Sonia Salon

My friend found Sonia’s Salon thanks to an offer that she saw on Groupon and I’m so glad that she did. I’ve been in need of a mani/​pedi for weeks and Sonia was fantastic at accommodating our last minute walk-​in. The Salon was busy when we arrived, but she was able to fit us in pretty quickly. Sonia specifically mentioned that they tend to get busy during long weekends so I would suggest scheduling an appointment to be safe, or going in when there’s a local festival/​event when traffic might be slower.
The Salon is a bit smaller than what I’m accustomed to, coming from Michigan, but the staff was very professional and moved well together. They offered us an assortment of pop, tea and water. A number of people both male and female came in for eyebrow threading.
Yana handled my mani-​pedi and I absolutely recommend her. She was very quick, and did a great job cutting down my cuticles. I have rather large hands for a woman and when she finished with my simple manicure my hands looked very delicate.
I will definitely becoming back.

Just an update because they have done some renovations lately!
After a late winter break of wedding season no chip manis, I am BACK with spring! Just came here for the first time since November and the place is looking good but is a bit crowded with how they reorganized. However, if you read my previous review, you’ll know that this isn’t the most luxurious spot in town. It remains a solid place to get a reasonably priced mani or pedi.
I am happy to report they now have the little nail swatches so you can see what the no chip colors look like without having to open bottles and demo on your nails (only to accidentally wipe it off on your clothes or in your hair).
Yay Sonia! Keep up the good work!

True no-​chip manicures and pedicures, with a large variety of colors to pick from. Friendly atmosphere and fantastic eyebrow threading.

The salon itself seems like a typical mani/​pedi place. Visually, nothing out of the norm.
I enjoyed the massage chairs they have for your pedicure… good and strong.
The pedicure itself was nothing to write home about, though. I have tough feet, and they barely got filed and buffed… and there was no foot massage to speak of. I was disappointed, because when I get a pedi I want to leave with nice, soft, relaxed feet. I feel that I just left with painted nails and not much more :-/

This place was not for me. At least as far as nail services are concerned. Nail salons in this city are a dime a dozen. I’ve tried a bunch over the years, I’m always looking for a new salon that’s more local to my school or work. But this place doesn’t even compare to the others in the area and not in a good way. The set up is weird, it’s super cramped and it looks like it is violating some type of safety code, and it doesn’t exactly look super clean either. I got a mani/​pedi here and both left much to be desired. The girl doing my nails was nice but seemed distracted as she spoke to another worker there the entire time she did my manicure and as a result cut my finger during the manicure. But at least she did a good job shaping and painting my nails. The pedicure, however, overall felt rushed, no real attention to detail, and was way shorter than I’ve gotten anywhere else. I’m just glad I didn’t pay full price. Can’t speak for any of their other services but I definitely won’t be returning here for anything nail related.

Been here on several occasions during my lunch break and each time I was able to be seen right away. The service was quick for what I had done (lip & eyebrow threading). The staff is always nice. Not overly friendly but friendly enough to get the job done. The prices are decent where so you will not break the bank. My eyebrows have turned out nice each time I’ve gone.

I had a Groupon for a mani/​pedi — I tried it out and I won’t be coming back. The salon itself is crowded and ugly, with a weird décor and products everywhere. It was also filled with employees — chatting with one another and sitting in the manicure chairs to the point that it was unclear where I would sit while receiving a service. It was an uncomfortable experience — I asked for some simple things (such as paying before they painted my nails and receiving change for a $ 10 bill, clearly so that I could tip), and they were confused and unresponsive.
That being said, my nails look great and they are lasting really well. But part of getting a manicure is feeling like you are having a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon, and this was neither. My technician also cut the skin on one of my fingers with the nail file, which was really painful.
There are better options out there.

Eyebrow Threading Review — If you must go to Sonia Salon, only go to Sonia.
Unexpectedly, my favorite eyebrow spot closed. Like… packed up in the middle of the night, one day you’re there, the next day you’re not, no sign on the door — CLOSED. Shocked & devastated; I thought to myself — who will I trust to thread my eyebrows now?!
I made a check list —
1. Somewhere that has decent Unilocal reviews
2. Somewhere that’s open on the weekends and late on weekdays
3. Somewhere nearby
I thought Sonia Salon checked all these boxes… so I ventured there 3x. The thing about going to a new place (unwillingly) is that you’re already bias. Sonia is nice and friendly (enough) but she does not listen to the client. I’m not always a firm believer in the «costumer is always right» philosophy but when it comes to my eyebrows — I am ALWAYS right. Eyebrows frame your face and everyone has a particular way they want them to look. Sonia and her employees are very heavy handing in sharing how they think your eyebrows should look. So much in fact that they will completely ignore your direction on how you’d like your eyebrows shaped and thread them however they please. I visited 3x and each time my eyebrows were shaped completely different — no consistency whatsoever.

Best manicure ever!
I had Irena and she is a pro at french manicures. She was incredibly thorough and free handed the white tips. My nails have never looked better.

I come here only for eyebrow threading and I only have it done by Sonia. .not because the other employees aren’t good I just adore Sonia so much that I can’t not see her! I love Sonia and the amazing work she does. Plus it’s affordable!

Bought a Groupon for this place. Went to get my fingers and toes done for my wedding. My wife and a bridesmaid went along. The wife and I had appointments, my bridesmaid did not. They got her in with us, which was awesome, and gave her the Groupon price even though she had yet to buy it.
The service was fantastic at first. The owner is terrific! We were immediately given one person to work on us. We were given tea while we chose our color. At this point, the experience differs. My wife and bridesmaid were with 2 wonderful ladies who not only worked professionally on them, but were polite and conversational. The person I was given lacked any personable skills. I asked if I could have different colors for my nails and toes and was harshly told no. That was fine, one color works, it’s a Groupon. I sat next to my wife while our feet were pampered. As we went, I noticed that the woman working on me skipped steps and hurried through my treatment. She did get all the necessary parts, but I watched my wife get a massage, lotion, and much more attention. She painted my toes properly enough.
I was passed to another woman who threaded my whole face. She was awesome!
Then it was time for my hands. I was pointed back to the woman with long black hair and she proceeded to ignore anything that wasn’t my fingers and chat with the other lady working next to her the whole time. This would have been fine if the paint job was terrific, which it was not. Any time she needed to give me instructions it was harsh few word commands. She rushed through the manicure and stuck me under some dryers and left to go smoke or get food or something. My bridesmaid and wife were still being pampered at this time. She was back when my timers went off and put me through another dry cycle. She then sprawled out on a couch and played with her phone. My timers went off again and she did nothing. After a bit I got up and sat on the couch next to her with my phone, waiting for the others. Eventually she got up and left for good.
The woman who ran the register was very polite. My wife and friend were treated well, so I’d consider going back, but I’d refuse to be put with the lady with long black hair again. She should not work in a business where customer service is key.

The customer service was great! However, the no-​chip was not up to standard. The price is fair but I’ve gotten better for the same price.

When it comes to manicures and pedicures ALERTT BEWARE SKIP !!! Horrible no chip! Went in a Sunday afternoon to get a no chip and it cracked in a matter of hours. They don’t specialize in nails probably bc theyre all Indian. Not one Asian. Very crowded bc the space is soooo small, I’m sure their threading service is great BUT NAILS. No gooood!!!

Thank you, Sonia Dua, for taking what was supposed to be a gift of a relaxing evening (after dealing with 3 year old twins and a husband in the hospital, I needed this), and instead making it one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had with a business.
I received a Groupon as a gift. I’ll upload a photo of the voucher so you can see the terms. It said «one choice of spa services». The only restrictions in the fine print were that you had to be a client who hadn’t been there in the last 6 months, and there were extra fees for French Tips.
Silly me, I assumed this could be used for something on their list of services at the spa. Apparently I was very wrong, as Sonia told me a hundred times last night. Looks like they had a Groupon for a manicure/​pedicure combo, but that didn’t print out on the gift voucher. I understand her dilemma – there’s a printed voucher with her salon’s name on it and terms that she didn’t really agree to. That’s a problem to bring up with Groupon for sure. But I’m not sure how it became my problem. The voucher should have been honored, especially if she ever wanted me to come back as a new client. She tried to call Groupon to have them explain it to me (really???), but they didn’t answer.
After going back and forth with her quite a bit and her asking me to call the person who gave me the gift to explain it to me (yeah, let me call them and tell them they gave me a crappy gift… I’ll get right on that…), I finally gave in and said that I’d agree to just using the value of the voucher towards the other service. Since it clearly states on the voucher «The amount paid will never expire and may be applied toward any goods or services offered by the merchant». Nope, she was not having that either. Sonia stated that she would only get $ 16 for the voucher, and that wasn’t enough.
Here’s the funny thing – the service I was asking for was cheaper than the manicure/​pedicure combo! So, I’m not sure what kind of pricing system is in place there, but it sure doesn’t make sense to me. In the end, she refused to compromise in any way, so I had to head home even more frustrated than when I got there, the opposite of what I had been hoping for.
I’d also like to thank you, Sonia (salon owner), for having this long, drawn out conversation in the middle of your salon so everyone there had to listen to us. Sorry for ruining a relaxing evening for you ladies as well! If I had been given an option to go anywhere else, I would have, but I wasn’t allowed more than 5 feet from the front door.

I got an eye brow threading (not from Sonia) and it wasn’t the best. The lady left a lot of stray hairs and my left eye brow was uneven (possibly the worst thing possible). However, friends have said Sonia does an amazing job so I’ll give it a try one more time.
My manicure and pedicure were great, but it felt very rushed. I was one of the last clients of the evening so again, I’ll give it one more chance.
I’m hoping after my next visit I can update this review!

Great experience each time. Very accommodating on timing and just a friendly group here. Ive been offered tea or water or soda every time I’m there.

I usually go for eyebrow threading which is perfect every time. They know when I say «just a clean up» that means «please don’t over thread and arch my brows». They get it. Sculpted, full brows every time.
But wait… there’s more! Yesterday I spontaneously decided to get a pedicure along with my brows. Best decision ever. HELEN did an excellent job and took her time. I was so relaxed. She was really paying attention to what she was doing. Will be going back for more nail services.

first time there ever today and I have got to say it was amazing!
I was recovering from a BAD Brazilian from a month before when I came in. Not only did I get a good wax but Sonia, the owner, THREADED me to get rid of the in growns, broken hairs, etc. I’d never heard of someone doing that but it was honestly painless and amazing. Also she said she will give me a touch up for the hairs she didn’t grab for free!
recommend highly

This review is solely for the Mani pedi I got done here… SUB-​PAR.
it was rushed, sloppy and I’m pretty sure several steps were missed in the process. There is also a very poor color selection. Just spend ten more dollars and go somewhere they know what they’re doing. Please.

Due to moving out of Chicago it’s been a while since I’ve been here, but OMG how much do I miss these talented & über sweet ladies! I had been getting eyebrow & Brazilian waxes for years before moving to Chicago, and just kind of picked this salon randomly out of necessity (it IS!) shortly after moving to the city. One of the luckiest picks ever.
As she was finishing my first Brazilian there, Sonia verified that I wanted my eyebrows done too and I thought I’d ask about threading as I had never tried it before. Deciding to try it that day has resulted in never waxing them again, I am a total threading convert for life. Imo, threading is slightly better than waxing b/​c unlike wax which roughly pulls the (delicate eye) skin as well as the hair up, threading just pulls the hair. TOTALLY not sure if this is an actual benefit, it just kinda makes sense to me.
Let’s face it, hair removal of any kind done anywhere is more than likely gonna hurt like a bitch, so there’s nothing anyone can really do about that, for me what made this place really special out of the dozens & dozens of places I’ve been to in my life, was the staff who are not only talented and skilled at what they do, but clearly enjoy what they’re doing and care about their customers.
I use Unilocal all the time but have never taken the time to write a review before, I’m really glad I did it for here… even if it did become a short book… :-P