Don Japanese Kitchen

Delicious food is the minimum we can expect from restaurants, I want customers to tell me my food makes them happy.

— Takashi Saito

What is Don All About?

Don is a small Japanese kitchen that provides authentic food with a little bit of a San Marcos Twist. This small restaurant is run by two amazing guys, JC Gutierrez (Owner and Chef) and Edward Summer (The MAN), who are locals producing some amazing dishes for other locals. The food ranges from six different proteins (two of which are vegan/vegetarian) that comes with traditional sushi rice, ginger, and a tiny bit of shredded nori (seaweed). There is a wide range of extra add-ons you can add to any bowl to give it a little more flavor! Everything is made in house and they have even created their own sauces to go with your food, which we’ll get into later on.

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The Experience

When we first walked inside the restaurant it seemed very relaxed with a modern feel that invites people in easily. The smells coming from the kitchen were mouth-watering and invigorating! We were greeted warmly by Edward, who kindly guided us throughout the menu ensuring we each knew what we would be getting. With it being our first time, he kindly added a free poached egg to each of our dishes (optional) and offered us drinks while we waited for our food. Overall the process is very easy and Edward can help you find exactly what you’re craving.

The first thing that came to the table from our order was the Don style fries ($7). This one-pound box of waffle fries drizzled in their house-made spicy mayo and teriyaki was absolutely delicious! No one could keep their hand off of them because they were that good! Our food came relatively fast after the fries and was steaming hot when it got to the table. I got the Saute Veggie King with two egg rolls (About $9) on the side and let me say this is some of the freshest food I’ve had in San Marcos. The flavors all worked perfectly together and the egg rolls weren’t soggy at all. The only tiny issue I had with the dish was the rice seemed a little overdone.

Overall Food Review

• Product Quality: 4/5
• Mastery of Techniques: 4/5
• Personality within the Dish: 5/5
• Value/Cost: 4/5
• Consistency of Food: 4/5

Closing Thoughts

Overall I loved the food here and the portions are enough to last you a second meal! With Don being right behind campus off of LBJ (829 N LBJ Dr) I’d say every student should go give this restaurant a look because they offer some amazing dishes. I can promise you can’t find anything like this in San Marcos and will be worth stopping by. As it stands they’re only on Facebook which I’ll link here if you want to stay up to date with them! I know I’ll be going back there real soon, so if you see me in there don’t be afraid to say hey!