Al’s Santee Barber Shop

My favorite place to get my hair cut. Al’s is a throw back to the old fashion shops, all the customs sharing conversations from what’s going on in town to politics to upcoming events. Gives real good haircuts, but occasionally has a bad day, but who doesn’t. I’ll go there and enjoy the atmosphere, so much better than the corporate cuts.

I have been going to Al’s for 20 years. I won’t let anyone else touch my hair. He is also the only person that has ever cut my son’s hair and he is 8. Plain and simple Al is just good people and a great barber!

Easily the best experience I’ve ever had at a barber. Big Al is amazing! A barber, musician and comedian all wrapped into one fantastic human being. The stories you will hear, the jokes you will be told and the possible song you will be played, will make this experience truly unique. More than I ever thought I would experience on this otherwise mundane night on my way home from work. Thanks Al-I’ll definitely be back.

Old school barber. Straight forward, tell it as it is, no sugar coating.
This man has a lot of experience cutting hair.

Went into Al’s the first time and saw a huge line. Didn’t wait but figured it was a good place because the wait. Next time I went back it was mid week, it took almost an hour for my hair cut and nobody else was there. Another time I called to ask what the wait time was and he was very rude. So not the place if you want a fast haircut, but does know how to cut hair.

Guess I’m the odd customer here because all the other reviews are good ones. I visited Santee Al a couple weeks ago after reading his «rave» reviews on Unilocal.It sounded like the perfect place for a cut. I have no idea what the others who rated him were thinking. I was not going to post a negative comment, but my girlfriend told me if others only read the good, they will not know anything bad. To give him 1 star was too much. I waited probably a good 2 hrs for my turn because he runs a one man operation. I would not have minded the wait had it been a good cut.
This is by far the worst cut I have ever gotten. I told him off the bat I had a little Alopecia going on (a small bald spot brought on by stress), I showed it to him, asked him to blend it in and he said no problem. Well, when he was done you could see the bald patch in the side of my head! Thank God it is growing in and my hair grows fast. The place is nice, a total guys place, had KGB playing, told the same joke over and over, but as a barber, no way. I will not be going back, I will stick with my usual «barber» girl in Kearny Mesa.
For others he may have been great, for me not even close.

Best barber of all time .al has been cutting my hair since I was a little boy, I’m.25 now I don’t think I have have a bad haircut yet.

The best barber in San Diego not just Santee. Great conversation, great haircut and you always feel welcome. Al does all the cutting and Tuesdays tend to be very busy. Old-​school business and a home town feel.

Was a little hard to find on GPS its across the street from where it took me, but from the moment i walked in i felt welcomed and plenty of jokes in the air.

Al’s a great guy and I don’t think I will ever need another barber. He provides excellent haircuts and beard trims for an unbeatable price. Its always entertaining and its rare that I walk out without learning something from someone or having good food for thought for the rest of my day. It’s a great place for men to gather and is very welcoming. Everyone here is great and I would highly recommend Al to everyone.

I have been to a lot of barber shops and this is by far my favorite! Sometimes I stop in even if I don’t need a haircut. If you are looking for a great cut and some laughs this is your place.

Be ready to laugh. Al is a locals favorite and people come from miles around to listen to a man who is not just a talented barber, but a musician and a comedian. And you know your in a true San Diegan shop by all the décor. Y’ss up people and go get a good cut at a reasonable price and a ton of laughs

What an amazing place to take the boys to get their hair cut. Al was the ideal person to do it, he is full of laughs, stories, and good hair cuts.
I will continue to take the boys to Al.

San Diego’s Best!

Best price in town. 8 bucks for a haircut. Wait can be long depending on time of day as Al is own his own. The best part is the warm shaving cream and a clean quick shave on the neck to finish the haircut

Al knows the Barber Biz, he’s so good at his job that he’ll participate in 3 or 4 conversations at once and effortlessly provide a great haircut. Al makes you feel like you’re his best friend, good, intelligent conversation, great humor AND a great haircut? It just doesn’t get much better than that! Oh, and Al’s a hulluva musician too! Check Him Out!

Clumps of hair on the floor, strong smell of tonic, and the wall of pin-​ups opposite the chairs. These are the memories of Saturday morning with my grandfather at the barbershop. It was always a special weekend treat. My granddad and I would load up in the Buick and idle in the driveway while my grand mother took forever to primp and preen herself. He would tap his wedding ring impatiently on the big steering wheel and mutter something along the lines of «what the hell does she need to look good for, she’s going to the damn beauty parlor». After dropping her off (sometimes barely even bringing the car to a complete stop), we would speed off down the street to the ‘Mall’. It was just a block-​long strip of shops, and we would always stop first into the Liquor store. There my granddad would pick up a bottle of his favorite sherry, a box of chocolate mints, and a big handful of licorice vines. The later of witch he would hand to me and warn me that Grandma wasn’t to here about this detour.
The row of old men, reading the paper, the buzzing of the razors, the big yellow lab that never moved, but would twitch an eyebrow whenever the door chime jingled, all great icons to that American tradition of the haircut. There were no dyers, no curlers, no stench of perm solution. Only all things manly were allowed past that red and blue spiral pole at the door. Here men could talk about politics, sports, or the rack on that dame from the Perry Mason Show. A Sailor and a Marine, would boast about who had the better liberty in Singapore. Two retired firemen would sit in the corner, for what seemed like motionless hours, opposed of a chess board. I would sneak peeks at the centerfolds in the magazines left on the table, or shoot some marbles on the polished linoleum with some longshoreman with huge callused hands.
I come now to Al’s Santee Barbershop. It brings me back to those bygone days. There’s no old dog, and the pinups have been deemed Non-​PC, but you can still feel the lack of estrogen influence, the minute you walk in the door. It’s a modern cut, done in an old fashioned manor. Grizzly men come in, swap war stories, and walk out refreshed and somewhat rejuvenated. There’s never a lack of good conversation, and if silence falls, Al himself will chime in with some worldly advice about women or hard work. There’s the familiar buzz from the clipper, the cold of the straight razor on the back of your neck, and the sting of the tonic splashed on your face. There is a feeling of belonging here. I can’t wait for the day that I bring my grandson here, but not first without a stop off at the liquor store. Do they still sell licorice vines?