreFood: Fancier and more expensive than I expected from the Happy Cow description. Everything was delicious with strong but not overwhelming flavor. The fried mushrooms (almost mock fried chicken) and ravioli-like pasta dish (I forget the name) were standouts, with a smoky, cheesy flavor in the latter. Average portion sizes.
Setting: Walled garden feel outside. We ate around 2pm so it wasn’t too busy and the chairs/tables/etc were good.
Service: Fast and exceptionally friendly service.
Overall I’d definitely come back frequently if I lived in the area.
Pros: Rich, delicious food, Good atmosphere and service
Cons: Expensive ($18 entrees)
Guest
jamber79
Points +376
Pretty good - Edit
Kind of cold atmosphere, uncomfortable seats, service was just ok. Food was good but not excellent. Kind of a small menu. Glad that they have a kids menu but the prices were barely cheaper than the adult items. Didn't have any problems, but just wasn't super impressed. Would go back again to try more things when I'm in the area.
Read moreGuest
agb82
Points +202
Great Vegan Food - Edit
We tried the Nashville mushrooms, mac n cheese, the dill pasta, and a blood orange cardamom desert. All food was delicious. Wine was good too.
Read morePros: Really good food, Cute restaurant
Cons: Expensive , Slow service
Guest
VeggieDoctor
Points +124
Best Chicken-Fried ‘Shrooms EVER!!!! - Edit
Visited this establishment for the vegan brunch today. We waited 30 min for a table but it was SO WORTH IT! Our server was friendly and pleasant. I ordered the chicken-fried shrooms and all I can say is that I can die happy now. It was incredible (literally - I’m not sure what they did to make it taste so amazing!). It came with a yummy flaky biscuit and greens that were perfectly lemony. I had a French toast on the side and it was just ok. We also ordered espresso bread pudding and it was just ok as well. Overall I enjoyed the food. I was eyeing other customers Mac ‘n trees and it smelled delicious. The pizza looked great too. Hope to come back again some day!
Read moreGuest
lorind13
Points +267
Fantastic - Edit
Had the Truffle Dill Agnolotti. So flavorful and interesting! Would love to go back and try more of their dishes. Service was great.
Read moreGuest
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