The Barber Side Barber Shop

One of my clients referred me to this place. I tried giving Barber Side a «go» 3 different times. It’s like a catch-​22, really great barbers with excellent talent, but long waits and unfriendly customer service.
The first time I was here in October on a Sunday afternoon, very busy, 3 hour wait, very masculine environment inside, had my haircut by the owner Marvin, very nice owner. Very friendly compared to his lacking employees on the service level. He really did a great job for a $ 16 haircut. Which I applaud him on the price point. Smart idea so that clients give their barbers a straight $ 20. They even finish up with a straight-​razor shave, will address facial hair (eyebrows, ears, etc).
I was satisfied with my haircut so came back the following month, again on a Sunday afternoon. Owner Marvin greeted me at the door while his employees all just gave me side eye AGAIN, but overall a great haircut.
Third time I came back, late December on a weekday. Owner Marvin wasn’t there, so of course I enter, no one says shit to me, instead just glance up. Definitely did not feel welcome. Decided to push through it, waited an hour, before concluding that a haircut would not be happening before work that day and that my time is just as precious as the barber behind the chair.
My personal business recommendations would include that they attempt to do appointments considering the amount of clients that walk-​through their door. I would recommend that the barbers attend some type of customer service training seminar (as cheesy as it sounds) or coached on how to convey a positive image. Lastly, on a visual level, I would recommend that they remove the giant cabinet in between the waiting chairs and place a placard on a stand on a counter of some sort by the front door asking to sign-​in for walk-​ins. In addition, the removal of the cabinet may free up some more space for clients that are waiting. The classic charm produced by this barber shop may also benefit from having a clear view throught the window. Possibly fixing the broken door, covered in cardboard.

You should never turn customers away. No matter how good you are doing, you are there for your customers. I called early on a Sunday I was told they closed at 4pm. I drove over 20 miles just for my son to get a hair cut. I got there 45 minutes before they close, and they said they were not taking any more customers. They should advice customers they don’t take customers past a certain time, even though they are «still open» this is the type of business that it’s concerned about their needs only, not about the customers needs. Any business that thinks they are to «good» to afford turning customers (money) away does not deserve a high rating score.

I signed my name at 130 was not seen well I still haven’t been seen until about 4 when they closed. I was skipped because the barber wanted to cut his customers. Other than the favoritism it seems ok. Will not come back though, strictly buying for the name

Have been a regular here for almost a year until I counted the number of hours of wasted life. Marvin used to be a great barber until he tried to manage the business and antique sale at the same time. I got a nasty haircut with uneven sideburns. Decided to give it another shot, and have been waiting over 2 hours, no sign of a haircut so far. Probably never going to come back here. Yes the beers are a +, but really? I can get a 6 pack for much cheaper given the wait. Of course lame on my part to be so patient, I should have called quits much before. As you can tell I have so much time to write this review sitting at barberside.

i’d like to rate higher but walked out with a standard issue Philip Rivers haircut. Good guys, nice place. I didn’t wait as long as expected (red flag). Clipper cut, no scissor work. My guess is that if you have a certain type of hair there is a good chance you’ll be happy with the cuts shown in the pics. If you have any mediterranean chromosomes, you’re stuck. SD is a tough place to find a solid haircut under $ 30 beans. Overall I don’t want to sound down on the place. I got a serviceable cut for $ 16 ($ 21 w\tip) and when it grows back I may give them another hack at it. If 2 ½ stars were an option i’d go with that. Picking 3 stars says A-​Ok but. nah. not quite.

I drive from Eastlake to get both my and my two sons hair cut here. The wait is long and I go expecting to wait about an hour, but it’s worth it. there are several barbers once you find one that you like, always go back to him. it’s cash only.

$ 16 Haircut
Be prepared to wait

The best barber shop period. All the barbers know gets they are doing. You want to look your best this is the place to go

Waited 2 hours for the worst haircut of my life. I showed a picture so he couldn’t go wrong and it’s so short that there’s no way it will be long enough for Halloween. It will be a few months before it will be the way I like it again. They seem like nice guys but my hair is screwed. And I didn’t even get a beer.

This place is absolutely fantastic! First thing to mention, expect to wait some time.
For the quality of haircuts these guys provide it is worth it.
Had Marvin give me a haircut and have to say walked out of there amazed by work he had done.
Highly recommend this place.
If you don’t mind the wait, you will enjoy this place.

Good luck getting a haircut. Plan on waiting till the cows come home, literally. Id say plan to be there sitting like a duck for at least an hour to two maybe, Ridiculous.
You seem invisible to them if your a newby, but if your a veteran, plan on grabbing an actual barber chair and a beer while the actual barber calmly takes a trip out back and laxes out while 15 customer are waiting to get their turn. They are not in a hurry or care much about people waiting. I totally get the service your selling, but his is just on another level son! If this shop was actually in the 50’s it wouldn’t last long. If you want a Bunch of too cool for school hipsters that think they can walk on water to cut your hair, then by all means be my guest. Just don’t expect to be treated like an actual paying customer.
Oh and one more thing, plan on getting skipped a few times as well. They don’t mind if you don’t.

Overall based on service and overall experience I’d have to give this place 3.5 stars. When I first found this place on Unilocal,it looked hands down like my spot. The interior looked awesome in a funky retro kind of way and had a bit of a hipster appeal to it (come on, the owner in the photo has a handlebar mustache! Which by the way has since been replaced by a full beard…). I was disappointed to walk in and very quickly realize that this place is a testosterone driven, motor head social hang out with a cut on the side.
I wish I could give credit to the guy that cut my hair as he did a pretty decent job (hairline line up I asked for could have been more detailed to keep me looking sharp), but he failed to introduce himself even after I explained it was my first time stopping by. While getting my cut, the owner made some borderline transphobic comments about Caitlyn Jenner-​not cool bro. Additionally, I walked in and was pretty much seated immediately, but about five guys came in after all asking for the same guy and was told the wait would be about two hours — and they were willing to wait it! Kinda tells me that talent is sparsely divided amongst the staff.
I’d probably go back in a pinch, but probably wouldn’t be my first choice. I think I’d rather make the drive to my regular stylist.

Saw this joint and rolled in and asked for a shave and had a short wait before Roger helped me; as he stated «look more pretty» with my shave!
I highly recommend this place! Also, just open the fridge and grab a Tecate while you wait!
Cheers!

This place is awesome! I was searching for a place on Unilocal because I was tired of driving an extra 15 minutes to my barber of 6 years. After looking at all the reviews, I decided to give this place a shot and I am happy that I did. I’ve gone here a couple of times and have gotten my hair cut by different barbers and was very satisfied each time.
As everyone has said, the line is long and I rarely waited under an hour during my visits. The conversations being had and the free beer definitely made up for that. Just make sure that you only grab one beer… not two.

Very trendy barber shop. They do a great job on all of their haircuts. The place gets super crowded and very quickly! I showed up and was 3^rd in line a full hour before they opened. 30 minutes before they opened there was at least 10 people in line.
I got my first cut by Anthony. He did an absolutely amazing job on my hair which brought me back two weeks later to see him again. Unfortunately he had moved on and no longer works here. I did some hard core research (instagram stalking) and managed to locate him. He’ll be opening up his shop in Little Italy soon so be sure to check him out as well if for whatever reason you can’t get acomidated here. (Bayview Barber Shop)

I don’t write reviews — I’ve written 3 in the past 2 years, so In order for me to take the time to write one says a lot already.
Last year I was workin’ on a 8″ whaler beard before I decided I would try my hand at trimming it «lightly». I cut a bit off the sides using a #5 and a #7 near my chin. It was horrible. I ended up hating the look so much that I cut the beard part off and decided to try my luck with chops. My expectation was Chester A. Arthur, my reality quickly turned into something more akin to Mungo Jerry ala’ pedophile. Long story short, leave this task to the professionals.
Having learned my lesson I jumped on Unilocal and immediately found Barber Side.
I was advised to put my name down as there was an hour wait — I had a few beers over at Blind Lady Alehouse in the meantime. In the time waiting for the barber, I noticed how METICULOUS he was on the other customer. I mean, not one freaking hair was out of place. I thought that was a good sign, I found out it was.
He recommended a length and shape and I ran with it. He sheared my beard to perfection — no more curls, waves or patchiness. I thought we were finished but then he straight razored my neck, cheeks and trimmed my eyebrows. He then dusted me off and applied some lotion all in all I was in the chair for about 45 mins. He made sure I was happy with it, and said, «Alright, that’ll be 8 bucks.» «WHAT?! That’s slave labor!» I thought, I was expecting at least $ 16 bucks — especially with all the attention to detail and time involved. I gave him a $ 20 and it was the best money I’ve spent in a long time. After going to Barber Side I look clean and rejuvenated. The wait is a bit long, but worth it — just play it right and grab a beer down the road or go on a weekday. Customer for life.

I’m going to quit my job, go to barber school, and come work here! I literally felt like I was in a backyard club house where friends hang out and cut hair for friends and new friends! Great vibe! I liked the «Be a Man… go to a barber» sign.
I didn’t know what to expect. I just read fellow Unilocaler Diego V’s review and figured it was legit. No appointments, walk in only, so I brought some work with me. Friendly greeting…
Me: Do I take a number?
He: Just sign in and we’ll call you… wait time a little over an hour…
The place had about 7 guys in front of me, 5 in the chair and some who walked around and came back, so my wait time was about an hour and 15. This gave me a chance to watch the barbers in action. The owner, Marvin, spoke to about everyone while working… and the stories and conversation were pretty funny! When I was finally called:
Other Barber: Get this guy a cut he’s been waiting forever!
Robert introduced himself and asked what I wanted. Told him I wanted it short and he could do whatever he wanted. He gave my hair a trim and asked if it was alright or shorter… shorter…and again, checked if it looked like what I wanted and then proceeded to create. He said I could comb it either way which was great! I really liked the straightedge shave of the sides and the buzz trim of my brows and… dang, my nose hairs… were they that long??? LOL!
Guys were still walking in and signing up. I can see how this would turn some people off, but if there’s a line, they’re doing something right. Oh and a comp beer while waiting is a great touch! I walked out a new man and my friends said I looked thinner and younger… Thanks Robert!
Again, there may be a wait and it’s cash only! I’ll definitely be back and recommend!

This was my first time here. Not a bad spot for a haircut. Can’t beat the price! ($ 16 +tip)
Roger cut my hair and it came out great. He’s a super chill dude and LISTENS to what you want.
However the wait can be KILLER LONG, so if you have 2 hours to kill and want a cut for a great price feel free to chill, have a drink, and get lined up.
**Waited for 45 min.**

I have been getting my hair cut here for a while now. The last time I was in the owner Marvin cut my hair.
If you come here except to wait to get your hair cut. Not a big deal just don’t be in a time crunch.
First thing when you come in put your name on the list. If you have a preference of who cuts your hair there is a space next to the place where you write yours to write your favorite barbers name.
Second thing you want to do is go to the fridge and grab a beer. 1 beer per customer limit. Today they had ballast point in the fridge.
The hair cut is $ 16 and they are a cash only establishment.

Five stars for Roger who did a great job with both my haircut and hospitality.
My partner and I enjoy a nice clean fade, exploring and supporting the services of different barbers in the neighborhood. I am more forgiving with haircuts. As I see it: bad hair cut, it will grow back. Find a new barber, or just stick to one. My partner is the complete opposite: I waited, I paid, I expect a quality cut. He is one that does not care for social networking and he rarely, if ever, complains. He asked that I Unilocal our experience today.

This was his second time back to Barberside. He was really happy with his first experience and cut, that he persuaded me to come along for his second experience. We arrived and we’re greeted by Marvin, whom offered us a beer or soda pop. We thanked him and declined. We eagerly watched all other barbers and their clients exchange conversation and walk away happy.
Within 20 min of the wait, Marvin catches our attention with one of his conversations. He spoke loudly and said «this will sound offensive but I will say it anyways… when America fucked up and recession hit, all our information went to these damn third world countries and you have these fuckers from India and the Philippines, collecting our social security and other personal information, calling your homes and business, even cell phones with their damn accents». OK ok we get it, it’s a barber shop. A place for shit talk and random blabbing. One that serves in a multi ethnic community. We could not help but feel, awkward. We let it go. My partner and I are Filipino. Marvin, continued with his stories.
After 30 minutes, our names were called off the sign in list. My partner sat with Marvin, I sat with Roger.
I requested for a nice clean cut, sides and back, medium skin tapered. After 15 min, I was done. Felt clean and fresh. Great mini conversation with Roger. Awesome haircut. I thanked Roger, tipped him and scheduled to see him in 2 weeks. I walked away, letting my partner know I was going up the street for coffee. To meet me, when he was done. He looked bothered.
After another 15 min, from my haircut being done, and cup of coffee, my partner was still not finished. I sat on the benches in front of Barberside. Another 10 min.
He was finally done. He walked out. I just noticed his hair was slicked back with a generous amount of hair product. Something new for my partner. The sun was gone. Looked like a typical haircut you would get from a $ 8, barber. We continued with our errands.
I asked him how it went, this is what he said: «Never again. First he made his racist comments about third world countries and try to use the fact that he has people from third world countries working for him, so it’s ok. Then he begins talking to me about Asian gangster hairstyles, relating that culture to me. I ended that and told him that is exactly the look I am trying to keep away from. Nice guy, possible great intentions. But not someone I would trust with my hair again. Look at my hair. Its slicked back with a middle school fade. WTF?! Really is that how people think of us (Asians). That’s pathetic.»
We arrived home, showered up. In the light, this is what I saw (see attached photo).
The fade was uneven, with patches of careless work, the pictures speak for themselves.
Disapointed. Very very disapointed. $ 16 for a haircut, $ 5 dollar tip and the wait was not a problem. His racist comments, and unorganized actions… maybe better paired with others. Sorry Barberside. Thought you guys were a better establishment.
Call us sensitive. But, this was our experience. We should have just walked out.