Golden Nails

3^rd time at Golden Nails (in few years).
I needed my nails done and Golden Nails wasn’t far: they did a good job on my 34 $ gel manicure but it wasn’t the best I’ve had, nor the most inexpensive.
I’ll stop by again for convenience but this is not my go-​to nail salon in DC, it is as good as any other nail salon I’ve tried in the downtown area. I would probably go more often if I lived closer.

I’m a regular here but more so because the location is convenient, service and quality are consistent, price is reasonable, and I never have to make an appointment. I only get my nails done. So far I’ve done acrylic, regular polish, and gel manicure. Their work is decent but I have had a few complaints, the most recent being my gel mani had a lot of air bubbles. The place isn’t anything fancy but still feels clean and respectable. Just a heads up that you need to bring cash if you want to tip.

Great nail salon that is convenient to my office. I got a gel mani that lasted 3 weeks, including moving/​cleaning/​wrapping Christmas gifts. The location looks a little suspect — there were clearly animal droppings outside the building– but I guess that is expected in a basement in DC. The interior was clean but outdated.
My tech, T, was great and I’d definitely request her if I stray from my home spot or am in a pinch for an event.

My gel manicure was good. They have a lot of color choices (around 30 I think) and she did a nice job. She did not do a hand massage like most places but maybe it was because they were closing soon. The gel manicure was a fair price at $ 25.

I am new to DC. I was here about 7 or 8 times for full sets or polish changes before a mortifying visit that will keep me away for good. I had always found the service here to be acceptable, nails decent for the price. It’s a great location I could easily stop in on my way back from work. I stopped in and asked for one broken nail to be fixed and a polish change. I paid for a full set 3 days prior, and had a broken nail. (My fault, I yanked it pretty hard putting on my heel.) A nail tech I’ve had before, Nancy, was clearly in a rush. She fixed the nail but clearly glued it on crooked, but when I mentioned it she said she still had to file it. Fair enough. She seemed quite annoyed so I remained quiet. It looked fine, not perfect, until she put polish on it. I guess adding the color helped to reveal that it was clearly crooked. It appeared as though my nail itself was pointing at something to the right, lol. When I mentioned it to her, she repeatedly denied my claims. She even went as far as to claim it was my finger that was crooked. Then, she started calling over all of the other nail techs to crowd around me and have them validate that it was in fact my finger that was crooked and not that nail. I can’t make this stuff up. I politely said, «Nancy, I really don’t mean to be a pain, but I have a job interview tomorrow and I want my nails to look nice.» This only made her more angry. She told me «if you ever come back here I will never do your nails so don’t come back.» She then started loudly yelling something I couldn’t understand and the rest of the nail techs were laughing out loud and staring at me. It was truly bizarre. Two other customers began to stick up for me. I told Nancy that I was a great customer in the past and always left her a great tip and was always patient when I was made to wait even when I called ahead. She told me, and I quote, «I don’t care. You can tell my manager too. I’ll give you all of your tips back. Do you want them?» I tried to be polite and stay composed, but after my nails were dry I tipped her with two crumpled dollar bills and walked out in a fury. No customer, especially a loyal one, should ever be treated so poorly.

It’s not fancy and they don’t have a stellar color selection (not too many Essie polishes), but Tan (guy) gave me an excellent mani. I still can’t believe how expensive manicures are in DC compared to NYC/​NJ, but this place seems reasonable for the market ($ 14 mani). My nails have held up pretty well after four days. They’re just starting to chip a little now.

Golden Nails is my go-​to place for gel manicures. They do them right. I’ve been an inconsistent regular for about 5 years popping in before a business trip or a wedding. Anytime I go elsewhere I am disappointed.
It is a no frills kind of place, but you can expect excellent service, a friendly team and a great manicure. Prices are reasonable and you can normally squeeze in after work or on the weekends without an appointment, I just call before I head over.

My goodness, fool me once, fool me twice. I thought I’d give this place another chance, cuz I’m just that dumb. I even asked for Thuy (pronounced «twee») again. I got another gel manicure. My manicure was again very sloppy. This time, not only is there pooling on the edges of the nail, but there are bumps all over a few nails, as if she didn’t bother to check out her buff job. My French tips look ragged, and she did not fix a badly done white edge even after I pointed it out, and she confirmed that she would fix it. One nail is actually rough to the touch and not shiny like the rest, and there are black little grainy things throughout the nail. It’s like she was just hoping I’d pay and not make a stink, no matter what she did or didn’t do.
Thuy obviously doesn’t care about doing a thorough job. Even worse, this gel manicure was 45 bucks, and I’m going to have to get it redone at a different place.

Good job with waxing eyebrows, and super fast. They were really nice and accommodating for us and the time we had.
Thanks!

I love golden nails! Thu is amazing! She accommodates my schedule and she does a beautiful job on my nails, toes, and waxing. She works very quickly and is always giggling. The store is a little creepy at night because it’s underground, but that street is always so busy, that I’ve never felt unsafe.

I love this place. it’s close to my job which I love. I can go during my lunch break. i’m almost done before my time up. Lynn my favorite Nail Technican… I get a signature nail system or SNS. last for weeks Lynn rocks ever time

I was thrilled to find Golden Nails as a cheaper alternative to the very expensive nail place across the street from my apt, which charged $ 18 for a manicure. Golden Nails is much more affordable and better at shaping nails and cutting cuticles. I have only had one bad experience here. One of them cut my finger pretty badly with a cuticle cutter. She kept putting antiseptic on it to stop the bleeding. I was disappointed because I have come here probably 15 or so times and have been happy with the service and the color selection. It is on a semi rough block in Chinatown but it’s less than a block away from the metro so I would still recommend it. I’ve been happy here 90% of the time. I also love that they use paraffin wax on your hands and feet for no extra charge.

Lovely place. Came when it was empty around 330−4pm. Same girl did my pedicure and fill-​in acrylic with gel polish. Excellent job until it was time to do the gel polish. People started coming in and it’s a small space so I think she got anxious and wanted to rush finish. Understandable. I’ll go again midday so she can take her time. :)

I absolutely loved my experience at Golden Nails. I was unsure of where to go, being from Idaho, but I took a chance because they were right down the street from where I’m currently staying. The technicians there are so incredibly warm and friendly and I love my nails. I got a pedicure and a gel manicure and both still look perfect. My technician took her time and made sure I had a great experience. Everything was very sanitary and this is high praise coming from a germaphobe. I wore the wrong shoes (Toms) and got extra care when putting my shoes on to make sure my pedi stayed perfect.
I 100% will be back, and would recommend to anyone looking to have a lovely time, and great service, at an incredible price :)

Golden Nails continues to be my «GO TO» place for manicures and pedicures. While I have a favorite manicurist, I have had manicures from others and am always pleased with the results. It is a complete manicure, parrafin included, never sloppy. My manicures last 2 weeks (not gel). I drive into DC to go here passing many other shops on the way. It is not a Spa but it is a clean and pleasant environment.

I came back and just got a gel manicure on my natural nails. Nancy and Jeannie did a fabulous job again. I highly recommend the paraffin wax hand moisturizer treatment. My hands feel sooo soft and wonderful!

My husband and I were in dire need of some skin care after a long camping trip in the deserts of Botswana. Our feet were starting to look like the elephants we’d been watching! The ladies at Golden Nails were sweet and got to work removing callouses and making us human again. Their prices are really good too and is probably why the place was busy when we went there on a Friday afternoon (still didn’t have to wait). There is street parking all around, some coin meters and others use the parking machine. Just make sure you pay for your parking because the meter maids are roaming this area constantly.

I was excited to find a nail salon near my job, and was able to check it out before taking a beach vacation. I was a walk-​in trying to get a manicure-​pedicure, and after selecting my nail polish they had me in a massage chair for my pedicure within 5 minutes. The nail tech was a little pushy with trying to upgrade to a spa pedicure, but she eventually let it go. I did like that the paraffin dip was included with the manicure. I thought the tech did a fine job, but their nail polish is really cheap. My manicure was chipping within a couple of days, so you might wanna try a gel manicure here. $ 40 is pretty good for downtown DC, but I’ve gotten better quality for cheaper in MD, so I’m a little particular when it comes to cost. Overall I think it’s a convenient spot in the downtown DC area and would recommend if you need a quick no-​frill nail treatment.

This place is completely hidden and very small, but gets the job done. There is no messing around when the manicurists are trying to get you in and out, but they still make sure your nails look perfect. I came here on my birthday before heading to Minibar because I had to have pretty nails for such a nice dinner. Everyone here was really nice and only talked about us a teeny bit in other languages. Yay! This is definitely a great place for DC folks if you want to come in and out, and the mani/​pedi deal is really great. Definitely a great place to come if you’re trying to get spruced up quickly!

So I don’t venture to Chinatown often and if I am planning to get my nails done, I prefer a no nonsense place in Columbia Heights. But a new friend and I were in the neighborhood and really needed a manicure. With the help of Unilocal we came across this place.
Located in a basement-​like store, Golden Nails is nothing special. In fact, it is a notch or two below nothing special with a tiny window unit providing very little air conditioning in a very small nail salon.
Arriving at 6pm we didn’t wait at all for two gel manicures. Our nail techs were pleasant and did a very nice job. Moreover, they had a lot of gel colors to choose from; so many, we had a very hard time picking a color.
Definitely a three star experience. Also don’t forget to bring cash for tips!