Hair Quarters of McLean

I’ve had a hard time finding a good solid place for a hair cut. The Grooming Lounge in way too expensive and I don’t like the mall. The discount barber in Falls Church sterilizes the scissors by spraying Lysol on them and the cut is uneven.
So, I thought I’d give this place a try.
First, while waiting for an available barber, I watch as customers come in and they’re all greeted by name and it is clear these folks have been coming in for years. This is nice.
I wait maybe 5 minutes and the lady is very exacting. She takes her time until she gets it the way she wants it which is darn good. My second visit was basically the same thing.
I’m pretty happy to have found my go to place.

I’ve been going to Hair Quarters for a long time, but I looked it up today to find out what time it opens. I got a kick out of Cameron’s review, Korean — — is he kidding, all the female staff are from Vietnam! I usually go to Thu or Helen, I used to like Paula and Ali, but both have left the area.
They know how to cut hair, and they take their time. I have never felt like they were rushing to get me out of the chair for another customer. For example, today I came in at 9 AM and left at 9:52. Thu did an excellent job, as usual, making sure every detail on my head was correct.
I’ve seen a former Virginia Senator getting his hair cut, as well as members of the Intel community such as the CIA and ODNI, Pentagon brass are also frequent customers, and prominent business folk. Ken, the owner, also takes his time cutting your hair, and he is a font of knowledge on local restaurants. So if you are in McLean and need a hair cut, head over to Hair Quarters you will not be disappointed.

I have been a customer of Hair Quarters since 1976 I have watched and experienced the coming and goings of many barbers, though Ken, owner, is the staple. It is convenient. Everyone is in fact friendly. And you get a great cut for an affordable price. They have though become like family. Everyone there knows my name. I call for appointments though you don’t have to have one. And while it is true the ambiance is ‘ordinary’ — I love it when the former head of the CIA is sitting the chair next to me, or a Senator is walking out when I walk in. Lot’s of history visits this place. And the amazing thing about Ken is what he does for people. For example, when a client became too ill to come in, he would go to his home to cut his hair. You know at the end of the day it is just about hair cuts, but I have fun when I go and I look good when I leave.

Long-​standing barbers in the big strip mall of McLean. Good location, good, and skilled haircut. $ 18 for a man’s cut. The hairdressers are all very pleasant, Helen is my ‘go-​to’.
The place itself is very dated inside, but heck, it’s a barbers that has been in business for years and years. They don’t profess to be a fancy barbers, and I am glad for it. I’ll be back for all my haircuts.

I hate to write a bad review for this place because the people seem so nice but I had a pretty terrible experience. I will say though, the first time I got a haircut here it was pretty good.
I came in yesterday and there were two people available to cut. It was an hour before they closed and they both seemed tired. They seemed to argue In Korean about who would have to go next and the older lady begrudgingly got up from her chair.
I told her what I wanted – nothing too crazy just a regular trim and all the regular specifications. I don’t think my hair is too difficult to cut and at the very least it’s hard to really mess up. About halfway through two guys came in that knew my hair cutter well and after they entered she clearly rushed the rest of my haircut to get to them. My hair naturally parts, for some reason she didn’t really follow it. She left stray hairs around the ears, didn’t do the sideburns evenly, didn’t trim evenly on the side – pretty much just a bunch of small stuff but added up it resulted in a pretty shoddy haircut.
I get that she was tired and to be honest some of the stuff she messed up wasn’t really that big of a deal – I was able to fix most of it. The thing that really was annoying was how she rushed when the two guys came in. I understand you want to treat the regulars well but I was pretty happy the first time and would’ve kept coming back.
I wouldn’t write this place off entirely I would just try to catch someone who isn’t tired or isn’t trying to get you out of the way.

This is a great place, a throwback to a time when barbers actually knew their customers. I’ve been a customer since 1992, when I was 13 and Ken is the only person to cut my hair since then. He’s always quick to greet me by name and ask how my family is doing. Since it is McLean, you never know who will be sitting in the chair next too you, might be a politician, a general or a CEO, you never know.
If your looking for a good place for a haircut at an affordable price, look no more you’ve found the right place.

Shocked by Nicholas B.‘s review below. Ken says hello to me and my dad EVERY TIME we walk in and goodbye EVERY TIME we leave. He often helps my father to and from the car, even though other staff are cutting my dad’s hair or giving him a shave. Friendly, warm atmosphere; nice staff. Wonderful community barber. I took my little boys there for their first-​ever haircuts when they were small and now take my dad who is 86 lives with me. Dad enjoys chatting with Ken and thinks the ‘ladies’ do a fine job. Loves getting a shave there as standing for very long is now difficult for him. Nicholas’ comments make me wonder about his motivations.

Great, straight-​forward barber shop.
I’ve gone to Helen exclusively for about 5 years. She always does a great job on my hair (which has length, not just a buzz cut) and she has a good intuition for whether I feel like chatting or not.
She also does a nice little hot neck shave at the end.

I had been looking for a good barber who consistently gives a good haircut, and now I’ve found one. I’ve been going here for the past 5 months, and when I go, I ask for Tammy. She does a great job every time.

Now that Ali has left, there is no reason to go here. The owner Ken is a stone-​faced creep. I went there for over 11 years because Ali was my guy, and Ken not once would say hello and rarely goodbye and I’d make it a point to do both. He cringed at children walking in. Only wanted older gentlemen who barely even needed haircuts and would bs about places he had been or read about. Ali opened his own store next to McLean Family Restaurant and Ken wouldn’t even tell Ali’s customers who called for an appointment where Ali had gone just that «he left and never came back and I haven’t heard from him.» You would think that someone would help a friend promote opening there own business, especially when Ali brought over 700 clients to Hair Quarters.

I loved this place! The hair dressers are all friendly and sweet!
My hair stylist was Helen. She was so wonderful and made me feel very comfortable. She kept me very involved in the process to make sure I liked how things were looking. I’ve been back to her several times, and have always left satisfied.

I went there last night and have to say it was a good experience. It’s a small place, 3 – 4 chairs, but they sat me right away. It wasn’t fancy at all but they got the job done and the people there were friendly.
They used more clippers than I would have liked (usually the scissors last longer and look better, but take more effort), but not as much clippers as supercuts, great clips, etc.
I asked for it short, and she cut it a bit shorter than I usually get, but I have gotten several compliments, so it appears she knew what she was doing.
My favorite part is the warm shaving cream and straight edge razor on the back of my neck. Also, at $ 17 (plus tip), not a bad price.

This is a fantastic place, pretty much entirely without fault. My only reason for denying the coveted 5 stars is how few services they offer. If I could get a decent manicure here, it would be 5, no problem.
Now for the good stuff: These are some of the best barbers around. They know how to cut your hair to make it look fantastic in pretty much any situation. They use straight razors and will cut the tips with scissors to give it that texture and layering that the best stylists use. Or if you want something a bit more straightforward, they will do that too. The hot shave is also fantastic and I highly recommend anyone with anything important going on to visit these guys to peel your face, cause they do beautiful work.
My barber is Helen and she remembers me every time, asks me specific questions and helps me to relax. She’s really fantastic.
The atmosphere is nice too. Lots of power players take there kids here, so their guard is lowered while they relax. There’s almost always a family there, which is nice, though some of the kids can be obnoxious, but that’s a side effect of the location, I guess.
The best part is the price. $ 16 bucks for a haircut as good as this is a real bargain. Sure there are cheaper places, but they are never as good. This place has character, fun, good service, and is a good value. Why go anywhere else?

I’m not a salon kind of guy… sorry for the disappointment.
This has been my babershop on and off since I was a little kid. I can remember an effeminate Louis cutting my hair «LA-​style» in the early 90’s.
Now my go to guy is Ali, a Turk, who does a good job. Nearly always has a smile and is ready for a lighthearted or serious conversation [mood dependent]. You can probably meet somebody more famous than you might guess in the chair next to you and political conversation is nearly always welcomed.