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Honestly I had high hopes give the hype for this restaurant. The best part is the vibe inside it's super cute and a fun spot. The food is average Italian for LA - aka the photos look better than it tastes. Still good food but I wouldn't necessarily come back. Very in line with Jon & vinneys. No valet parking + street parking is hard to find. We walked in at 5:30pm on a Saturday night, put our names down and were seated 45 minutes later.
Donna's is inspired by an east coast great red sauce. The menu Italian-American classics, but also done with California ingredients. They have a full bar and a great wine list. You really need a reservation. It is large, but it fills up. The place is comfortable and clean. The bathrooms are great. It is family and tourist friendly and you can bring your kids. The service is perfect. They know the menu and can guide you. They are there when you need them and leave you to linger if you want. Their food is great, all of it. We rarely get a Chef's wine pairing menu, but we did this time and we were blown away by the food and the pairing. We has summer truffles, Crostone which is pear, great butter and orange blossom with robiola. We also had heirloom tomato with stone fruit. We also had lamb and a wonderful dessert. The wine was perfect. We also love all of their red sauce pastas and have tried most of them. You will love this place.
Donna's is incredible. The service is top notch, the decor is charming, and the cocktails are amazing. As an avid apple juice lover, if apple juice is on the menu then it must be amazing, right? Right... because it was the literal champagne of apple juice. A must order for apple juice lovers. As if that wasn't enough, the food was just as spectacular. We ordered: -Garlic bread (3/5) (It's good but a little much for me) - Shrimp scampi (4/5) (Please note that this is not served with pasta, just the prawns. The garlic bread is a must pair with this) -Linguini with clams (4/5) -Tiramisu (5/5) I'd come back a hundred times to try everything on the menu and repeat my favorites.
We made reservations to come here to celebrate one of our friend birthday. We parked at one of the parking lot nearby since it's that or street parking on Sunset. This place is almost like hidden so if you don't pay attention, you might miss it. We checked in at the host stand and she took us to go eat near the bar. This place is not that spacious and can feel compact inside. We started out with the Garlic bread and Caesar salad. I thought the garlic bread was okay but I wouldn't order it again. They have the cola in the glass bottle here. My friends ordered the chicken parmesan and lasagna rollatini. I got the linguini and clams for my dish. Our food didn't take long to come out. The portion of my dish is small and for the price, I don't believe it was worth it. I thought it was fine beside the portion size. My friends like their chicken parmesan and lasagna. Customer service was great with us and our waitress was attentive.
Came on a Monday as soon as it opened to put down my name since all reservations were booked up. Was able to secure a 6:00PM spot! I had heard great things about Donna's so I was ok with waiting. Our server was really nice, she let us know that this was meant to be family-style and that we should order 4-6 dishes for two people. We started off with the meatballs and garlic bread. The meatballs were great, came with a tomato sauce, no complaints here. The waitress had recommended we get the garlic bread to go with the meatballs since they came by themselves. The garlic bread was garlicky indeed, though I found the ends to be pretty hard. I wouldn't recommend it. We also tried their gnocchi and fusilli a la vodka for their pasta. The fusilli was great, I realized it wasn't your typical spicy vodka sauce since it didn't have that kick. It was a pretty light sauce, fusilli was cooked very well. The truffle gnocchi looked really good when we got it. The server said we should mix it up as per the chef and then the dish lost a bit of that good appeal, but it still tasted good! I'm a big fan of gnocchi and no complaints with Donna's. Overall their pastas were pretty good. I was really looking forward to trying their chicken parm. Everyone seems to rave about it so we had to make sure to get it. I thought the breading and everything around the chicken was great, but the chicken itself was pretty rubbery and chewy. I was pretty disappointed since the pasta had given me high hope for their chicken parm. Maybe it was an off night, but I would say that this was pretty disappointing and not worth the hype. To end the night we tried the panna cotta since the server said it was the staff favorite dessert. Again, pretty good, not mind blowing. My favorites were definitely their pastas, the fusilli specifically. Everything else was pretty much not memorable. Was able to find free street parking around the corner, though they also have a paid lot.
Donna's is elite. It's a lively, homey Italian restaurant offering a fun dining atmosphere, fantastic service, and top-tier food in Echo Park on Sunset Blvd. Reservations and ubering there is a must. Parking is pretty difficult. They have cute drinks and a wine menu. Definitely get a spritz, the one here is very refreshing. The menu has some great options. We got the garlic bread, caesar salad, spicy vodka pasta and the chicken parm. Hands down the best chicken parm I've had. It kind of ruined future chicken parms for me because nothing is going to top this. Caesar salad was very delicious too, super balanced, not weighed down by too much dressing and had a generous amount of cheese. I'd also put their garlic bread at the top, it's rich in flavor and the texture is spot on. The vibe inside is cozy and intimate, and our server took great care of us. Highly recommend Donna's if you haven't been!
Came here for a friends bday after hearing so many great things about this place and it most definitely did not disappoint! Food: I would say I have a favorite dish from here but I just can't choose! From the Caesar salad to the calamari to the vodka pasta and even the chicken parmesan, everything was delicious! Service: Service was amazing and a huge shout out to our server Rob! Super personable and made dining so much more fun with his jokes! Ambiance: The ambiance at Donna's was more of a lively and intimate type of Italian-American restaurant but also styled for modern LA vibes.
Best pasta ever!!! The vodka pasta seriously still lives in my dreams. It was sooo creamy, flavorful, and addicting. It was easily my favorite thing we ordered! I would come back just for this pasta alone. The tiramisu was chef's kiss So light, creamy, and the perfect way to end the meal. I lovedddd everything! The garlic bread came out hot and fluffy, but I do wish it had a little more garlic butter. Still yummy though! The chicken parm was good, but I didn't think there was anything super special about the flavor. I'd probably skip it next time and just get more pasta... Also, the decor is SO sweet and charming! Every table had its own little vase of fresh flowers, which was such a cute touch and made the whole place feel cozy and intimate. Overall, such a cute spot with AMAZING pasta. The vodka pasta + tiramisu combo is a MUST!!! Parking is either street or at a near by lot; it wasn't too expensive though!
The fusilli alla vodka pasta is everything that lives up to its hype. It's creamy, it's flavorful, it's robust, and it's just so cozy. And of course, it's al dente. I'd come back just for this alone! The garlic bread is also good. The bread was hot and fresh. Surprisingly, I think it could use a little more flavor as the parmesan cheese and garlic alone does not make for a strong flavor profile despite its appearance. My husband enjoyed his chicken parm. We did not like the lasagna rotini as the smokey flavor was too overpowering. They offered a special which was the stuffed crab shells, I really wish we got that instead of the lasagna. We had to make a reservation well in advance. The day of, they closed for the day and moved our reservation about a month up. Luckily, we were still able to make it for the rescheduled date and we even got a complimentary slice of tiramisu for the inconvenience. Well worth the anticipation, some of the best tiramisu I've had! Ambiance is romantic with dim lighting and the place had a great aesthetic for modern cozy Italian dining. Service was also very good. Parking is definitely tricky especially on a weekend night. We ended up ubering so we wouldn't be late to our reservation time.
Decided to try this place out on a Friday evening and waited for around half an hour without a reservation. We had been hearing all the best things about this place and were so excited to try. Spoiler alert: no one left disappointed! Fusilli Alla Vodka: The Fusilli Alla Vodka Pasta was impeccable! It was perfectly cooked, slight al dente, creamy, and flavorful. It was the perfect bowl that warmed your soul. Call us basic but we couldn't get enough of it, hence why there were three plates! I loved how mild the vodka flavor was in combination with the different cheeses. It was the perfect contrast. Sour Dough Parmesan Garlic Bread: The Sour Dough Parmesan Garlic Bread was outstanding. Although we all thought that it was a little on the saltier side and the crust was a little on the tougher side as well. Nonetheless, we all felt gut healthy after ingesting it. It was warm and fluffy, which was the perfect side dish to the pasta. Service: The services were all incredibly attentive despite the busy atmosphere and small space. It was my first time in a while where I didn't need to ask someone for more water. They were also very uplifting as it was our first time, they took the time to answer all of our questions and made sure our concerns were all properly addressed. Vibes: The overall vibe of the restaurant was similar to an Italian mom and pop restaurant. Low warm lighting scattered all across the restaurant with classic wooden tables, chairs, and checkered floors. It was a wonderful place to enjoy a dinner with loved ones. Parking: The commute and parking kind of took away from the entire experience. Thank goodness we carpooled and only the driver stressed out about the parking situation. There was a parking structure around the area but it was closed that day, leaving us with only street parking. We circled around the area a few times before deciding to park in a near by residential neighborhood. Some parts of the street parking required payment while others did not. Remember to read each street signs. The total for these four dishes came out to around $100. So it's not the cheapest thing out there but it's definitely something worth to experience once.
Food, incredible. Drinks, amazing. Service, always on point! Always worth the hype when we come to Donna's. Had a booth this time and were one of the first people into the restaurant. Pro tip: the 5pm reservation never disappoints. Street parking was not bad either. Definitely a good date night spot!
Donna's is inspired by the east coast with an emphasis on great red sauce. The menu reflects this and all of it is great. Make reservations or you will be waiting. You can walk in, but the wait is sometimes too long for me. Donna's is huge. It is just comfortable, spotless and a lot of fun. They have a full bar and you can eat there at the bar if you don't want to wait. The place is just adorable and the service is great, with nice staff who are helpful. They are fast to get to you once seated. The food is so great. We have eaten there and have taken out. We love all their food and their red sauce is the best. Their STUFFED PEPPERS with marinated peppadew peppers, taleggio cheese and the best roasted garlic are a great starter. We also love OLIVE OIL CAKE for desert. It is in a limoncello soak, market berries, and homemade whipped sour cream. Their mains are the best. We love their TOMATO RISOTTO which has blistered sungold tomatoes, ricotta salata and yummy pregano. Everything is great.
The food was good, but it wasn't blown away as I was expecting, especially considering how hard it is to get a reservation. I'd heard so much about the garlic bread, but I honestly thought it was just okay. We ordered the broccolini (which was very cheesy), the arugula salad (also very cheesy), the vodka pasta, chicken Parmesan, and the linguine with clams. The linguine was good, but I wish it had a little more seafood than just clams. I'd say the dishes I enjoyed the most were the chicken parmesan and the vodka pasta. The cocktails were actually really good, and I appreciated that they had spritz-style mocktails too. The restaurant itself is cute, cozy, and has a nice atmosphere. Overall, I'm glad I tried it, but I can't say it was necessarily worth the hype.
We went last night for the first time to celebrate my birthday as it's around the corner from our favorite pizza place Quartersheets. What a great small restaurant with a fantastic buzz. No detail is overlooked. Beautiful design -- reminds me of what your Italian grandma's dining room would look like if she had great taste. We took a Lyft since the parking situation is tough (but there is a paid lot down the street) and we were running late.I called and left message that we were running 15 minutes late and they got my voicemail and they were great about. Table was available right away. Cocktails were impressive - and we started with a dirty martini and a Negroni blanco. The garlic bread made with Bub & Grandma's bread is a clear winner. Our server Emerson was top notch and steered us through the menu and drinks and was informative and friendly as very professional. When he'd walk through dining room, he was scanning to see if anyone was trying to catch his eye. And when I did he came right over. None of this look straight ahead stuff I sometimes see when it's a busy night. You can get out of Donna's for a reasonable price if you stick to garlic bread, salad and one of their excellent pasta dishes (5 of the dishes are in the $25-$28 range). We splurged and got the scampi (from France) what a sauce, truffle gnocchi, amazing chicken Marsala with amazing mushroom sauce $32) and the Cesar salad was delicious and not mailed in. We ordered 1 dessert (panna cotta with pistachio brittle and fresh figs) and they brought a tiramisu and tiny glasses of their own limoncello out on the house. We also tried 1 glass of their special vermouth since we are vermouth lovers. A++++ experience all round and it was a high level of ingredients and food -- chef and his team are top notch. I now need to find out who's the chef in that kitchen because they've built an excellent team. Donna's slyly calls itself just a "red sauce Italian restaurant" but I'd say that's a real understatement...and I think it's a great date night or small group place because it's intimate and you can hear your table partners talk. I don't recall any music playing - just the warm brown background noise of fun conversation. We ate early (my preference these days) and if you don't see any openings for reservations, ask Resy to give you an alert -- you'll get notified when reservations open up. Emerson said they always hold some tables for walk ins. PS -- I normally don't leave such long reviews, but I have some friends who are chefs and who own restaurants - and when I see other Yelp reviews where someone leaves a one star because the hostess was allegedly rude when everything else is great -- I just hate to see how it can affect a restaurant. I have no relationship with this restaurant at all. I don't know any anyone who works in it or owns any part of it, but I just don't like to see people abuse the reviews -- the restaurant business is tough as it is. And as someone who has worked downtown and driven through Echo Park for 30 years - I think Donna's is a great addition to Echo Park. read more
So good !! And worth the waiting time. It gets busy so try to make a reservation. They do take walk ins. We went during a dodger game pre dinner / cocktail hour so that's also something to look at prior to going. Loved the restaurants look and design inside. staff was amazing and pleasant through out the whole dinner experience. Food: started with the garlic bread so flavorful. Tried the meatball dish and FUSILLI ALLA VODKA!! My favorite for the night. Everything had amazing taste and paired well!! There were 2 of us and sharing these plates was the perfect portion size for reference. Thank you Donna's !! read more
9 days ago
Tomato Arancini - 9.5 Easily the best arancini we ever had. They put tomato sauce in the mixture, which keeps it really moist. It almost gave you the feeling you were eating a meatball. The outside was really crispy and good texture. These are must if you go here. Garlic Bread - 8.2 The bread contained slices from the top which did not go entirely through. The inside of the slices contained cheese, garlic and butter. It was good but not great. The execution and flavor could have been better. Caesar Salad - 8.3 The dressing was really good as was the amount of parm they put on the salad. The greens were fresh and the croutons were pretty good as well. Nothing bad about the salad however, nothing great or memorable either. Fusilli alla Vodka - 8.6 Had good flavor and the correct amount of spice. It was also a good consistency. Could have used a little more ricotta but who couldn't. The ricotta could have also been a little more creamy, it was a little more on the dryer side. I wouldn't say this is a top 5 vodka pasta we ever had. Chicken Marsala - 8.4 They use dark meat chicken instead of white meat. Which I liked and I appreciated the subtle difference and wanting to be different. The chicken had great texture and was crispy while being juicy on the inside. The guanciale within the mushroom marsala sauce was not cooked down and rendered nearly as well as it should have been. I appreciate how much guanciale was in the dish however, the way it was cooked almost gave the dish an unwanted flavor. The marsala sauce was also too dark if that makes sense. The flavors reached and surpassed the point of being bold and flavorful to almost bitter. Chocolate Torte - 8.8 The flavor and texture of the torte was really good. The hazelnut crust was fabulous. The way in which the crust got crispy and caramelized was a great addition to the chocolate. The blackberries on the side weren't great. The blackberries needed to be blended and strained. The sauce the blueberries were in also didn't add anything to the dish. read more
Honestly I had high hopes give the hype for this restaurant. The best part is the vibe inside it's super cute and a fun spot. The food is average Italian for LA - aka the photos look better than it tastes. Still good food but I wouldn't necessarily come back. Very in line with Jon & vinneys. No valet parking + street parking is hard to find. We walked in at 5:30pm on a Saturday night, put our names down and were seated 45 minutes later. read more
Donna's is inspired by an east coast great red sauce. The menu Italian-American classics, but also done with California ingredients. They have a full bar and a great wine list. You really need a reservation. It is large, but it fills up. The place is comfortable and clean. The bathrooms are great. It is family and tourist friendly and you can bring your kids. The service is perfect. They know the menu and can guide you. They are there when you need them and leave you to linger if you want. Their food is great, all of it. We rarely get a Chef's wine pairing menu, but we did this time and we were blown away by the food and the pairing. We has summer truffles, Crostone which is pear, great butter and orange blossom with robiola. We also had heirloom tomato with stone fruit. We also had lamb and a wonderful dessert. The wine was perfect. We also love all of their red sauce pastas and have tried most of them. You will love this place. read more
Donna's is incredible. The service is top notch, the decor is charming, and the cocktails are amazing. As an avid apple juice lover, if apple juice is on the menu then it must be amazing, right? Right... because it was the literal champagne of apple juice. A must order for apple juice lovers. As if that wasn't enough, the food was just as spectacular. We ordered: -Garlic bread (3/5) (It's good but a little much for me) - Shrimp scampi (4/5) (Please note that this is not served with pasta, just the prawns. The garlic bread is a must pair with this) -Linguini with clams (4/5) -Tiramisu (5/5) I'd come back a hundred times to try everything on the menu and repeat my favorites. read more
We made reservations to come here to celebrate one of our friend birthday. We parked at one of the parking lot nearby since it's that or street parking on Sunset. This place is almost like hidden so if you don't pay attention, you might miss it. We checked in at the host stand and she took us to go eat near the bar. This place is not that spacious and can feel compact inside. We started out with the Garlic bread and Caesar salad. I thought the garlic bread was okay but I wouldn't order it again. They have the cola in the glass bottle here. My friends ordered the chicken parmesan and lasagna rollatini. I got the linguini and clams for my dish. Our food didn't take long to come out. The portion of my dish is small and for the price, I don't believe it was worth it. I thought it was fine beside the portion size. My friends like their chicken parmesan and lasagna. Customer service was great with us and our waitress was attentive. read more
2 months ago
Came on a Monday as soon as it opened to put down my name since all reservations were booked up. Was able to secure a 6:00PM spot! I had heard great things about Donna's so I was ok with waiting. Our server was really nice, she let us know that this was meant to be family-style and that we should order 4-6 dishes for two people. We started off with the meatballs and garlic bread. The meatballs were great, came with a tomato sauce, no complaints here. The waitress had recommended we get the garlic bread to go with the meatballs since they came by themselves. The garlic bread was garlicky indeed, though I found the ends to be pretty hard. I wouldn't recommend it. We also tried their gnocchi and fusilli a la vodka for their pasta. The fusilli was great, I realized it wasn't your typical spicy vodka sauce since it didn't have that kick. It was a pretty light sauce, fusilli was cooked very well. The truffle gnocchi looked really good when we got it. The server said we should mix it up as per the chef and then the dish lost a bit of that good appeal, but it still tasted good! I'm a big fan of gnocchi and no complaints with Donna's. Overall their pastas were pretty good. I was really looking forward to trying their chicken parm. Everyone seems to rave about it so we had to make sure to get it. I thought the breading and everything around the chicken was great, but the chicken itself was pretty rubbery and chewy. I was pretty disappointed since the pasta had given me high hope for their chicken parm. Maybe it was an off night, but I would say that this was pretty disappointing and not worth the hype. To end the night we tried the panna cotta since the server said it was the staff favorite dessert. Again, pretty good, not mind blowing. My favorites were definitely their pastas, the fusilli specifically. Everything else was pretty much not memorable. Was able to find free street parking around the corner, though they also have a paid lot. read more
2 months ago
Donna's is elite. It's a lively, homey Italian restaurant offering a fun dining atmosphere, fantastic service, and top-tier food in Echo Park on Sunset Blvd. Reservations and ubering there is a must. Parking is pretty difficult. They have cute drinks and a wine menu. Definitely get a spritz, the one here is very refreshing. The menu has some great options. We got the garlic bread, caesar salad, spicy vodka pasta and the chicken parm. Hands down the best chicken parm I've had. It kind of ruined future chicken parms for me because nothing is going to top this. Caesar salad was very delicious too, super balanced, not weighed down by too much dressing and had a generous amount of cheese. I'd also put their garlic bread at the top, it's rich in flavor and the texture is spot on. The vibe inside is cozy and intimate, and our server took great care of us. Highly recommend Donna's if you haven't been! read more
Came here for a friends bday after hearing so many great things about this place and it most definitely did not disappoint! Food: I would say I have a favorite dish from here but I just can't choose! From the Caesar salad to the calamari to the vodka pasta and even the chicken parmesan, everything was delicious! Service: Service was amazing and a huge shout out to our server Rob! Super personable and made dining so much more fun with his jokes! Ambiance: The ambiance at Donna's was more of a lively and intimate type of Italian-American restaurant but also styled for modern LA vibes. read more
Best pasta ever!!! The vodka pasta seriously still lives in my dreams. It was sooo creamy, flavorful, and addicting. It was easily my favorite thing we ordered! I would come back just for this pasta alone. The tiramisu was chef's kiss So light, creamy, and the perfect way to end the meal. I lovedddd everything! The garlic bread came out hot and fluffy, but I do wish it had a little more garlic butter. Still yummy though! The chicken parm was good, but I didn't think there was anything super special about the flavor. I'd probably skip it next time and just get more pasta... Also, the decor is SO sweet and charming! Every table had its own little vase of fresh flowers, which was such a cute touch and made the whole place feel cozy and intimate. Overall, such a cute spot with AMAZING pasta. The vodka pasta + tiramisu combo is a MUST!!! Parking is either street or at a near by lot; it wasn't too expensive though! read more
The fusilli alla vodka pasta is everything that lives up to its hype. It's creamy, it's flavorful, it's robust, and it's just so cozy. And of course, it's al dente. I'd come back just for this alone! The garlic bread is also good. The bread was hot and fresh. Surprisingly, I think it could use a little more flavor as the parmesan cheese and garlic alone does not make for a strong flavor profile despite its appearance. My husband enjoyed his chicken parm. We did not like the lasagna rotini as the smokey flavor was too overpowering. They offered a special which was the stuffed crab shells, I really wish we got that instead of the lasagna. We had to make a reservation well in advance. The day of, they closed for the day and moved our reservation about a month up. Luckily, we were still able to make it for the rescheduled date and we even got a complimentary slice of tiramisu for the inconvenience. Well worth the anticipation, some of the best tiramisu I've had! Ambiance is romantic with dim lighting and the place had a great aesthetic for modern cozy Italian dining. Service was also very good. Parking is definitely tricky especially on a weekend night. We ended up ubering so we wouldn't be late to our reservation time. read more
14 days ago
Decided to try this place out on a Friday evening and waited for around half an hour without a reservation. We had been hearing all the best things about this place and were so excited to try. Spoiler alert: no one left disappointed! Fusilli Alla Vodka: The Fusilli Alla Vodka Pasta was impeccable! It was perfectly cooked, slight al dente, creamy, and flavorful. It was the perfect bowl that warmed your soul. Call us basic but we couldn't get enough of it, hence why there were three plates! I loved how mild the vodka flavor was in combination with the different cheeses. It was the perfect contrast. Sour Dough Parmesan Garlic Bread: The Sour Dough Parmesan Garlic Bread was outstanding. Although we all thought that it was a little on the saltier side and the crust was a little on the tougher side as well. Nonetheless, we all felt gut healthy after ingesting it. It was warm and fluffy, which was the perfect side dish to the pasta. Service: The services were all incredibly attentive despite the busy atmosphere and small space. It was my first time in a while where I didn't need to ask someone for more water. They were also very uplifting as it was our first time, they took the time to answer all of our questions and made sure our concerns were all properly addressed. Vibes: The overall vibe of the restaurant was similar to an Italian mom and pop restaurant. Low warm lighting scattered all across the restaurant with classic wooden tables, chairs, and checkered floors. It was a wonderful place to enjoy a dinner with loved ones. Parking: The commute and parking kind of took away from the entire experience. Thank goodness we carpooled and only the driver stressed out about the parking situation. There was a parking structure around the area but it was closed that day, leaving us with only street parking. We circled around the area a few times before deciding to park in a near by residential neighborhood. Some parts of the street parking required payment while others did not. Remember to read each street signs. The total for these four dishes came out to around $100. So it's not the cheapest thing out there but it's definitely something worth to experience once. read more
Food, incredible. Drinks, amazing. Service, always on point! Always worth the hype when we come to Donna's. Had a booth this time and were one of the first people into the restaurant. Pro tip: the 5pm reservation never disappoints. Street parking was not bad either. Definitely a good date night spot! read more
3 months ago
Donna's is inspired by the east coast with an emphasis on great red sauce. The menu reflects this and all of it is great. Make reservations or you will be waiting. You can walk in, but the wait is sometimes too long for me. Donna's is huge. It is just comfortable, spotless and a lot of fun. They have a full bar and you can eat there at the bar if you don't want to wait. The place is just adorable and the service is great, with nice staff who are helpful. They are fast to get to you once seated. The food is so great. We have eaten there and have taken out. We love all their food and their red sauce is the best. Their STUFFED PEPPERS with marinated peppadew peppers, taleggio cheese and the best roasted garlic are a great starter. We also love OLIVE OIL CAKE for desert. It is in a limoncello soak, market berries, and homemade whipped sour cream. Their mains are the best. We love their TOMATO RISOTTO which has blistered sungold tomatoes, ricotta salata and yummy pregano. Everything is great. read more
The food was good, but it wasn't blown away as I was expecting, especially considering how hard it is to get a reservation. I'd heard so much about the garlic bread, but I honestly thought it was just okay. We ordered the broccolini (which was very cheesy), the arugula salad (also very cheesy), the vodka pasta, chicken Parmesan, and the linguine with clams. The linguine was good, but I wish it had a little more seafood than just clams. I'd say the dishes I enjoyed the most were the chicken parmesan and the vodka pasta. The cocktails were actually really good, and I appreciated that they had spritz-style mocktails too. The restaurant itself is cute, cozy, and has a nice atmosphere. Overall, I'm glad I tried it, but I can't say it was necessarily worth the hype. read more
Really loved my time at Donna's. Came here for my sister's birthday dinner and it was amazing. The hostesses and our server were fantastic. Appreciated o how our server recommended some of her favorites on the menu. Definitely try the arugula salad if you want to change it up a bit from the usual Caesar salad. The garlic bread was a hit! It was a great mix of buttery on the inside and crispy on the outside. Chicken parm and fusilli was also sooo good! I'd recommend to do family style and share so you can try more of the menu items. The interior is very clean and beautiful. The lighting is a bit dim but it adds to the vibes of the restaurant. Will definitely come back! read more
Donnas was absolutely perfect! The ambiance reminds of if literal small Italy cafe vibes, very intimate. Our server Hannah was absolutely kind and sweet. Definitely would come back again! Garlic Bread (5/5) I honestly don't say this lightly, but this is probably the best garlic bread I have ever had in my entire life. The outside was crusty and crispy and the inside of the bread was to die for. Super soft and warm with oogey, gooey buttery-ness with each slice. There are small garlic pieces inside, but that's what explodes the bread with amazing flavor. If there's anything you need to get, it's the garlic bread for sure. Caesar Salad (5/5) Also an amazing starter! I love how each bit of lettuce was coated with cheese, so every single bite had some love in it. Croutons added a nice crunch for texture. Solid to begin your meals with. Chicken Parmesan (5/5) Size was large, so please come hungry! The chicken was breaded perfectly and the sauce wasn't too heavy at all. Everything paired so nicely with each other. Basil added a nice aromatic touch to the dish without overpowering it. Amazing meal. read more
An LA staple for a reason- long wait time/hard to get reservations, the service is great, and the ambiance is very LA influenced. Photo ops in every corner! I would suggest this place only for smaller parties because how little space there is inside. We got the garlic bread, calamari, vodka, lasagna, seafood lemon pasta, and pesto pork pasta ??? Not sure the name and the food was good! This place is most definitely for cheese lovers- everything had SO much cheese it was a bit overwhelming. Probably won't be back because of their limited selection of pastas- really wanted to see more variety but felt it was a little lacking and the pasta was just good, not great. read more
4 months ago
This has to be my new favorite LA restaurant. Every dish I had was amazing, even the dessert. I was pleasantly surprised by the chicken parmesan and linguini & clams pasta. The caesar salad was also made really well. The service was friendly and quick. It's a super cute vibe inside too! Parking can get tricky since it's all street parking, but not too bad. read more
Getting reservations here felt like getting concert tickets for a popular artist. Reservation slots drop at 10am, 28 days in advanced. Within minutes, tickets for Saturday night were completely taken. Crazy! So much hype around this restaurant and for the most part, it did actually live up to it. Garlic Bread - Heavenly. A crunchy exterior with a soft buttery finish in between every slice and topped with parm shavings. This was definitely my favorite out of everything we got! Arugula Salad - Dressed perfectly with a tooooon of cheese on top. My type of salad! There was enough acidity in the dressing that the cheese wasn't too overpowering. Meat and Cheese Plate - Assorted meats and cheeses with olives and artichokes. All the cheeses were rich and the meats were sliced thinly. The portion of the plate as a whole was a little on the small side though. Fusilli Alla Vodka - The flavor was good but it honestly tasted like I could've made it at home. I was expecting a more rich creamy sauce with a handmade pasta. My hopes were extremely high for this dish since this is the one everyone gets. It wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't what I was expecting after seeing all the great reviews on it. Pan Seared Branzino - Comes on a bed of green sauce. The branzino itself was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The sauce felt a little out of place. A little too herby. It comes deboned. Patatas - Generous portion of crispy large potatoes with a delicious bed of aioli. Cannolis - Comes with 3 fun sized cannolis of differing flavors. Strawberry, chocolate, and I'm forgetting the other flavor. A fun take on your classic cannoli. My least favorite was the strawberry shortcake. It had the concept of a cannolis but just didn't hold up well and was more like cheesecake. The chocolate was the best. I did enjoy the toppings on either side of the cannoli for an extra crunch. Rosina - Perfectly balanced cocktail. A little sweet with enough tartness to not make it overpowering. Service was great, the interior of the restaurant was cute and homey, food came out quickly - overall, a very good experience. The hype around this place made my expectations extremely high, and although they weren't all met, this was still a meal I would definitely come back for. read more
If you want to try Donna's you need a reservation! This place gets packed but it's a great little restaurant with a cool vibe in Echo park. The Caesar salad and garlic bread was phenomenal, enough to make us come back just for the "appetizers." They were exactly what everyone had said they were going to be. The fusilli was also very good, not too spicy and the perfect mix of tomato/creamy. The chicken parmigiana was solid and it was huge! I don't think I'm the best critic of the chicken parmigiana since I rarely order at other restaurants but I had to try it since it was what everyone talked about. The flavor was great, but I could do without it and just order the Caesar, garlic bread, and fusilli read more
2 months ago
5/5 Metered street parking. Went on a weekday & got lucky on finding a spot. The restaurant is beautifully decorated - has an intimate, warm & cozy vibe. Not too big of a dining room, but not cramped either. Even though the atmosphere was very busy, it wasn't rushed. Big shoutout to the entire staff especially our server, Emerson, who took amazing care of us! 1000/10 From the moment we entered & throughout our whole experience there, we received amazing, great vibes & hospitality. Everyone was so kind & welcoming. We were greeted & offered drinks as soon as we got seated. He explained the menu very well, was always on top of everything, and kept a positive attitude. Even though it was super busy, we never had to flag anyone down. Our dirty dishes were cleared off the table when done. The food came out not long after we put our order in. We got: Garlic Bread 1000/5 - THE STAR OF THE SHOW. I love sourdough & garlic bread so this was literally the best thing on earth! Came out nice & warm. Crust was crunchy with a soft, moist interior and extraaa garlic in every bite - it was heaven. The cheese on top was a bonus touch. Fusilli alla Vodka 4/5 - Not spicy. Tasted like an extremely creamy mac n cheese. I wouldn't say it's overhyped because it's really good, however there's nothing special about it. (I'm not a big pasta person so maybe that's why) Linguini & Clams 1000/5 - BEST THING EVER. Very well executed - every bite was so creamy & savory. The broth was phenomenal. If you love clams, you'll love this! (I wonder if there's an option to add extra clams?) Chicken Parm 4/5 - The texture, the flavor, & marinara at the bottom was delicious. Cheese was perfectly melted. Tiramisu 1000/5- Every layer was nice & moist. Not bitter, not overly sweet. Just perfect. One of the best tiramisus I've ever had! Was celebrating my birthday so Emerson was kind enough to add a candle + a warm greeting Overall, will definitely be back Worth reserving a month ahead on Resy! read more
6 months ago
A friend had a recent birthday and I told her to pick a restaurant for her birthday dinner. I've never heard of this place since Echo Park isn't exactly familiar to me but after seeing their menu, I was looking forward to trying them out. Reservations were tough to get, so she booked out a month in advance with alerts in case something else came up earlier. Nothing ever changed, so we had our 5:15p reservation on a Wednesday (they open at 5p). Before the day, I have to say their customer service was top-notch; I had reached out to let them know that it was for a birthday (since I knew the birthday girl didn't call this out herself) and if they accepted cash, and someone got back to me within an hour after I left a voicemail. They also reached out regarding parking suggestions in the area for that day since there was a Dodgers game which was greatly appreciated. We left earlier, and made it with 5 minutes to spare. Hostess desk is crammed up front right at the door, so there will be a lot of activity as you enter. She was very friendly, and led us to the dining room behind this area against the wall. This was a smaller space, but it already had several parties seated and they only opened 15 minutes prior. Still bottles of water were placed on the table, so we were able to pour ourselves which I liked. On our table tonight: -Squash Arancini ($8) -Garlic Bread ($16) -Fusilli Alla Vodka ($25) -Chicken Parmesan ($36) -Side of Spaghetti (Aglio Olio or Marinara, $13) I was a fan of the arancini with the hint of sage. The talked-about garlic bread was pretty good; it was potent towards the middle of the pre-cut slices where I could only finish one (and I love garlic bread). I tried some fusilli before the ricotta and chili oil was mixed in, and I would consider getting this for myself another time. Aglio Olio, although just a side portion, was enough of a main dish for myself and the chicken parmesan was okay, but I'm not the biggest fan of this dish in the first place. Cheese was abundant on the arancini and the garlic bread (and from what I could tell, some of the salads) but this can be put on the side as the party next to us did if you don't want to be overwhelmed with all the cheese. Dessert was cannoli's ($14), and they let us sub another chocolate for the lemon ricotta. You will get charged for the birthday dessert, but they did add a candle. To get to the restroom, you have to go through the back bar area which also has some tables, so I can see why reservations are a must here even though they will accept some walk-ins. Service here was friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed our time here at Donna's, and I'm glad to have tried an out of the way restaurant (well, for me at least). Would be happy to return! read more
18 days ago
First time dining at Donna's and I'm glad we were able to get a reservation. The restaurant is quite small and located in echo park along sunset, so you can entertain yourself quite a bit exploring the neighborhood waiting for a table. The food is extremely flavorful and worth venturing to the neighborhood to enjoy. It was Sunday, so I passed on a cocktail (I know, boring). The stuffed peppers contained cheese and garlic and soaked in olive oil. I never had a peppadew pepper before, and they are very tiny! However, the flavor is robust and it makes a good starter. The garlic bread is legendary with butter and garlic baked in and topped with Parmesan. It's very filling so be careful. Cesar salad was solid and also topped generously with cheese. The pastas are delectable and there is quite the variety to sample. Fusilli alla vodka was rich and as good as it gets. Good old spaghetti and meatballs was anything but boring. The meatballs were an explosion of flavor. Veal piccata was very tart and heavily soaked in liquid. I might not order this next time. For dessert, panna cotta was very striking in appearance with strawberry and basil--very rich. Tiramisu was ok. I definitely would like to return to sample other dishes. How to get a reservation is the question. read more
Excellent dining experience! From the moment we're seated to the great food and service we received it was overall a super pleasant evening for us. For each and every food that we had, none was disappointing. The tiramisu was perfect. 10/10 we'll be back here for dinner if we can get a reservation. read more
6 months ago
I came here for dinner and was pleasantly surprised. To start we got the Caesar salad. This was very refreshing. We also got the calamari. This was delicious. I loved the two dipping sauces it came with and the calamari was perfectly fried. Definitely recommend both dishes. Then we got the fusilli vodka and the chicken marsala. The fusilli was absolutely delicious and I would definitely come back for this dish. Unfortunately the chicken marsala was not that good. The sauce was this off putting sweet taste and my sister and I did not like it. The chicken was incredibly tender though. For dessert we got the chocolate torte to share and this was incredibly dense and rich. Super tasty. Overall I would recommend this place and besides the marsala dish, everything else was delicious. read more
I came here for a birthday dinner w my girlfriends. We came on a weeknight around opening. Parking: there's no private lot and I don't see valet. Hence, it's street parking. Give yourself some time to look and circle around. We each found street parking about 2-3 blocks away--all free. You can also find entered street parking as well. The restaurant itself is super cute. I love the vibe inside and the ambiance. Very cute date night Place!! The food: Meatball: I recommend! Good size and perfect to share. It comes w two which we found adequate for our group of three. Garlic bread: yum! Love the texture, seasoning, and cheese grating over the bread! Good to eat w the meatballs! Broccolini: everything is super carb heavy, so we opted for this instead of a salad, Fussili alla vodka: great choice and crowd pleaser. Linguini and clams: yummy but kind of lacking on the clams. lol! Lasagna: probably the most disappointing dish of the evening. Lacked texture. Super salty. We all thought this was the most skippable dish. Dessert panna cotta: a good finish to the evening. Came w a birthday candle. read more
4 months ago
Wow, this is one of the few places in LA that actually lives up to the hype. The food was great especially since everything came out piping hot. The meatballs were probably the best I've had in a long time, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. Simple dishes, but so flavorful and well executed. read more
Was on the way best home and had never been to Donna's, so we decided to stop by and see if we could get a walk in table. There was a 30 minute wait, so we put our name on the list and got seated at the bar when ready. Started out with the meatballs, which come with two. Decent size, looks tasty but, flavor wise, they felt a little lacking. Definitely were not memorable. Entrees, we got the Fusilli Alla Vodka and the chicken parmesan. The chicken parm was cooked well, could have been a little crispier on the outside, and sat in the sauce instead of having the sauce on top, so you can add as you please. Was a decent chicken parm overall. The Fusilli Alla Vodka was the winner of the evening, though, with the whipped ricotta on top and chili oil with the pecorino romano on the pasta. Just a tasty bite each time. Overall, nice little Italian restaurant in Echo Park. Definitely try the Fusilli Alla Vodka, absolutely worth it. The chicken parm is decent as well, but pass on the meatballs. read more
I've been here two times and I have to say the ambiance and vibe is unmatched. It's so romantic but feels chill at the same time. During my first time I got a limoncello, chopped salad, vodka pasta, and the garlic bread. The second time, I got all of the same things as the first but added a Caesar, a chicken parm, and a cherry cocktail. I really liked the limoncello the first time but the second time seemed a bit more ginger forward? And the chopped salad was less vinaigrette sour and more creamy the second time but I preferred it when I first had it. The vodka pasta did not disappoint and was exactly as good as the first time. The new things: The Caesar salad was actually the better salad of the two and I usually prefer the more vinaigrette-ey salads like the chopped salad but this one was done really traditionally and you can definitely taste the fishiness of the anchovies. The cherry cocktail was quite nice and I preferred it a little more than the second time limoncello. The chicken parm was amazing and the chicken itself was so bouncy and juicy. Would definitely get these items again. read more
~ food: 8/10 ~ service: 10/10 ~ ambiance: 10/10 ~ parking: limited street parking came here for my bf's birthday dinner and the vibe was great. the space feels like a cozy, welcoming italian home. our server was incredibly kind and funny and made us feel comfortable right away. i requested no ginger in my drinks, and he recommended a classic lemon drop martini instead of the specialty limoncello drop--it was amazing we ordered the famous garlic bread, but honestly i don't really see the hype beyond how aesthetic it is. it could definitely use more garlic and more seasoning the pasta was slightly undercooked, but the sauce was perfectly seasoned and full of flavor. i loved how simple yet elevated the dish felt, with all the little details coming through the chicken parm was huge. the chicken was crispy, and the tangy sauce cut through the thick layer of cheese really well. this was my favorite dish of the night the tiramisu was good, but not the best i've had. it could benefit from sitting longer to soften up more, though the flavor itself was solid overall, i would come back for the ambiance, service, and drinks, but not necessarily for the food. while everything was good, none of the dishes truly wowed me read more
2 months ago
4 months ago
We were recommended to Donna's and everything seemed really yummy and good so we decided to stop in to celebrate my boyfriends birthday. We made a reservation for Thursday night just incase there was a wait. Upon arrival, we noticed they were very busy and the wait was pretty long so I do recommend making a reservation a least a few days before arrival. The hostess sat us after 5-10 min, the whole restaurant was BUZZING with people and dates. The restaurant overall was fairly small and intimate so it's understandable why the wait would be long. The server, Robert, was extremely friendly when he greeted us. He recommended a few cocktails to us and apps. We grabbed a few cocktails and got their garlic bread and cesar salad for the table. The garlic bread was good but honestly a pass for the future visit. The cesar salad was really good and refreshing so we will forsure get another. I, personally, got the Limoncello Drop (Their twist on a limoncello and lemon drop martini) which was delicious! I highly recommend getting one, it's extremely light, refreshing and zesty. For the mains, We decided on the chicken marsala, spaghetti & meatballs, and Fusilli alla vodka. The chicken marsala was extremely juicy and flavorful while it's smothered in onions and mushrooms. The spaghetti was decent, alittle bland and lacking flavor so we'd pass on it next time. The Fusilli alla vodka was our favorite though! The flavor is the chilis and vodka sauce work well together and the pasta was cooked very well. I got extra calabrian chilis for the pasta which complimented the pasta very well. We noted that the vodka is a MUST in the future. For dessert, since we were celebrating my boyfriend's birthday, we got the olive oil cake which was soooo delicious. They do NOT offer free or complimentary dessert for birthdays (which we didn't expect nor want) so just a heads up! The cake was really moist and flavorful yet did strongly taste like oil (kinda obvious). The did put a candle and whip creme on top for us to sing which was really cute. Overall, I recommend stopping in for a cute date night or to celebrate birthdays! The staff was really nice and funny. Most of the food was really yummy and flavorful. Plus all of the cocktails were a decent price point and full of flavor and ingredients. I will for sure be back soon to try more and grab another Limoncello drop martini!! read more
Really amazing Italian food spot and the Fusilli Vodka is amazing. The flavor is excellent and honestly probably one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had, it's a must try. The fried calamari is really good too. I also tried the chicken parm and it was amazing. The tiramisu is very unique with the salty aspect. Overall really great food. The inside is also very beautiful and has a nice dark vibe. The service every time I've been has been okay nothing special but nothing negative to say. read more
After weeks of trying, I finally snagged a coveted Donna's reservation! And I'm happy to report it absolutely lives up to the hype. We arrived right at 6:45pm for our reservation and checked in with no issues. Walking inside felt like stepping into a locals only supper club. The vintage floral wallpaper and cozy interior made it feel like dinner at a nonna's house back in Italy. What we ordered: Garlic bread (10/10): spongy sourdough loaded with Parmesan cheese, butter and garlic. A must order. Caesar salad (9/10): one of the best Caesar's I've had. Lots of croutons(a win for me). Lasagna rollatini (100/10): star or the show. Simply incredible and the rolled format makes it perfect for sharing. Pan seared branzino (8/10): perfectly seared and filleted off the bone with pickled veggies and pesto which tied it together nicely. Tiramisu (8.5/10): A massivr slice with an incredible salted cream top. So happy my partner and I got to experience Donna's. Everything was so good it genuinely made me wonder if there's a team of Italian grandmas cooking in the kitchen. Truly a 10/10 dinner experience that I'll be thinking about for awhile. read more
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Ask the Community - Donna's
How's the street parking situation?
Get there early. Usually drive around and find street parking. Hasn't been an issue.
Do they have vegan options?
I dont recall specific vegan items listed but perhaps you can read their menu online. I read it before I arrived and knew what I wanted to order. The pepoers, cesar salad…
Reservations needed for Bar seating?
So u need reservations for every seat..bur here is the trick...arrive at 5pm when they open. They can seat u
Is there gluten free pasta?
I don't recall any gluten free pasta on the small menu. Perhaps a quick call to the restaurant resolves the mystery or pull up the menu on line.…
Is it reservations only?
The website explicitly says they have tables for walk-ins. Also, reviews note waitlist can be long.
Do they have any vegan options?
My suggestions would be to modify the chopped salad by removing the salami and cheese. Same with the arugula salad you could just ask for no cheese. The marinated olives and seasonal giardiniera seem to be vegan as it is.
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