Imperial Barber Shop

We just moved nearby RH and was looking for a old school Barber. We found this place they hooked up my husband w haircut, shampoo, shave and total royal treatment for a very reasonable price. He’s happy I’m happy with the price and for all they do that was great service. They are the best we have had and we are originally from the South Bay. They don’t speak English here but they are still nice and they know what they are doing. Thank you Imperial Barber

Customer for 3 years and nowhere have I ever received a better haircut for even more money. They send you out fresh, straight edged, and not a single hairstrand out of place. A must go to experience.

Just got my hair cut and it is by far the worst haircut I have ever received in all my life.
I told them to cut up to a certain point, but instead they shaved it and now I look like the asian male version of Rhianna. I have never been so pissed after a haircut. Not only that but he had the audacity to scoff at me for not tipping after this horrendous haircut. I warn you not to to go this haircut place.

Today was my first time in this barber shop, and I have to say I had a great experience. Friendly people, and the barber cut my hair how I wanted. I showed him a picture of how I wanted my hair to look like and at the end my hair turned out FANTASTIC! I will come again. :)

I first visited this shop about 6 months ago and I have been a regular customer since! Full disclosure: if you do not speak Korean, there might be a slight language barrier. THE STRUGGLE IS WORTH IT! Go back and forth for a little, give numbers, use hand gestures, show pictures because this barbershop has given me a spectacular haircut since day one! Chan usually cuts my hair (usually wears a puffy vest) and his precision is uncanny. For the unbeatable price of $ 13, you get a great haircut, a wash and dry, and a hot shave. It’s incredible what these folks do. Best deal around Rowland/​Hacienda area!

Been with this place for over 10+ years, love the total package (cut, shampoo, shave, facial and mini massage). Every time I come I feel relaxed afterwards!
For those don’t like this place, u need to really communicate well with the stylist and ensure they know what you want. I only follow two stylist since they know exactly what I want! Good luck!

Loved the Imperial shop. Came in with my son who was in a fussy mood having just woke from a nap. They were super patient and accommodating. They cut his hair whilst he sat atop my lap. Best part is we came out looking like champs. Definitely on my list of trusted places.

I love this barbershop. Reasonable price and great service.

I have been to this barbershop 3 times: First and second time was to fix a hair cut. Third time I went to get a clean high fade on the sides and a little trim at the top to keep my hair long. Overall they are very delicate and detailed in their haircuts.
If you are skeptical, I HIGHLY recommend you bring in a picture of a hairstyle you would like. I always show them a picture of David Beckham with a taper fade on my phone and they always get it down, no matter which barber it is.
Also I am Korean and I barely speak Korean so communication is always limited with me as well.
All in all its a great place to get a clean haircut. Also love the retro feel of the barbershop as well: D

I’ve been here five times and here’s my experience.
Pros: walk ins taken. There’s one guy who’s really good at cutting hair. He’s in his thirties and kind of balding. I gave him a 5 $ tip for his efforts and for washing my hair like he meant it. They charge 13 $ for a hair cut. I think they raised the price on me because of the big tip I gave. When I first went there they were charging me 12 $, when I asked why they didn’t really give me a good explanation. .
Cons: (1) few speak English. There’s one guy who cuts hair horribly. I gave him a sh** tip because he messed up my hair and when I asked to fix it, he made a few cuts and said he was finished. I never went back. I don’t mind if you’re new or can’t cut hair well, just be open to criticism and I’ll respect the effort.
(2) The lady who translates is nice to you when you walk in but when you get the first snip of hair she reveals her true colors: upset and grouchy. I don’t think she liked the fact I gave the thirty year old a five dollar tip and since my last visit she didn’t seem to welcoming of my presence.
Final thought: if you’re looking for a quick hair cut and its your last resort, I’d come here if I was really desperate. If you have time don’t go here. You’ll regret it. I feel really bad for the guy who’s good at cutting hair, but that lady and the awful other barbers need to be open to criticism and feedback. I don’t like the feeling I get when I walk in and leave the shop.

I am still going to give this place a 5-​Star rating, despite seeing how much the ‘Asian Price’ is; I paid $ 15 (but at least they told me upfront)!!! There is a difference between a Barber Shop and a Salon… Get to know the difference if you’re specific about styling your hair.
Let’s get a few things straight before I proceed with this review:
1) I am WHITE; I do not speak any other language aside from ENGLISH.
2) I am not a pretty-​boy who requests anything super special that requires blow drying and/​or special styling…
3) I have a full, thick beard that breaks/​clogs the cheaper Norelcos…
Back to the review…
IT DOES NOT MATTER ONE BIT IF YOU DO NOT SPEAK THE LOCAL LANGUAGE; IF YOU CAN POINT, YOU’RE FINE! It is 100% true — They speak VERY little English, but through using some pseudo-​sign-​language (or pointing to show lengths, etc.), you will be FINE.
I got my normal trim (a #2 on the sides, scissors on the top). At the end, I pointed to the back of my neck, throat-​line, and sideburns. I very simply said, «Block,» and drew a line with my finger where I wanted him to cut. I didn’t like what I saw, so I said some combination of «blade» and «razor» and «cut-​throat». He knew EXACTLY what I meant and then used shaving cream and a cut-​throat razor to finish the job.
Summary:
By saying no more than 20 words, I got a nice trim, and perfect sideburns /​neck-​line cuts for $ 15.

Ever since I started work here about 3 months ago in the area, Imperial Barber Shop has been my go-​to spot. I try to get a haircut once a month, but because I love the service and cuts that Imperial Barber gives, I usually find myself getting a cut every 3 weeks.
Mostly, you’ll find a Korean-​dominant environment, but I don’t mind that. They understand what I want for my haircut and they get the job done well. Those are the two metrics I look for in a barber shop. Their technique is also very unique, so it’s quite a pleasant surprise to run into this place. After your cut, they wash your hair with shampoo and give you a nice cleanup around the edges.
Fantastic experience and worth the price, every single time. It’s about $ 13 for a men’s hair cut (but be sure to tip!)

DO NOT go to this barber shop. I tried this salon because it had decent reviews here on Unilocal,but boy did I regret coming here.
Upon walking in, it was hard for me to communicate with employees, as I didn’t speak Korean. NO ONE here speaks adequate English.
My hair (before it got cut) looked like Mr. Chow, so I didn’t think it would be hard for them to change my hair into a 50’s greaser hairstyle, as I’ve had that hair before. I showed the guy who was doing my hair pictures of the hairstyle (front/​back/​side) before my hair grew long.
While an elderly Asian guy was cutting my hair, he was cutting it in a way that looked like I came back from the walking dead. It took him about 45 minutes to finish. When he was done, I looked like a mess. A lady coworker stepped in to try and mend the problem, but it didn’t do anything. She only used a SHAVING TOOL (the one you use to shave a beard). Afterwards, she used this vacuum hose to clean off the hair that was all over my shirt. Then she showered and shampooed my head FACE DOWN. I don’t know why this salon does that. No decent salon cleans your hair face down in the tub. Plus, they didn’t even dry my hair good. On top of that, they don’t even have blow dryers! At the end, all the employees were laughing at me because they knew they screwed up my hair.
I had to go to ANOTHER salon to clean up their mess, studio 79. They fixed my hair up really well.
All in all, if you don’t want your head looking like a trainwreck, then do not go to this salon. They need to get their act together, AND provide hair dryers. It was a waste of my 50 minutes and $ 15.

WOW. $ 13 for a haircut AND a shampoo. Maybe I’ve been living in expensive areas all my life, but I had no idea I could enjoy the experience of getting a haircut and not feel ripped off.
Here’s what you need to know: you go in, you tell an English-​speaking host what you want, you wait your turn, you get your hair cut, you get a trimming with a safety razor, and you get your hair washed. No frills, no conversation (unless you can speak Korean). The haircut itself took a standard amount of time, but I felt I was given really a really precise cut due to the safety razor cut.

Delivered on service and skill.

Easily the best barbershop experience I’ve ever had.
I’m an Asian (wiry hair) United States Marine and so we are required to have a haircut every week. So I have had a lot of experience with different barbershops. Needless to say, my hair is messed up nearly every week with an uneven fade or awkward amounts of hair sticking up in the back.
For $ 12 dollars at Imperial, I got an even fade where they shampooed my hair and finished the haircut with a straight razor. The staff are quiet Koreans and while they don’t speak much English, they didn’t have any trouble understanding my instructions. The downside is that because they were very careful, the haircut takes longer than at other places. I think the haircut took around 30 – 40 minutes. But if you have the time, I definitely recommend Imperial Barbershop. The plaza may not be much to look at but they give a really good haircut for really cheap.
Cash Only

If you judge the book by its cover then Imperial Barber Shop is easily dismissable. Its an old school barber complete with the cylinder spinning red, white and blue signs with straight razor touch ups. I’ve had my share of horror stories with asian barbers that have a ‘default asian hair style’ but this place really breaks that stereotype.
My barber, Paul, spoke english well and we easily discussed how i wanted to tame the mane. I have to admit i was scared he wouldn’t be relative enough to know the more hip styles but this guy knows what’s up. I told him exactly what i wanted and he took the ball and ran with it. Excellent fades and superb scissormanship (is that a word?) all for 12 $ not including tip. Will definitely be coming back here but avoid weekends because apparently it can get up to an hour or two wait.

Best barber I’ve ever used, hands down.
1) they do a thorough job. They take their time to get the cut right and are the only barber I’ve been to who checks for stray hairs at the end of the cut, and gets rid of them
2) at the end of every barber I’ve ever gone to, I’ve had hair left all over my shirt, poking and irritating me for the rest of the day. No such thing with these guys. They hoover your head and neck to get rid of everything
3) there was NO WAIT. Three of us walked in and got taken care of immediately
4) cheap! Shave and a shampoo was $ 10 (without tip). And they shampoo your hair twice
5) they’re open on Sundays!
6) the barber doesn’t try to talk to me and sell me hair products

I’m a frequent customer at this barbershop for the past year now. This place isn’t your typical «cool & trendy» barbershops out there. These Korean men do not wear tatted sleeves and/​or old-​school mustache. This is definitely not the place where you hang out with your homies either. They won’t do a picture of your favorite rapper on the back of your head. You come here to get a clean cut and you leave.
I have tried all the barbers here and they are all exceptional. All of them are very detail oriented you will always get your haircut pretty even. You get a shampoo and gel with your haircut price too. I do have a favorite barber but I thought it’ll be disrespectful if I always choose him instead of having the first available. I feel like they have an efficient system going on and I don’t want to interrupt that. One of the barbers look exactly like an Asian version of Hank Hill from King of the Hill. If you go there, you know who I am talking about. I also have tried their shave service too, it’s great for a few extra dollars.
I would give it 5 stars if they speak more English so I can be more specific with the haircut. Other than that, this place is great. I always come out with a good haircut for less than $ 17 (including tip). I mentioned that this place is very efficient so even if you have to wait due to a lot of customers, you don’t have to wait long either. I recall not waiting longer than 10 – 15 minutes since I’ve been coming here, and I come at random times at any given day.

I’ve been to the Imperial Barber Shop a couple of times, and have always enjoyed getting my haircut here. I found this place through Unilocal.A lot of the reviews mentioned that it is a Korean stye barber shop. I had no idea what it means to be a Korean style barber until I walked in. Everyone in there is Korean. I walked in, and they greeted me by saying «Annyong haseyo». In the middle of the haircut, the large screen tv had a variety show where they started singing «Gangnam Style». How much more Korean can this place get? I get to work on Monday morning, and my co-​workers tell me I look like Psy!
The first time I was here, my hair was long. The person who normally cuts my hair was sick. When I need a haircut, I normally just go! So, I just showed up at the place. The only English that the barber spoke was «How you want cut?» I told him, and must’ve cut the hair for more than 30 minutes. After he finished, he washed my hair. He made me bend forward into the sink, like my head was on a chopping block and proceeded to wash my hair with a bar of soap. He then dried the hair with a towel, and then cut it some more. Then out came a straight razor to cut some more. After the razor, he used the scissors to cut some more. It was probably the most complete haircut I have had in a while.
The second time I was here was today. They did the exact same thing again. They cut, and cut, and cut some more. The straight razor scared me.
They offered to shave me as well. I decided against it. But, for a few dollars more, they will shave your face, and give you a cucumber treatment, followed by a massage of your arms. I probably should have done it.
Not sure if I will be coming back. The regular person who cuts my hair charges me $ 5. She is a lot more attractive than the Korean guys that cut my hair. But, they don’t just cut hair here. It is almost like a spa for men. I’d be back more, if I didn’t already have someone to cut my hair.