Rudy’s Barbershop

Pamela is awesome. Laser focused on giving a fantastic cut, synced with what I wanted to do immediately and delivered. She’s also just genuinely interesting and pleasant to talk with. A+, I’ll be back.

My haircut and beard trim here were a little while ago. It was just OK. No disaster but not really good enough to go back, I’m afraid. Just my experience; others apparently have done well.

After my first cut at Rudy’s, I was relieved to have found a new staple. The barbershop has a nice feel, prices are reasonable and I got a fresh cut. But after three very disappointing follow-​ups I’ve decided to cut my losses here.
The second time I visited, my first hairdresser was unavailable so I tried another. The haircut was terrible, rushed, and the hairdresser spent the entire time talking (totally unsolicited) about how much she hated Rudy’s management, how she was looking for an immigration lawyer so she could stay in the country, how she needed big tips to afford her rent, and how she was going to complain to authorities about Rudy’s temporary move to the Ace Hotel during its renovation. I get that everyone has their own issues but this was way too much information and frankly uncomfortable to listen to (you could see other hairdressers were embarrassed). Whatever, I thought — I had a good haircut the previous time, maybe this was just a one-​off bad experience. Unsurprisingly, I learned on my next visit that she wasn’t working at Rudy’s anymore.
My next visit just required a touch-​up and lasted all of 5 minutes — I know this because I was literally outside Rudy’s at 11:06, 6 minutes after it had opened that Sunday. Yet for some reason they felt it necessary to charge for a full haircut. This very much rubbed me the wrong way. I’m happy to pay for what I’m getting, but at $ 45 plus tip for a haircut, you’d think they could have some middle ground… On top of that, the hairdresser seemed very disinterested, not even bothering to buzz my neck or even show me what the back of my haircut looked like.
On my fourth visit, after arriving for my appointment, I sat down patiently in the waiting area. I could see my hairdresser was busy with another client, no big deal. But after waiting another 20 minutes, it became very obvious that he was still nowhere close to finishing. I don’t know what happened (and didn’t get an explanation) but they clearly had overbooked my slot. They eventually offered to see if anyone else was available, but after my last two visits I had no intention of testing the waters with another new hairdresser. Fool me once, shame on Rudy’s. Fool me three times, shame on me.

Hello!
I got a haircut by Dorca Hernandez a few months ago, and she changed my entire look. I absolutely love my new short hair. She left, however, and I have been unable to find her contact information. I would be so so grateful if anyone could share her email or cell? I really don’t want anyone else to cut my hair!!!
Thank you so much :)))
–J

Overpriced hair cut. $ 45 for a less than average cut? Even for NYC that’s bad. Only reason it for 2 stars vs 1 is because the area was clean and the staff was friendly. But not enough to justify $ 45.

Saw Vlad at Rudy’s last week before thanksgiving and he gave me a great haircut! I walked in having just come from another barbershop (not to be named) where they had totally screwed up a routine trim. I sat down in Vlad’s chair, he assessed the damage, and managed to make a wonderful haircut from something miserable. One of the best cuts I’ve had in a while! Two thumbs up!

Pamela is AMAZING!!! She is super friendly and talented. I have never had more consistently excellent hair cuts in my life. Her haircuts also last me longer than anyone else’s because they grow out in perfect form.
I’ve gone to places that charge me double the price I pay here for half the quality. Trust me, you will love her!

I had a great haircut here. It’s no frills and to the point, but that’s what I want out of a hair salon.

This place has been my go-​to for a while now. I’ve never been disappointed by a cut and the folks here are friendly and laidback. But i’m most impressed by the music that pipes through the speakers– namely the inclusion of one of the greatest rockers of the 80s. I’m talking about Huey Lewis. It’s not often you hear Mr Lewis’ dulcet tones in a chic area like Chelsea/​Flatiron but hearing it here every so often is definitely refreshing. Kudos to whoever curates the playlists because it definitely lends to the easy-​going atmosphere here. Come for the expertly done hair, stay for the musical culture…

One day in Los Angeles I asked my dad if he knew anyone who could recommend a good place to get a haircut and color. One of his colleagues suggested Rudy’s Barbershop on Sunset Blvd and for the next 8 years I never went to another hair place, including back home in New York City. Of course, when my dad eventually moved I wondered where I would get my hair done then somehow I found out about Rudy’s opening near Herald Square! As the kids say, YAASSS!!!
I’ve since been going to this location for a little over a year for a basic trim and style and most recently, for color. I originally got balayage ombré highlights and as my hair grew, the length wasn’t doing justice for the highlights. I by chance met Dorca, a very lively, talented individual who has always shown me enthusiasm for helping a vision come to life. She listened to me, looked at my inspiration and shared her opinions with me. These opinions did influence my final decision on what color I wanted but, it was helpful since it ultimately gave me more life and dimension to my hair. Eventually she showed me options in this hair dye sample book and advised on which color would look best on me. I received a lot of compliments!
As my roots came back, I decided to go lighter for summer. I don’t usually color my hair but I thought why not! However I noted that like the first time, this was quite expensive. close to $ 300! Though, I saw when Dorca hand wrote the check that she made no notation that the price was for my long, thick hair (!) and only wrote down what methods/​chemicals were used. If that’s correct, then rejoice people with long, thick and gorgeous hair!
Again, it was a good experience as each time I went to Dorca she was able to demonstrate her knowledge of haircare and color. She explained to me once that she has been doing this for about 12 years, learned how to give dimension and color to hair and is very visual, as she would just pick colors and mix them. One time I was «too blonde» and it wasn’t how she wanted it to turn out. She was quick to acknowledge this mistake and fix it — the result? Like nothing had happened and it was fixed within 5 minutes. For the first two times she colored me, I wondered why my scalp never burned and she explained that she was able to cancel out that sensation by using another base for my hair. The one time it did burn — which was when I last saw her to basically go blonde — she warned me to expect it because of the peroxide. She was kind and checked on me to make sure I was ok. Sitting there and letting the color soak in, it was a chance to observe her technique. Dorca is incredibly focused and is clearly thinking the entire time she’s working. More than anything, she cares about the experience (before/​during/​after) and results of the color. The mark of a true stylist indeed. Her stylist side aside, she always blended her professionalism with her honest, outgoing, silly personality which never interfered with her work. One may say she’s an acquired taste but she’s a lot of fun and gives good energy.
So why the three stars? I am knocking off two stars because of my most recent visit with Dorca when I wanted to go back to my original dark, deep brown hair color. I didn’t want to go to anyone else, so I first booked an interview. The time I set ended up not working so I cancelled. I needed this for a specific reason and my appointment was time specific for personal reasons. When I made the appointment, she caught wind up it and text messaged me (we exchanged numbers in case I had any questions since when I went blonde, I was traveling and concerned the chlorine from the pool would damage her work) and had the cashier call me twice to coax me into taking a later appointment just to work with her. Although I really wanted to, the time did not work. It was unprofessional of her to make me feel as harassed and guilty. She mentioned I couldn’t simply go from blonde back to black (my deep brown is borderline black) and I didn’t think that made sense. When my appointment rolled around, my new stylist (a wonderful man with tattoos whose name I wish I could remember!) along with his co-​worker advised this was possible but ONLY because I had red tints in my hair already from the first two times I saw Dorca and went lighter. Since that wasn’t the case, I was able to choose two options: semi-​permanent and permanent dye. If I choose permanent, I could not dye my hair light again or if I did, it would be a hassle and very damaging to my hair. I ended up choosing semi-​permanent dye so I could have the option to go light again. I could come back in 6 weeks to darken it more. It’s been more than 6 weeks and I’m satisfied with my hair and how naturally light it is. It’ll certainly be awhile before I go back but when I do, I’ll think about it long and hard before making a final decision. Though I know one day I know I’ll be back for a cut/​color, esp since it’s hard to find someone to trust in NY

I got a FABULOUS haircut by Kc, he was a able to SQUEEZE me in after being booked solid all day, and boy did he give me the best god damn haircut of my LIFE! He also seems to be on top of the latest fashion trends, we talked fashion, and baseball. awesome place Keith Charles is a miracle worker! !

This was my second time at Rudy’s. And it will be my last.
First cut was by a gentleman named Vlad. We spoke about what I wanted (I didn’t have pics) and explained that I wants to keep the front long, with a fade on the sides and back.
He’s buzzing the sides, he’s buzzing the back then he starts to take his scissors to the top — and I got a bit freaked out because we talked about it and he said he wouldn’t cut it much. But he did. A lot. And it was uneven.
I part my hair on the left and pull it all over to the right. I like a nice line on the hair, from the top of the back of my head down to the front, with long bangs. I explained this, even showed with my hand how o wAnted my hair, and he didn’t do it. He cut far too much off the front and put a hole in the side.
He must have recognized that I was disappointed because he turned into a mope, got all introverted, and didn’t say much for the rest of the cut.
Then, to close the deal he ends with ‘Here is my card, just in case you might want to come back’. Just in case — clearly he knew I wasn’t happy, but didn’t offer to fix it, nor did he try to resolve it. It was all about him.
I ended up going home and fixing my hair myself, because he was just too distraught to take some criticism, and I feared he would butcher my hair more. If only he was the worst one there.
Since Rudy’s is close I figured I’d give it another shot, but not with Vlad.
So, I booked an appointment for yesterday with Dorca. Lord. Another bad cut, but this time it is all on her.
I brought pictures with me, showed her 3 or 4, explained what I liked about each, then said the same thing — don’t cut the bangs. I want them long. Even had a pic with hella long bangs, said ‘I really like the length here’.
At first things were going kinda OK, but, I’ve been getting a ‘high and tight’ for a while now and the good barbers ALWAYS use the heavy duty Oster clippers, with the serious blades. She didn’t use that, even though it was at her station. She used the sub-​par Wahl with the plastic clip. And, her buzzing technique was sloppy and fast. She hit my ear a few times, and it just didn’t feel like she was putting herself into the cut. It seemed she was on autopilot, talked wayyyy too much, and didn’t really understand what I wanted.
Again, I explained to not cut the bangs, showed pics… And she cut them. A good 2 plus inches. With a huge hole in the side.
At the end she asked if I was happy, without showing me the back. I had to ask to see it.
I had to get back to work to chair a meeting, and I didn’t trust her to fix it. She clearly doeSn’t have a good eye for men’s hair, and is so full of herself.
I am going to head over today and ask for a refund.
Never going to Rudy’s again.

Walked in…1^st time there… got a hair cut and beard shave.
Terrible! Uneven cut, even worse beard trim.
For the price, I expected better.
Much better.
Didn’t have to be great… but at least acceptable would have been okay.
1 week later and I need another hair cut because it is growing so unevenly.
My advice: steer clear.

If I could give a 0 star, I’d do so without second thought. I really don’t know how Unilocal gives it four stars.
The lady who was cutting my hair literally pulled out a buzzer and started shaving my hair without consulting me whether the length was what I wanted. By the time I realized the hair was too short, which is literally in like 5 seconds, she had carelessly already shaved away half of my head, so I couldn’t even do anything about it. When I told her I didn’t want it that short, she was very rude and said «that was what you wanted» how the hell would she know what I want better than I do?
I know tons of places with much better services and better quality at the same of even less price. Please don’t ever go here, you’ll feel like you were robbed.

Customer service is totally non-​existent in this place (from the receptionists to the hairdressers): they always make you wait for at least 15 – 20 min and don’t see any issue about it but if you are late, they basically cancel your appointment. As an example I spent 2h (including transportation) for a haircut that at the end I did not get since I got fed-​up of waiting.
The turnover of hairdressers is such that it’s almost impossible to get the same hairdresser two times in a row. Most of them are unable to provide you with any type of haircut consultation but have a lot of attitude. If you are looking for a friendly environment while having a haircut, this is not your place.
With the wide choice of hair salons in NYC, I don’t recommend spending $ 40 – 50 at this place. I am so done with this place

I was in Manhattan and was in desperate need for a haircut and heard about a guy named KC Ellis about best barbershops in New York. Let me tell you KC Ellis lived up to my expectations and more! Not only is he the coolest guy on the planet but his attention to detail was superb. If you need a cut men… RUN! Don’t walk to get a haircut from this dude.

I’ve been a loyal customer at Rudy’s for the past 2 years however every time I come here they’ve been testing my patience again and again. The quality of the haircuts at Rudy’s has been on a steep decline. I remember when the barbers used to have their own little haircut toolkit bags stamped with a big red R and everyone was really professional and my haircuts were awesome (like, life-​changing awesome). Nowadays I feel like they have renting out these barber seats to literally anyone. And I unfortunately got a barberschool dropout.
My barber (Julian, I’m looking at you) had some really shitty blades and it had pinched into my skin numerous times during my cut. He did not know how to treat my hair. At the end of the haircut he just slabbed a big chunk of wax in my hair, «styled it» and called it a day. I went back home to re-​wash my hair because it was too waxy and later found out my undercut had chunks of hair still sticking out and it was extremely uneven.
I seriously reached a tipping point yesterday and I am not only furious but also frustrated. I am not coming back ever again. I am sorry Rudy, I loved you once but you are not the same as you used to be years ago.

Let me start off with saying that I’ve had really long hair all of my life but for my 25^th birthday I wanted a big change so what do I do? I decide to go with a pixie cut.
I had 100% trust in my stylist Ali since she is the only person I’ve gone to for the past five years. Every time I sit in her chair I come out looking like a celebrity. My confidence level is border line obnoxious after she does my hair.
But Ali out did herself this time. She did explain to me that I should get a closer cut on the back but I didn’t want to since it was already nerve wracking that I cut all my hair off.
After a month my hair grew super fast and it was time for another cut, I should have listened to her the first time. I went even shorter the second time and it’s been two in a half months and I still don’t need another maintenance cut. Ali is the BEST!

What do you do when you have a few hours to kill after a red eye while you wait for your hotel room to be ready? I decided to get a haircut at Rudy’s, just a few steps from the Ace Hotel where I was staying, while I fought off fatigue. I arrived just when they opened at 9 a.m. and hoped they’d have an opening for a walk in. They did! Noelle was my stylist, she was friendly and listened to what I was after– a few face-​framing layers and a 1.5 inch trim. I showed her a picture off my Pinterest beauty board and she asked a few questions about my preferences to make sure we were on the same page.
They use Davines hair products, which smell fresh and botanical, and the vibe of the shop is cool indie rocker chic– without the pretentiousness or attitude of an upscale salon. The space is slightly underground (you walk down a few steps to the front door) and there’s plenty of room for several stylists to work their magic. All of the stylists seemed genuinely happy to be there and greeted me as well. Noelle was personable and did a thorough, impressive job of giving me the low maintenance, wash & wear style that I was after. Adiós tangled locks! She also gave me suggestions on places to go in the area as I waited for my room.
I plan to return the next time I’m in the city and need a cut.

This review is mainly a response to the 1-​Star review on Hubert, which I disagree with GREATLY. I just moved back to NYC from LA where I went to Rudy’s all the time, so I just Unilocal’d the Rudy’s here and to be honest, got a little nervous by the Hubert review.
When I got there, I ended up being assigned Hubert (flashes of the review popped into my head) but he gave me literally exactly what I asked for walking in. No embellishments, no suggestions about it, he just did it. Maybe he saw the review below and has adjusted his style, but as of this week Hubert is just a super friendly guy who does a great haircut right to your specifications if you have any.
Very satisfied, will Hubert again.