This is an awesome spot for vegan food. I’m not strictly vegan, but my significant other prefers to eat mainly vegan, and I’ve got a pretty open mind/palate. I have to say as far as vegan restaurants go (and I’ve tried quite a few) this place is at the top of my list. Most items (including their vegan cheese) are made in house, and you can definitely tell. The vegan pizza was the best I’ve had, and the fried “chicken” (mushrooms) was insane. They worked us in on a busy weekend night with no reservation, to boot. Will definitely be back, as this place is just down the street from me. Highly recommend!

I was hoping that a VEGAN restaurant would have a wide assortment of vegetable dishes. Sadly, this was not the case. Rather, this place specializes in starch (pizza, bread, pasta) and non-dairy cheese -- LOTS OF NON-DAIRY CHEESE. Most of the few vegetables they have are for appetizers or pizza toppings. There is an entree with broccoli as an ingredient. Some of the pastas have mushrooms, lentils, tomatoes, & beans. Mostly what almost every dish has is lots of NON-DAIRY CHEESE. I had the truffle dill agnolotti. It was AWFUL, which made me less upset that the whole entree could fit in a measuring cup -- with room to spare. It was oily, heavy and smelled like it was just about to go bad. The fitful sleep I had that night made me wonder if indeed the food had gone off. I think, though, that the non-dairy cheese was just so oily and heavy that it sat in my stomach, quite unhappily. Dessert was an improvement. A friend had pseudo-cheesecake that tasted like no cheesecake I've ever had. The apple pie was good. In fact, it was the best thing I had there. I guess because these folks make their own non-dairy cheese they want to include lots of it in most of their food. Their non-dairy cheese goes bad quickly -- in a week or less -- so it seems they use as much of it as they can in their offerings. Ironically, I got FEWER vegetables at this VEGAN restaurant than I do at most non-vegan or non-vegetarian restaurants.

Little known fact: Donna Jean was started because of a son who wanted to help his mother live longer after a diagnosis of cancer. His mother's name was Donna Jean. This restaurant is the best restaurant I've been to in my entire vegan life. I hadn't had lasagna in a very long time. The last time I had lasagna I was not vegan, and one bite of this lasagna was not only better than my memory of my meat containing version, but was less heavy and far more flavorful. The salads were another phenomenal part of the menu. These weren't your regular ho-hum mixed greens salads with croutons or vegan cheese. They posted a complexity that is unmatched with even seven layer salads. Some were sweet, some were savory, but all we're delicious. Finally, for this to be an Italian restaurant don't get it twisted. It is not an Olive Garden or a place where you will go and have a heavy, starchy, greasy and buttery meal. But rather you will leave feeling like you had a full body Italian three or four course meal without the guilt without the heaviness, but way more flavor. Romantic ambiance. I highly recommend this restaurant to any and everyone. It will appeal to even the most carnivorous out there.

Amazing place! Very impressive vegan restaurant that delivers on all fronts. I brought my family here (who are carnivores) and they loved it too! We got bread (a definite must), a salad, pizza, lasagna, and a cheesecake. The bread and crust of the pizza was my favorite part. They're homemade vegan cheeses were also awesome, pretty mellow in flavor but spot on on the texture. The service was also top notch. If you're vegan you should definitely come here. If you're not, you should also come just to be impressed with what can be done without your standard meats and cheeses.

Excellent high quality vegan Italian food - think pastas, pizzas, salads. Ordered the caesar salad, the cast iron shells and cheese, and the first horsemen pizza - all was delicious. For dessert ordered a cast iron snickerdoodle cookie which was amazing. Sat indoors as it was a bit chilly but they have a large outdoor patio space with fire/heaters. Staff was friendly, helpful and attentive. Would definitely recommend.

Fellow meat eaters rejoice! We have a vegan restaurant that's freaking good! My vegan friend spoke raves of this place and she did not disappoint. We each got a Mac and cheese and a pizza. The Mac was out of this world but the pizza was out of this galaxy! I had the "Killer Queen" red sauce pizza. After the first bite I told her I liked it, after the first slice i told her I loved it, after i finished the entire pizza I told her this place is mine! I love red sauce and i have no idea what's in their pizza but it was seasoned so well, fresh made bread, and you can taste the quality of the food. I will definitely come back here and bring my fellow carnivores. I'm telling you, you will not regret it. Enjoy!

Great spot for vegan food. The sea bean Caesar salad was pretty good. The house bread with the pesto and garlic butter was excellent. We got the spuds pizza because other reviewers sang praise about it, but I found it underwhelming. I liked the crust, but prefer if it was crispier on the bottom. Great service and we loved hearing all the birds in the outdoor patio!

The pizza taste and crust were unbelievable... I can't explain how well everything was cooked! The desserts were out of this world! Only complaint is the stuffed shells were not enough food. But so amazing... Highly recommend pizza over pasta, but the pasta was delicious, just not enough for big fat me.

I recently celebrated my friend's birthday at Donna Jean in San Diego, and it was absolutely amazing! Not only was the food incredibly delicious, but it was also all vegan and made with fresh ingredients. The staff was fantastic, and the overall experience was unforgettable. Highly recommended for a memorable dining experience with exceptional vegan cuisine!

I’ve loved this quaint restaurant since I came here several months ago. It’s an amazing all vegan restaurant that, so far, everything I’ve tasted has been superbly delicious! We came to SD for business and always plan on eating dinner here. We ordered the bread with oil and balsamic, my bf ordered the lasagna and I got pasta with creamy white sauce with broccolini and mint leaves. Wow 🤩 my taste buds were blown away! Absolutely everything….again, was truly amazing. I would for certain recommend stopping by the next time you visit this area. It’s a 10 on service, atmosphere and foods!

Great vegan place. We went there for dinner. We did not have reservation so had to wait around 15-20 mins. They have indoor and outdoor seating. We tried Artichoke dip, Gold Lion Pizza, cheesecake and Almond cake. We liked everything. We felt the pizza base a little too garlicky, apart from that it was really good. Also, they have a great staff.

Favorite vegan restaurant in SD. My bf and I have been coming here for the last 3 years. We really enjoy the seasonal menu because we try something new each time

Had an amazing dinner but the standout of our meal was The Bronx pizza with garlic dipper and Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. Hands down one the best vegan spots we've ever tried. On top of delicious food we've never had bad service here. Our server Aspen was kind and attentive.

I had the Risotto Milanese & it was sooooo delicious!!! Sadly it wasn’t fulfilling so I had to go next door for another bite to ea. Also, I don’t think it was worth $20. Other than that, they have great customer service!!

The food is very good and the patio is adorable. The pasta was unbelievable and better than the pizza - I’d say the pizza could have gone lighter on the cheese ideally. Still an A+ experience!

We let some friends for dinner here and had a wonderful meal and overall experience. The server was nice and had good knowledge of the menu. Everything is veggie and delicious. I do recommend reservations as this place fills up fast.

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.

A vegan Pizza Place? I too was skeptical but after my fiancé and I ate here our doubts were mostly tarnished. The potato appetizer was surprisingly tasty and the Four Horseman Pizza was wonderful as well! The soft “cheese” on the pizza however wasn’t my cup of tea and I opted to remove it. The only reason Donna Jean gets 4 stars is the restaurant wasn’t busy yet it took quite some time for us to get attention from the waitstaff. The hostess that ended up helping us was very nice and I’d definitely come back here again for a vegan pizza experience.

Always a favorite when I visit SD. Donna Jeans is a must visit for vegan food. And if you aren't vegan, please try it and see why so many people are reducing the amount of meat they eat. I promise you won't even realize their menu is plant based!

I can't begin to say what the place did for my spirit. I celebrated my 7 year bday of sobriety here today and their food warmed my soul and left me feeling like my mother just cooked for me. We had: 1. Biscuits and gravy 2. Lasagna 3. Motherload 4. French toast 5. Orange juice & coffee Biscuits were soft flakey and the gravy was rich and creamy. Great seasoning in the gravy. Lasagna omg if want a hearty meal that you have time to nap after. This is the dish to pick. Def heavy but light at the same time. "Cheese" was creamy and rich and the sauce was zesty and smooth. Perfect layers of pasta. And the shrooms were tasty and meaty motherload had the perfect smashed crispy potatoes and the eggs have a almost Mexican flavor. I think they would make excellent breakfast tacos. If I had to pick my least fav it would be French toast. One slice was thinner than the other so it wasn't soft but saying that, I would order it again. The coconut whipped cream instead of syrup was a delight. And their strawberries are sweet and I enjoyed them as a topping. Orange juice is a must have and the coffee was bold and dark. They offer of course oat milk which is my fav and their sugar was natural and not bleached. Our waiter was a handsome fella who took the time to make sure we were well taken care of. He was warm and caring.

Four horsemen is one the best pizzas I have ever had. Get a side of the garlic butter and pomodoro dip for the crusts! Their bread just melts in your mouth. Yummy!

Donna Jean came highly recommended from a friend of ours. We visited today for brunch at around 11am (8.21.21). Our server was very friendly and helpful with regard to recommendations. We started with the hot shrooms and they were the bomb! If ever you find yourself here and you like fried mushrooms it's a must-try. Everything we ordered was delicious, fresh and well prepared. What a great first experience.

Excellent Vegan Restaurant to visit in San Diego if you're near Balboa Park. We found this place as the first suggestion when we googled best vegan food experiences in San Diego. We got to Donna Jean at around 11AM on a Saturday - we were the first ones there and were promptly seated at our table by the host. The server came over a few minutes later, answered any questions we had, and left to come back with glasses of water a minutes later. We ordered The Motherload & Breakfast In Bread. Both the items were well cooked, well seasoned, with fresh ingredients in well portioned sizes. There were a lot of other things I wanted to try on the menu (Nashville Hot Shrooms, Frittata & Fungazi Pizza) which will have to wait until my next visit to San Diego.

Went here for friend's bday for laidback nice brunch on Sunday. Great service. I've eaten so many vegan places and this is one of those solid places you can take a friend and they'd prob be surprised that what they're eating is VEGAN! Pizza and lasagna were our favorite from our meal. We had: Pizza (if trees could talk pizza) - portion size is def good for 2 people, the crust is like that Italian wood oven crust pizza, really good, just like the other reviews. The fennel sausage has a lot of fennel, but it still tasted good (so don't get it if you don't like fennel) Lasagna - really good, sauce was lovely too Cast iron shells and cheese - rich and creamy mac and cheese. It doesn't have that sharp chefdar tangy taste, but more of a mellow cheese taste fyi. Garlic butter sauce - really good, especially to dip with pizza crust zatar ranch - also good

We went with my husband for the first time to celebrate an accomplishment and we were really happy we went there! The dessert was on the house! My husband isn’t vegan and yet he loved the food! I highly recommend it, place is nice and food quality it’s amazing.

Our first time at Donna Jean. It was one of the best experiences ever. The food was so delicious. From appetizers to entrees to the incredible cheesecake it was one great taste after another. Our waitress America was phenomenal. Her expertise and recommendations were wonderful. She took her time with us and made it such a fun dining experience😃 We can’t wait to come back! Our go to spot in San Diego. Ilana and Derek

Donna Jean is by far my favorite restaurant in San Diego. Which is why my wife and I booked them to cater our wedding. We were always in communication and helped work with us to get everything we wanted. No issues with delivering the food to Temecula either. The food was superb as always. Vegan and non-vegan alike were complimenting the food. Their lasagna was a huge hit. In summary, Communication: perfect Food: amazing Delivery: timely Recommend: highly

My favorite vegan place to eat in San Diego. Pizza and hot mushrooms are our favorite.

Food was amazingly good, I had the pizza with peach cobbler and my Mr. Had the calzone with strawberry/rhubarb cheesecake! The service was top notch and the food was so damn good, also the atmosphere was delightful. Next time I'm in San Diego I will definitely be come here.

Excellent food. Enjoyed the truffle pizza. The potato fries were just out of the world. The sensation of its taste tickles my senses when I think about it. Charming ambience. Kind service. Would have liked chocolate dessert in fall too. Waiting to go back when I'm in San Diego area.

First time visiting. As a full time vegan, I’m very pleased. The combination of flavors are high quality and very flavorful. The food made me feel good about myself and my choice to be vegan. My server Michael was kind and patient. I will definitely return.

I had dinner here while visiting the city because it was consider a top ten vegan spot. The business is clearly short staffed which lead to extended waiting times. We were seated rather reasonably but it took more than 10 mins to be greeted and we were also advised that the kitchen wasn’t the able to adequately keep up depending on what we ordered. However the food is absolutely amazing. The bread appetizer with sauces are a unique experience and the skillet Mac n cheese are next level. It just a great damn Mac and cheese period. I would return but with the current status of the delays I would have to adjust my time schedule or simply pick another option. It’s simply not a fair experience to the customer when you are paying $20/plate.

Donna Jean is my go to place for great vegan faire. From pizza and pasta to bakery goods they’ve got it covered. Easily a favorite in my restaurant rotations and has become a staple in many of my friends’ vegan sites. Always experimenting with flavors makes it a new experience while keeping old favorites

I’ve been coming here since this spot first opened a few years back. It’s my favorite vegan restaurant in San Diego! The pizzas are delicious and the Mac and Cheese is my go-to order. The hot shrooms are also a staple!

Amazing food and friendly staff. I had brunch at Donna Jean and everything was delicious. We had tofu scramble, fried chicken , pizza, Mac n cheese, and French toast.

Food was amazing and the the outdoor seating very cozy. Kelsey was very courteous and attentive. I would definitely come back. Highly recommended if you are looking for a vegan place.

This genuinely has got to be one of the best meals I’ve had in my life! My boyfriend and I shared the fried mushrooms, ravioli, a mushroom pizza with garlic butter, and sticky toffee pudding. All of them were so amazing. The fried mushrooms tasted like fried chicken, they were so flavourful and crunchy. The ravioli made both our jaws drop - we couldn’t believe how spot on the vegan cheese was in texture and flavour to ricotta! The pizza was also amazing. it’s the first we’ve had that really nailed the vegan cheese. Dough was so yummy. Lastly, the sticky toffee pudding… OMG, I was skeptical when I read dates in the ingredient list but when I had it it was sooo amazing. I will remember this meal for a long time!!

Beautiful atmosphere on the front patio. Pretty romantic and quaint. The hostess was incredibly friendly and kind that sat us. Our server was a bit less enthusiastic but didn’t ruin the night at all. Pretty underwhelming gluten free options. $25 for a small plate of gnocchi was pretty steep. Even though it was very good. I was not thrilled that the reason there’s no more gf pizza is because it “didn’t sell well” as the server informed us. Outside of this, the food was fantastic along with the atmosphere. Everyone enjoyed their meals!

I am not a vegan, but my kids are and took me here. The food is amazing with a very fresh taste. There is a chilled vibe in the middle of the city. Worth a drive out

This is a really cute brunch spot in bankers hill. We came here with couple friends and had a really great time. We ordered pizza and sautéed spinach and potatoes on the side. Not to mention their pomegranate kombucha is very tasty! Love it!

One of the best vegan dining experiences I’ve ever had! Went for Sunday brunch and want to go back immediately for dinner! Literally everything we ordered was stellar and unique with perfect subtle details. The waitstaff was also incredible, patient and kind! Pleasant outdoor atmosphere. Such a gem of a place!

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants. Charming, cozy and delightful ambiance. The dishes are fresh, flavorful and well balanced. Staff is attentive, professional and very welcoming. We felt right at home. Don’t miss the freshly baked bread which is incredibly light and delicious. A couple of my favorites were the e butternut squash tortellini and the Iron Man pizza. You can’t go wrong here!

Calling the Really Good Salad really good is an understatement- it was amazing!! also the Bronx pizza was the best vegan pizza i have ever had. The pizza crust and the cheese were both so out of this world.

Had such a relaxing and delicious brunch! Dog friendly with delightful vegan fares. There are so many menu items we want to come back for at another time. Had the Strawberry Rhubarb French toast which was exquisite, the above expectation in size, decadent, cinnamon roll with heavenly frosting and the chicken fried shrooms with amazingly crisply texture. We always try to look for dog friendly vegan restaurants to satisfy our restaurant pilgrimage together with our corgi mascot Sniff and Donna Jean just became one of our favorite destinations in San Diego~ Thank you!

I was so hungry and i was glad to find this place until I tried the food. Is super overpriced! I got a bunch of food with my wife and we didn't really like it. The only thing I liked was the tiger pizza I forget the name. Food needs more flavor men!! Get those seasonings out!!

Great food 👍 amazing pizza dough 😋

Vegan restaurant food is amazing and service was excellent.

Simply superb. Had a WOW gnocchi. Unbelievable that it was vegan. Bravo!!

Really great food! My wife got the lasagna and I got the calzone. I think this is one of the only places in san diego with a vegan lasagna. Everything was on point!

Amazing pizza. The cheese is very impressive!

I love the restaurant. Highly recommend

Great people here with good beer. I had this great beer it was called Stone xocoveza if u like chocolate & coffee WOW!!! & the sweet potatoes fries w/ a maple chipotle souse & chopped almonds. & very great bartenders. Photo of Tonys Darts Away -San Diego, CA, United States

The best vegan pizza ever! The combination of flavors was very flavorful and I normally don't eat crust but I would have eaten it even if we didn't have dipping sauce of garlic "butter"!

Waited 3 hours just for my order to be cancelled online. Just in time for all the restaurants to close. Thanks and happy new year Edit: Changing from 1 star to 4. Tried pickup instead of delivery and the food was great and no issues. Still subtracting a star because it sucked to eat my own cooking on NYE

Food is always amazing!

Super tasty vegan food! I think the mac and cheese is the best vegan version I've had anywhere. And my non-vegan boyfriend really enjoyed his black widow pizza! Would definitely come back.

I don't have enough good things to say about this place. It's become my favorite vegan spot to eat! So far my favorite pizza has been The King although The Four Horseman would come a close second. All the deserts are good but I love the wonderful play of textures and flavors in the passion fruit chocolate torte. For any appetizer you must try the bread and butter. Sounds simple right? It's delicious! I literally have not ordered anything from here that I didn't like. The ambience is also amazing. Whether you're sitting indoors or in the outdoor bistro surrounded by flowers and edible plants you're going to feel like you've treated yourself to a touch of luxury.

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego!!! Favorites include- Cheesus Built My Hot Rod pizza, breakfast calzone and stuffed French toast on weekends brunch menu, potatoes with house-made tzatsiki sauce, and their wine selection. Love love this place so much. Definitely my favorite vegan pizzas in San Diego!!

Delicious vegan food!! Wonderful outdoor seating experience from host to server.Highly recommend the Breakfast in bread and Strawberry French Toast.

AMAZING VEGAN FOOD!!!! Must try!!!!!! My mouth is watering thinking about it I can’t wait to go back!!!!!! 😍

So glad to have more and more vegan places gere in SD and Donna Jean is one of my favorite spots. their pizza is amazing and their pancakes are delicious. But I really loved their bread and vegan butter! it was simple but so satisfying!

Absolutely loce the food and the staff! Everything is plant-based with a Southern comfort flare! The chef and owner, Roy, is one of the coolest and most humble people I've met.

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego!!! Favorites include- Cheesus Built My Hot Rod pizza, breakfast calzone and stuffed French toast on weekends brunch menu, potatoes with house-made tzatsiki sauce, and their wine selection. Love love this place so much. Definitely my favorite vegan pizzas in San Diego!! Absolutely loce the food and the staff! Everything is plant-based with a Southern comfort flare! The chef and owner, Roy, is one of the coolest and most humble people I've met.

This place is awesome, ordered for the first time today and it’s definitely a new favorite

This place proved to me that Vegan food can not only be good, but delicious. The Nashville hot shrooms are amazing. Better than a lot of fried chicken I’ve had. And as someone who is lactose intolerant, I’m so happy to have discovered their pizza. The vegan cheese they make is fantastic.

Delicious food and stellar service! Everything we had here was delicious! Just p k anything on the menu and you can’t go wrong! We also found fresh pressed orange juice which in our world is pretty difficult to find.

The strawberry French toast was really good

So good! The California burrito is highly recommended

One of the best vegan restaurants in San Diego! The outside patio area is gorgeous, beautiful ambiance! I highly recommend for both vegans and non-vegans to eat here!

Amazing food! Hard to believe it’s all vegan!

Excellent vegan food.

Great service. Delicious menu. Looking forward to dining here again next time I'm in SD!

Excellent food. All vegan, but non-vegan eaters will love it too.

We were staying at a hotel up the street and after walking in (and then out of) the Mexican restaurant closer to the hotel because it was too loud. We stumbled on Donna Jean. We sat outside in the quiet atmosphere l, shared a great bottle of wine and an excellent meal. We split a pasta dish, bread and appetizer and it was plenty of food. My husband had never had Vegan food and I didn’t tell him It was Vegan until 1/2 way through main course ..... he was stunned it was delicious.

Brunch here is delicious!!!!!! Food service ambiance is wonderful. We always suggest this spot to friends and family. I feel like you can't go wrong with any of the selections my favorite is the Mac and cheese

We came here by accident and enjoyed their vegan dishes! Their Lasagna and Thunder Kiss 65 pizza were nutty and delicious. Recommend here!

Visited Donna Jean's while on vacation after it was highly recommended to us by our friends. Though the COVID hindered us from dining in, we were able to order two vegan pizzas for carryout. They were DELISH!!!! Very flavorful and seasoned with tasty toppings! We look forward to visiting again when in the San Diego area! Love it when you can combine healthy with deliciousness!😊

The "sinister kid" pizza was good. I definitely recommend it. The pasta was kinda undercooked. Get the pizza :)

The food is so good. We tried the pizza with white sauce, smashed potatoes and the mushroom sandwich

Pizza review from a New Yorker lol... this vegan pizza is surprisingly really good!!! My boyfriend and I recently went vegan, and Dona Jean's pizza has been our savior every time we crave pizza. San Diego pizza is terrible, but this is pretty bomb!! We order Dona Jean almost every weekend now hopefully they make more variety because their current pizza variety is super limited and we'll likely get sick of the 4 we keep ordering if we keep ordering as often as we do. SO PLEASE ADD MORE! We would love to see a pineapple one, maybe Brussels sprouts or some sort of vodka sauce pizza :D

Service slow and with an attitude 😥

Amazing staff and quality ingredients. I love this place!

I'd be excited to live here so I could eat here all the time

Best vegan food in town.

The food is delectable. We both loved the Salad Days with mixed greens, hemp seed miso dressing, Asian pears, chickpeas, pickled onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, smoked date & black garlic puree. The Hot Shrooms were very good, too. Our favorite entree was the slightly spicy Cavatelli with sun dried tomato ‘nduja, crushed tomato, balsamic reduction, and mozzarella. A very close second was the Black Widow pizza with black garlic date purée, ricotta, red onions, pickled peppers, + kale. All of our servers were superb and attentive. The vibe on the outdoor patio was great. The wine list looked great: the Pali Pinot Noir made Wine Spectator's Top 100 list a few years ago, and it did not disappoint. We'll be back!