Phil’s Barber Shop

I walked in, The Barber was sitting there chewing the fat with a couple of people, and the impression I had of the shop was not positive. To me it wasn’t hometown, it was a little hole in the wall. And the barber wanted $ 30 for a no-​frills mens haircut. So I walked back to Supercuts got a good cut and paid $ 18 and provided a $ 5 tip on top of that.

Worst haircut of my life. I explained exactly what I wanted and he must not have listened or cared because it turned out way too short and all the same length — I look like I’m in the fucking military now. I even specifically told him not to shorten my sideburns and he did! Very nice guy and I’m sure he’s a lot of fun to hang out with, but do NOT get your haircut from this man. I feel swindled. $ 30 cut I could have done myself in the mirror.

Phil is great. 2 cuts done here so far. Just remember to pay cash. A good deal for a good cut.

I’m new to the area from Wisconsin. Very nice place, and gives you that hometown barbershop feeling!

My husband loved his beard trim! There’s an atmosphere of classic american barber shop! Friendly service and inviting conversation.

Been going to this place exclusively for almost a year. Phil is a GREAT barber that is funny, personable, and always on point. I won’t let anyone else touch my hair since I’ve been here! His shop is a little gem and I always look forward to coming back.

Phil is an institution of some sort in this area. He took over from his dad in the ‘70s and is till going strong. He’s got great stories to tell and will make everybody feel great. Yes the shop could use some updating. But some like it just the way it is.
He does great work and if you find something not quite right, he’ll take time until you are satisfied.
I saw an elderly man come in once who looked like a completely hopeless case, I mean ugly. Once Phil was through with him he looked like he could have gone to a wedding!

Phil is an excellent barber.

This is a local barber shop. It isn’t the place you can go to to get a fancy haircut, it’s a place where people who have lived in the area their whole lives come to chat for hours about local gossip and the good ol’ times.
Everyone always tells me I look great after visiting Phil.
Phil also does the old hand strapped shoulder massage after he dusts you off which is great.

Phil’s is the place when you want a good hair cut! He’ll even fix mistakes for free that your wife complains about when you get home! He’s known as «Indian Phil» on Tuesdays. Ask him about his senior discount!

Phil is awesome and he gives great haircuts. Enough said.

I’ve been looking for a new regular barber for a few months now, and thanks to a suggestion from Eric B., I think my search may be over.
Phil is unapologetic about taking his time and being sociable, so if you’re looking for a quick in-​and-​out, find someplace else. However, if you want 50 years of experience built on watching Dad do it, then Phil is your man. I was pleased to hear his commitment to customer satisfaction, not only for someone new walking in but in-​home service for a handful customers who’ve been coming to the shop since his dad was running it!
Yes, he’s a little more expensive than other options ($ 25), but it’s worth it. Not only did I look great right out of the chair, but everything laid nicely after showering. My roommate even commented that it’s the best haircut I’ve had in months! (Wait… not sure that’s a good thing…) Anyway, I’m quite happy with Phil and look forward to coming back.
TRIVIA: Phil’s friend and colleague started the Supercuts chain just down the road in Albany with the goal of becoming «the McDonald’s of haircutting»!

On the Dorothy C.‘s recommendation, I stopped by Phil’s Barber Shop for a haircut this afternoon. My hair is thin on top and in short order becomes long and frizzy on the sides. It was well past time, as the top was starting to resemble a Donald Trump «flyover» and a small and split end ponytail was possible on the back. Gayle would like to see me go to a stylist, but I’ve always been much more comfortable with a real straight up barber with basic professional tools, and no sink, shampoo, or highlights. Cash only too.
My hour with Phil was a real «kick in the pants». The haircut itself was only about 20 minutes and was bookended by a wide ranging conversation including our Midwest roots, family activities/​pictures, old Shell Emeryville families, the Fogerty brothers (Creedance), his collection of El Cerrito High yearbooks, horse racing, how Fairmont Avenue (and the former nearby dog track) had changed since he was first here working for his Dad in 1946 (including living in back), pre-​Bay Bridge days when El Cerrito was an «open» city, and various other colourful local stories and connections. And as we took turns sitting in the waiting and barber chairs as we chatted, if was fun to actually learn something about my community and marvel at his ability to keep on clippin’ no matter what direction the conversation blew.
I was happy with the haircut too. The hair issues present when I walked in were resolved well, the nose/​ear follicles were tamed, and the hand held vibrating shoulder massage appliance at the end felt really good.
I sure hope that Gayle likes my haircut, because I’m coming back!

Neighborhood barbershops are the center of many small neighborhoods. Were you to go to Oceanview (San Francisco) you would really have to stop by Furlough’s Tonsorial Parlor to pick up current gossip. In El Cerrito, you simply have to pass by Phil’s to know *exactly* what is going on in town.
Phil Jr. (the current owner) and I went to twelve years of school together. His father was the owner of (yep) Phil’s Barbershop, which, Phil Jr inherited. Ortman’s Ice Cream was located next door, so for many, many years I passed by the barbershop with very sticky fingers and a smile on my face.
Yesterday morning I was walking down Fairmount when a voice from inside the shop whispered out, «Dorothy, come in off the street and introduce yourself.»
In a heartbeat, I was whisked inside to this (generally) male bastion. Two gents were awaiting haircuts. One was in the chair. Intros were made all around. Phil wanted to know if I wanted to rent his vacant storefront next door. Various suggestions, most of them unprintable in a family review site such as Unilocal were made… to the amusement of all the shops occupants, even me. (The comments were, I must confess, hilarious, clever, erudite, and even occasionally perceptive.)
I’m unlikely to want to open an adult bookstore, an adoption agency or even a recycled flower shop. (The latter a bow to my well-​earned reputation as a vendor of slightly used flowers at the gates of the nearby cemetery.) So I declined the offer to rent.
Stayed another ten minutes looking through our old year books. Talking about Harding, our mutual elementary school. Heard about forthcoming weddings, recent deaths, and upcoming city events. Pondered the feasibility of placing Portola High School next to ECHS.
Declined the (earnest) offer of a haircut… Phil thinks my current hairdo is unruly. Noted that Phil sees Himself, Da Hubby pass by daily with his briefcase on his way to work. (Didn’t ask about the possiblility that Himself was picking up a croissant at the nearby Fat Apples because it would have been too easy to gloat about broken diets.)
Walked on home… knowing that Our Town would always remain the small town it had always been since 1947. Thanks to Phil the Barber.
And, no, I have never had my hair cut there… but Marvin Sooter, an old barber from the shop once did cut my hair. My dad got a free haircut for tutoring Marvin’s daughter and… well, my dad saw no reason *not* to have his daughter’s golden locks trimmed. He was very frugal, you see…

Phil has never cut my hair but that is because I am a girl. If I were a lesbian, he would give me the most magnificent dyke cut ever.
But that is not why I go to Phil. Phil knows more about El Cerrito history, culture, gossip and horseracing than anyone else.
I once mailed Phil a post card from Africa and I didn’t know his address. I just wrote «Phil the Barber, El Cerrito, CA, USA» and he got it before my parents got theirs.