Vegan comfort food in a casual, fast food setting with a drive-through and a dog-friendly garden patio. Uses 100% non-gmo ingredients. Choices range from burgers, wraps, and fries, to tenders, tacos, shakes, and desserts. All sauces are house-made. Relocated from 2965 5th Ave. Open Mon 11:00am-7:00pm, Wed-Fri 11:00am-7:00pm, Sat-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm. 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 14 Jan 2025 by KellyBone
Update business info
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269 Reviews
First Review by divine_health
philjdomm
Points +945
Great Vegan place - Edit
Evolution has a drive through but in addition you can order inside at the counter. Very friendly staff and a great selection of all vegan and raw food. My favorite is the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich but their Shakes and Smoothies are very good as well.
Read moreFast service and great deserts to take home or eat there.
Pros: friendly staff, good prices, great food
Guest
Siphon
Points +44
Great - Edit
Place is Awesome!
Read moreGuest
Graceunderfire
Points +24
Fast, tasty, and healthy! - Edit
I needed a quick meal before heading to the airport, and this little jewel popped up on Happy Cow as a choice close by. The veggie burger with guac and salsa smelled heavenly and tasted great. I just wish I had found this place earlier in my trip. The food was ready in 5 minutes!
Read morePros: Fast, Healthy, Good snacks for travel
Guest
maulydaft
Points +700
cute, fun, drive thru - Edit
A cute little shop that always has a line of cars through the drive thru. I got Buffalo Chickn with ranch dressing. That ranch dressing was to die for. And onion rings. I was happy. There use to be retail vegan onion rings but I discovered they are no longer - what a piss off.
Read moreThe dessert section wasn't too exciting but I had a mini muffin that was apparently fat free and it was a nice few bites.
They have the chia cherry lime drink that I think is so cool and a good variety of food to grab and go.
I think it was a little bit of a let down (is all their faux meat Gardien?) because I really hyped it up in my mind but it was tasty.
Pros: quick food
Cons: small parking lot
Guest
erosa
Points +55
My new favorite! - Edit
The food was phenomenal. I have tasted a lot of good vegetarian food and this is up there with the best. I had the bacon cheeseburger, my sis-in-law had the pesto burger, my brother had the buffalo chicken strips and the kids had the taco roll-ups. Nobody was disappointed. I will definitely be returning. Never tasted a veggie patty quite like that. Very good flavor and they don't skimp on the portions. I can't wait to try something else.
Read morePros: Fresh food, Delicious, Friendly
Guest
kglaguna
Points +99
Yes... - Edit
1st visit...funky place, but great food...w/b back.
Read moreGuest
MusicalVeggie
Points +229
So exciting!! - Edit
I was so excited for VEGAN fast food!! I tried many of their items while in town on vacation because I am the only vegan in my family. (they all eat meat) I LOVED the chocolate "milk" shake! The chili cheese fries (while very good) scared me because they resemble meat so much o.o I was disappointed that I forgot to ask for the house made veggie burger because the one I did get was just a weird soy protein thing :P While in town I also tried the raw tacos. Omg they were so goooood! The thing I was most disappointed about was their sweet potato fries. They were just thinly cut soggy chips. Mine were so greasy they literally had pools of oil on them! But all in all I would definitely go back!! Worth a visit definitely :)
Read morePros: Chocolate "milk" shake , Raw tacos
Cons: Sweet potato fries
Guest
CaioLynn
Points +32
Would definitely return - Edit
This is a tiny little restaurant with a hidden garden dining area tucked to the side. I had the BBQ chikn sandwich and my husband had the chili cheese fries and a salad. Everything was terrific and prepared quickly. The homemade ketchup is so good, we almost asked if they sold it so we could take some to go.
Read morePros: filling food, drive through, impressed a nonvegan
Cons: very hot inside, a little pricey
Guest
StacyOwens
Points +273
Amazing! - Edit
They also sale eats to the local markets, Whole Foods and Jimbos.
Read morePros: healthy, excellent eats
Cons: pricey
Guest
xandriah
Points +107
A favorite in San Diego - Edit
I've been to Evolution at least 6 times and their food never fails to impress me. I've ordered the Mushroom Swiss, the South of the Border, the regular Burger, the Bacon Cheeseburger, etc, and all were delicious and large. The housemade patty is fantastic. The service is slow compared to fast food chains but well worth the wait and justified. The prices are reasonable (average 6$ for a burger) and the staff are friendly. I've tried several of the housemade snacks and they are all delicious and filled with whole ingredients. The only thing I would change about this place is the parking, while there is parking down the street the lot next to the restaurant is small and often crammed. If you're hungry and anywhere near balboa park, come to Evolution. It's well worth the trip.
Read morePros: Quality, Price, Service
Cons: Parking
Guest
OperationChowhound
Points +11166
Fantastic Fast Food - Edit
I ordered chili "cheese" fries, bbq "chicken" sandwich, and a chocolate shake. Everything was tasty. Casual atmosphere with outdoor seating.
Read morePros: all vegan, inexpensive
Guest
stephiewonder
Points +74
Decent fast food - Edit
My friend and I hitchhiked to San Diego one weekend, and were completely starving; Evolution seemed like an awesome vegan option, and the price was right. While the service was friendly, the portions of both our meals were small in relation to the price (I chose the "chicken" fingers, which were horribly greasy and in no way filling). We both ended up buying seconds. I got the breakfast burrito stuffed with scrambled tofu/salsa/potatoes/veggies, and this time it was definitely worth the value.
Read morePros: friendly staff, quick
Cons: hit and miss portions, not easily accessible with bus system
Guest
Marqu014
Points +37
100% vegan joint - Edit
I liked the seasoning on my fries and the bacon cheeseburger was pretty good. I also had a smoothie and the cost was 19$ I don't complain about quality food Being charged a fair amount but I do expect a much cleaner appearing restaurant, especially. The bathroom. It was funky. I would go back though.
Read morePros: selection , 100% vegan
Cons: aesthetics
Guest
tablemoonspoons
Points +135
such nice staff. - Edit
two things i got hooked on here... buffalo chicken tenders, and the soft serve. the soft serve portion is very generous... and the tenders... soo good. a great opportunity to get drive through then go picnic up in the park... although the semi-indoor seating area out back is really cute.
Read moreGuest
Veganmagician
Points +73
vegan awesomeness - Edit
great! just the fact that an all vegan drive-thru exists is great but the food is really good too. I had the mushroom swiss burger which came wrapped in a brown, greasy, brown piece of paper and that's it; just like a take-out burger joint should be. They offer three options for type of burger "meat". I chose the Garden one which was touted as the more meatier version and included quinoa and other grains but they feature Amy's vegan patties and an in-house-made bean burger. I was also given a "sample" (almost a full glass full) of a smoothie with chocolate, tahini, banana, and soy milk...which was also awesome. Will go back.
Read moreGuest
DawnOfTheRent
Points +63
Almost Fast Food - Edit
There food comes quick, but probably 5 times slower than real fast food outlets. I'm ok with that because it's still probably faster than a restaurant and everything I tried was really really good. My favorite was the grilled chicken sandwich (which may just be a special but if you see it, buy it). Also a point to mention is the soft serve ice cream: it's yummy. We were here 4 to 5 times and I never got anything I didn't really enjoy. Another thing to note, the parking spots are small (and we drive a first generation insight).
Read morePros: Great location (for people in San Diego), Great food, Big enough menu
Cons: No free refillable water?
Guest
SiaEra
Points +54
Excellent Vegan fast food - Edit
Great Vegan burgers, sandwiches, and sweet potato fries. I love bringing carnivores here to show them how tasty Vegan food can be. I really love buffalo chicken and their sandwich is fantastic, just the right amount of lettuce,tomato and Vegan cheese. Their veggies are always fresh, and the service is always friendly. They have seating in the back, but most of the time I take my food across the street to Balboa Park and eat my sandwich on a blanket in the grass, very peaceful. I love the food, and the location. Also the price is right for me.
Read morePros: Many options, All vegan, Friendly
Guest
MoFo
Points +73
Nom! - Edit
Although I believe that all 100% vegan restaurants deserve 5 cow heads, I realize that would be impractical with the goal of the rating system. That being said, I am giving Evolution 4 heads because while 2 of the 3 burgers I tried were very good, the pesto burger left much to be desired. And unfortunately, that was the burger I ordered. It was too dry for my taste & I couldn't taste the pesto. My omnivore friends got the bacon cheesebyrger which we all agreed was very tasty & the portabella sandwich which was my favorite of the three- even though I got some delicious drippings on my clothes.
Read moreWe also tried the tropical sunrise smoothie, which was alright. I didn't really taste all of the ingredients and was hoping the ginger would have more of a pop. We all very much enjoyed their delicious raspberry almond cheesecake. It was a great blend of tartness, a not-too-rich cheezyness and a delicious crunchy/flaky almond crust.
I also really liked the fried slices of sweet potatoes much better than the fry shape I have had at other restaurants, & the accompanying ranch sauce was aMAZing.
Pros: outdoor seating, nice neighborhood, delicious desserts
Cons: service was a little slow/i was hungry!, bland smoothie, dry pesto burger
Guest
nspanee
Points +255
A drive-thru?????? We had to see this - Edit
Coming from a country with just one vegan restaurant(that only since last year) this place was like mc donalds back in the time in childhood where this was the biggest!!! So the excitement made us order the cheeseburger, bacon burger, chickn tenders(normal ones and some with a sauce covering, some chips, strawberry shake, a carrot-apple-Gingerjuice and raspberry cheesecake. I had enough for the whole day but it was just perfect!!!! Delicious fast food with really nice and fast staff!
Read moreGuest
vegboy2009
Points +86
Awesome location and pretty good food! - Edit
What an amazing find for ComicCon! Pretty decent food, fast service, walking distance (long walk, but still) from the convention center. Highly recommended!
Read morePros: Great selection, Tasty items., Fast service.
Cons: 0 ambience, Crappy parking
Guest
monicalsmith1
Points +98
yummy and close to Balboa - Edit
Visiting the park. Didn't see many healthy choices for lunch. Found this place. Great food. I got the mushroom Swiss Burger with sweet potato fries. The rest of my family got Bacon cheese burgers and shakes. We all loved this place.
Read morePros: good variety, great tasting items, good prices
Cons: outside seating or 5 indoor stools
Guest
clairems
Points +24
all around amazing - Edit
Cheeseburger (substitute black bean burger) with sweet potato fries. I took it to go and the fries were almost gone before I left the parking lot. This place is magical. Really awesome desserts (mocha cheesecake & pumpkin pecan cheesecake--fooled my dairy-eating family, seriously!) and fresh juice. This place speaks my language.
Read moreI've been a vegan for about 6 months and when I first came to Evolution I was astounded that I could order anything off the menu. That has not happened to me since I became a vegetarian almost 9 years ago! Good stuff. The staff is totally spaced out but got my order right even with my modifications, so A+ there.
I would recommend this place to anyone looking for good food, period. Veg or not, this place is worth a try and it definitely surpassed my expectations! TRY THE DESSERTS! ALL OF THEM!
Pros: wide variety of choices, really good desserts, fresh juices
Cons: not much seating space
Guest
Gini
Points +55
Veg in San Diego - Edit
We finally found Loving Hut in San Diego and it is closed on Sundays so we decided to hit up Evolution near Balboa Park. It now has a walk up area so you don't have to use the drive thru which I like. It's tiny so if there are a few people sitting at the counter inside be prepared to eat outdoors. The service was ok. The funny thing that happened was I gave the girl my name, Gina, and she came looking for me saying China then Chino. I was like, Gina? Sweet potato fries were kind of cold. Chix fingers were my favorite. They are a must try if you go. Overall, not bad. Being a vegan I'm grateful there is even a place to go where no thinking about ingredients is involved.
Read morePros: close to park, all vegan
Cons: too small
MrsVeganPizza
LOL, I had a good chuckle about them butchering your name because they did the same for me except that unlike my name, your name is easy to pronounce so I have no idea why they butchered it so badly. The thing is I've had my name pronounced every which way, but they somehow came up with a new one I've never heard before! But really that is quite a leap from Gina to Chino! Haha, thanks again for the laugh.
Read moreGuest
johnsonfamilyzoo
Points +65
Yes, it's a VEGAN restaurant! - Edit
While planning for a trip to San Diego, I was happy to find so many vegetarian friendly restaurants. When I got to Evolution, I noticed the menu indicated it's "100% Vegetarian", so I asked if the food was vegetarian vs. vegan since I thought I'd read somewhere it was a VEGAN restaurant. The guy behind the counter asked, "What's the difference?". I thought he was kidding. He was not- he said he was a meat eater & really didn't know the difference! You would think an employee working at a vegan place, would know what vegan means. I explained, and discovered that is is indeed vegan. Therefore I knew it was safe to order "cheese" on my burger. I was a bit discouraged with the vegetarian vs. vegan incident, but the food was really great! My cheeseburger really hit the spot. The fries were wonderful, the sweet potato chips were OK- many burnt ones. The best though was the peanut butter pie! Yummy!
Read morePros: food is great, variety of vegan food choices, desserts-need I say more?
Cons: small inside area for ordering, no inside eating, vegan vs. vegetarian
Guest
Elizabeth
Points +212
Evolution has gone through a change - Edit
Evolution no longer has the sit down dining area. They only have the drive-thru and little ordering area. They do have outside seating but it's limited.
Read moreGuest
divine_health
Points +16
Evolution is great - Edit
Evolution has a buffet inside that has hot and cold foods as well as daily soup selections. They offer pizzas, burgers, fries, chik-n strips and all the typical "bad" for you fried stuff in the drive thru (and inside). They also have smoothies, wraps and all kinds of treats. I've eaten there about 5 times and the food is consistently good. The service is always great. They have a nice outdoor area under the trees. They also have live music on certains nights which can be found on their website or facebook page. I definitely recommend trying this restaurant.
Read morePros: drive thru vegan!, great food, great service
Cons: buffet is pricey
Guest
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