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Donaji

4.6 (219 reviews)
Closed Closed
Updated a few days ago

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DONAJI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Good for groups
Happy hour specials
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Donaji

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Reviews With Photos

Daniela L.

A GREAT SURPIRISE !!! I went to one of my favorite restaurant but They were closed . So I decided to walk an looking around . Suddenly this place had the vibe that got my attention. The type of crowd its always a good sign .... and very important for me if a restaurant has outdoor seatting because Its me and my sweet dog always.... The exprecince was SENSATIONAL Great food gourmet Mexico city style Remided me like if I was at Polanco or Pedregal or Bosque de Las Lomas area. What was very unique it was the decoration very clasical Mexican style in an area that I wouldn't expect fine dining touch . The drinks were fabulous. I had 2 margaritas and no headache the next morning (good sign) $ 60 prefixed dinner and absolutely delicious. The waiters and the owner very attentive and well educated NO attitude and that is always a plus. Lu my sweet dog and I We had a Fabulous dinner We will be back soo !!!

Potato Soyrizo Enchiladas in Mole Negro
Jimmy C.

Oaxacan restaurants like Donaji will still need more love than ever. After all, nothing can go wrong with friendly and approachable staff who made their authentic drinks and dishes with love and care. The moment I'm greeted, I get to choose a table that's near the bamboo hut type of wall on the right side. This evening is filled with indoor neon dim lighting that makes candlelit dinner a laid back tiki bar instead of dining outdoor. Vibrant colors in the atmosphere make an amazing night to remember. For my favorite appetizer, a big plate of tortilla chips on the side of chapulines (fried grasshoppers), a baby coconut filled guacamole, and a sweet mild sauce. Love the salty crunchy exoskeleton drizzled with a piece of lime juice. To add a better touch, a waitress recommends that I use the garlic chili oil, and it's smokey good with a spicy aftertaste. For main course, a pair of Potato Soyrizo Enchiladas drenched in Mole Negro with refried beans and rice! With one spoonful bite, mm-mm-mm, sweet and savory! After few more bites, this plant based spicy big guns is oh so filling, which means there's no more room for any dessert. I might come back if my sweet tooth is acting up. Great background party style songs, even if nothing to watch on the flat screen TV, makes me feel like a welcome guest. With little or no customers, walk-ins are welcome (no reservations during that time). Donaji is desperate for more customers to keep the business running. That's the reason why I come to make their day, to keep their oaxacan spirits alive.

Coco margarita, la Dona cocktail
Fiona K.

Visited last Friday ~5pm and we were immediately sat. They have both indoor & outdoor seating, since it was a little cooler out we opted to sit inside which had a really cozy vibe with low lighting & cute decor. As mezcal lovers we were really excited about their mezcal club program / to try their variety. Our server Pedro was so knowledgeable & nice, he explained the differences & we really enjoyed the two we tried. Their cocktails & food were also great, everything was fresh & the flavors were really well balanced. My favorites were the tlayuda Oaxaca, mole enchiladas, & la dona cocktail. We will absolutely be coming back!

Steph C.

Love this place! So cute and reminiscent of my time in Oaxaca. They have a great hh from 5-7. If you like mezcal they have a mezcal bingo card and you can put your name on the wall if you complete it. I know it's legit because they have chapulines. We tried the guacamole and chips and M&M (mezcal and beer) for hh. Will be back to complete my bingo card. For October 2025 they have pop ups every Wednesday show casing different LatinX cuisines until the 15th.

Passionfruit cocktail, Old Fashioned, Elote
Amanda M.

I've been looking forward to visiting the Mission because of so many great food options, and Donaji did not disappoint! Having lived in Arizona, I'm a big tequila and mezcal fan, but I've had a hard time finding many good tequila cocktail options at restaurants in the Bay Area. This definitely satisfied my craving! I ordered a passionfruit mezcal cocktail (can't remember the menu name) and it was perfectly to my liking -- fruity and tart with a slight kick, and it was a little pulpy / viscous. For food, my boyfriend and I ordered elote as an appetizer, he ordered the beef enchiladas with rice and beans, I ordered the beef birria tacos, and we shared the churro for dessert. Although the elote is actually a side dish, it was the perfect appetizer side for two, though it lacked salt, pepper or chili powder. We both really enjoyed the beef on our entrees; it was juicy, flavorful, and they were decent servings! I liked that my birria tacos were flavorful and cheesy, but not overly greasy as some can be. However, the rice and beans also lacked salt or much other flavor. As for the ambiance, I felt like I was on vacation at a Mexican restaurant with the colorful decor and even the split bamboo wall on one side. The restaurant was dimly lit in the evening which felt like a more intimate date night spot, but it was still casual and laid back. The staff was also very friendly, and they were nice about letting us take our time to order and just hang out for a bit. Would love to come back if I'm in the area!

Mahi mahi tacos 8/10
Sahil G.

I visited Donaji Friday evening for dinner, and this place was pretty good. I heard this place serves great authentic Oaxacan food and wanted to check it out. We started with the Quesofundido, which, in my opinion, was the best dish of the night. I would come back again just for this. For entrees, we ordered the short rib in mole and the Tlayuda Oaxaca. The short rib was great; however, I wasn't the biggest fan of the tlayuda. We also ordered some cocktails, which were not the best in my opinion (you can get better drinks for less elsewhere). At the end, we also ordered the churro s'mores donut, which I also thought was okay. I personally wouldn't recommend it. The customer service was exceptional, some of the best customer service I've received at any restaurant. Overall, I'd return to try some new items on the menu and definitely get another round of that quesofundido

Side corn and Ahi Crudo
Lori R.

Went here on a Friday night and it was busy!!! About a 30-45 minute wait for group of 4 at 7:45pm. Although infatuation was having their chase preferred special quality here so not sure if that had any impact. It's a medium sized restaurant with some outdoor seating. Wouldn't recommend it for larger groups. They don't do reservations so will have to walk in. Suave but homey ambiance. Their drinks are focused around mezcal and tequila- their margaritas are delicious and my friend enjoyed her non alc mocktail. The corn and ahi crudo were okay. Nothing special. The ahi crudo reminded me more of poke/asian flavors rather than citrusy ceviche. The mains were all amazing The chicken enchiladas paired so well with the mole! We wanted to lick the plate clean (but didn't- just used our spoons to scoop everything up). The short rib was fall off the bone tender and my favorite dish. The mushrooms tacos were the sleeper order- everyone loved those and wish we got more (and I wish I took a photo). If you love sautéd mushrooms would highly recommend those. Also- a HUGE shoutout to our server (I think his name was Pedro) - he was definitely juggling a ton of tables but his hospitality skills are top notch. He was attentive but also apologetic if things were moving slower, great conversationalist, and we could tell he really cares about not only his job but his coworkers and the restaurant itself.

Enchiladas de Mole Negro (back) and Beef Birria Tacos (front)
Nanase T.

My friend visited all the way from Japan and was craving Mexican food, so we decided to stroll around the Mission District and pick a restaurant to dine in. We stumbled upon Donaji, and my friend chose this spot because she had never tried Oaxacan cuisine before. We did not have a reservation, and the inside was full, but we were able to be seated outside with no wait. The staff kindly turned on the heater for us as well, since it was a little chilly. We ordered Chips & Guacamole to share, Enchiladas de Mole Negro for my friend, and Beef Birria Tacos for myself, but we shared bites of each other's dishes. It was our first time trying mole, and it was quite the experience! When we first tasted the sauce on its own, I was worried my friend might not like it because the flavor was very unique and complex. However, once paired with the enchiladas, everything came together beautifully and balanced, which surprised us. While we really enjoyed the food and our experience, we felt that the prices were pretty steep for small-portioned dishes, which is understandable because of their commitment to using high-quality, local ingredients. I am definitely open to coming back, but probably for a special occasion with a reservation next time!

Oaxacan hot chocolate and churro donut
Melody L.

Only came here for dessert so can't speak to anything else! Staff was so lovely and attentive throughout the experience, even though we were just there to eat some sweets. We sat at the bar and ordered an Oaxacan hot chocolate and a churro donut. The hot chocolate was wonderfully spiced and so warming on a typical, windy and foggy day in SF. The churro donut was a tad too dense and undercooked on the inside, but the chocolate dipping sauce covered it up well. Not the best churro I've had, but did the job for our sweet tooth. Would definitely be open to coming back and trying out their vegan enchiladas and mole!

Enchiladas de Mole
Camilla M.

I wanted to try this place for so long and I finally did it on Saturday night. We were lucky to find a table without reservation. We went around 5:45/6pm and we ordered: enchiladas with chicken for me (they're famous for mole and I know why now...it was very good), I don't remember what my husband got but it was something recommend by the waiter and he said it was good, birria tacos for our daughter that it came with rice, beans and avocado (a very nice and good plate). I really recommend the restaurant because I like the food but also the service.

Ahi Aguachile
Ella L.

We went on a thursday night and got a table immediately! We ordered: Ahi tuna aguachile, chips and guacamole and salsa, braised short rib, birria tacos, tlayuda. I could skip the tlayuda next time and the standout was the short rib! The only thing I didn't love was the red lighting in the restaurant bc I couldn't really see what I was eating very well haha.

Sherry F.

Made a trip to the mission to try some Oaxacan cuisine. Donaji is a stylish restaurant with a full bar. Menu does rotate frequently but the service is exceptional! We ordered the chalupas, mole enchiladas, verde pozole, and the tuna crudo got done in and every dish we got was presented beautifully. Mole on enchilada was really well balanced. Not too sweet, but still nice and chocolaty. A nice little kick and not too bitter. The tuna crudo was one of the best bites of marinated fish we had in a while. Comes with homemade tortilla chips that were extremely crunchy. We came for the tamales, unfortunately they did not have it on the menus but had some premade ones that we can purchase to take home. The masa was exceptional. Nice and fluffy texture with a great umami.

tostadas
Linda Y.

I've passed by this spot on 24th a bunch of times and finally got to try it during weekend lunch! It was pretty busy inside, but got seated fairly quickly. I was most excited for the enchilada mole but was a little disappointed because it was lukewarm and the skin didn't seem that fresh (or maybe because I had a realllyyy good one in Mexico last year to compare it to). The open-fave tostadas were really flavorful and yummy and I enjoyed those a lot. The ambiance was awesome -- super cute inside, warm vibes, and friendly staff. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get the mole but it'd be fun to stop by for a drink or a small bite again.

Coco Margarita (L) & Taramind Tini (R) - both are delicious!

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2 years ago

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9 months ago

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Alison C.

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10 months ago

The food was absolutely amazing. Only problem was the severer sat me the bar, not idle when wearing a cast on your leg.

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Alison C.

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That’s super helpful info. Thank you Mark

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Those are great pics thank you so much

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Alison C.

Thank you!

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Thank you for trying us out! Appreciate the feedback

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Page 2 of 6

Donaji Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Donaji

Do you use soy or nuts?

There are peanuts in their salsa macha that's on every table

Do you have vegetarian 🌱 options?

Hi! Yes we have vegetarian and vegan options.

Is there any outdoor seating?

Hi, no unfortunately. We are working on possibly getting a parklet soon. Thanks

Is there a gluten free menu? Since it's mostly masa based I'm really hoping to be able to eat here.

Hi, yes our menu is mostly gluten free! The only item with gluten is the Mole Negro because it has cookies in it. Thank you for asking

Do you make mini tamales or tamalitos?

Hi there we make Normal Size Tamales

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