Evolution
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I've heard great things about this place and had high hopes coming here for the second time and bringing a friend, but the experience was lack luster at most. . We looked over the menu & both decided on veggie burgers. My friend ordered the black bean patty, fries and a vanilla shake. I got the Evo burger with the house made tempeh patty also with fries and a hibiscus tea. We both agreed everything was alright. . You'd think forgetting to take pictures of our food the flavors would be unforgettable, but they were bland. Tempeh is marketed as a bacon replacement and my sandwich was not reminiscent of any crisp, savory strips. My friend said the black bean patty was plain and that she's had better veggie burgers elsewhere. The highlights were definitely the fries with the rosemary, garlic salt seasoning and the milkshakes & drinks. The fries are warm and thinly sliced and I love the house made ketchup. They don't use the cleanest brand for milks, but the shakes are rich and sweet. . The space has really cool artwork and a large outdoor covered patio with tons of plants and and an artsy feel. There are two restrooms with a code and wifi with a password. The staff did their job, but they all look like the Addams Family versus the Brady Bunch they were polite, but you can see on their faces they don’t want to be there. That demeanor is consistent with both of my visits thus far. . We often hear the third time is a charm, I want to see if their vegan chick’n sandwiches, wraps, sides & desserts live up to the hype.
Ivy EbanksIvy Ebanks
00
Have been going here pretty regularly for over 5 years now, but I won't be going back again after today. The food can be really good when they have all the menu items in stock and when it is actually cooked properly, but that is usually not the case. For several years straight they would ALWAYS forget at least one item from the order. They've gotten slightly better about that, but the food is still super hit or miss. If they run out of something they will continue to take orders for that and just give you whatever they have on hand. Today I ordered a tempeh sandwich and instead got a really gross burnt chopped up black bean burger (see pictures). Whatever they gave me was not even close to tempeh or even soy based, it was pure burnt black beans. This has happened before too, ordered a wrap got a sandwich on a giant focaccia bun. Last year for several months straight they had the greasiest soggiest brown fries ever, and they just acknowledged they got some bad potatoes and kept serving it for several months straight. Half the time their ranch is bad (taste like they forget to add any salt, its almost sweet). Tried to call in about my order issue today but no one answers the phone there or returns calls. Whoever owns this place has no idea how to run a business, no wonder they have such a bad reputation these days.
M SM S
60
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?
Tyler WorthTyler Worth
40
I have been coming here for years. Service, as always was amazing. But product wise, seems like each time, the food quality has changed. Not sure if it is due to covid inflation (so product cost had to be cut?) or what but this use to be one of my go to veg fast food places. :( Evo burger- bun kinda tough/stale, burger patty- thin, the thickness of it was about half that of a typical fast food straw and the same of that of their little blue straws there. These patties use to be large (at least 2 to 2.5 times the current ones). So much so it was hard to eat a whole one in a single sitting. $10.75 Fries- definitely not hot, not even warm, but yet not cold. They were likely made earlier that day and sat out for at least an hour after that. They were hard and lacked flavor. Again, these also use to be a favorite. :( Tea- a good unsweetened tea Combo + $5 Totaled in at $16.97 (w/ tax), a bit pricey considering the quality. :(
CourtneyCourtney
10
THIS IS IT! I am vegan and have searched high and low for a vegan place that has fast food type of food. This is it! I ordered the BLTA and the Beefy Cheeseburger. I only ate half of the BLTA so far and ... Oh. My. Gosh! It is delicious! The bacon is either tempeh or seitan vegan bacon. It has thick slices of vegan bacon - and the flavor is out of this world!, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado along with a healthy slather of vegan mayo on a wheat bun. The sandwich is huge. Like I said, I only ate half! I look forward to sinking my teeth into the beefy burger. It has the beefy patty, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, mustard, ketchup, and a thick swipe if vegan mayonnaise, all on a wheat bun. The total for both burgers, which will each provide 2 meals for me, was $18 even. The pictures show the half BLTA and the whole beefy burger. I HIGHLY recommend, even if you are not vegan. ♡
Robyn RamseyRobyn Ramsey
30
The food was really good and reasonably priced. It had a lot of flavor. I loved the idea of a 100% vegan fastfood with a drive thru. They had your typical fastfood options as well as shakes and desserts. The drive thru should have 100% vegan sign somewhere visible since a first time visitor who is new to being vegan might be confused to see words like beef, chicken and carne asada on the menu. I only saw tbe sign when i decided to park and go in. The eating area is outdoors, but it is covered. There is plenty of seating. The parking lot is small and is shared with the drive thru so it is a bit of a challenge to navigate if it gets busy. I would recommend and would definitely go again if i was in the area.
James ShreveJames Shreve
00
Nearby Attractions Of Evolution
The Lafayette Hotel and Club
Lips Restaurant
North Park Community Park
Day to Day Vintage
Verbatim Books
Pigment
Botoxie
The Lab A Salon
San Diego Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic (North Park)
Kim's Nails & Spa

The Lafayette Hotel and Club
4.3
(1.3K)Click for details

Lips Restaurant
4.7
(670)Click for details

North Park Community Park
4.1
(633)Click for details

Day to Day Vintage
5.0
(469)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Evolution
Rudford's Restaurant
San Diego Chicken Pie Shop
Crazee Burger
Polite Provisions
Colima's Mexican Food
Louisiana Purchase
The Mission
The Friendly
Lucha Libre Taco Shop
Pomegranate

Rudford's Restaurant
4.4
(2.1K)Click for details

San Diego Chicken Pie Shop
4.5
(1.6K)Click for details

Crazee Burger
4.6
(998)Click for details

Polite Provisions
4.6
(946)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
2611 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92104
Map
Phone
(619) 550-1818
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Website
evolutionfastfood.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.5
(714 reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Casual eatery with a drive-thru serving vegetarian & vegan burgers, sandwiches & smoothies.
attractions: The Lafayette Hotel and Club, Lips Restaurant, North Park Community Park, Day to Day Vintage, Verbatim Books, Pigment, Botoxie, The Lab A Salon, San Diego Affordable Spay and Neuter Clinic (North Park), Kim's Nails & Spa, restaurants: Rudford's Restaurant, San Diego Chicken Pie Shop, Crazee Burger, Polite Provisions, Colima's Mexican Food, Louisiana Purchase, The Mission, The Friendly, Lucha Libre Taco Shop, Pomegranate
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