Gateway Auto Spa & Detail

Upgrading to 5 stars!
I love coming here to get my little jalopy taken care of! She looks brand new when they hand over the keys! As I said before, honest and friendly staff with a great waiting area!
Come here and get your car washed and cleaned!

I want to start off by saying that the girl that greeted me was very nice. However the guys that were in charge of cleaning the car couldn’t be bothered. I had to tell her that the wheel wells were never cleaned, also the trunk was NEVER vacuumed either.
They did the bare minimum and had the nerve to charge $ 22!!! For what!!! I usually go to a great family owned car wash on the north side ($ 12 hand wash), however I didn’t want to drive all the way up north to clean my car. I’ve never spent $ 22 on a car wash and never will! Don’t bother going there, unless you want to get ripped off!

These guys are pretty good and I really only have one issue with them but it is a MAJOR one. When drying your car they use a coarse drying towel which essentially is creating tiny micro scratches on your finish. I have been told to ask for a chamois dry, which I did, but the gentlemen I asked had no idea what I am talking about. Maybe he was just confused as to what I was asking, who knows
Happy to give these guys another try as everything else they have done is great and worth probably 4.5 stars. In the end, I would not be able to outright recommend these guys but do suggest giving them a try for yourself. When you go just make you keep an eye on your car and see what towels they are using to dry it.

I took my car in on a Sunday and the lady that greeted me was very nice. She said it would take about 20 — 30 minutes as they were short handed… no problem, I took the dog for a walk. I came back about 30 min later and they were just finishing my car.
There were a lot of bug smears still on the car and she told me that they had been on there so long that they were permanent and wouldn’t come off. WHAT??? I have never had bugs not come off a car… they are organic material and will come off if enough effort is put into it. READ… short handed that day… couldn’t be bothered with taking their time and doing a thorough job. $ 20 wasted.
That said, the inside was cleaned nicely, which is why they got 2 stars verus the 1 that I was originally inclined to get.
I’m very disappointed as Gateway is only a few blocks away from me… but even the logistics are not enough to get me to come back.

They were terrific! They allowed me to come in for an estimate on cost and how long it may take them! They scheduled a full morning for me to bring my car in! They were friendly and held their cost to the original estimate! Which never happens! They detailed the inside only — shampoo, full wash down and scrub! Looks like a brand new car and every nick and cranny was cleaned out! I had requested a basic wash for the outside of the car, however, the team thought it needed some shine so they gave it a good wax — free of charge! I would recommend them for a great new spring cleaning — best interior clean I have ever had! Thanks guys!

First off let me say I saw Chicago Bear Matt Forte he pulled in right behind me so I knew this was the official «go to» place for the Chicago elite. This was my first time here and they treated me and my car like it was concierge service. The customer service was top notch and I was impressed that they made my new 2015 Mercedes look like it just stepped out of the showroom dealership. Definitely will be coming back!

45 min for a car wash.

Bought a groupon for a $ 12 car wash… cleaned inside and out. Washed my mats, cleaned all the windows, dressed the tires. Great experience! Highly recommend.

This being my first year at UIC, living on a street where trees dominate the sidewalks, I made the mistake of leaving my car untouched for a couple of days after autumn hit. Before I knew it, my car was covered with leaves, three sap and bird poop. Even after seeing all of that I thought a regular car wash would do the trick. I went to Gateway after Unilocaling for a nearby car wash that had high remarks but was still relatively inexpensive. After asking for a car wash, there was still residue spots left over all over the car. The employees there told me that this was the best they could do with a regular wash. I asked if they could do anything else, and they told me it will all come off with a buff service. It took about 45 minutes, but it honestly felt like 5 minutes because of the nice and talkative lady at the front desk. This surprised me considering the terrible employees that worked at other car services I’ve been to in the past. They even washed the interior of my car which I didn’t ask them to. I will definitely be back there before the snow hits to get my car waxed. The best car servicer I’ve been too.

Gateway was excellent. I called to schedule an appointment with Gateway as the Groupon I purchased to another place for total a detail said their first opening was in 3 months (?!). My SUV was a disaster: 2 dogs that are in the cargo space daily, trips to beach, recent move. Disaster. The friendly employee let me know that they could take my car immediately for a interior/​exterior detail. I purchased a Unilocal discount, drove over, they inspected and said that it wasn’t a problem and it’d be ready in two hours. Love the location too!!! I walked to my gym WLAC, worked out, returned… My car looked shiny and new. The amount I paid was equivalent to the Groupon amount paid to the other place with same day service. Will definitely be returning both for car washes and future details!!!

I work about a block and a half away from Gateway and had seen cars come out the car wash side looking great. So I decided to walk over and ask about pricing. I spoke to who seems to be the owner based on the video on their Unilocal page and we talked for 5 minutes about the different services and pricing. I chose to get the wash and wax since I could just leave my car and return after work to pick it up.
When I returned to pick up the car, I was told to inspect the car and ensure all was done correctly. My car was still inside the shop and it was a little dark but I was able to see the car fine and all was well. From the outside to the inside everything was clean and looked great. I walked around the car with my fingers running along it and did not feel any left over wax. They did a superb job with the wash and wax. They are very professional and are not looking to have any unsatisfied customers. The only reason I am not giving them 5 stars is because after leaving I noticed streak marks on the metallic piece next to the gear selector and when I went to open the sun roof, smudges were on the glass. Now I wiped these areas down myself and all was well, but to get a perfect 5 stars, a perfect job must be done.
I will be returning to get washes done here and look forward to all the great car cleanliness to come.

Went to see Fred, the Saab guy, who works out of Gateway. Work was done quickly within the quoted time and cost. There is a nice waiting room with a tv as well so you can relax or get work done while they work on your car.

Excellent job! Came in for a carwash coz the other place I go to quoted an hour long wait time. Was greeted by the lady at the desk promptly and car was super clean after 30 min. Will be a repeat customer!

Good and quick service. This will become one of my go to place for car washes.

The car wash is great, but I had some scratches due to someone hitting me and driving away. They were able to get most of them out by just buffing! Yes, it cost me extra, but it was way less expensive than going to a repair shop. I love these guys! I’ve got my husband going to them now.

I always come here for the Supreme Hand Car Wash and I love it! The personnel is super nice and does a great job every time.

I trust these guys. I’ve been here about every week or two for the past few months. Scott and his crew pay attention to all the details. Scott always comes out to the car with me when i leave and looks it over to make sure everything is tip-​top. You can’t beat the feeling of a perfectly clean ride, inside and out, for only $ 20.

My hubby and I got are car washed here yesterday and I thought they did a good job. Our car came in covered in salt and dirt and when we left it looked super clean. The only reason I’m not giving five stars is because some car washes I’ve been to at this price point wipe down the interior of your car when you get the interior car wash and they didn’t do that here. Overall, I was very happy with the service and the exterior of our car.
I will definitely go back.

Nice job not too expensive

This review is about the car wash potion of Gateway. I went there when they first opened and they told me they wanted $ 29 to wash a motorcycle. It normally costs $ 10 pretty much anywhere else, so I took a pass. Today, I saw a Groupon for a «Supreme Hand Car Wash» for $ 12. I figured that was a reasonable price, especially for what looked like an all-​in car wash so I said «Why not?»
I got there, sat around in the waiting area for 15 – 20 minutes, and then they told me it would be an additional $ 5 charge to remove bugs off the front of my car. None of the other three car washes I frequent charge any extra for that, and I said the name of the advertised service implies everything save detailing is included. In fact, the only fine print talking about additional charges spoke about larger trucks, taxes and gratuities. The owner came out and said it wasn’t included, and that, if I didn’t like it, then I should leave. Although I was frustrated and felt scammed, I remained calm, told him he wasn’t going to remain in business for long if he treated all of his customers like that, and walked to my car. He wanted to engage in an argument, but I voted with my feet instead.
I’ll NEVER go back and neither should you. It’s a shame, as the old car wash in that space was operated by a really nice guy who charged reasonable rates. The average prices at Gateway appeared to be 3 TIMES what I see everywhere else I go. Expensive service and the opportunity to feel like the owner doesn’t appreciate your business. Seems like a winning formula for success.
Hope Groupon will give my money back.