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
Update business info -
Added by westcornersville on 23 Feb 2017
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217 Reviews
First Review by Mike Weinberg
phatnes
Points +74
Wow Just WOW - Edit
This was our first time in San Diego and this was an incredible joint I’m super glad we stopped to get some amazing vegan food. We had a black widow pizza and the mac & cheese both were amazing and we left fully satisfied and wanting more. We will be back most definitely!
Read morePros: 100% Vegan, Season changing menu, Priced perfectly for food
Guest
VeggieHeather
Points +202
Delicious vegan and unique - Edit
In town for a conference. Had the Nashville Hot Shrooms (not great, too fried for my taste), California grains salad (yum!), Thunderkiss pizza (was ok, but loved the crust), and the passion fruit chocolate torte for dessert which was amazing! We had very good service, which seems to contradict some yelp reviews.
Read morePros: Unique offerings, Good service, Passion fruit chocolate torte to die for!!
Cons: Weird bathroom situation, have to walk outside
Guest
LaurensVegoAdventures
Points +77
Get the pizza, it's great! - Edit
After seeing the photos I knew I had to try this place! The pizza was super yummy and the most traditional style pizza I have ever ordered at a vegan restaurant. Everything I saw on tables looked super yummy. The staff were super friendly and helpful and even my carnivore husband was impressed.
Read morePros: Pizza! , Delivery available
Cons: A bigger dessert list would be nice.
Guest
janelledee
Points +22
Best brunch in SD - Edit
Took my brother and his girlfriend here (both meat eaters) and everyone agreed they’d be happy to come back. The French toast was delicious! I thought the orange marmalade and icing on top might be too much but it was wonderful. The chicken fried shroom were next level good as well.
Read morePros: Patio seating , Meat eater approved
Guest
yetimtn67
Points +56
Vegan Comfort Food Done Right - Edit
Was only here once when I was in San Diego on vacation in May 2017, but wow... what a meal! Truly delightful dining experience and all vegan. I will always make the effort to get to this restaurant when visiting.
Read moreGuest
Adamsonsj
Points +113
good vegan food - Edit
The outside patio is nice. Easy parking in lot and street.
Read moreThe food is good. Lots of gravies.
Guest
jeffwelty
Points +80
Amazing Food! - Edit
My whole family went and the food was amazing! From the great Brussels appetizer to the pizza, tempeh, and butternut squash ravioli, dinner was amazing. The apple cobbler was a wonderful end to the delicious meal. All in all, Donna Jean had amazing food and great service. Definitely recommend Donna Jean.
Read moreGuest
KarlaD.Castro
Points +30
my fav vegan place in SD - Edit
Great food, flavors, and original plates.
Read morePros: food, location, service
Cons: bathrooms
Guest
Breda
Points +420
amazing food - Edit
Ordered Nashville hot shrooms these were amazing wish they came with a sauce on the side though for dipping! Also ordered the king pizza I really enjoyed the smoky taste of the cheddar the pizza tasted like Mexican food which I really liked but if your looking for more of a traditional pizza flavour maybe don't order this one! The cast iron mac and cheese was my least favourite item, it was dry and I didn't like d smoky "bacon" flavour so I wudnt order that again! I defiantly would go back again to try some other things from the menu.
Read morePros: amazing food , nice atmosphere
Guest
slsbates
Points +283
Great food - bad night - Edit
We enjoyed all of our food and the atmosphere was very nice. From the warm Olive appetizer to the Baked Mac & Cheese and Mr. White's Pizza the food was delicious.
Read morePros: Got to love everything being 100% vegan!
Cons: I'm hoping we hit an unusual evening because there
Guest
Ryan MTB
Points +477
Unique Flavors - Edit
I had the butternut squash ravioli with sauteed arugula, the taste was amazing. The ravioli is made in house, the filling was very creamy and paired nicely with the strong, savory arugula. I also had the pear cobbler, which was also amazing. It had just the right level of sweetness and cinnamon spice.
Read morePros: All vegan , friendly staff
Guest
SoWo1999
Points +677
Excellent Brunch - Edit
I went here for brunch and was absolutely impressed with how amazing, delicious and beautifully prepared the food was! I got the biscuits and gravy, it was so delicious! The texture and taster were superb! It is located in a nice part of the city and has a very nice ambiance. I will definitely be back for their lunch and dinner menu!
Read moreGuest
FranciscaLanderos
Points +52
beautiful - Edit
Beautiful place, people, atmosphere. The gf pizza is not worth getting. Cesar salad was delish
Read moreGuest
heathenvegan
Points +732
tasty 🤤 - Edit
Food is delicious and the staff is nice. We sat outside surrounded by vegetables growing in their many planters. I loved it!
Read moreGuest
trippinvegan
Points +211
Great ambiance and great food - Edit
This place is right next door to Evolution, and both are totally worth checking out. Donna Jean is a casual-ish, but nice, dine-in place with delicious food. I had the Caprese salad (with cashew mozarella) and the skillet mac & cheese, which was fantastic.
Read moreGuest
ijsp
Points +18
delicious!!!! - Edit
Hands down the most delicious place you can enjoy!
Read moreGuest
veganinsandiego
Points +752
One of San Diego's best - Edit
My favorite restaurant in San Diego! Fully vegan, thoughtful and delicious menu items, super kind staff, delicious kombucha, good music, listens to customers and feedback, and ethical vegans. Plus, their patio is gorgeous and really excellent for outdoor dining year-round. Their pizza dough is incredible, as is their complimentary bread, hot shrooms, shishitos, and desserts -- all so good.
Read morePros: Thoughtful dishes, Beautiful outdoor dining, Friendly staff
Guest
dmgstuff
Points +32
Awesome Pizzas... and they are vegan! - Edit
San Diego's first 100% vegan, Pizza Pasta Salad restaurant... Delicious food! Great atmosphere... My favorite pizza stop in San Diego!
Read moreGuest
JeffreyDunlap
Points +46
awesome - Edit
Pizzas are amazing... Salisbury steak yummy... roasted peppers appetizers a must
Read moreCons: shares a bathroom with evolution restaurant
Guest
MoeRoxxs
Points +114
Will definitely come back! - Edit
Went for dinner after the zoo and it was delicious! There were three of us so we decided to all get something and share. We started with the Nashville Hot Shrooms which reminded me of fried chicken it was so good I want more! We then ordered the Spicy Beer Mac (It was good but not super spicy), Ravioli (tasty but not my top choice), and a pizza that was on special not the normal menu which was really good and even good the next morning for cold pizza breakfast. It took forever to get our food but they gave us a free New Mexico Chili Chocolate Pie which was awesome!
Read moreThe only two negatives are that they share a stinky bathroom with Evolution. Use the bathroom after you eat, don't want to ruin your appetite. There is no assigned parking lot so you are at the mercy of the tiny lot at evolution or street parking.
Will definitely go again! Also great to finally have more vegan spots that are nice for a date or birthday dinner. Don't get me wrong I love me some Loving Hut but its nice to have nice places like Kindred and now Donn Jean.
Bonus: patio that allows dogs
Pros: Dogs allowed on patio, Yummy Food
Cons: Stinky bathroom , Limited parking
Guest
aaronlee
Points +50
Mac n Cheese! - Edit
Wife and I had brunch here and it was wonderful. We sat outside and the staff was friendly and kept our glasses filled. We had their mac n cheese, biscuits and gravy, and French toast. The mac n cheese was the winner. The biscuits were really dense and completely smothered in gravy. The French toast had some complex herbal flavors, really dense and filling for sure. Overall, an awesome vegan spot. Looking forward to going back!
Read morePros: ambience , all vegan choices, beer list
Guest
tjamieson
Points +24
Amazing Vegan Food - Edit
Everything about Donna Jean's restaurant is a treat to all your senses. From the time you walk in with the decor of veggie plants and herbs growing right next to you as you dine. The servers and service is excellent. Servers are helpful in explaining the menu and so kind (I was there twice and they were very busy, still treated me like I was the most important customer) The food is the best I've ever had! I chose the black eyed pea burger the first time I went. DELICIOUS! It was so good I went back the next day for brunch...so glad I did! I had the veggie omelette, potatoes, and gluten free French toast. AMAZING! The omelette is made with chickpea flour and silken tofu. I also ordered to go their famous Mac & Cheese so I could have it for dinner. So happy I did! I live in Oregon and I would come back to San Diego just to come to Donna Jeans! Thank you Roy for opening a delicious vegan restaurant.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Great service, Fun decor
Cons: None
Guest
egdreshaj
Points +18
Excellent Vegan Food - Edit
The BBQ Cauliflower, Baked Ricotta and Salisbury Tempeh are delicious
Read moreGuest
plantbasedbarbie
Points +20
Nice Restaurant, Good Food - Edit
I've been here three times, and I love the food
Read moreI was a big fan of the hush puppies (which seem to have dissapered from their menu), the mac and cheese (velvety, cheesey, creamy, and served on a skillet), and their buttermilk pie
Updated from previous review on 2017-05-12
Pros: Great flavor, Everything Organic and made from Scratch, Great Ambiance
Cons: portions are on the smaller side
Guest
karimagabriel
Points +26
Nice - Edit
I loved it! The ice cream was especially good for a vegan option.
Read moreGuest
tracyb
Points +20
Excellent food and service - Edit
Wonderful experience. Great service. Definitely returning when in SD. Tried Tennessee Mushrooms for appetizer and they were honestly the best mushrooms we had ever tasted, we had tempeh for main course which was outstanding, mac and cheese was so delicious and the roast vegetables were excellent. For dessert we tried sugar pie and blackberry cobbler, both were amazing!!! Can't wait to return!!
Read moreGuest
ieatmodestmouse
Points +140
just ok - Edit
Very expensive for the portions. We got the mac and cheese (which wasn't very cheesy-it was more just creamy noodles), the Salisbury tempeh which was just ok and barely warm (for $17 it should have filled us up but was such a small amount of food). Also tried the strawberry shortbread and the cream (which was most of the dish) was a weird gritty texture and almost no flavor. Small menu and it was very cold inside. Wanted to like this because the story behind this place is so sweet and want to support the vision.
Read moreGuest
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