Protocol Barber Shop

Kendal has been coming here ever since we moved back to California. As an ex barber he’s super picky about his hair. He tried out a few places before finally finding this one. I am glad he did because he is looking hot!!! I love the way his fade looks after visiting this place. Ever since we were in the Navy he has kept the same fade and surprisingly it looks much better now. As a wife I am pretty happy w. The way his hair looks everytime.
Recently I came to sit in while he was in the chair. (I know, wives aren’t supposed to be in the shop, but it beats waiting in the car) The place was really nice and clean! They had some movies going on which is always nice while you wait, and they even had a few game consoles which I’m sure come in handy during the busy days. And all of the barbers seemed really cool! They didn’t mind me being there. Overall it seems like a happy place! They were joking around with eachother and just having a good ol time! They even took a family of guys right before closing. That’s great customer service! Five stars based on the quality of haircut for the past year, customer service, and cleanliness.
Some of these reviews are so dang salty, and they come from men!!! Look dudes, 1.5 hour wait is nothing! If you don’t have an appointment you should know that at most barbershops you are going to be sitting pretty for a while. ***It’s a good sign if there is a wait*** In San Diego you’d be waiting close to 4 hours some days. You can pay just a little extra for an appointment and it’s totally worth it if you have set plans that day. And also barbershops are like man caves. There aren’t any rules on what you can listen to no matter who is around. It’s just a guys thing. I respect this place. It’s clean, they have great customer service, and there is just a good vibe about this place. Tommy and Chano are Kendal’s barbers. I definitely recommend them. Ladies send your guys this way. If you are a Mom and have a little one who needs a cut I’d recommend scheduling an appointment for shizzle! That way you are in and out.

Best barbershop around… its clean and theres always a movie on to watch while you are getting your haircut. Chairs are clean and shop is clean, not a hole in the wall shops like where i use to get my haircut in pomona. The shop is always busy and if you dont have an appointment you will be waiting for a spot for like a hour, so if time is money id pay the extra $$ for an appointment because its ALWAYS busy. Everyone is cool in the shop and theres no drama like most barbershops. This is a REAL barbershop thats got a good atmosphere and great barbers.

when u don’t listen or check with the client to make sure u are doing exactly what they want… not good!!! second when a customer is on u r chair be polite and keep conversations to the client u are cutting their hair. and please don’t make it a day event. .people have things to do and don’t want to waste u r time or their own. well not satisfied. .will move on to a shop that listen. .not just cut and not give a dam.

I have been coming here since they first open. I got my haircut done by 3 barber’s and that includes Lorenzo the owner, Richie has been cutting my hair since.
The environment is very chill, hip hop in the background, video games, movies, ATM and Great Service.
Appointments are a must

Tried a new spot for a hair cut. It’s in a shopping center that has Stater bros, KFC and a donut shop. Protocol Barber shop is near the donut shop and faces Grand Ave.
Tim was my barber today. I got a fade and razor shave, he took his time and was very detailed. He used several hot towels which felt nice and left a clean and fresh feeling. Tim appears not to be just a barber but an artist and master at his craft. He was professional and polite. The experience lasted about an 1hr so plan accordingly.
At this shop there were quite a few barber who I cant speak about, it appears to be a popular spot so I recommend getting here early or making an appointment (for a $ 5 additional fee)
This is the only place my kids get excited about when I tell them I’m taking them to get a cut. They absolutely love their movies and 5! Flat screens. They are very accommodating to your children and changed the movie they were watching to one my kids requested.
Not to mention that they still give your kids haircut the same attention as adults. Check them out and ask for Tim.

Went to try this spot out for the first time, and was cut by Tim, whos the owners son. I guess it was his first day working there. The cut took around 1 hour, which i think is too long for a haircut. However, the cut came out pretty well. The place has a good vibe, and id come back and try other barbers to see who I like the best. Overall good experience.

The homies at Protocol always keep it fresh!
They have solid barbers all around (although my go to dude is Chano) they can all throw down with clippers.

I’ve been going for I think about 2 years. And well I’ve had a good experience almost every single time. Well when i don’t it’s not because they completely messed up my hair and I was embarrassed compared to the barbershop I went to before protocol, but more of a few long hairs on the side that I have to cut, which can be my fault because I don’t check the mirror as close as I should. But the hairs are hard to see unless you’re very close. Other than that it’s a really nice atmosphere. It doesn’t get annoying. They have a good taste in movies in my opinion. And they’re very friendly.

My suggestion for fellow Unilocalers: schedule an appointment. Lorenzo does take walk-​ins, but you will be waiting for a while. He does have a waiting list that you can put your name down, then come back when it is your time.
I’ve gone to other barbers in the area, sometimes with a picture of the haircut I want, but they never turn out quite right.
Lorenzo has a good eye and is very skilled. Me and my son prefer him as our local barber. I’ve only described my preferred cut to Lorenzo in broad terms, and he intuitively translates my input into a very flattering cut for my head and face shape — better than any picture I could provide. I have been and will definitely be back again, and recommend him to my friends.

Unilocal took out my review because it was not specific
I will do again. i went in to get a haircut with no appointment. So I waited about an hour. When it was my turn I sat in the chair. Guy was blabbering away with his coworker. Haircut turned out really bad worse one ever. I told my friend about it and he told me after he got his hair cut there ones he literally went home and had to go almost bald. I don’t want you to not go because of this small hicup. But if you do you’ve been warned.

I usually go all the way to Pasadena for my sons cut, But took him here for the first time since it’s near my house and we were short on time. Right when I walked in everyone was really cool, even my 3 year old felt that vibe if he was willing to sit still for his cut lol, waited no more than 2 minutes for Adrian, he was really friendly and patient with my son, made him feel really comfortable. The owner was a real cool guy, super friendly, definitely cares about his customers. A perfect fade and comb over for my son… looks like we just found a new barber!

Several months ago I was in the search for a new barber and barbershop. I found this place and decided to give it a try. I asked for the owner because they usually are one of the best at places that receive good reviews. I was so right, his name is Lorenzo and he is one of the best for sure. This place is always busy, I’ve seen people wait for a long time and get upset. All you have to do is CALL AND MAKE AN APOINTMENT. Yes it will cost $ 5 more but you don’t have to wait. I think it’s totally worth it.
I’ve watched the other barbers there and they all have serious skill. If there are any negative reviews it would have to be due to the wait, so call in make an appointment and you’ll be 100% satisfied.
They have an atm, they do razor fades and finish the haircut right with a hot towel service and after shave spray. I’m glad I found this place Lorenzo is the best. Try them, adiós for now.

To the people leaving bad reviews, if you’re used to fast haircuts with little attention to detail then please don’t come here. With around 6 barbers all doing precision cuts you cannot seriously expect you, a walk-​in, to get cut right off the bat… if you don’t like waiting like me, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT… You WILL be cut at the time you reserved, and all it costs is a few dollars more to look fresh at the time you want.
My only affiliation to this shop is as a customer. Not once have I waited passed my reservation time. Lorenz is the owner, voice your inquiries, complaints, and suggestions to him and it will be addressed accordingly.
«The world doesn’t stop for the slow and the stupid.» If you’re mad/​offended by this, then you are the slow and the stupid. Protocol was able to satisfy hundreds of people, but just not you? Hmmm… maybe you should just get laser hair removal all around. It’ll be cheaper in the long run, trust me.

Took my brother in to get his hair cut and his regular barber wasn’t in but Lorenzo did an amazing job, and my brother is VERY picky on who/​how he cuts his hair. The atmosphere is laid back and exactly like a barber shop should be, full of random conversation with Sunday football on every screen. I was the only girl in there this morning but they were super respectful and very welcoming. It’s a great place and by the amount of customers there at 9 am they know what they’re doing and are great at what they do.
But this place does get packed but thats a GOOD THING, they obviously have people who are happy with their business I wouldn’t want to go to a barber shop that was completely empty at prime time that just tells me nobody wants to get their hair cut there, so why would I. Just be an adult, call ahead and make an appointment.

First time leaving a review and this place is totally worth it. Richie has been cutting my son’s hair since he was 3 months old. He is a great barber and my son enjoys seeing him each time.
Wait times can be long so it’s best to make an appointment. An ideal «guys» barber shop. Honestly if you can’t handle the movies and music being played here then go to JC Penny’s. I appreciate that as a mom the guys always ask if I’m okay with what music is on, but this is a guys barber shop.
They have a long time customer for my son and husband.

Didn’t appreciate the fact that they let me sit there for 2.5 hours before I had to ask is I was going get out of there in another hour. I had a party to be at. This was at 3:00pm after I had watched the last half of Shanghai noon, and all of the Italian job movies on their TV’s.
They straight told me that they were all booked up till 5:30 at least and that I should wait to see if some one would cancel an appointment. There were 4 other dudes that walked out with me after hearing that.
Why would you waste people’s time like that?! 2.5 hours on my only day off sitting for nothing and they wanted me to wait another 1.5 hours??? What a terrible system. How bout some alternating walk cutters, or how bout not offering walk ins when you are totally booked???
Don’t come here on a thurs-​Sunday as a walk in. Unless you feel like waisting your time.
Lost one customer today, and I’m sure those 3 other dudes that waited 2 Hours with me and left won’t come back either.

So I’m in getting my monthly hair cut by Tommy (chair 1) and my boy Lorenzo (owner and operator) is visibly upset. Here how our conversation went
Me– what’s up big dog you good?
L– got a bad review yesterday. Gotta make sure we do better by our people
Me– what!!! What’s it say, let me check it out!
*I read review … Some parts out loud*
Me — bro don’t even let that get to you
L– I just want my clients to be happy!
Me– You can’t please everyone!
So as a regular for I think over 2 years now let me say this, THIS shop isn’t for everybody!!! If you are looking for a salon maybe get your bikini wax touched up or have some highlights put in your hair this is NOT your spot.
But if you are looking for a haircut done in a NORMAL amount of time, some sports on TV, good conversation about everything from Ronda Rousey vs Money Mayweather to my halos getting swept by the Dodgers (with a respectable amount of ribbing), while having your haircut by an owner or employees who actually cares about what is said about them on Unilocal and wants to make it better then you have found a home.
The quality of the people who work here are unreal — if you read my second review about bringing my 3 kids (2 girls) in and how they changed the TV to a kid show should say enough. If you need more proof just know the owner cares about what every client even new ones think, that says enough!

Solid 4.5 stars.
Walked in on a Friday around 10am, put my name down on the list, took off, came back an hour later, then waited about 25 min for my name to be called.
Tommy is who I ended up with. He was very chill and nice. I told him I wanted a low taper fade. I also pointed out the odd shape in the back of my head and he said not to worry.
Overall, my haircut took about 40 min or so. The time he took crafting my cut was definitely worth it, it was super clean and better than I would’ve imagined it.
Thanks Protocol and Tommy for the fresh cut!

First time visit yesterday. It’s a nice little place with four tv screens and the biggest tv is hooked up to a Playstation 3. This place is busy too — I showed up without an appointment and waited about 15 minutes around 11 AM on a Thursday. The barbers are younger guys but you can tell they know what they’re doing. Since I had never been there, I signed my name on the sign in sheet and Richie was my barber. I showed him a pic of what I wanted and he did it exactly that way. He even used a straight razor to clean up the back and sides. Very nice! It’s inexpensive too — $ 15 for a walk in, $ 20 for an appointment and they’ll even give you an old school shave with warm towels and a straight razor if you want one. Seniors get a discount too. So the bottom line:
Pros — friendly, professional staff who care about what they do and you can tell, take pride in their work.
Cons — sometimes wait times can be long. And for you Mom’s out there taking your little boys, sometimes music with explicit lyrics is playing in the background and occasionally the clients use explicit language too.
All in a all, a great little shop that I will no doubt be returning to with my son.

I’ve been going to the same Fantastic Sam’s for way too long… Maybe 20 years but for sure since I was in single digits in age, so I’ve been searching for a good barber because I felt that it was time for a change and a grownup haircut. When researching places, I came across Protocol Barber Shop and wanted to try it out because it’s so close to where I currently live and the very positive feedback they had received here on Unilocal.I was deterred though because I saw a groupon deal for a barbershop in South El Monte and have been going there for the past few months. That Barbershop is now closed so I finally decided to try Protocol and I’m so glad I did.
I made an appointment and I’m super glad I did because it seems if you don’t, you can be waiting there for a for long while; at least on a Saturday. It does cost extra if you go in on an appointment but you have to consider what’s more important, your time or saving a few bucks. After making a 2pm appointment with anyone as I had no preference, I wasn’t seen until about 2:25. Yes, this did annoy me a bit, but my barber got backed up doing an impeccable job on the client before me. Also, I know ish happens. Once I was finally greeted and seen by my barber Mark, I felt in very capable and funny hands. He listened to what I wanted but also gave him some freedom to do what he thought was best, because I never really know what it is I exactly want, and he did a perfect job. I will definitely be returning to Mark while I’m still living in the area.
So this was definitely a 4.5-star experience because of the somewhat long wait but I decided to bump it up to 5 instead of 4 for three reasons. First, because Mark did an awesome job, thanks Mark! I’m doing Movemeber and was looking homeless and Mark fixed that. Second, because I could tell Mark was as considerate with me as he was with his previous client and I can appreciate that. Lastly because the banter between the barbers was hilarious! I legit felt like I was an extra in the Latino version of the movie «Barbershop» lol.