TV Restaurants

What Happened to Donovan's Steak & Chop House After Best Thing I Ever Ate?

Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 4 La Jolla, California

Current status

Closed

As of October 2026, Donovan's Steak & Chop House has closed — confirmed via nbcsandiego.com, December 27, 2019.

What the source shows: NBC 7 San Diego reported the La Jolla location's closure on December 27, 2019, quoting the company's statement about rising California operating costs, and a separate Yelp listing for a Donovan's San Diego location is also marked permanently closed. How we decide a status →

What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

On Best Thing I Ever Ate's "Bang for the Buck" episode, writer Troy Johnson picked the Philly cheesesteak sandwiches Donovan's Steak & Chop House gave away free every day at 4 p.m., a value item from a restaurant otherwise known for its steaks and creme brulee, according to Best Thing I Ever Ate Locations. Donovan's Steak & Chop House was a steakhouse at 1250 Prospect Street in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego. NBC 7 San Diego reported on December 27, 2019 that the location had closed its doors, citing a company statement that "the high cost of doing business in California continues to rise." A separate Yelp business page for a Donovan's San Diego location is also marked permanently closed, in a listing updated September 2026.

The episode Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 4

Episode 2
Air date not confirmed
Title: Bang for the Buck · What was featured: Complimentary Philly cheesesteak sandwiches served daily at 4pm

Also in Season 4 Best Thing I Ever Ate

Season 4: 60 of 102 still open · 3 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 13 Season 4 episodes →

Nearest open restaurants By distance from 1250 Prospect St

All 892 TV restaurants in California →

Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 3 references

  1. nbcsandiego.com https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/donovans-steak-and-chop-house-in-la-jolla-closes-its-doors/2235640/
  2. Yelp https://www.yelp.com/biz/donovans-steak-and-chop-house-san-diego-3
  3. foodnetwork.com https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/ca/san-diego/donovans-steak-chop-house-restaurant
See something wrong?

We work hard to keep every status accurate and dated, but restaurants change fast and our sources aren't perfect. If something here is wrong — a status, a name, an address, anything — tell us what you're seeing and where you saw it, and we'll check it.

Tell us →

Share

Record btiea-0310 · checked by Cal Marchetti.