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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240 Reviews
First Review by Mike Weinberg
jean&joe
Points +17
4 Thumbs Up for Delicious Vegan Food! - Edit
Friendly personable service and the all vegan menu was amazing! We were pleased to learn that they have another near our home in LA!
Read moreJean and Joe give it 4 thumbs up!
Pros: Vegan food, Friendly service, Heat lamps in the patio.
Guest
eszter.csapo
Points +1075
Very impressed! - Edit
Superb vegan restaurant with wonderful ambiance, nice menu and very tasty food. Perfect!!
Read moreGuest
vegvibez
Points +244
Good upscale vegan food! - Edit
The food at Donna Jean was really good! They had a bunch of options and gluten free options as well which was nice. Nice atmosphere, allowed dogs on the patio. Great meals!
Read morePros: Gf options , Patio for dogs, Cute atmosphere
Cons: Long wait
Guest
MMLass
Points +50
Get the hot mushrooms! - Edit
Truly outstanding meal. Started with the hot mushrooms - nicely warm spice but not 'burn your face off.' The badmotorfinger is now one of my favorite pizzas ever. The crust and sauce were superb so I'm sure all the pizzas are great. High recommend. I wish we lived closer to visit again.
Read moreI agree the bathroom situation is weird, but I overheard that they are moving to a new location later this month (Jan 2025).
Guest
CulinaryMedicineMx
Points +85
The best vegan pizza and breadfast - Edit
Great food, service and cheese too #Veganuary
Read morePros: Great food, Great service, Great cheese
Cons: None
Guest
I❤️veg
Points +155
Just okay - Edit
I liked the vibe, but when we were seated at 5:10 and ordered, we had to wait for 1 hour before receiving 3 pizzas. After that, we tried our luck at a single slice of orange cake, and it took 15 minutes. The service was pretty bad, but not the worst. The pizzas were okay, not worth a 1 hour wait but okay. I have to say the orange cake was pretty good. If you really like pizza or are desperate, you should go, but make sure to make a reservation.
Read morePros: The orange cake
Cons: The taste of the pizza, Service
Guest
Lj-ezee
Points +236
Vegan + GF Grandma Pies 🍕 - Edit
Been to Donna Jean’s numerous times. Tried the Badmottofinger, Fungazi, The Widow, Four Horseman & Thunderkiss 65. The favorite is Thunderkiss 65’ with added mushrooms. Delicious Vegan GF pizza! Highly recommend this restaurant!! Great service & chefs cook with care. Fun merchandise for sale too (T-shirts). Recommend making reservations or ordering take out ahead of time because they are always packed with customers.
Read moreGuest
Harryson
Points +56
Good average - Edit
I‘ve been to worse places and better places before, so this is a solid average, but not the top pick as the app suggests. The food was okay, mainly Pizza and Pasta with a few starters. The taste is okay but nothing spectacular. Same for the service, rather slow but still okay, again average. Restrooms could need a make over. I would not come back if I had another option, bonus point for being fully vegan.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-12
Guest
PhoKingClassic
Points +215
Tasty pizza - Edit
Very nice vegan restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. Had their pizza and Mac n cheese with the potatoes and breadsticks with pesto as appetizers. Their dough was very flavorful and the tempeh fennel sausage was quite good. I really wanted to love their mac but it was a bit of a miss for me. The texture was off and lacked seasoning.
Read moreGuest
rachelb12
Points +105
Great! - Edit
This might be my new favorite restaurant. The staff was nice, the food was amazing, and the location had a great atmosphere. I can’t wait to go again.
Read morePros: Food, Staff, Outdoor seating
Guest
Dunori
Points +293
Very tasty - Edit
Got the strozzapreti and lasagna. Both were delicious although personally I would have liked a bit more veggies in the former, like equivalent to the lasagna.
Read moreGuest
clarisvegan
Points +114
Pizza Deluxe - Edit
The Fungazi was the best pizza ever! The chocolate chip cookie for dessert was delicious, with a perfect hint of saltiness. I wish I could be there more often.
Read moreVeganDickEnergy
Uuuuff😋 wish i could have tried this too!
Read moreGuest
em1234
Points +37
Must visit! - Edit
This place was amazing and one of our favourite spots while travelling the US recently. We went during the week and they had a really good value offer available - a salad, entree and drink for $30 (+$5 for a glass of wine!). I had the caesar salad and lasagna which were both delicious, and we also shared the skillet cookie (we were advised to order this early as it takes a little time to prepare and it was definitely worth it - so tasty!). We sat outside and the atmosphere was lovely, very relaxed. The staff were very friendly and professional. I hope to return one day to try more of their menu!
Read morePros: The food!, Lovely atmosphere, Great staff
Guest
Plantbaseddallas
Points +250
A great find! - Edit
This is near the Zoo, and parking is limited. We walked here because we could. They accomodated our No Oil request on the salad and the pizza. Desserts were awesome, but did have oil. Cheesecake had less oil than the Chocolate Chip Cookie with ice cream. Will come back soon!
Read morePros: The pizza crust, and the exotic toppings and sauce, Service, Atmosphere
Cons: Would like several more NO OIL options on the menu, Only a few parking spaces
Guest
Drhannahj
Points +3197
So good! - Edit
Made a reservation for indoors, but they have a gorgeous patio too. The pizza was really fresh and tasty, but the skillet cookie was amazing!!!!! Staff were super nice. Parked on the street outside (meter). Definitely recommend!!
Read morePros: All vegan , The skillet cookie!!
Guest
devonvolpe
Points +160
Favorite meal in SD! - Edit
By far our favorite meal in SD. The patio atmosphere was incredibly relaxing for dinner with such friendly staff. We ordered the really good salad (which was in fact really, really good), strozzapreti con broccolini, and four horseman pizza with fennel sausage added. Everything was delicious and we can't wait to come back when we are in town again!
Read moreGuest
DanWilensky
Points +58
Everything was Amazon - Edit
The food was amazing. Friends ordered different pizzas, which I got to taste and they were fantastic. I ordered a pasta dish with broccolini that was absolutely perfect. The waiter was very knowledgeable and gave me a wine recommendation that was perfect
Read moreGuest
emtetu
Points +102
Excellent fresh food - Edit
Thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here. Salads, pastas, and pizzas were all delicious. Their traditional pizza was the best I’ve ever had!
Read morePros: Scratch made cheese , Fresh, local ingredients , Excellent service
Guest
SeanBerger
Points +1314
Maybe it was a bad day - Edit
Donna Jean has the potential to be a standout, but on my visit, it was an exercise in missed opportunities. Maybe I just caught them on an off day.
Read moreThe Good:
The meal’s silver lining was the coffee. Rich, aromatic, and perfectly brewed, it was delicious and hit the spot.
The Average:
The pizza was decent. It had a crisp crust and a well-balanced flavor profile, but it didn't stand out in any memorable way.
The Disappointing:
The “Everything Salad” was underwhelming. The scant dressing left it dry and lacking in the flavorful punch one expects from a well-composed salad.
The Cast Iron Shells were another letdown. The sauce was thick and grainy, and the dish was dry, suggesting that it could have benefited from a bit more moisture during the cooking process. This was especially disappointing given how much potential the dish had to be a hearty, comforting plate of goodness.
The Unfortunate:
Beyond the food, the restrooms were not up to par. They felt neglected and in need of better maintenance. It’s a detail that, while minor in the grand scheme of things, impacts the overall dining experience and leaves a lasting impression.
Pros: Coffee was one of the best cups I've had
Cons: Bathrooms were not well maintained, Salad was plain, Pasta sauce was grainy
Guest
JanetCLimke
Points +40
Upscale vegan oasis - Edit
Excellent service. Lush outdoor seating. GF options; we loved the Trooper pizza, fungazzi pizza, homemade bread with garlic butter dip.
Read moreGuest
AminOsama
Points +38
Amazing lasagna - Edit
I had the Harissa Cauliflower and the Lasagna, both were delicious. It was expensive, but worth it.
Read moreGuest
mallow
Points +382
Luxurious feeling - Edit
Good, kinda pricey but it comes with excellent service and elevated food so it’s worth it!
Read moreGuest
.Jlo
Points +36
Great food, ambience 🎉 - Edit
The ambience was very sweet, outside dining that felt very soothing and lovely. The food was delicious, nutritious, and the pizza was amazing. My first time eating here, will come back.
Read morePros: Good service , Pizza delicious 🤤 , Outside dinning beautiful
Guest
cwl666
Points +1438
(Was?) One the best to do it - Edit
My non veg family loves this place maybe more than I do!! First time we came we ended up sharing another bowl of spaghetti instead of dessert but have had dessert now a number of times and those are great too. Almost everything is made in house. Everything has been delicious. Staff are all great. It’s super dog friendly. A lot of carbs if you’re not into that but other than that should please everybody.
Read more**hopefully just an off day and I know they sometimes understaffed buttt food and service wasn’t as good last visit.. things I’d had before weren’t as good as remember and new dishes good but not great, and our server angel was an angel but they cramped 4 of us to small table while a big one sat unused next to us for our entire 1.5 hour meal.. guess holding for later reservation but should have welcomed to use until then as was clearly possible
Updated from previous review on 2021-03-01
Guest
ErinPetschke
Points +434
😍 - Edit
Wow, I loved this place. I came here for brunch with my vegan partner and two non vegan friends and everyone loved it and we plan on returning for dinner next time we're in SD. I love that everything is scratch made, seasonal, and they are transparent about the local farms they support and source ingredients from. My partner and I split The Widow pizza and the Spanish omelet. Everything was so delicious, I couldn't get over the smoky lentils and the sweet and spicy pizza.
Read morePros: Everything, Cute atmosphere , Locally sourced
Guest
veganqueenofqueensnyc
Points +1299
There Were Leftovers - Edit
The trip from L.A. to San Diego was easy-peasy. Negotiating subsequent travel arrangements for the coming days proved to be an almost 2-hour exercise in frustrating back-and-forth conversations, but ultimately, I won. Yeay me. Still, at that point, I was tired, and after not having had a proper meal all day, I was hungry, and it would be getting dark soon. So, immediately after getting settled into my accommodations, I hopped here on HC to see what was available and opted for Donna Jean. So glad I did. Funny, how one tends to crave a little comfort food when mentally and physically exhausted. Donna Jean delivered just what I wanted, but also what I needed, as the salad dressing on my salad - OIL FREE; the vegan cheese on my pizza: house made - from white beans; the pizza itself, with a crust that is almost paper thin (I like it like that!) OK, yes there was dessert too, but there were also leftovers. And I may just "find my way" back here for their brunch this weekend. 😋
Read morePros: Comfort(ing) Yet Healthful Food , Gracious and Attentive Staff, Indoor/Outdoor Seating/Nice Ambiance
Walktell
Wow not familiar with cheese made from white beans! Sounds yummy!!
Read moreveganqueenofqueensnyc
@Walktell neither was I before eating here....it was DEE-lish!
Read moreGuest
mohanaholloway
Points +1231
brunch!!!!! - Edit
most people probably wouldn’t think to go here for brunch, but the pancakes were unreal!!!!!!!!! tip: get the coconut topping
Read moreGuest
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