Fellow Barber

Ouch! Some of the reviews indicate terrible experiences, but mine was great. First time here, I dropped in on a Saturday at about 10:00 a.m. for a buzz cut. I didn’t have an appointment and the front counter guy said it would be a couple of hours before they could get me in. However, at that moment one of the barbers came over and said he could take me right then. Perfect!
I had Jay who, though quiet and a little gruff, is probably a teddy bear IRL. He was efficient and quick and was done in about 15 minutes. They’re old school here so they do real shave cream and a straight razor on the back of your neck, which is nice. They also wrap your face in a warm, moist, mentholated towel at the end and that feels terrific.
A buzz is $ 20, which seems reasonable to me for the service they provide.

Ultimately, this is a place with no soul and no loyalty
Even if you are a regular and spend $ 63 on a haircut and beard trim, you are a nobody
It’s expensive, you have to prepay, they try to have the attitude that they are a 3 star Michelin chef or a famous barista, that attitude full of ego… yet it’s a haircut like any other…
Very disappointed by their cancellation policy too, 10 mins over, so if took you few mins longer to park, you lost your pre payment

Don’t be fooled by the cool appearance of this place. Not the best haircut experience I’ve had. Barber was impersonable and grumpy, didn’t speak to me apart from barking out instructions. Obviously had offended him by wanting a haircut in a barbers. Barely got to look in the mirror as the haircut was happening as I was turned and faced away from the mirror (bizarre). Turned out horrible.
After having paid similar amount in London at Joe & Co and Huckle The Barber, who offer a great, friendly service and give you a beer for your $ 40, i was really, really disappointed. Not going there again and will find somewhere better to get my haircut. Expensive and seriously bad service. Crap, crap, double crap.

Epic fail for Fellow today. I always wished they did early appointments but adjusted to showing up early and standing in line for first spot. Well, they apparently changed their procedure but did not notify customers, including walking in and out door setting up (and not mentioning to guy standing there for 30 minutes). WTF? Then acted like I was the crazy one (by now I was). So, caved on went online (after wasting an hour and an Über ride) only to get frustrated with less-​than-​easy system. Then, after you book with random name, you’re told that barber is $ 10 more (but you’re already booked). Not a good morning with my favorite barbershop.

This place used to be great. I’d drive over an hour just to get my haircut here. Now all of the staff are rude and basically act like giving you a haircut is a huge favor. I had a terrible experience my last visit and told the front desk. They sort of just shrugged and said sorry about that. After emailing the manager I was offered a refund but they never actually issued it and had to disputed it on my credit card and provide my bank with the emails to prove I was supposed to get a refund. When I emailed the manager about that he never replied. If you want to pay $ 100 for a shave and haircut go literally anywhere else. They’ve permanently lost a longtime customer.

This has got to be the most OVERPRICED haircut in San Francisco! I know there are plenty of people in San Francisco that have more money than brains so they have plenty of customers. I won’t be coming back. There are PLENTY of other barbers in the city that can offer up better haircuts at a more reasonable price.

Like other reviewers have noted, the quality is pretty inconsistent and for the price, you shouldn’t have to deal with such poor customer service. What did it for me was getting yelled at by the cashier when I didn’t have cash to tip for what was already a very mediocre hair cut (forget the guy who gave it to me).

Every time I come here I have to sit around and wait even if I have an appointment but the one time I arrive late, do they wait for me? No, they automatically cancel my appointment, charge my credit card, and don’t give me an opportunity to reschedule or anything.
Terrible customer service. I plan to find somewhere new to get my hair cut.

Worst experience ever.
I mean, if you got to pay more than $ 40 for a haircut, you better get a really amazing service.
Didn’t happen at Fellow Barber. The guy, I believed was Chang, was in a hurry, so he really didn’t do a great job. Plus, I ordered for a beard trim, I didn’t get it, because he was late.
Anyway, 2 weeks after I went to another hairdresser for $ 15 to fix my haircut, and it was way much better than this barber shop.
Huge bye Fellow Barber.

Had a great haircut here the first time, but the second time the barber was rushed to get to his next appointment and gave me an awful cut. Not a great experience.

After relocating to San Francisco, there were a few places I needed to find before it felt like home: «my» café, «my» bookstore, «my» grocery store, and «my» barber. It took me a few tries before I found the place — Fellow Barber on Valencia — and the man; Roland. But once I did, I was home.
It’s a great location with lots to do in the area before or after your cut. Easy to park, by SF standards. I’ve had probably a half dozen appointments with Roland and I’ve always walked out feeling like a new man. He listens to what you want and when I’ve asked for his opinion, he’s explained what would look best and why. By far the best haircuts I’ve ever had.

I’ve had some bad haircuts in my time, which makes the service I got at Fellow all the more outstanding by comparison. I’m still learning the beard game and went to Adam for a beard trim. He did a wonderful job listening to my ideas (which included Instagram photos of beards I admire) and translating them into reality. He got right to it, kept me informed as he worked, and gave me exactly what I was looking for. This place is pretty awesome and definitely lives up to its reputation!

I liked this place enough to decide to get a gift card so I wouldn’t have an excuse not to get my haircut regularly but I kind of regret it now. The skill level of the barbers varies widely and it seems impossible to get just a trim without them charging me for a full cut just because my hair is longer on the top.
The good–
1. I actually like the new online reservation system, much better than either sitting around waiting for someone to be available or the text waiting list they used to have and I like being able to pay in advance and just give a tip in cash.
2. they take their time, which can also be a bad thing.
3. the space is nice.
The meh
1. if you are going to charge for a haircut then know how to do more than chipper cuts. One barber Christian had no idea how to handle my cowlick and the longer hair on top I have so he just keep cutting it shorter and shorter. It’s probably one of the worst haircuts I’ve had in the last decade. If I hadn’t had a gift card that haircut would have made me stop going here.
2. It’s expensive, one of the barbers Omar told me I could come in every couple of weeks and get a trim for 20 dollars but then when I tried to do that he told me that if he trimmed any of the hair on the top of my head so it wasn’t in my eyes that would be a «haircut» not a trim.
3. Even the best haircuts I’ve gotten are pretty average and at 45 dollar a cut that adds up.

TL;DR: inconsistent quality between barbers, avoid Rosa. Get your hair cut by the gentleman with the big ginger beard.
I needed a haircut and beard trim, so they offered me two different barbers.
Fine. Haircut couldn’t have been better. Five stars. Beard trim went really badly. Cheek lines were cut really low without asking, and done unevenly. Neck line was uneven. Asked her to fix the cheek lines– still uneven, but lower and worse, so I didn’t correct her a second time after she proudly proclaimed that it looked great. She never offered to lather and shave the stubble, which I thought was part of the service. It was hard to convince her to even try to fix my cheeks, and she blamed it on blond hairs in my beard being invisible (I have a big dark Jew beard).
Only go here if you know exactly which barber to request.

Had the biggest disappointment. The last time I was here my guy had probably one of the best hair cuts and the barber is no longer there. Had referred him for my brother and dad. Staff was not very kind about the inquiry. They not only refused to acknowledge the late staff member, but made it very uncomfortable as if it were crazy to ask. It was not comforting that no one tried to refer different barber with the same caliber. Instead of awkwardly choosing another barber, we took our business elsewhere and sought out an amazing barber in one of the local shops where the staff was a lot more relaxed and welcoming.

Adam does a great job and clearly an expert with beards. The man practically has the beard of Zeus! Awesome barber shop, with very experienced barbers. Great music and good vibe. If you want to clean up a bit and have a good time come to Fellow Barber! They are also an apothecary, so they provide excellent products for your hair or beard needs.
Do yourself a favor and get the attention of those around you, get trimmed up here!

Very rude staff. They act as if they are too good to work there .
But my haircut by Adam was very good. Everyone else is typical san Francisco snob wearing boots and ugly sweaters hipster trash. I shall not return

I came here for a beard trim and left very satisfied with Ben’s service.
The trim was very detailed and Ben took his time to make sure he got it right. The warm face towel and hot lather neck shave at the end were nice pluses.
Helpful and friendly service. Was able to be seen immediately on a walk in.
The vibe is bougie hipster, typical of other Valencia street establishments

Love this place and have been coming for a while. They can’t seem to keep barbers that I like though. I imagine management must be tough on the barbers there. Just decided to give them a review today after getting treated very poorly by a front desk person with a giant red beard. Glad to hear that they have a reservation system now but I didn’t need the front desk person treating me like an idiot for not knowing that that was an option now.

Got a nice haircut here the other day from Vu and I was overall impressed with the experience. Checking in online made the wait very minimal and the tiny wait I did have was fairly pleasant. Will most certainly return

If you’re looking for a pampered shave, that’s what they do. If you’re looking for a good close shave, this is NOT the place, I get a better shave from my Gillette at home. The razor wasn’t sharp, yet they still cut me, and I don’t cut easily.

I’m sure this would have been fine, but the waitlist experience online was so annoying and frustrating that I don’t think I’ll ever try again. After walking in and receiving advice about how and when to join wait list online, I followed the advice I’d received, only to find that none of the services I required were available, despite there being 5 open slots remaining for the day. By the time I decided on a strategy about 5 minutes later (to book for a buzz), the wait list had closed. Don’t go here for anything you need on a deadline.

The only good part of this experience was the booking online and not waiting once I was there.
Adam, who I was assigned to, was in his own world for the most part– talking to other barbers. Occasionally he’d check in with me about what I wanted– and when I asked for something specific (like going tighter on the sides) he responded with «if I did that, I’d have to redo the whole thing» and then suggested we not bother. I asked him to do a line up on the sides which I like too, he said no.
The good part was the hot towel on the back after he did a fade and sprayed some refreshing mist.
For supercuts, this haircut is average to decent. For $ 50 at Fellow Barber– this hair cut is crap. Some parts are not even shaped right, I see indentations where there shouldn’t be. It’s way too short on the top and longer on the sides which makes my whole head look hey arnold-​y.
There was no shampoo and styling even though I told him I was on my way to my company holiday party. I asked for some hair paste and Adam slapped some on my hair– I went straight to the bathroom to wash the excess off and redo the styling.

I have been going to Fellow Barber for a few years and have noticed a decrease in quality of service in the past months. I’ve usually had great barbers but the past few times I’ve walked out with irritation on my neck from lack of experience with clippers and razors and uneven sideburns. Although my barber was kind they could use more experience before working with Fellow. I’ve usually experienced exceptional service from any barber from Fellow but as of my last few haircuts I’ve left with skin irritation and lack of attention for detail. I hope the quality of these barbers improve to the caliber they performed in the past years– 2 stars, 2 for conversation and –3 for the quality of haircut.

Rob G — If you want a true professional barber Rob G is the best. He has been schooled by the best and never takes a short cut. Best barber in the city. Amazing cut and the best beard trim and shave. A true gentleman’s barber!

This is by far the most unprofessional salon I’ve ever attempted to get a haircut from. I had my name on the waiting list, and they cancelled my reservation last minute bc the barber was overbooked. I was suppose to get my haircut from HEIDI who apparently overbooked and cancelled via text. At least a phone call or the courtesy of offering to add me to the waiting list on her next available day. This is such an unprofessional individual and would NOT want her hands to touch my hair. By far, the worst customer service i’ve encountered. Luckily, i didn’t show up before my haircut. This place is disgusting, and honestly repulsive to treat NEW customers this way. I am going to take my business elsewhere and NEVER attempt go to this place again. DO NOT get a haircut from HEIDI and certainly DO NOT go to this barber shop. Go elsewhere, where the customer is appreciated.

Online checkin super convenient. Showed up in 55 mins as directed. Me first timer ended up with Drew, no wait time. He’s friendly, professional, and did a great job. I dig this place!

A warm welcome and a flawless haircut. Christian made my day. Now I look like a boss. Love them.

After my issues at the Market Street location, I was asked to go to the Valencia shop. I was surprised to find it to be a very good experience. First of all, all of the barbers looked competent in cutting «ethnic hair.» The staff and the customers were much more diverse than the Market Street location.
When done, they gave me a 25% discount for my troubles.
Sadly, I will have to take a taxi to get my haircut rather than walk 5 minutes down the street.

I just moved back to SF from Nebraska. I needed a cut that could compare to what I was getting at my old barbershop. I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at Fellow Barber.
The pictures on Unilocal don’t give this place justice (as of ⁹⁄₂₉). Ben gives an awesome cut. He can master any classic clip/​trim job to perfection.

I was set to give a 1 star review after it took over 3 hours to get a haircut. I came in at 12pm on a Friday (I get that thats a bad time) — they took my phone number and said they’d text when it was time for me to come in. The text came at 2:40pm and I drove down and got in around 3pm. Then I waited another 45 minutes to get into the chair. I was annoyed– I even had a good tagline for this review, «One of the coolest places I’m never going back to.»
But then I got probably the best haircut I’ve had in 10 years. The stylist, Heather?, listened to what I wanted offered advice and ultimately gave me exactly what I wanted, even though I didn’t have the clearest idea of it when I sat down. Contrast this to my People’s Barber experience where the guy obviously thought he was some kind of scissor artist and started cutting before asking any questions and dismissed my suggestions with an eye roll.
I still wonder if this could really be a regular place– the inconvenience of not being able to make a reservation and having to wait almost 4 hours for a haircut is hard to overcome, but for this time at least it was worth it.
1 star waiting system.
10 star haircut.

Had my first haircut in SF after moving here last week — decided to check this place out since I was home during the day. I was expecting to wait 20 – 30 minutes based on these reviews, but I got lucky and they took me pretty much immediately (probably because people were at work — I could see how this place gets super busy during high-​demand hours). I got randomly paired with a guy named Rob, and he did a great job! He has a lot of experience cutting hair professionally and other people were waiting to see him, so feel free to request him if you get the chance. He was super interesting to talk to and really tried to make my first experience at this place a good one.
Only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is because I think $ 55 (after tip) for a haircut is a bit pricey!

This place is what your rich imagination conjures when you hear the words «barber shop». Their haircuts and shaves are really, really good and all the products used and sold smell like a rugged stroll in pine scented forests. But their reservation/​booking/​organization system is a calamity of epic proportions. I’m talking 2 hour waits even after you’ve put your name down on their waiting list. So come armed with reading material and patience. If you are not ready for a long wait then this place is not for you.
(Note: If I was judging only the haircuts I would give them at least 4 stars. But they need to get their business together.)

After my HORRIBLE haircut at Male Image yesterday, I went down to the Mission. I had seen this business as I was walking, but the price at first put me off but I can say today that I look exponentially better. My hair is now properly faded all around, my part is properly cut, and I don’t look like a piece of shit.

Lovely people, great service, once you get passed the awful monstrosity which is the website and the booking system. I came in at opening time, the website was down, there was already a three hour wait. That’s $ 20 in parking.
I’m done with this place, which makes me sad. Thanks Kyle. You were brilliant.
Goodbye

Fantastic haircuts, but they don’t take reservations, and the wait (if they’re not full for the day) has been over three hours before. Honestly, I tried to make it work at Fellow for over 3 years, spending a lot of frustrating days not being able to get a cut after making the trek into the mission, and then killing time on Valencia for hours while I wait.
But with JP Kempt, and Peoples Barber open for business, both of whom give great cuts, have a great vine, and take online reservations, there’s no reason to continue this game of inconvenience.

A few years ago, when I mentioned I wanted to get my hair cut at that hip place on Valencia, my friends laughed.
«Really. That overpriced hipster spot? Go to my lady in Chinatown! They’re only $ 5!»
To be honest, I considered it. But, I wanted a pure cut. I wanted something that people would turn their heads when I walked down Valencia, holding my $ 6 coffee and clutching onto my Azalea boutique shopping bag. I wanted the look.
A year later, I’m a loyal customer. I’ve gotten a beautiful fade from just about every barber that’s worked at that place. Heidi, who is my FAVORITE but is usually busy or booked, is a total doll and has by far given me some of the best haircuts I’ve ever had.
Yes, there is sometimes a wait. Sometimes it’s been 45 minutes, sometimes 3 hours. Personally, I think it’s worth the wait. One time, I didn’t have the time to wait and walked down the street to 23^rd at a little unknown barber. Let’s just say I ended up looking like Vanilla Ice.
⁴⁄₅ because of the occasional wait, but other than that, I can’t see myself getting my fade anywhere else. Their work is an art, and I’m addicted.

Went here this past Friday for a haircut. I’m not one that usually gets a professional haircut, but it was my birthday and would be dining out at a surprise restaurant later that evening, reserved by my other half, so I needed to spiffy up a bit. I chose here as my first option, went in around 11:15 AM to check for availability and was told there could be a spot for me in about 2 hours. I understood, took my printed estimated time on a receipt, went to Ritual Coffee nearby to mingle awhile, and eventually returned.
I waited for maybe 10 minutes before my name was called, and Drew took good care of me. I only needed a «cleaning up» more than a hunk of hair hacked off, and he understood that precisely. Was good to chat with him.
This was the first location I have ever experienced a luke-​warm towel being wrapped around my face as the epitome of the haircut. Maybe it’s normalcy at other salons. I’m a newbie and I approve!