Ocean Beach's hidden gem! We have been here twice and both times the food and experience were top notch. When you are in the area you "have to" stop in! They have spicy food AND they have special order. The chef made me the brightest, freshest grilled shrimp tacos with shredded cabbage, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, wrapped in corn tortillas and sprinkled with fresh lime juice. So good! The music was super fun too. Someone's play list was in point; old school jams the entire time. So glad we saved room for the made to order churros and vanilla sauce! When you visit, ask to sit in Jennifer's section. She is so attentive and knowledgeable.
Isabelle Matik
5 stars mainly for the best mole i’ve ever had! I got the chicken mole dish and this mole was better than what i’ve had in Mexico. My partner got the chicken enchiladas which was very tasty also. Service tip was included in meal which i feel made the servers lack a bit. By the time my partner got his drink we were almost done with our meals and our server was impossible to reach most of night but the amazing food and amazing beach view made up for it. Would definitely come back here! Delicious.Vegetarian options: My family had the mushroom tacos and they said they were incredible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tinga
Keith Hughes
We ate at La Dona because it was close by our hotel and because it had a few vegan options that were explicitly labeled on the menu and weren't necessarily expecting much. We were surprised at just how amazing the two dishes that we got were. We got the vegan flautas and the vegan mushroom tacos. Both were amazing. I wish I had taken a picture of the flautas, they were beautifully plated. The ambience was nice, the staff friendly. Would definitely recommend La Dona for vegans.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lady Cano
Food is so delicious!! The margaritas is so good!! Happy hour is no really happy hour… one taco is $8 dollars, but 2 tacos plate w rice and beans is $16 dollars!! But If you are looking to eat delicious food and good margaritas, go to La Doña.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gioel Enriquez
I’m a big fan!The beans and rice are perfect, the margaritas are fiesta-worthy, and the pozole should not be skipped but let’s talk about the real star… the birria tacos—juicy, slow-cooked meat wrapped in soft tortillas, topped with zesty salsa!La Doña isn’t just a restaurant; it’s the best Mexican in OB hands down. ???
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Birria Tacos, Beef Birria
Jillian Montoya
What a treat!! Met with longtime friends in OB and hadn't had LA Doña's before. La comida estaba estupendo! I had a Spanish coffee with 151 & Kahlua, and Los Benes - birria eggs Benedict style with a flavorful hollandaise. Friend said her poblano chicken and waffles was so-so, not a lot of flavor in the waffle. Then another had chilequiles and candied bacon (yum!).Definitely would come back and try something else.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Veronica R.
Good service and nice ambiance. Food was very tasty, well seasoned and flavorful. Tortillas delicious.
sarah risley
SHANE IS THE WORST. I had never had a more aggressive and ignorant experience. I had the unfortunate luck of having Shane as our server/bartender. We watched him interact with other tables and it was confirmed he was also ignorant to them. When we arrived he was aggressive when asking what we wanted and getting mad saying he couldn’t hear us. There were not many people there so there wasn’t any added stress of having a busy restaurant. Myself and 2 friends that were there have also been in the service industry and have and will never treat a customer like that. Our friend asked for a specific drink on the menu that said it came with a specific beer but he was getting angry at him for not choosing a beer when one was supposed to come with it automatically. The other bartender said there was a miscommunication between the people making it and yet he continued to yell at my friend. We were continuing drinking for 5mins when he came back around out of no where took our drinks out of our hands and said thanks for coming sarcastically and said we won’t be charged for the drinks he just took back without asking. The other bartender stuck back there with him was visibly uncomfortable and quiet but seemed unaware like this is a daily occurrence. We asked to speak to the manager because of the other people we spoke to and their negative experience with him. The woman supervisor came out and was short with us and said she didn’t want to hear it but we can write something online. RUN FROM SHANE.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jay H
The food here is absolutely PHENOMENAL! I'm so happy we found this gem! If you're ever in OB and want some delicious cooked with love then this is your place.
Some of the best Mexican food ever. Wow! We have the queso dip, chicken enchilada shrimp taco plate, and carne asada cheese enchilada plate. Food is absolutely amazing. The other great thing is the pricing. You'd think for this great food it would be pricey. Not the case! Really fair prices and amazing food. Highly recommended!! Must go!
Wow what a great spot in OB. Went on a recommendation from a fellow traveler on my flight. It was awesome and our whole group loved it. Great drinks with tons of agave options. I had the aguachile shrimp and they were very spicy and fresh just like they should be. Highly recommend.
Zakira J.
It was my first time here and it definitely won't be my last. They seated us very quickly, and the food and drinks were sooo good!! Everything we tried was flavorful and tasteful. Our waitress was very tentative and had great recommendations! You must try the OB loaded nachos and the quesabirria tacos. If you are a birria person I recommend the shrimp and steak one, it's like a wet burrito and so yummy!! The vibe here is laidback but upbeat and chill, if you haven't been, make plans to dine there soon
Heather U.
Some of the best food I have ever eaten. The quesa birria tacos are a must!!! The empanaditas were also incredible.
Steven B.
Pulling down my ranking of La Dona is the 3.5% surcharge and the $2 addon for "neat" shots. Otherwise I would say the 5 star reviews are generally accurate. If you don't mind a few extra bucks padding your bill, then you'll be happy.
Jon P.
I was in town for just three nights for work and decided to reward myself on my last night by going out and having some Mexican food before heading home on Monday. Because this place was close to my Airbnb, I decided to pop-in and check it out. I had NOT done any homework, and was just hoping for at least a 4 star experience in this part of San Diego. Also - I'm a northern Californian who now lives in France for most of the year... so finding good Mexican food is a treat since in another few weeks, I'll be back in France and won't be able to indulge myself with this cuisine. WOW - was I happily surprised! On a Sunday evening, the La Doña was packed. Since I was solo, I found a place at the bar and was immediately greeted by a wonderful woman server. She immediately took my beer order and served-up a large bowl of house-made tortilla chips and asked if I had any questions about the menu. Since I hadn't been there before and I always like to judge a place on their tacos, I went with her recommendation of the enchilada & taco duo. I chose the chicken enchilada and carne asada taco. ALL of the seasonings were spot on - the perfect balance of heat and flavor for the sauces, including the salsa with the chips. The service was friendly, warm and welcoming. The food was authentic and definitely house-made. And I didn't feel over stuffed with the portion and was totally satisfied when I departed! If and when I find myself back in Ocean Beach again, I will make it a point to return. I highly recommend!
Ocean Beach's hidden gem! We have been here twice and both times the food and experience were top notch. When you are in the area you "have to" stop in! They have spicy food AND they have special order. The chef made me the brightest, freshest grilled shrimp tacos with shredded cabbage, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, wrapped in corn tortillas and sprinkled with fresh lime juice. So good! The music was super fun too. Someone's play list was in point; old school jams the entire time. So glad we saved room for the made to order churros and vanilla sauce! When you visit, ask to sit in Jennifer's section. She is so attentive and knowledgeable.
5 stars mainly for the best mole i’ve ever had! I got the chicken mole dish and this mole was better than what i’ve had in Mexico. My partner got the chicken enchiladas which was very tasty also. Service tip was included in meal which i feel made the servers lack a bit. By the time my partner got his drink we were almost done with our meals and our server was impossible to reach most of night but the amazing food and amazing beach view made up for it. Would definitely come back here! Delicious.Vegetarian options: My family had the mushroom tacos and they said they were incredible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Chicken Tinga
We ate at La Dona because it was close by our hotel and because it had a few vegan options that were explicitly labeled on the menu and weren't necessarily expecting much. We were surprised at just how amazing the two dishes that we got were. We got the vegan flautas and the vegan mushroom tacos. Both were amazing. I wish I had taken a picture of the flautas, they were beautifully plated. The ambience was nice, the staff friendly. Would definitely recommend La Dona for vegans.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is so delicious!! The margaritas is so good!! Happy hour is no really happy hour… one taco is $8 dollars, but 2 tacos plate w rice and beans is $16 dollars!! But If you are looking to eat delicious food and good margaritas, go to La Doña.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’m a big fan!The beans and rice are perfect, the margaritas are fiesta-worthy, and the pozole should not be skipped but let’s talk about the real star… the birria tacos—juicy, slow-cooked meat wrapped in soft tortillas, topped with zesty salsa!La Doña isn’t just a restaurant; it’s the best Mexican in OB hands down. ???
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Birria Tacos, Beef Birria
What a treat!! Met with longtime friends in OB and hadn't had LA Doña's before. La comida estaba estupendo! I had a Spanish coffee with 151 & Kahlua, and Los Benes - birria eggs Benedict style with a flavorful hollandaise. Friend said her poblano chicken and waffles was so-so, not a lot of flavor in the waffle. Then another had chilequiles and candied bacon (yum!).Definitely would come back and try something else.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good service and nice ambiance. Food was very tasty, well seasoned and flavorful. Tortillas delicious.
SHANE IS THE WORST. I had never had a more aggressive and ignorant experience. I had the unfortunate luck of having Shane as our server/bartender. We watched him interact with other tables and it was confirmed he was also ignorant to them. When we arrived he was aggressive when asking what we wanted and getting mad saying he couldn’t hear us. There were not many people there so there wasn’t any added stress of having a busy restaurant. Myself and 2 friends that were there have also been in the service industry and have and will never treat a customer like that. Our friend asked for a specific drink on the menu that said it came with a specific beer but he was getting angry at him for not choosing a beer when one was supposed to come with it automatically. The other bartender said there was a miscommunication between the people making it and yet he continued to yell at my friend. We were continuing drinking for 5mins when he came back around out of no where took our drinks out of our hands and said thanks for coming sarcastically and said we won’t be charged for the drinks he just took back without asking. The other bartender stuck back there with him was visibly uncomfortable and quiet but seemed unaware like this is a daily occurrence. We asked to speak to the manager because of the other people we spoke to and their negative experience with him. The woman supervisor came out and was short with us and said she didn’t want to hear it but we can write something online. RUN FROM SHANE.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The food here is absolutely PHENOMENAL! I'm so happy we found this gem! If you're ever in OB and want some delicious cooked with love then this is your place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bottomless Chips & Salsa, Birria Tacos, Burrito
Some of the best Mexican food ever. Wow! We have the queso dip, chicken enchilada shrimp taco plate, and carne asada cheese enchilada plate. Food is absolutely amazing. The other great thing is the pricing. You'd think for this great food it would be pricey. Not the case! Really fair prices and amazing food. Highly recommended!! Must go!
Restaurantji Recommends
Wow what a great spot in OB. Went on a recommendation from a fellow traveler on my flight. It was awesome and our whole group loved it. Great drinks with tons of agave options. I had the aguachile shrimp and they were very spicy and fresh just like they should be. Highly recommend.
It was my first time here and it definitely won't be my last. They seated us very quickly, and the food and drinks were sooo good!! Everything we tried was flavorful and tasteful. Our waitress was very tentative and had great recommendations! You must try the OB loaded nachos and the quesabirria tacos. If you are a birria person I recommend the shrimp and steak one, it's like a wet burrito and so yummy!! The vibe here is laidback but upbeat and chill, if you haven't been, make plans to dine there soon
Some of the best food I have ever eaten. The quesa birria tacos are a must!!! The empanaditas were also incredible.
Pulling down my ranking of La Dona is the 3.5% surcharge and the $2 addon for "neat" shots. Otherwise I would say the 5 star reviews are generally accurate. If you don't mind a few extra bucks padding your bill, then you'll be happy.
I was in town for just three nights for work and decided to reward myself on my last night by going out and having some Mexican food before heading home on Monday. Because this place was close to my Airbnb, I decided to pop-in and check it out. I had NOT done any homework, and was just hoping for at least a 4 star experience in this part of San Diego. Also - I'm a northern Californian who now lives in France for most of the year... so finding good Mexican food is a treat since in another few weeks, I'll be back in France and won't be able to indulge myself with this cuisine. WOW - was I happily surprised! On a Sunday evening, the La Doña was packed. Since I was solo, I found a place at the bar and was immediately greeted by a wonderful woman server. She immediately took my beer order and served-up a large bowl of house-made tortilla chips and asked if I had any questions about the menu. Since I hadn't been there before and I always like to judge a place on their tacos, I went with her recommendation of the enchilada & taco duo. I chose the chicken enchilada and carne asada taco. ALL of the seasonings were spot on - the perfect balance of heat and flavor for the sauces, including the salsa with the chips. The service was friendly, warm and welcoming. The food was authentic and definitely house-made. And I didn't feel over stuffed with the portion and was totally satisfied when I departed! If and when I find myself back in Ocean Beach again, I will make it a point to return. I highly recommend!