I've been here twice when down in San Diego. This is some of THE yummiest vegan food I've ever had. The employees are super friendly and helpful so it has a homey feel. And the fact it has a drive through is a huge plus for me. Best vegan cheese fries I've had yet 10/10 read more

Evolution Fast Food - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

In San Diego for a conference & Yelped a head of time to find a popular Vegan spot. Due to the fast food concept & the menu's good lookin' eats, I set out on my walking excursion to Evolution. Even after getting turned around by 2.5 miles (Waze had me wheezing) & a 8 mile journey, I was happy to finally see the big green sign directing cars to pull up to the yellow line after placing their order. Evolution is absolutely a fast food joint offering a full service menu of Raw & Grab & Go items, Burgers, Sandwiches, Chili, Shakes, Smoothies, Organic Juices & in house daily made Desserts. I ordered the Buffalo Tenders with their tasty homemade Ranch Dressing, Taco Roll up, Sweet Potato Fries, Kombucha on tap - Gingerade & Banana Walnut Muffins that rang up around $20. This small To-Go style space offers a counter with a few bar stools, self-serving fresh made drinks, a welcoming community board, All Gender Restroom, & a huge patio with a water fountain & live plants/trees giving you a breezy San Diego vibe. THANK YOU Gabby for your fantastic customer service & suggestions, I enjoyed every morsel of my food as it was absolutely worth the extra journeying. read more

Tried the buffalo chicken sandwich today and cookies & cream shake, both were DELICIOUS! 10/10 will be coming back to try more items.

I was on line at 8:03 , wack ass rule they close at 8pm so we didn't even get to order they could have made an exemption as they were more cars read more

Evolution Fast Food - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Love that they have drive thru and parking. Great menu, lots of options for sandwiches, burgers and other entrees (like chicken tenders). Other stuff in their already prepared section as well, today they were a little low on pastries, but I snatched a lemon cake. Also lots of cans of natural soda, they also brew their own tea and make their own lemonade. Ordered the california burrito meal with french fries and their house tea. The fries were delicious, seasoned and crispy. And the burrito was delicious as well, the meat wasn't a dead ringer for carne asada (or whatever the typical carnivorous version is), but still hit the california burrito craving. Fast service, friendly staff. Definitely will come here again and next time try a burger and a shake and hopefully their cheesecake. P.S. They are right next to Donna Jean and share a parking lot. read more

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The chicken pesto burger is the best! The BLTA is amazing in a wrap! The best vegan ranch. Amazing cookies. Get one before they sell out!! (They are always sold out by the afternoon) & The staff is always nice! read more

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Don't let the grungey front distract you, the food is excellent, as is the service. There's a lovely exterior seating area in the back as well! read more

Tasty vegan spot! I have only been here for shakes (strawberry and chocolate) but really enjoyed them both-- especially the chocolate one! You can order inside for to-go right now (during COVID) or through the drive through. The staff are nice and my drinks were tasty! I look forward to checking out the food next time I am there and hungry! read more

Evolution Fast Food - Strawberry shake - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here for a quick sake / lunch . The short woman who took my order literally was smirking at me for so odd reason to which I have no idea . Totally felt uncomfortable as I ordered. Placed my order and with In minutes of receiving it was half cold & half hot . This place use to be really welcoming now it seems a little off especially with workers who don't align with the holistic way of what this place is or stood for . I'll go to the big box guys now "Native Foods" support local right ? No thanks especially when the local places drop the ball on the locals . read more

Evolution Fast Food - Cold order from evolution - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Oh wow! I am not vegan but given the constant line of cars, I had to try this place. The Chicken Wrap is fabulous! The Cesar dressing yummy and I loved the 'chicken' more than the real thing. What a discovery! read more

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Food here is delicious. I love trying a new vegetarian burger whenever possible. I ordered a Swiss mushroom burger with a black bean patty. It was very tasty and filling. The bun was soft with the perfect amount of cheese and mushrooms. I also got a hibiscus tea that was very refreshing along with a gluten free chocolate chip cookie that was pretty good. It was lovely to sit and eat in their back area that was nicely decorated for a chill vibe. If your in the area, I highly recommend it :) read more

Evolution Fast Food - Mushroom Swiss black bean burger - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

I finally got to try evolution fast food today because I went down from OC to San Diego! I'm sooooo glad I was able to eat food from here!! Everything was amazingggggg. The chicken sandwiches are nice and thick and it's so satisfying to bite into them! It looks like they use one big chicken patty and cut it in half since it's too long! The outside crust of the chicken was super flavorful and yummy :) The tempeh bacon in the bacon Swiss was pretty good too! Usually I don't really go for tempeh but I liked it! And the fries here?? Wow I didn't expect much but they were seasoned amazingly and the portion size was great! We really enjoyed everything we got and I honestly can't wait to go back! The only thing I wish could be changed is being able to upgrade the meal deal drink to a milkshake! You only get to choose from the soft drinks if you want the meal deal! Highly recommend going here when in San Diego! read more

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Can't resist stopping by every time I'm in San Diego. The veggie burgers here are possibly the best I've had anywhere! It's extremely casual and I love the patio in the back -- and most of all I love how it's barely changed over the years. Good, reliable fast food that's all plant based. What more could you want?? read more

Evolution Fast Food - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Service was bad, food took too long (20+ min for 2 items), forgot our dressing, didn't give us a receipt, small portions, no utensils. Definitely don't recommend. Not worth it. read more

Im no longer vegan but when I was this was my absolute favorite spot to go to! They have the best burgers and fries they make everything fresh to go I don't mind waiting :) just the best ! read more

I love their fries and their ranch is amazing. They also have a drive through which I love. Only a bummer how they are closed certain days during the week read more

This is the 2nd time we've come here and we got the same great quality. I'd suggest the California Burrito & Strawberry Milkshake. You won't be disappointed. And yes EVERYTHING IS 100% VEGAN. read more

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Giving this one a 3.5 stars. Tucked just north of Cambridge Square and south of Hillcrest lies this vegan restaurant that is likely to please. Located on the corner of 5th and Quince is Evolution Fast Food. While I can't speak to a majority of the menu items, as I'm still a carnivorous beast, this review is mostly about the fries. Evolution serves two types of fries, thick-cut Idaho fries and thinner cut sweet potato fries. Although I used to get both, the sweet potato fries were often overcooked and sometimes left looking a bit burnt. I've since only ordered the Idaho spuds as they are often cooked crispy, have a nice seasoning blend, and are made to order. The fries are good however they aren't always completely seasoned and are often inconsistently prepared. The good thing is, they mostly get undercooked which allows for continued crisping in a 450 degree oven. The seasoning blend has a nice balance of salty with a hint of sweet, and some dried herbs. As I mentioned, the issue is that sometimes they aren't well seasoned. Be advised: The menu items appear to contain real meats however they are not real animal meats. The patio here is kick-ass and a great place to sit and chill. Parking is sufficient and there is also a drive-thru for your convenience. The one thing I've noticed is that the drive-thru is often backed up and appears to move slowly. I've also tried the shakes here. Although they are tasty, they run about $7 which is pretty pricey if you ask me. read more

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Do NOT eat here. The food here gives me diarrhea and has made me sick. Had the black bean cheese burger with no onion or tomato a couple times. The flavor and texture was not great this time around than when I tried the black beans in the past. Too much seasonings and not enough salt. Also the patty crumbled and fell apart. Tldr; Service isn't great. Food isn't good. Diarrhea and allergies. Honestly a health hazard. read more

I had never heard of this spot before reading about it in the SD Reader Tin Fork article. I must have walked right by this place many times in the past. Now I know about it. I tried the drive through and upon arriving I saw how big the menu was. They have a pretty good selection of menu items. I ordered the mushroom swiss burger with a black bean patty. When I stopped to eat it I was pleasantly surprised at how big the burger was. Worth the price for sure! Also, I couldn't really tell this was vegan anything. I loved it. This place is so good! Stop by and support local!!! read more

Plant Power is one of my favorite places to get a quick bite, but their sister restaurant at Evolution misses the mark. I've eaten here over a dozen times for the past few years and the menu and quality have gone down significantly. They changed my favorite burger, removed the guacamole and added chipotle aioli PLUS cheese on it. Gross. On more than one occasion, the mods I request are overlooked. The best thing here is the strawberry shake. Please go back to making the Fuego burger with guac - it is now ruined! read more

Vegetarian & vegan restaurant in Banker's Hill. They have a drive-thru & a patio to dine in. They have their own parking lot which is nice, especially in downtown. They have a variety of healthy food options- burgers, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, smoothies, shakes, juices, desserts, & more. Evo Burger: With Tempeh. The tempeh patty was huge & I was only able to finish half. Their 1000 island was a little funky to me. Like grainy, tarty mustard. Fries: Thick cut. Deliciously seasoned. Carob Date Smoothie: Very sweet, maybe a tad too sweet. Carob tastes similar to chocolate. I did enjoy the bits of date. read more

Evolution Fast Food - Evo Burger, with Tempeh - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Super cute courtyard, with loads of plants and color. Staff was nice and attentive when ordering. Prices are, like everywhere these days, a bit high. BUT the food was delicious. Our group tried a Hellraiser burger, a chick'n pesto sandwich, a Cali Burrito, and basic fries. All were terrific. We would have loved some spice on the burrito, but that's the only holdback on it. The chick'n pesto was so cheesy, pesto-y, and flavorful! The burger had good spice, but was a bit messy to eat. I can't imagine how good the fancy fries must be, because the basic ones were great! Thanks, Evolution, for all of the great options! read more

Okay it makes me sad to write this review. I've been coming here consistently for 13 years. Since it was Natures Express. But this weekend my friend and I came for lunch and I'm quite positive there was sand in our food? I'm not sure what it was but it tasted and had the same mouth-feel as if I sprinkled sand on our food. It was crunchy in our teeth. Has anyone else experienced this here? I hadn't before. We had salad, fries, and a chicken burger. And the lettuce was not washed, there was dirt on it. Could it have been a bunch of dirt from the lettuce? Idk it really grossed me out. Plus. Both my friend and I felt sick afterward (her more so than me) and even my dog, who ate a fry, had diarrhea the next day. I'm not sure if I'm swearing Evolution off for good but I do have serious trepidation now and don't know when I'll be back. Honestly I feel so sad about it. This was the first vegan restaurant I ever went to when I went vegan in 2008 :( but I feel like I have to say something so something can be done. read more

Great tasting food with large portions! The service is fast and friendly! Nice, comfortable outdoor seating! A go to for plant based food!

During my dairy free phase of my breastfeeding journey I was having a hard time eating out. Evolution Fast Food was a game changer. Huge fan of black bean burgers and there on the lettuce bun with some vegan cheese amazing! And there shakes I don't want to know how many calories they are cause that might ruin it I can't believe they are dairy free. During the fall definitely get the pumpkin. Fries were good but wasn't a huge fan of the chili cheese fries. read more

I've said it once I'll say it again... one of my favorite vegan spots to hit anywhere. Evolution never disappoints and is just such a rad spot to sit and have a delicious vegan meal set outside in a garden of your house kind of atmosphere. This time around the California Burrito- Vegan Carne Asada , pico , quac and I added Tapatio. It was delicious! Good sized portion and hit the spot! I washed it down with a Blue Sky cola , one of my favorite zero calorie natural sodas. I happen to be here while working and they even let me slide on taking up 5 spots with my truck and trailer. Never been here ? come now ! why aren't you here yet?! it's the best read more

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I didn't miss the meat! I had a California Burrito and an Evo burger. The evo burger was surprisingly large. The burger patty was very meat-like. Maybe not as much as a beyond/impossible burger but still very good. The burrito was very flavorful (more than a regular Cali burrito). Get food from here for your meat-loving friends/family and see if they notice, I bet they won't. read more

Okay, what?? Before I stopped eating beef, I used to eat burgers at every single restaurant. I don't know why but I did. Everywhere. And for years. Out of all the burgers I've had all over this country and beyond, this burger was the most flavorful. Every bite was more flavorful than the last which made it delicious down to the fumes on my plate. I don't know what they did to it but it is DELICIOUS. Also that's the best vegan cheese I've ever had. Everything else is so sad. My partner makes fun of everything plant based that I've ever eaten and he said it was really good which is all anyone needs to know without even knowing him. I didn't get a single picture but I left the wrap in the kitchen, whoops lol. I got the bacon cheeseburger (tempeh) on focaccia and I highly recommend it to everyone. I'm a fan! Tip: definitely transfer it to a plate and bring napkins. It doesn't hold together well. read more

Evolution Fast Food - Bacon cheeseburger. - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Orders placed in person are always precise and great food. Never fails when I order online. But in this case, quantity is small and dressings were missing, fries were undercooked. I live in escondido so it's quite a commute, so I will not order online again. My $12.00 salad had hardly any spring mix and no dressing. read more

Evolution Fast Food - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

This is my second time trying this place as I am a fan of vegan fast food style! Both times I flew into SAN and it was about a 7 minute drive from the airport. First time I used the drive-thru and just ordered the Buffalo Chicken GFO Loaded Fries. I highly recommend this dish its delicious! Their Chili Dog is also delicious! The next time I came with some friends and we ordered a few of the menu items. They were all really good! I loved the outdoor seating and a big bonus that they had heaters outside because it was still pretty cold outside. The only reason I am writing a 4 star is that their milkshakes are not good. I am a milkshake person and I would give it a solid 3 out of 10. Wanted chocolate but they were out so ended up getting vanilla, just avoid. read more

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Kind of disappointed with this experience. We had never been here previously and are not likely to return. We ordered two black bean burgers in different styles and both were dry and bland. Mine had some chipotle mayo on it which semi made up for the dryness. We also had chili cheese fries which were pretty tasty I thought but still had a bit of a strange aftertaste that just didn't hit right. The person at the register was sort of rushed and didn't take any time to greet us or give us much information about their menu - the experience was impersonal. We sat outside and the plants were nice out there, however, the chairs and tables were similar to something thrown out in a school yard or found in someone's shed after 10 years. Don't get the hype. read more

I saw an influencer friend try this place when she posted on Instagram. I'm clearly easily influenced so I figured why not try this place. So very glad I did, I have never had a full vegan meal before and so I wasn't sure what to expect. Me and bf got the chik'n bacon Swiss meal (comes with a drink and side choice, we got fries) that's $15 for the meal so not cheap but the portions are generous. They have tons of outdoor seating that is covered lots of flora and it has cute fountain for ambience. This is Bankers Hill just across from the parks at Balboa Park so theoretically you could grab your food to go and have a picnic . Anyways the food: the "chicken" is made from soy, the "bacon" is made from tempeh, most nearly everything is made in house which you can tell as the flavors speak for themselves. As my first foray into a vegan meal I'm quite pleased. Definitely will be back and I have no complaints. Excited to try some other items on their menu as well as some desserts! read more

Evolution Fast Food - Chik'k Bacon Swiss - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Evolution fast food is just like normal fast food, but better. Sure it's vegan, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's healthy. So don't expect that. It's good for when you want something affordable, quick, and to munch out on. My favorite items here are probably their California burrito and Chicken sandwich. The raw burger is also really good! And this one you could say is most likely actually healthy! The seating area is super cute and nice to sit out at in the sunny SD weather! But if I had to choose, I would definitely pick Plant Power over here. I'm not sure why, given that it's owned by the same people. Something about Plant Power is just more satisfying. But if you're in the area, I'd say give it a try! read more

Evolution Fast Food - Raw burger is a MUST try!!! - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Their grilled veggie wrap was decadent and delicious! The iced tea was marginally weak. Drive thru was efficient. The staff-service was adequate but lacking in thoroughness (walked away before questions and transaction was actually completed- but lacking is becoming a norm everywhere isn't it?). I would eat there again. read more

Always Awesome Vegan Comfort Food! Even health conscious vegans can't resist a delicious sandwich and a side of fries now and then. Evolution is one of our favorite spots for fast-food style vegan food done right. It satisfies the fast-food fix but with a healthier spin that makes the pleasure feel not quite so guilty. Picks to try... The Chimichurri sandwich (available with either vegan steak or vegan chicken) is flavor packed and hearty with plenty of well seasoned "meat" balanced nicely by fresh tomato and mixed greens. The Fuego burger is a satisfying combination of just the right amount of spice and creamy cheese sauce. The tempeh patty is amazing with this and ordering it as a lettuce wrap helps cool the heat. The animal fries are exactly what you want them to be. Just like the fries you get at the classic fast food places, but with a vegan twist. Caramelized onions, special sauce, crispy fries, what's not to love? read more

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So no while I am not Vegan, I have been curious about this spot. Meat lobers dont worry they have options for you too. We decided to stay true to the Vegan.origin and went with a balck bean burger topped qith cashew cheese..WHAT a sandwich..we got a side of fries too. They rival some of my fav fries in SD (watch out amplified) we topped all this with a strawberry shake...Wow...perfect amount of food for 2!!! We will be back to work our qay thru the menu! read more

YUMMMMMM my family and I got smoothies- I got the passion fruit mango (delicious), my dad the pineapple mango (delicious), and my brother the strawberry goji (delicious). I love that the smoothies are full fruit (no yogurt, etc). The seating area in the back was SO cute. Lovey time!!! read more

Evolution Fast Food - Seating - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

I saw this on Yelp. I wanted to find a place near Balboa Park that I thought would be fast and easy, also healthy I guess. I saw that it was vegan and said okay let's try. I thought I would go for health food while in SD this time. I decided to have the fish filet sandwich. It was supposed to be crispy fish, but it was no McDonald's crispy fish. It seemed somewhat fake. Anyhow, I ate it and it was enough. However, overpriced at like $8. I also had a lemon soda and it was okay. Once again, I am not into vegan food, but it's fun once in a while. This would help define SD lifestyles. read more

Evolution Fast Food - Fish filet - Vegetarian Near Me - San Diego, California

Evolution Fast Food was recommended to us by our waiter at Moncai Vegan. So my train of thought was, if I liked Moncai Vegan and this waiter-guy that works at Moncai likes Evolution, then I'd probably like Evolution too :) Let me tell you...I liked this place so much that I ate here two days in a row! ..cuz that's how I do! :) ...BTW Evolution, you can thank Anthem Vegan for not showing up at the farmer's market that Sunday. That's how I ended up back here at Evolution the second day :) Now let's talk about the food... Chicken Caesar Wrap hit the spot with its tastiness and fulfilling-ness. I've had my share of vegan "chicken" caesar wraps in my day and this one did not disappoint! http://bit.ly/2hrlqmQ The California Burrito was amazing! Carne asada, guacamole, and salsa. The fries in the burrito added a bit of crispiness. This burrito normally comes with cashew cheese but since the Meateater BF is allergic, we got cheddar Daiya instead. The melty-meltiness was the best part! http://bit.ly/2hbuW0Q Chimichurri Carne Sandwich was definitely the most memorable! So much yummy flavor from the sauce and marinated "steak." I don't think any place in LA has anything like this which makes me super jealous of those of you who live in San Diego. http://bit.ly/2hbtKuB The food comes out fast! Quaint outdoor patio. There's a display of refrigerated items to purchase including a section of items that are about to expire for 1/2 off the price. Not bad if you plan to eat it that day. read more

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