Gabby’s Barber Shop

COST:
$ 16 (Haircut)
HOLY MOLY! A nice barber haircut for $ 16? Seems too good to be true, but it is! Came on a Saturday morning and let me tell you, the temporary replacement Veronica hooked it up! She’s awesome, friendly and gave me the nicest haircut I ever had.
She cuts your hair fast too, so I was worried at first that it’d look wonky but nah, she’s cool!
Just remember, ****WRITE YOUR NAME DOWN**** on their little board by the left side of the door as you walk in. Come in SUPER early on weekends, or you’ll spend a considerable amount of time here. Worth it though!
PS. TIP WELL! The price for the cut itself is so cheap, don’t be cheap on your tip fellas!!!

I tried. I really did. I saw the good reviews on Unilocal for Gabby’s. I liked that they didn’t take reservations and just took walk-​ins. I loved that they were a locally-​owned business. Really, I tried.
But I went by on a Sunday morning and checked in. Write my name on the board? Ok… How long is the wait, I asked? How many are ahead of you? 16? Ok, about an hour, so feel free to go run an errand or whatever. Great, I will.
So we went out to get a bite to eat and such. We came back after about an hour and 15 minutes, took a seat and waited. And waited. And waited. And fucking waited. An hour later, I looked to see how many names were still ahead of me. 14. Yep, fourteen. One-​four. Are you shitting me?
I’m really glad Gabby’s is packed and doing well. Seriously, I am. I love seeing local businesses thrive. But I am not, repeat NOT, going to sit in a goddamn barber shop, however hipster douchbag as it might be, for an entire day, just to get my hair cut for about 10 minutes. I don’t have enough hair to make it worth my time.
Sorry Gabby’s. I want to love you. But the wait is absurd. And I didn’t even get to figure out how expensive your plain old hair cut is. Wanna guess?

This place boasts good barbers and an enjoyable atmosphere. They need to start taking appointments. I’ve waited as long as 2 hours for a haircut before. Come prepared to sit and wait because you WILL dedicate at least 60 minutes to Gabby’s.

RJ cut my hair several times ranging from long to very short. He is a barbers barber… outstanding.
The big challenge was going from long hair to at flattop. Many barbers talk customers out it because they don;t have the skill or time. Well, RJ gave the cut in 20 minutes. It was perfect. The next time I requested a flattop it was a bit faster and again, text book perfect. He is the master barber.
Outstanding barber shop, but follow the rules. Sign in on the blackboard. If you want a particular barber, write his/​her name with a circle around it. There are several barbers, but there might be a LOT of customers. There are many magazines and newspapers.
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I gave this place another shot and I turned out to like it. My hair was cut by RJ this time around and it was on point. Seeing as I’m a 5 minute walk away, I’ll be a regular. However, be warned: the wait time can be steep when they get busy. I waited an hour but it was worth it because I got my hair cut the way I wanted.

Great place to get a haircut! All of the barbers here are extremely competent and will cut your hair however you’d like. $ 16, reading materials of all types while you wait, and a straight-​razor neck shave at the end of the cut.
This seems to be a popular place, and wait times can get long as it is first-​come first-​serve. When you walk in, you write your name on the chalkboard and you can see how many people are ahead of you, so you can plan accordingly when there is a wait.

This is the only barbershop I’ll go to! I’ve tried others and was disappointed. Gabby’s was recommended to me when I first moved to Chicago and I’ve been coming here ever since. I love everything about this place. The old school feel, prices, and staff are great!
I go to RJ on a regular basis. His attention to detail is the best. I always get a solid cut. It’s also nice to have a barber with a sense of humor, definitely makes my experience more than just sitting in a chair and getting my hair cut. If he’s not there or I’m in a rush I can go to any other barber and know that I’ll get a solid haircut. I’ve had almost every barber at Gabby’s cut my hair and have never been disappointed! Everyone who works there is talented.
Just a heads up, it’s a first come, first serve basis. My only complaint, which actually is more of a compliment, is that the wait times can get pretty long. But this is a testament to the quality and popularity of Gabby’s.
It’s cash only, but a cut only costs $ 16. In my opinion, this is a fair price. It’s hard to find a better price in the neighborhood.
Best barbershop in town and I’ll keep coming to Gabby’s!

Probably the best haircut I’ve had ever. The guy took so much care and attention to do a good job, even though there was a lot of guys waiting. Sure I waited an hour, but that level of quality for only $ 16? I’ll be going back and taking a book.

Great barber shop. Would recommend to anyone.

Best haircut in years! Give Gabby’s a try, you’ll love it! CASH ONLY

Very pleased with my experience at Gabby’s. I went in to get my beard trimmed. RJ did a fantastic job and was meticulous in making sure I was satisfied. I have found my new barbershop.

Several visits, tried out most of the chairs, every cut a good one. Upgrade to five stars.

Old school, no frills barber shop… good cuts, good price, good conversation, good music, no attitude!

Just moved to Chicago and already found a great barbershop! Gabby’s has an old school feel and awesome environment. Wayne gave me a great haircut and I will definitely be coming back!

Out of necessity and lack of competition I’ve been coming back here; and it’s growing on me. While I still think the other barbers aren’t any good, David (bald guy) is solid and does good work.

I stumbled into Gabby’s after 3 months of living in Chicago, and let me tell you it was the best accident that has happened to me yet.
The first thing you notice when you walk into the shop is that it’s a super clean old school barber shop, and really provides that old time Chicago feel.
From the moment I sat down in Johnny’s chair at Gabby’s I knew I had found my permanent barber. The guy is a samuri with a straight razor and cleans me up like no one else can, and for $ 14? What are you waiting for?
I’d recommend heading in and seeing Johnny, you won’t be disappointed in the work he does, he provides what in my opinion should cost triple what I pay, but hey I’m gunna keep taking advantage of the price and tipping what he man deserves until I’m old bald and worthless… and even then I might still give him a call to shave me up.

Got a fresh fade, stoked on the cut. Cheaper and quicker than other barbers in the area

Disappointed with the salons and barber shops in Edgewater, a co-​worker of mine recommended me to head down to Lakeview and give this a try. What a great suggestion.
I hopped on the train, walked the 3 or 4 blocks from the Belmont red line stop and strolled in. I was greeted warmly and was told it would be just a few seconds. I was quickly seated by Cathy and we started chatting about what I wanted to do with my hair.
I haven’t had a hair cut in 6 months and my hair was long and awful. I looked like i had a fish bowl on my head. I hadn’t got a cut because I didn’t know what I want. I talked for a good 10 minutes about options and was given many suggestions. Their patience with me was outstanding.
I left with a new style I haven’t ever tried, tons of tips on how my hair grew and how I can work around it, and a happy wife.
Gabby’s will become a regular for me.

One of the best haircuts I’ve ever gotten.
FYI Cathy is awesome! Very professional and personable, and listens to what you want; along with excellent discretion.

I recommended this place to my boyfriend after reading the Unilocal reviews. Now, I feel terrible. He got a haircut here last week and couldn’t have been more unhappy. It was a pompadour, which is really so popular that it’s shocking how many places haven’t been able to nail it. He doesn’t remember the barber’s name, but I was shocked when he got home. His part was almost dead center on the top of his head– it literally looked like he had half of a head of hair. That look has a side part, which my boyfriend already had the beginning of. He created the new part with a razor, so it’s not something you can just brush over and hide. I know not all barbers are the same, but I would avoid this place based on the one terrible haircut.