Professional Barber Shop

This is an East LA staple~ The original owner retired. His system remains in place: low-​prices, no numbering system to determine who’s next, walk-​ins only, FIFO (first-​in first out) but it gets confusing when there is a crowd. If you let ppl go before you to skip a barber or wait for a specific barber, the penalty is AT LEAST $ 2. The wait could average about 40 minutes on weekends. Over two decades I’ve been coming, I only got ringworm of the head (tinea capitis) once but it was awful to know I got it from here. So, I stopped coming for a while. The neighborhood is pretty quaint. Park on the street. Going rate is $ 7, before tip.

I grew up in the area and I have been going to this barbershop since the early 90’s when I was in high school. Back then kids would prefer shorter hair, and as a result this place was always packed. Although they have had different staff over the years, the 4 or 5 barbers do really good work (except for the old guy, Caramelo).
When I went away to New York for college, this place ruined me. I had grown used to paying $ 6 for a hair cut and anything more seemed overpriced. When I returned to Los Angeles after college, I continued to go to this place. I figured why should I pay more for getting my hair cut?
If you do try this place out, my only word of caution is use common sense. When using a new barber be specific on what you want. Don’t use words such as, ‘I want it short in the back, or take a little of the top’ — that is a recipe for disaster. Ideally you know what size clipper they need to use in the back of your head. If not, then use hand gestures, state length (i.e. ½ in off the top), or the last resort is point to a picture («I want ‘that’ cut»). These guys are really good with fades, so if you use say «I want it short» it may mean something different to them.
The interior decoration is a little dated, and the magazine selection is pretty bad, but you don’t tend to wait long. The television is usually on a spanish channel so you either get caught-​upon the (spanish) TMZ or you see a movie with spanish voice-​overs. Quirky, yes, but I don’t mind a barbershop with personality.
A funny yet odd thing is the staff is gratefully when you tip $ 2 or $ 3 — this means you still pay less that $ 10. Where else can you do that? Ok, I mean outside of 90 033.
Bottom line is you pay less than $ 10 for a haircut that in many other places would cost more.