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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256 Reviews
First Review by Mike Weinberg
avokari
Points +206
Phenomenal Italian dining! - Edit
This place definitely exceeded my expectations ! Quality food, kind and friendly staff. I ordered a pizza and my partner ordered the lasagna, both were incredible. We returned for brunch and loved it just as much! We would've tasted the entire menu if we could. This was definitely our favorite restaurant during our trip to San Diego and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for delicious, authentic Italian plant-based cuisine. You can't go wrong with Donna Jean.
Read morePros: Delicious meals, Nice decor , Friendly staff
Guest
Paigecs
Points +860
One of the best vegan restaurants in the country - Edit
Stopped in at this verdant, birdsong filled restaurant two mornings in a row on a San Diego trip. In total, I was able to try the French toast, chicken fried shrooms, widow pizza, and breakfast in bread. Hard to say which was the best—I recommend you try as many as possible. The cheeses are made in house, the employees are knowledgeable, and the overall experience is polished.
Read moreThe only sour note of the experience was a footnote in the menu that lets you know a surcharge will fund health insurance for the employees, and you can opt out if you wish.
Guest
andrewthebaker
Points +87
Local, seasonal food whipped up with all-natural love - Edit
My girl and I were in S.D. for the weekend and had to stop by this gem that we’ve heard so much about. Walking in, you’re immediately greeted with planters full of fruiting plants, a killer playlist of fusion flavor, and the friendliest of staff. My girl and I ordered the Thunderkiss ‘65 pizza (the perfect ‘light’ choice), the chicken fried shrooms (which was better than any real fried chicken I’ve ever tasted), a seasonal kombucha and a fresh-squeezed orange juice. Everything was lovely and I wish I could have spent more time here. Genuinely just a pleasant experience in every regard.
Read morePros: The flavor and quality of the food , The inviting atmosphere, The price
Cons: Small dining area so make a reservation!
Guest
KrishnaNayak
Points +120
Excellent, but small portions. - Edit
Quality, flavor, and service were outstanding. The cast iron max and cheese was perfect (and my favorite!). Cesar salad was also great. The lasagna eggplant was very creamy and tasty, but I found the portion size to be small. We also enjoyed two pizzas. Again delicious, but the portion sizes felt small. The only reason I’m giving less than 5 stars is the small portion sizes.
Read moreGuest
EliFields
Points +34
Always phenomenal - Edit
Love this place for lunch and dinner. The brunch is also awesome. Make sure to try and make a reservation. They are often busy but the wait is never too too long. The pizzas are my favorite. The drink here are delicious too. The food is both unique but not to complicated. Very delicious.
Read morePros: Pizzas , Desserts , Patio seating
Guest
FabricioPassos17
Points +50
Surpreendente! - Edit
Bebidas e entradas muito boas, pratos principais adequados.
Read morePros: Bebidas, Entradas
Cons: Pratos principais
Guest
Kaseyfrench
Points +329
Pizza Perfection - Edit
So many choices, all creative and delicious. Great little patio and ambience too!
Read morePros: Many options, Creative menu , Ambience
Guest
Gaijingeorge
Points +502
Vegan Paradise in San Diego! - Edit
Visited San Diego and fell in LOVE with Donna Jean! I went with a group for brunch so we were able to swap and share dishes, I ordered the “really good salad” (10/10) my mates had the “hot shrooms,” “caesar salad” and “biscuits and gravy” every dish we had was incredible and I ended up polishing up my friends leftover hot shrooms - looked like fried chicken and tasted so delicious! The food was very reasonably priced for the portion sizes so our food total came out to $57 but we also each enjoyed a drink (I had their mimosa wirh farm fresh orange juice 10/10) so our bill was around $180 inclusive of tip! Well worth it for the food, drinks, service and ambiance! Wish I lived in San Diego and could frequent this restaurant 🤎
Read morePros: Food and beverage options, Beautiful ambiance (we saw a hummingbird), Lovely staff/service
Guest
LucieDoughty
Points +110
Cozy spot for some great food - Edit
I had taken a vegan cheese making class here and wanted to come back and try dinner.
Read moreThe pasta was out of this world! We also tried the salad and beet hummus - wonderful
Service was great, a very friendly and welcoming place.
Would recommend.
Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere
Guest
lilylil!
Points +809
really good - Edit
The food is reaaally good : you’ll be wanting more! The place is super cute, clean, and although you’re next to the road, thanks to the bushes and fence it doesn’t feel like it. But, the service was really slow, and the prices are high! The do not have a lot of dishes, especially pastas (like 3), although it’s an italian place, BUT, the brocoli pastas that i had were truly delicious. The pizzas were really good too, the crust is really thin but real tasty.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-07-31
Pros: 100% vegan , pretty place , delicious
Cons: expensive , slow service
Guest
daveoz
Points +1331
Best Italian Restaurant - Edit
Every time we come to San Diego we come here and enjoy one of the best meals in San Diego. The deep fried oyster mushroom are to die for, the Caesar salad is beyond believable and and the mushroom pizza was to die for. What is really cool is they offer dipping sauces for the crust and those are wonderful especially the ranch.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-07-16
Pros: Vibe, Wait staff, Pizza
Guest
Golfkart
Points +24
Wow tasty Pizza - Edit
Italian fully vegan Sherman Oaks location
Read morePros: Tasty appetizers Hot Mushrooms, Chimmichuri Fries, Pizza was excellent
Cons: Parking so we did carry out
Guest
Coconutsux
Points +305
Really good - Edit
I would give 5 stars but for an italian restaurant, I feel like they should serve more pasta options.
Read moreGuest
hrn126
Points +583
tasty and unique - Edit
there’s a reason this place has as many reviews as it does. phenomenal food and unique flavors. the cheese on the pizza is also really good, which i find can be hard to do
Read moreGuest
CíntiaS.
Points +72
Great vegan food - Edit
Donna Jean’s pizza is amazing!
Read moreThe place is also really nice.
Guest
dea_larissa
Points +771
Lovely spot for brunch! - Edit
My family and I went to Donna Jean’s for Mother’s Day brunch. It was a cute little spot with a beautiful outdoor area. Service was a little slow but we didn’t mind. The food was definitely worth the wait! I just wished they served their full dinner menu during brunch as well but it was a lovely brunch nonetheless.
Read moreWe ordered:
- blueberry pancake (it was delicious and had crispy edges and fluffy center) topped with blueberry compote, powdered sugar, and maple syrup
- strawberry french toast with a side of homemade nutella, macerated strawberries, and coconut whipped cream
- baked mac and cheese (I added mushrooms and I was so glad I did. I scraped the cast iron skillet clean!)
- Nashville hot shrooms (it’s their take on hot chicken but with deep fried king oyster mushrooms)
- breakfast potatoes (they were so good that we ordered a second round!)
Guest
EsraRice
Points +771
Great spot - Edit
Out of the 4 things we ordered and split, the mac n cheese with mushrooms was the best. Chicken Fried shrooms were a bit disappointing. The coconut whip cream that came with apple pie French toast was incredible. The Bronx pizza was good, but it could haven better if it was a tad less cheesy.
Read moreGuest
ElissaBVegan
Points +3387
Love This Place! - Edit
Delicious fare in a charming atmosphere. Everything we had was excellent!
Read morePros: 100% vegan , Delicious food, Patio w heaters
Guest
garyMLR
Points +63
Wowee! Awesome menu - Edit
Cute hideaway just steps from Balboa Park. Excellent selection of food and bevs.
Read moreHad the Biscuits & Gravy and Tofu Scramble Motherlode. Outstanding flavors and textures and service was very friendly. Patio dining is a plus. Beware of parking constraints
Guest
Spaceprincess1997
Points +78
yummy - Edit
Donna Jean has an amazing ambience. Their pizza is really great, we love their vegan cheeses, and the staff adored our doggies. The only reason I am docking it one star is because I was a bit let down by their lasagna. At the time, I hadn’t had lasagna since I had become vegan and I was very excited to try Donna Jean’s version. Unfortunately, it was kinda meh to me. I love a good pesto sauce, but for a lasagna I prefer the rich flavors of marinara sauce. It lacked the cheesiness you would expect from a lasagna-based dish. It also lacked the meatiness that could have been obtained with Beyond or Impossible meat. Donna Jean, I love you, but please for the love of god, fix your lasagna so I can update this review.
Read moreGuest
RM12
Points +44
Best pizza EVER - Edit
Hands down best vegan pizza. Lasagna is unique and creative (not traditional), but may be not what people are expecting for “lasagna.” The Mac and cheese is the stuff dreams are made of. Bravo!
Read moreGuest
Vegan4Life303
Points +629
Best “fancy” vegan spot - Edit
One of the best “fancy” restaurants I’ve ever been to. I went on a Sunday during brunch and got the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits came with an order of 4, which for $12 was an amazing deal. They were flaky, rich, and had a melt in your mouth quality. The gravy was a little cold, but it had a very deep flavor profile. I was salty, peppery, and a kick of lemon to it. I also got the cast iron Mac and chz skillet for $17. The portion size was kind of small; think 7 inch skillet, BUT the flavor was amazing. With hints of truffle and a super smooth and creamy finish it definitely is a must get when you go there. #Veganuary
Read morePros: All VEGAN , Super flavorful food
Guest
frankien
Points +87
Amazing vegan cheese - Edit
If you like cheese, you have to try this place. Me and my non-vegan friends were blown away by how good it was. Definitely recommend the pizza and the hot shrooms. Wasn’t too pricy either.
Read moreGuest
SarahS88
Points +2816
Best vegan pizza ever - Edit
House-made cheese was delicious, staff was very friendly and helpful, pizza was amazing!
Read moreGuest
VagrantVegan
Points +1333
Delicious - Edit
This was fabulous. The lasagna was some of the best I have had, vegan or not. The chicken fried shrooms were crunchy and had a great, creamy gravy. The greens were just the right amount of salty. Our server was friendly and helpful. The atmosphere was nice, although the music was just a touch loud for my taste. Everything was beautifully presented.
Read moreGuest
AmandaSakiye
Points +3350
100% amazing - Edit
Luxurious vegan food. Totally amazing. Every bite was quite impressive. I loved the seasonal pumpkin items on their menu - including the vampire pizza and gnocchi. All their cheeses are made professionally in house. Cheeses are also available for purchase to take home.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-10-31
Guest
skymyers
Points +52
Legendary - Edit
Donna Jean has a stellar reputation for a reason. In particular, their pizza is some of the best you’re ever going to find, vegan or not. The outdoor seating area, which is surrounded by plants, is charming. I will say, their lasagna was quite disappointing (it is pesto based with no mock meat - not exactly what comes to mind when I crave lasagna), but everything else is so good I have to keep it 5*. Good wine selection as well.
Read morePros: Top quality, Good wine, Atmosphere
Cons: Slow service
Guest
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