La Doña

Fantastic, this is the place for sure if you're looking for a sit-downtown Mexican experience. The basic chips and salsa are basically perfect. We had queso and the empanaditas for appetizers and both were 10/10 delicious. Our main courses were also fantastically delicious. So glad we chose La Dona!

A Taco Lover’s Paradise in Ocean Beach If you’re in Ocean Beach and craving tacos, La Doña is a must. This spot has the perfect OB vibe: open-air seating, colorful decor, and a fun atmosphere that’s both laid-back and lively. 🌮 The Food: • The tacos here are massive (seriously, bigger than my hand – check the photos). Not only are they Instagram-worthy, but they’re also packed with flavor. • Chips and salsa are fresh, crunchy, and addictive – the kind you can’t stop snacking on while waiting for your meal. • I really appreciated the vegan options, which makes this a great spot whether you’re plant-based or not. 🍹 Drinks & Atmosphere: They’ve got a good drink selection to pair with the food, and the atmosphere is perfect for a casual lunch or dinner. Outdoor seating with heaters makes it comfortable any time of year, and the staff is super friendly and attentive. 📸 Pro Tip: Come hungry (one taco might be all you need!) and definitely grab some photos – the plating and portions make for great shots. ✅ Bottom line: Huge portions, great flavors, vegan-friendly options, and a lively OB atmosphere. A must-visit whether you’re a local or just passing through.

This was our second time back here, first time we found out about there taco Tuesday deals and had to try them. The monster taco was the size of my hand (see picture) and delicious! The margaritas was...okay. I would have liked it to have a little more flavor, but to be fair I am a bit of a snob with them lol. Wifey got the tacos, sorry I dont fully remember which ones she got, but she said they were delicious, and the chips and salsa they bring out to start is great. If you are looking for a taco Tuesday spot, do not hesitate to check them out!

Decent place. It’s pretty big with lots of seating. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor stuff has covers and heaters. It is a pretty nice looking place. Nice vibes. The food is ok. The pumpkin seed guacamole with pork grinds are surprisingly good!!! Really good lol. 🥑 I got the giant mega taco and wow that thing was huge bahaha. Definitely the size of 2-3 normal tacos. 🌮 I got the chicken tinga. It was alright. Flavor was a little odd and the crunch of the taco was a little overpowering. It was like extremely crunchy lol. The water cups are tiny lol but they at least give you your own big bottle to fill up. Decent place. Dog friendly. 🐶

Got carne asada tacos meat was almost blood no flavor no onions cilantro tortilla meat rice and beans and little portions. Then got my quesabirria tacos and the meat was almost nothing but fat tried picking off the fat but couldn't and shouldn't have to and same portions.. Oh and chips were OK salsa beer were perfect. Beautiful spot for margaritas and drinks food not so much the staff is awesome great service.

This was the best Mexican food I've ever had! The service was genuine and sweet, too. Although I did go here alone and felt a little awkward explaining that to them at first, that's most places, so I can't really ding them on that. Atmosphere was fantastic.

Fantastic food. The guacamole with the chicharrones were amazing. Love the chicken tinga taco along with the ground beef one and the chili relleno was superb. Unlike other Mexican restaurants – excluding taco shops – – that I’ve been to in San Diego, where they don’t melt the cheese and it kind of comes out lukewarm, the chile relleno was at a perfect temperature, and the cheese was completely melted. I think the slow service tonight may have just been because they were down some servers maybe but overall, the quality of service was fantastic. Great food, great atmosphere, and a place I would definitely go again

Great for large groups. We went for brunch with 9 people out of everything ordered the Doña's Chilaquiles & Steak & Mushroom Omelette were very good! For drinks: Vaya Con Dios, Doña Margarita & Spanish Coffee were super yummy. The other items ordered: Bistec con Huevos, Los Bennys, Chorizo con Papas Burrito & Pan Frances were just average. The service & ambience were very good!

J.C. our bartender at La Doña recommended the Cochinita Cazuela. Great recommendation! It was absolutely fantastic! Yucatán-style braised pork, achiote, orange, beans, rice, habanero onions, tortillas (corn was my choice). Big chunks of delicious, tender pork in an excellent sauce served in a sizzling hot cast iron skillet. Delicioso! Gracias J.C.! Becky went with her favorite and loved it...again! Chicken Tinga Enchiladas Chicken tinga, verde tomatillo sauce, pickled red onion, crema Mexicana, cheese, queso fresco, microgreens, rice, beans. Love La Doña!

Decent place. It's pretty big with lots of seating. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor stuff has covers and heaters. It is a pretty nice looking place. Nice vibes. The food is ok. The pumpkin seed guacamole with pork grinds are surprisingly good!!! Really good lol. I got the giant mega taco and wow that thing was huge bahaha. Definitely the size of 2-3 normal tacos. I got the chicken tinga. It was alright. Flavor was a little odd and the crunch of the taco was a little overpowering. It was like extremely crunchy lol. The water cups are tiny lol but they at least give you your own big bottle to fill up. Decent place. Dog friendly.

I love coming here! The staff is always so welcoming and friendly! The drinks and food are always delicious! Plus, I'm eating my way through the menu! This time I had the OB ritto, carne asada, fries, rice, beans, cheese, and oh soooooooo good! Daveed had his favorite chicken tinga enchiladas. We didn't realize that Happy Hour is all day on Mondays! Great way to spend Labor Day! And of course, Cako loves it here! She laid down and watched everyone, even the workers who walked by, she didn't get up. Cako still approves!

Came here for happy hour! The margarita was super good, but the nachos weren't the best. The place looks very authentic mexican, but it definitely has a cali-american twist! Ceviche was not bad, I just wasn't a fan of the nachos honestly it had some sort of buffalo chicken-tasting sauce on it, and the music in the restaurant was definitely loud! The service was very sweet.

Thank you Jazz for your amazing service you are beautiful. I enjoyed the spacious environment and aesthetics of the business. The presentation in which every item arrived was so pretty, and insta pic worthy. I always love good content. One drink was enough. I appreciate the perfect ratio of alcohol and flavor. The molcajete was memorable. Perfect for sharing. This spot is going on my go to list!

Me and my family came here after a day at the zoo. After all the snacks we had before, my appetite wasn't very big for dinner here. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed my time here. The bathrooms were clean. I loved the plant they had inside a tiled toilet. It was a cute piece of decor. I had ordered a coconut margarita upon suggestion. I like sweeter drinks and the waitress said this was the best options. The drink was strong in the beginning. I had to let it sit a bit and stir a lot. But in the end it was a pretty good drink. For food I ordered some ground beef and potato tacos. They were pretty good but the last taco I just ate the insides because the shell was hurting my teeth. The rice was very good! My favorite side. The beans were okay, edible but I have had better before. My kiddo got a kids chicken taco with rice and she finished her plate! She loved it all. The vibe of this place is cute overall, the staff is friendly, and the food is pretty good. My parents like to go here every time we are in Cali so I know I'll be returning.

We found this place on accident and are SO glad we did. We stopped one night and had birra tacos and chicken tinga tacos, not pictured because it was so good we didn't get a chance to snap any before it was gone! We went back and tried the dishes pictured here, this will be added in to our date night rotation for sure. The staff is so friendly and eager to ensure your experience is nothing short of amazing.

I really liked the outdoor ambience and taco Tuesday specials (even though, they didn't apply this discount to our check). The elote was top notch. We also got the Birria, steak, and monster tacos. Overall we were super excited for the good eats and margs.

Came here Mother's Day weekend with a big group. It was easy to make a reservation and the service was great. The food was good for a busy holiday weekend and it came out fast. They have meat, veggie and pescatarian options and it's kid friendly. Most of us tried different taco options and my daughter opted for the bacon wrapped hot dog. Not a traditional thing you see at a typical Mexican restaurant but she sure did enjoy it and surprisingly ate most of it.

How can I explain my love for La Doña. I simply don't know if I can- it's all SO GOOD. my go-to are the loaded nachos and I rarely stray because they live in my head rent-free, but I've tried most things on the menu from tasting friends plates. Everything is delicious, bursting with flavor and homemade authentic Mexican flavors and sauces. Kim is my favorite server/bartender. She's so fun and sweet, I just love seeing her whenever we visit. The ambiance is nice, cold in the winter months but they have heaters- just bring a jacket!

Fantastic food. The guacamole with the chicharrones were amazing. Love the chicken tinga taco along with the ground beef one and the chili relleno was superb. Unlike other Mexican restaurants - excluding taco shops - - that I've been to in San Diego, where they don't melt the cheese and it kind of comes out lukewarm, the chile relleno was at a perfect temperature, and the cheese was completely melted. I think the slow service tonight may have just been because they were down some servers maybe but overall, the quality of service was fantastic. Great food, great atmosphere, and a place I would definitely go again

Definitely San Diego California Mexican Food. If you're looking for a nice place in ocean beach with some strong margs. This is the place. I'll always come back for some margaritas.

I came across La Dona on social media and decided to try it since we had family in town and they had multiple vegetarian options. Made reservations for a Saturday evening. Our server and everyone helping her was fantastic. The drinks and all the food was delicious and the vibe was really cool. Only pain is parking - the lot behind and close by is $25 which seems outrageous for the area. No fault of theirs but this would be the only reason I wouldn't come here as frequently. Highly recommend this place.

Honestly I was really disappointed by this. It's a fun space if you want the indoor-outdoor feel, and to have some drinks and chips. The food and service was really lacking The chorizo mussel appetizer had good flavour, but was too salty, and the one slice of bread felt stingy The steak and shrimp burrito was a meat lovers dream, but the execution was off. The sauces for the wet burrito were watered down both in flavour and texture. The shrimp was generally well cooked. The steak was cooked in a sauce and the flavour was a bit strange It took a long time for our server to come to the table, and did not replace our empty water jug even when she passed by to check on us

Food is very good. Loved the chips with that special spiced flavor. Celebrated my bday here- yummy churro ice cream dessert. Friendly attentive service. Pretty place with pet friendly, large party space.

Excellent! Super cute chill looking place. We were sat on the back patio and had a wonderful server. The food was exceptional! You can tell only the freshest ingredients are used and the presentation is wonderful. The wine came out super cold and the chicken flautas were divine. The bacon wrapped jalapeños had the perfect amount of heat. We will be back!

Just want to throw out there that Amanda was an exceptional server. Food was great, too. :)

Great food, friendly service. Hand some quick appetizers, delish! We popped in on a whim- we were not disappointed!

Great vegetarian options! The cauliflower tacos are delicious and the mushroom tacos weren't too bad either. The server misunderstood my order and brought me two dishes instead of one. After I pointed this out, they apologized and said that I could just keep the second dish for free which was very nice of them. For drinks, I had a La Rosita which was alright. I was hoping for a stronger elderflower taste, but it kind of just tasted like a margarita. Overall, it was a good meal.

Such a fun, festive vibe. Amazing cocktails and fantastic food. We loved everything we ordered including the birria tacos and the tostada trio appetizer. However the star of the show (shockingly) was the sweet potato flautas! This dish was really unique and special.

Tonight was our first time here. So far the food seems great! Loved the Pozole - generous with the meat. I really enjoyed the Flautas de Camote (sweet potato flautas. My wife and son had fish tacos. For dessert, we had the Churros and Pasteluto de Elote y Piña. Yummy! Our server, Kimberly, and her team were fantastic!

Six or seven visits later, not only have we never had a bad dish here, we've enjoyed everything we've ordered. They do a good job with flavors, as we've only ever had one thing that could be considered bland, which they told us when we ordered it would be a bit bland. Whether you order the mochahete or tacos, you should have a good experience! The cocktails have been good too, and I'll be lying if I didn't say I'd had one or three over my visits!

Great ambience and food! We've been to "Nati's" plenty of times but this new restaurant looks totally different. We've tried tacos (Asada), O-Burrito, and Fajitas...they were all great. Friendly service and open and bright space. Again, I wish if I was still there sipping their drinks!! We'll definitely go back....hopefully soon!

Food was authentic and delicious. Service was great. Great atmosphere. Got seated immediately. Their bar had a variety of drinks but highly recommend any of their margaritas. Great overall experience.

I love this spot. Service is always great. The ambiance is cozy while still being indoor-outdoor. Cocktails are fabulous and plentiful. The beans are too delicious! I adore the TJ Dog appetizer. The bar seats are super comfortable. I've tried almost everything on the menu and haven't had a bad choice yet. The tampequeña plate is my fave. See you at La Doña soon.

Food was mediocre - bland and portions were small. Not much in the way of vegetarian and especially vegan options. It was loud and the atmosphere was nothing to write home about. I realized after getting home that the guacamole was left off of the overpriced vegan sweet potato taquito entree, which was so spicy it was unenjoyable. We ordered a side of guacamole so it worked out but bummer getting charged for something excluded from the entree. Grilled mahi tacos were fairly fresh but portion was small and lacked flavor. Guacamole was almost tasteless. The coconut margarita was tasty but also overpriced. Service was friendly and good.

As you can see from the size comparison of the Taco and my hand, all you're going to need is one Taco! Huge, Delicious and a GREAT price. Friendly staff and awesome atmosphere! Highly recommend!!!

Everything was amazing! The open courtyard was beautiful and very relaxing. The workers are all so friendly and had great recommendations. Didn't wait long for anything and it all tasted fantastic.

Came here for happy hour after work. Kim was our server. She's literally the best. Great recommendations, very attentive, & kept us laughing. She suggested the queso dip, ugh, wow. So fire, I could eat it until I threw up, honestly. Too addicting. Salad & fish tacos were fire as well. Drinks are strong, but delicious. I love that they have inside & outside seating. The patio is my favorite. Eating light outside by the beach will never get old. Hope to get Kim as our server every time we go!

What else could I possibly say? La Dona is hands-down the BEST restaurant in Ocean Beach! Their happy hour is great, the food is out of this world, and the staff is the best in the business! I come here for happy hour quite often, and Josh always makes it a memorable experience! He's one of the most knowledgeable bartenders I've ever had the pleasure of being served by. Not to discount the amazing team of people working along side him. The entire team brings so much energy and enthusiasm to their restaurant. Having so many options in OB, its soooo nice having that one spot that always slaps and never disappoints! PS: Get the Quesabirria taco.

Food was ok. Drinks were strong but a failure on presentation. Service was slow. Ambiance was good. Seated after 40 minute wait-its a Friday and this place is popular. Water and chips brought quickly. After 15 minutes, service person asked if we needed anything-we asked for a drink menu. Drink menu did not have available beers listed. 25 minutes into being seated we ordered drinks and appetizers. Another 15 minutes until drinks arrived. My margarita was strong but presentation was a failure. The salt wall is dedicated to 1 side of the glass instead of the rim. So you can get the salt off the rim for 25% of the glass, and then you need to lick the middle of the glass to get more salt-an experience i have never had. They should make the salt placement clear and offer a fully rimmed salt placement. In addition my drink had spilled over the salt edge side so I lost 50% of the salt applied-see pic. It was another 15 minutes before entrees were asked about. My combo was well presented but my cheese enchilada was barely warm and close to solid on the melting scale. The fish taco was fine-nothing stood out about Pic. Price point was OK. Any ###bertos on the block can deliver something comparable with greater speed and accuracy. This visit was a suggestion from a guest. Not planning a return any time soon.

Great vibe and service was good but the food is just soooo mid. 10 of us there for dinner and not one meal stood out. I was super excited to try their new fajitas because I love fajitas and we all joked that they must have marinated in water because there was zero flavor. Sucks but it's what it is.

Enjoyed my tacos though I expected a bit more flavor. Service was good, decent outdoor space.

Love this place! Since we live about 8 minutes away we have been coming here for years since they opened. Really great food and outstanding margaritas! One major bone to pick... the change in the shrimp taco is not good. They recently changed from the delicious shrimp tacos we order every single time, to these weird flat ones with filling that is not even close to as good as the original shrimp tacos with that delicious sweet glaze on them. Service is always great, and tonight was exceptional with Carly as our server. We had our 8 month old baby for his first outing to la Dona and she was so accommodating. In closing... please bring back the super bomb shrimp tacos. They are superior to these new poser style shrimp tacos. Cheers and see you again soon!

Good food and good ambiance! Service was great too. We ordered the corn, guacamole, and the queso to start all three were fresh and so so good. My favorites were the corn and guacamole. The Brussel sprouts are delicious and a large side to share. All of us ordered the quesabirria two with beef one with chicken and all were great and very filling. Would definitely come back. And kid friendly!

Ordered on line, ready when we arrived, but when we got to our hotel room and ate, we were surprised to find part of the meal inedible. Fish tacos were ok, but we threw the beans away, HB was disappointed bcuz beans are his favorite. I'm guessing it was just an off night, as we checked Yelp reviews and with our friend and recommended this place.

I used to think this place was okay. However now I think it's really good. I'm not sure if there is a new chef etc. There menu options have grown. The beans are amazing, perhaps the best I've ever had. Oh & Adrianna the manager is the best! I live literally 600 FEET from La Dona, I'm super local.... I stopped coming in for a long time but I'm back now. You have impressed me.

My fam is from TJ & Mexicali so i had to try this place! First, i loved the airiness & open feel of the place. I was greeted right away with a HH menu and dinner menu. The shrimp cocktail was good, if a bit too tomato-y & the TJ dog could've used a jalapeño on the side, but all in all, a decent place. they were out of the crackers for the cocktail so they substituted a TON of chips. Can't speak on the drinks since i only got a beer, but the margs looked refreshing!!

Food was delicious and hot when it arrived but service was a little slow for how busy it seemed. The outdoor space was large and had many choices of where to sit. They had quite a few vegetarian choice but I opted for the taquitos. I was slightly underwhelmed but overall a tasty lunch

The vibe is very cute, that's the main reason why we stopped to try. Service was pretty fast for a Saturday night, very friendly staff. Food was good, I would go back and try something different. Drinks were really good too. The churros were different but very fluffy and savory. Be sure to try this place out, it's right next to the beach.

Damn! That was a good taco! Visiting from Vegas and this place had a patio off of OB for our dogs to chill with us. Gave our dogs a water bowl and our server was really fast with our orders. The outdoors has a cool ambiance with a variety of different chairs and good tunes. The Beef Birria Quesa Tacos were some of the best damn tacos I've had in my life. Absolutely dripping with flavor and the spices were so strong but never overwhelming. Cheesy and oily and delicious! Go for these birria tacos when you're in OB!

The food , the service and the atmosphere was perfect to end our last day in San Diego. I ordered the ceviche and it was delicious but on the spicy side. Still very tasty and flavorful.

Josh and Kevin are amazing! No one makes a coconut marg like Josh - light ice, perfectly balanced and gives me wings! Love coming here and feeling taken care of in a world where great customer service is hard to find. Gracias!!!

The drinks and food here are amazing! Hands down the best Mexican food we've had in the area! Tables are a bit tight so hard to accommodate parties larger than like 4-5 people. Although they are very nice and accommodating and willing to figure out how to seat larger parties. Parking is street parking or a paid parking lot right behind the restaurant.

I always make it a point to stop into La Doña for dinner or drinks when I'm in town. This time was of course more of the same. Excellent service from Josh at the bar, and when he let me know there was a brunch menu I knew I had to come back in the morning! The vegan soyrizo burrito was huge and amazing, had to take most of it to go...to the plant sale that Josh also clued me in to! Thanks so much for another amazing visit, can't wait to come back!

The food is good and the drinks are great. Try the watermelon tomatillo margarita! It's a good spot for brunch or to watch a Padre game.

Riley was an amazing server! Very friendly very funny! Great food and great environment and GOOOOODD MUSIC! 10/10 would recommend will be back soon!! And Dog friendly!!!

We did a belated Father's Day dinner here last year. We parked in the paid lot, since there was no parking available on the street. We were seated out in the patio and service was a bit slow at first. We waited a long time before anyone came to take our drink orders. Complimentary chips and salsa was brought out and the salsa was delicious! We got some guacamole topped with roasted pepitas and queso fresco. It was served with crispy chicharrones- so good. Our drinks came over 20 minutes later. They were refreshing and light. My MIL ordered the chicken tingas, which comes with rice and beans. Hubby got the tampiquena, which is steak topped with a mix of sautéed peppers and onions, served with a guajillo queso enchilada, panela cheese, grilled chile guerito, spring onion, guacamole, and rice and beans! It was huge and tasty. My FIL ordered the molcajet el patron and it was filled with carne asada, pollo asado, shrimp, chorizo, and salchicha picosa in a chipotle sauce topped with queso panella, nopales, chile guerro, and green onion. He shared some with me and it was nicely seasoned. I personally got the shrimp aguachile rojo and it was so delightful and fresh. Overall, the food is great and I can't wait to come back again!

Food Delicious. Service for very nice and our server was attentive . An experience where we will come back on our next visit to SD