Donovans Steak and Chop House

Absolutely one of my favorite steakhouses. The seafood chowder is by far my favorite. I love the portions and definitely the quality of the food served. i got the Ribeye Oscar style and the amount of lump crab meat on my steak was more than enough it was sweet and buttery, the béarnaise sauce was good. I love the fact that I never reached for the salt. Everything was cooked to perfection and The staff were very attentive. I will definitely be going back there.

I’m very happy to report the food was incredible. My husband ordered the porterhouse and my son the porterhouse chop, each about 20 oz! The meat was cooked perfectly. I ordered the halibut and it was also fantastic. We shared a wedge salad and a macaroni side. All meals include a potato side, both the baked potato and the gratin potatoes were excellent. Our drinks were never empty and The staff constantly came around to make sure we were satisfied. One of the best parts was the view, right by the window, ocean for miles! Our first time there but it won’t be our last. Thank you for an amazing experience.

This food was delicious. Everything we ordered was amazing, even the garnish. One of the dishes we ordered had a grilled piece of potato as garnish and even that was one of the best potatoes I have ever had!

We decided to try the new location in La Jolla. We weren’t impressed. We had a couple of filets and they were mediocre. We ordered our filets meadium and they came well done. There was a hair on the plate with our bread. The glass for my drink was chipped. For being a very high priced steakhouse, the steak was not impressive at all.
I’ve had steak at cafes that was made way the heck better than this. Vegetables with the steaks were also undercooked and the potatoes looked like someone threw them against a wall. I’ve had much better steak and veggies at Ruth’s Chris.
The old Donavan’s location for some reason had way better food. Not sure what happen in the transition. Although the view was amazing and the service was impeccable. The two stars are for the service. Glasses were always full and we were always attended to. No complaints.

This review is for the happy hour only which I highly recommend. Its M-​F 3−6pm in the bar area. The drink specials include their cocktails for $ 12 (Originally $ 15) and discounts on some appetizers. What really drew me in though was the FREE UNLIMITED philly cheesesteak sandwiches and carne asada burritos. Yes you read that right. FREE UNLIMITED. You don’t even need to order a drink (but you should) to get the deal. The waiters walk around with plates and you can def pig out. Both were very tasty and the carne asada was surprisingly super tender and flavorful. We also got an order of the fried calamari and the skewers both of which were great. The breading on the calamari was excellent and it tasted fresh. For my cocktail I got the Gimlet which was a gin based cucumber cocktail. It was very refreshing and the cucumber flavor wasn’t too strong. The service was what really made my experience here great. Everyone is so friendly and they don’t give you weird stares for constantly asking for more free food. My friend and I wanted to share a cocktail and they split up the drinks for us in two different glasses without us even asking. Great ocean views and excellent food and service. Definitely a 5 star dining experience.

Came for dinner recently when working in San Diego. I’ve heard a lot of buzz and good reviews regarding Donovan’s but actually found it just okay. First, service was excellent. We were greeting by an extremely friendly hostess & served attentively by a very good waiter named Robert. When there was a mistake on the bottle of wine they served us, it was graciously given to us at the lower price point of the original wine we ordered. Our steak ordered medium rare came very rare so it was redone twice which we appreciated. Although a lot more rare than usual, it ended up having a nice taste due to good seasoning and came with a side baked potato (although the side baked potato was just ho-​hum, it was nice it came with the meal verses having to order everything ala carte). Lots of construction is happening on the restaurant’s exterior so entering Donovan’s is somewhat of an eye sore for now but I’m sure will it look fabulous when done. Interior design is rather dated and old school so some sprucing up is needed. Overall, Donovan’s is located in a beautiful location in La Jolla but with all the choices of steak houses one has and for the price, I’d rather opt for elsewhere.

Let me first say that we had a damn good steak here. Seriously good. The only thing that outshone it was the service – they did everything they could to make our evening a little better, and fixed the things that didn’t go right.
On this evening, they brought us the wrong bottle of wine. It was a more expensive bottle from the same vineyard from a secret premium wine list (only by request). We noticed and pointed out the mistake, but they insisted it was right. When they later realized the innocent mistake, they honored the original price without hesitation. Score!
Next, we had to send a steak back for being undercooked. After trying to refire it, they simply brought a brand new steak. Not exactly cheap! But they did it all as a matter of excellent service and attention to detail. From these incidents alone, we’ll be back soon.
One drawback: it feels very traditional, with a dated dining room. IMHO, the statues need to be crated up and stored, and all furnishings could be modernized. And perhaps they could update their typical steakhouse side dishes (although it’s tough to hate the good old baked tater). Still, that doesn’t detract from the care they put into their food, wine list and customers.

I ate here with a colleague after a conference. I ordered the surf n turf with a glass of wine. I thought that the food was OK; the portions were small. The place was nice, the service was good and the bill was too expensive for what we got. The place was also very stuffy; I didn’t feel the A/​C kick on at all. There is a nice view to the beach but the beach smells terrible; I’m not sure if that’s why the A/​C wasn’t running.
The view, the service and wine selection were the best parts of the visit.

I’ve been to the Downtown location and the old Donovans by UTC mall that was my utmost best experience ever. Unfortunately the service I got at Donovans in UTC is much better than the service I got at the La Jolla location. The server seemed a little stiff and no personality at all.
I made a reservation for a party of 8 and asked that we have a little bit of extra table space (and not a round table) to keep our gifts that will be distributed to our friends. I called to confirm my reservation and was told that we were all set and the notes about extra space or a table for 2 would be at the end of our table.
I arrived before my friends did just to put little gifts on the table. They sat us on a round table instead of a long table and there was no space to put gifts on as we fit comfortably on that round table. Okay, whatever I made it work. There was the ledge by the window that we placed all the gifts on there instead.
I will not deny that the view was absolutely beautiful as I used to dine here a lot when it was Azul.
Food:
Prime Rib Eye 16 oz. with mashed potatoes.
Crème Brulee
The food is always good. The helpers to the main server were all nice and kept filling our water.

They are not family friendly here
I called around 4 to make a reservation for 8 for my birthday dinner. The lady asked who was attending and I told her two adults and an one year old. She told me perfect we will see you soon. When we get there the girl tells us we are going to sit in a booth because they don’t have high chairs. I told her we can wait until one is available but she said they don’t have high chairs. Come on this is the 21^st Century and they don’t have high chairs. The girl could have let us know before so I can make a reservation some where else. The food wasn’t that great my steak was burnt and hard. Plus it was really stressful having to eat at different times because my husband and I had to take turns eating so my food got cold on top of that.

Fell drastically short of all expectations. Our reservation was for 7:30pm on a Sunday night. We arrived at 7:15 and didn’t get seated until 8pm. The staff apologized but could have provided an appetizer or a round of drinks as we all waited patiently and hungrily (party of 6), but did not. These are very inexpensive things that a restaurant can do that go a long way.
We ordered. I ordered a rib-​eye, $ 58 and the waiter sold me on an ‘add-​on’ lobster tail. After 15 – 20 minutes the waiter came back to tell us that they were out of rib-​eye, which 3 of us had ordered. We reluctantly ordered the bone-​in rib-​eye which was $ 71 vs $ 58. My friend asked if they could comp us the difference since it was their bad… The answer was an absolute NO.
We waited another 45 minutes (1 HR total). It’s now 9pm and we haven’t eaten. Dinner arrived and it was just OK. No one was wowed by the food AT ALL. We went to Ruth’s Chris a few weeks before, and the steak was hands-​down better at Ruth’s Chris, sad to say. And less ridiculously expensive.
Check came and that’s when I see that the «add-​on» lobster tail was $ 77!!! Now let me step back. We went to Donovan’s expecting to pay a decent amount. However, $ 71 for a $ 58 piece of cow, and $ 77 for an ‘add-​on’ lobster tail is misleading and absurd, I don’t care what part of the world’s ocean you found it in.
The staff was fine. However, no meal should cost $ 280 for 2 people especially with the wait w/​reservation, lack of food items that we ordered, lack of compensation for either, extreme hour wait for our food, and a 1000% markup on their stringy-​chewy cow meat. Will not be returning.

I went to Donovan’s after the Farmers Open this weekend. Once on Friday night for work and the dining experience was great as usual. We ordered the seafood tower which is always a great, crabcakes (8 out of 10) and I ordered the lamb chop appetizer as my entrée. The lamb chop was prepared a little different from what I remembered. It wasn’t quite as seared and not as peppery which I loved in the past. We ordered a few bottles of wine and the service was top notch.
We went there again on sat night for a birthday celebration with a different group. The food was great but the service from our server Jeb was terrible. He was not at all attentive and the other helpers Mark and I forget the young man who filled out waters and cleaned off crumbs but he was fantastic! Jeb’s response to why our salads were taking so long was that we made a lot of modifications. He had a terrible attitude all evening as well as muttered something under his breath when my father in law asked him for a fresh glass of his soda. I was very embarrassed to have brought my parents and friends to celebrate my husband’s bday. The complimentary crème brûlée was nice and the food and wine is always delicious but someone needs to monitor that server Jeb and have a conversation with him. If you are miserable working there, go find something else to do. We go to Donovan’s for a nice meal and it’s unfortunate that our dinner was spoiled by his lack of service.

Donovan’s is amazing! Probably the best steak I have ever had with the most amazing view! We went recently during restaurant week and they had a 3 course special for $ 50, totally worth it! I got the steak which melted it was cooked so perfectly, the shrimp scampi, also delicious. Their house chopped salad was huge and very yummy. For sides we got brussel sprouts and mac and cheese, wow! There are no words to explain how amazing the mac and cheese is. Finally for dessert, crème brûlée and tiramisu, both were exceptional! The service was great as well and the restaurant itself is new, elegant with a magnificent view of the ocean.

Fantastic service! We sat in the bar area and Our waitress was very funny and nice. My meal was excellent. Got oysters and steak with potatoes as well as brûlée! The brûlée was huge and amazing! (Did not have any left!)

My husband and I went to Donovan’s to celebrate my birthday. I wanted to love my experience but it fell short on almost every aspect.
First, I had requested a table by the window, but when we arrived, we were told nothing was available but they would seat us as close as they could. That was a nice gesture but didn’t provide us with any view which is what we wanted.
After we were sat, it was only a few minutes before our waiter approached and told us about the specials. He told us about the steaks, the aging process and special additions to the menu and then left without taking a drink order. It took him 20 minutes to come back to get the drink order and when he did, he was ready to take the whole order. After feeling ignored for 20 minutes, I was now feeling rushed to get everything in at once. We stuck to just ordering a cocktail and a salad to start. When he came back with the cocktail, he was again ready to take our dinner order. Generally, when we are out for a special occasion, we like to take our time, space things out. We told our waiter we weren’t in a hurry and that we wanted to just enjoy. He told us that some steaks take a long time to prepare (up to 45 minutes) and that he would make sure to space things out even if we ordered our dinner right away. So, we gave in and gave him our order.
He had no sooner than walked away from the table when our salads came out. So much for just enjoying my cocktail to start the evening. The rush kept right on from there. One waiter was clearing my salad plate and another was bringing my dinner to the table. I had barely finished chewing my last bite of salad! We were approached 2 – 3 times while lingering over dinner to see if we were done eating. When we finally agreed to having the dinner plates cleared, it happened again; one waiter clearing dinner plates and another bringing a birthday dessert. The whole evening, which was supposed to be nice and relaxing, was rushed and frustrating.
The new location of Donovan’s is right next to George’s, a few doors down from Eddie V’s to the north and a few doors up from La V to the south. That’s pretty good company to be in. It’s also stiff competition. I love all of those other restaurants, not to mention, the Marine Room, where we have enjoyed meals for special occasions. If Donovan’s wants to succeed in their new location, they are going to have to step up their game. The food was good — but not better than any of those other places I just listed and for the experience we just had, we won’t be going back anytime soon.

From New York and we we’re dying for a Peter Luger style steak house. This place lived up to our craving. Delicious salads for apps, melt in your mouth steak with a crispy outside and delicious dessert. Staff was friendly and very courteous. Did feel slightly uncomfortable as they were all very proper and dressed in suits and bow ties haha but if you want a good steak, high class services comes with it.

Donovan’s is one of my fave places for dinner. We had the opportunity to finally try the new location in La Jolla Proper where Azul’s was previously located. We had a group of 8 who had a nice table overlooking the cove. Our server was great always making the rounds and refilling waters and drink requests.
We were offered warm bread and butter. My husband ordered a cab while I ordered a half bottle of the prosecco. We shared the bowl of seafood chowder and the restaurant went ahead and split the bowl into 2 cups for us, which was super nice. We ordered the special steak bone-​in New York to share. I’m not a fan of New York steaks, but this steak was bomb. I’m more of a ribeye girl, but this is definitely one of the most amazing steaks I’ve eaten. Delicious, tender and juicy. For dessert, we shared the crème brûlée. I’m a fan of their crème brûlée and this is their best dessert on the menu.
The ambiance is beautiful and can get a little loud especially with larger parties. The view is amazing so try to get a table at the window overlooking the cove. Service is always impeccable. Valet parking, but you can try to find cheaper parking in the lots of street or even free parking if you’re lucky!

My favorite steakhouse in the world. Visit number 6, still is. New location, new atmosphere. Back then at upstream La Jolla was a more cozy atmosphere built like a mountain house. You had a main dining room, but also had quieter side rooms as well with fairly large framed artwork on the walls. Now at Downtown La Jolla, there was a bit of a refresh. Out with the cozy, in with the noisy, and in with the SEA. A large window overtakes the entire dining room area that overlooks the ocean. You lose that steakhouse feel, but you gain a view. To each his own, but I’m not caring cuz that ribeye was still bombity bomb.
-=-Bread Butter Starter-​=- This bread was so good I couldn’t help myself. Soft inside, crunchy outside. You won’t believe it until you try it. Sourdough… right? I’m not good at that stuff.
-=-Scalloped Potatoes-​=- Do not not get this. It’s the best. Better than the Fleming’s Potatoes, but the Fleming’s Potatoes are stupendous as well. If you’re looking for a cheesy bite of potato cake, this is it. Hardened cheese crust on the outside, cheese on the inside. Oh man oh boy oh boy.
-=-Ribeye Chop 24 oz-​=- I don’t dilly dally, I order the most behemoth steak everytime. I think they’ve called it a cowboy cut in years past, but well, same thing. Bone in so after you are through you can be a cowboy and grip that bone. I must say that the bone wasn’t as spectacular this time around and not leaking over the plate, but it’s the same great thing. Extra bone next time Chef! I might’ve been the only one in this fancy establishment eating with his hands.

Went with a party of nine. Unfortunately because of the remodel construction to the outside of the building it was like walking to a tunnel under ground. That should be over soon. I was glad to see that the quality of the food has not changed since they were forced to move from UTC. They stil serve the best steak in town. We split two lobster tail appetizers. Absolutely mouthwatering perfect.
I then had the Caesar salad and it was excellent. I went for the filet medallion and bacon wrapped scallops. Wow. Hard to beat. The crème brulle was fantastic but the chocolate cake with ice cream dessert was unbelievable. Great wine lists. One is over the top in quality and price, the other had good selections at more standard pricing of under $ 100.00. Have fun. We did and we’ll be back.

What a great place to celebrate my birthday with my family. This used to be the old location for the Top of the Cove. The vireos amazing and we had a table right smack in front to take it all in. We had Trevor taking care of us and right from the start, we knew we were in good hands. I started off with a blood mary and they prepped it up with an onion, blue cheese stuffed olive and a regular olive. Well done!!! Next up was a ceviche appetizer loaded with shrimp, calamari, scallops and their homemade tortilla chips. Very tasty and plenty to go around for the table. We also had some hot bread to go with as well. I decided on the crab, shrimp and calamari salad. Plenty of seafood and I could barely finish it. We had a glass of Chardonnay as well that went perfect with the salad. Next up was a complimentary vanilla bean crème brûlée and I have to say it was the most perfect crème brûlée I have ever had. The consistency was flawless, the flavor exquisite and the caramelized top was spot on. I had a cappuccino to finish off a fantastic meal. Thanks to Trevor and the staff at Donavan’s for making this birthday meal extra special!!!

For the money I would expect much much better!!!
We went there for my wife b-​day and i ordered the Salomon which was just not bad my wife order a stake (took 2 bites and when I asked if it’s good she said yes but I think she didn’t want to heart my feeling lol). The ambiance was fine but at night there is not much to see. The table to close to point u can try the table next to you food, the wine list is great. Very friendly staff but I would not go here for the best steak of your life.

I’ve written a couple of reviews on Donovan’s Steakhouse previously (former location) — so I definitely recommend that you check them out for more details. Donovan’s is, hands down, my favorite steakhouse and it’s the ultimate standard that I use to rate other steakhouses. I’m a little bummed that they decided to re-​locate to downtown La Jolla — while it s a beautiful location next to the ocean, parking/​traffic can be a pain on a busy night.
The main dining room felt smaller than their old location & our table was definitely a tad bit small for a party of 8 — but it was the largest round table in the entire restaurant that I could see! Service is still impeccable as always and the food is amazingly delicious! Highly recommended!

Hidden away but worth finding! This restaurant is dark and traditional and reminiscent of many of the old San Francisco, historic eateries that have faded away over the past few decades. What distinguishes it is a gorgeous panoramic view of the ocean in addition to the traditional décor.
The food is a little pricey but well worth it. The prime beef is among the best I’ve ever had — expertly prepared and seasoned. Everything was fresh, the service was excellent and they had an extensive wine list by the glass, all listed by varietal, quality and price.
Overall it was a fantastic experience and we will be returning next time we’re in the area.

I met a colleague for lunch for the first time at Donovans. What a wonderful treat. It is old school steakhouse with incredible views of the pacific ocean. The bar tender, Eric, has to perform major surgery by preparing a martini for a regular customer who had a sore back. I can report the customer left without any more back pain.
The steaks, the baked oysters, the sides, all were off the hook. Trevor, our waiter, was very experienced and polite. You definitely want to checkout this joint the next time you are in the area, or better yet, make the trip.

My hubby and I went to Donovan’s to celebrate our anniversary. We arrived during happy hour of which they were still serving complimentary steak sandwiches. I was tempted to try one however I did not want to spoil my appetite.
We were seated in the main dining area which was dark with rich wood colors. This is the section where celebrities and companies purchase the tables. Each table has a company or person’s name embossed.
We decided to order the following items:
Seared Lamb Chops appetizer — this was amazing and I wish I had ordered it as a main dish
Prime Filet — my husband larger cut was cooked perfectly
Prime Filet with Shrimp Scampi — my petite filet was undercooked and had to be returned however it was perfect the second time. The scampi had a wonderful garlic butter flavor.
Au Gratin Potatoes — Excellent blend of cheeses perfectly cooked, potatoes were tender
Mac & Cheese Casserole — Excellent blend of cheeses perfectly cooked
Crème Brulée — complimentary since we were celebrating our anniversary and yummy
The service was impeccable and the food was superb. I will definitely try this restaurant again.

You will not be sorry if you come here and eat their simply mouthwatering food!
We had Salmon and it is cooked like no other restaurant can cook it — melt in your mouth. Cost is fine dining, expensive. I asked for a special table for a widowed friend of mine and they did accommodate us right by the window overlooking La Jolla cove — I was impressed they cared enough to place us in one of the best seats in the house view wise… Outstanding service as well!
My only complaint is the tables are very close together… This location is a bit smaller than the location they used to be in so I can see why — but that remains in my mind… maybe they will change this layout.

Feeling fancy? Donovan’s is a good choice. Donovan’s Steakhouse offers a fancy dining experience with a classy décor and prime quality steaks. Definitely pricey food, so I come here for special occasions only. I have used a Livingsocial deal before so look out for those. Donovan’s is always on SD’s Restaurant Week, fixed prices for a 3 course meal. I ordered their Filet mignon medallion, medium rare of course, it tasted like heaven. Sliced and cut easily like butter. so juicy and tender. Add some garlic shrimp scampi, veggies, and garlic mashed potatoes then you get an ultimate meal!
The service is great with wonderful staff. They take reservations of course. The place is fancy so it would be appropriate to wear something dressy. I don’t think it’s strictly enforced, but dressing nice adds to the experience. Dress good, feel good!

Top quality everything. Great wine selection. My favorite is their filet mignon and mashed potatoes!
I have only good things to say about this place.

Little bummed they moved to the Village but I like the old Azul spot. It was just so much easier to get to. Down the stairs on Prospect and enter to a fairly dark bar. It feels old school in the bar area which is cool. Lots of small high tops very close together but keeps the place feeling nice and cozy. Great HH menu. They have great cocktails and lots to choose from for small bites. Flatbread, seafood, sliders. They also have an outdoor patio which you can enjoy all year long. Not the best prices for HH but decent eats.

Unilocalers beware! If you write a negative review, you’ll have an «anonymous» Unilocaler, J «Spongy» P from Pacific Beach (
)
send you a private nasty message regarding your post. He’s most likely an insider for Donovan’s or a Unilocal Troll. Unilocal harasser at its finest folks!
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Donovan’s is not worth our time to ever come back again.
First off, Donovan’s is extremely pretentious, overrated and overpriced, for mediocre steak. It is too loud to enjoy dinner and they don’t understand the concept of personal space when choosing to tightly «cattle pack» couples near families with children whose parent’s seem to disregard dining etiquette and manners to nearby neighbors.
No, we did not have a good experience here. We would rather give our business to Flemings or Ruth’s Criss who both surpass Donovan’s in focusing on all-​around excellent customer service as well as amazing great-​tasting food.
When I compare Donovan’s to other steakhouses, Donovan’s is on the bottom of my list.
The snobby workers at the front desk will not acknowledge guests when they arrive and seem to revel in gossiping amongst their coworkers instead and gloss you over pretentiously to see if you’re worth giving excellent service to.
No matter what socio-​economic status you are, if you’re paying to eat here, Donovan’s should give you the same treatment they give to someone who is a regular diner.
Just because someone brings their children to eat at this steakhouse doesn’t mean they would tip better than a professional couple who’s celebrating an anniversary or other special occasion or say a high school kid taking his date out for Prom.
EVERY PAYING PATRON DINING AT ANY FINE RESTAURANT DESERVES THE SAME LEVEL OF EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE. PERIOD! Donovan’s doesn’t appear to understand that concept.
The layout of the restaurant is too-​close for comfort and appears that they are just trying to squeeze in as many tables as they can and jam pack diners.
The server we had was catering to too many tables and the wait for our food took much longer than expected; about 30 minutes with our waiter coming back numerous times to apologize for the wait. Despite this, we gave our waiter a generous tip because he seemed apologetic for the slow service.

Last night was my first time eating at Donovan’s. I chose this for a special occasion because the new location has a great view over looking La Jolla Cove. Reservation was at 6:30 and we were seated about 10 minutes after our reservation time. We waited at the bar and had a drink while waiting. We were seated at a small table for 2 right by the window.
Appetizer: crab cakes with spicy mustard sauce and tartar sauce. It was very moist, not overly fried tasting. Very good and up there on my list of best crab cakes of San Diego (Trulucks is number one).
Entrée: rack of lamb cooked medium with garlic smashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. I will just say this is one of the best racks of lamb I’ve had. Very tender, juicy and cooked perfectly. A light brown outter with a nice pink center. The outside had a nice crust and flavor. I think my mouth had an orgasm.
Side: oinion rings. Very large, crispy, and bland. I had to add salt. But after the lamb I was served… who cares about onion rings. But seriously, they should add more seasoning to the batter.
Drinks: I had a specialty cocktail called cherry blossom. A bit tart and would benefit from having a sugared rim. Due to that, my next drink was a lemon drop. Very tasty.
Dessert: complimentary crème brûlée. Very good. Nice crust, creamy sweet bottom. Also key lime pie to take home to my daughter. This was also good, soft crust and comes with a raspberry drizzle and topped with whipped cream.
My boyfriend had the veal chop and was disappointed that he ordered it medium and they served it well done. It was also a fatty cut. He wanted to send it back but didn’t want to be a douche and just ate it. He wasn’t pleased with his meal. I don’t eat veal so I didn’t try it, therefore I don’t have an opinion on it. My meal was fantastic however, and I have no complaints. I will gladly return to Donovan’s in the future.