Cardinal Barbershop

Again, I am highly critical of barbers because the results vary so widely for the exact same haircut request. I get a haircut every week and I ask for the same thing — a zero medium fade — like a professional Marine Corps haircut. I give everyone a fair chance by going to the same person for a period of time to give them the opportunity to «learn» my hair and my preferences. If they don’t get it after 6 weeks (6 haircuts), I leave. If they destroy my fade on the first effort, I’m gone immediately.
I was referred to Gerardo by an Army friend of mine who always seems to have the perfect haircut. As a Marine, I had to swallow my pride to ask him about HIS haircut.
I went with my wife, a hairstylist, and we were greeted by Geraldo, the owner, a very personable gentleman. He was friendly, accommodating, polite, and funny. I told him what I was looking for in my haircut — and he performed flawlessly
My wife was so impressed with the cut that she forbade me from going anywhere else. When I left, I went to work and everyone complimented my haircut, which is very weird considering it is the same kind of haircut I get every week from other barbers. I suppose you don’t really know how bad things are until you get the taste of quality, of something good.
I will be driving the 1 hour+ every week for this masterful artist’s results.

Underpriced. Underrated. Just top quality. This man is a jedi. Go. Go now. The line will only be getting longer.

I love this place. Every haircut is perfect. Gerardo is awesome.

This place is fantastic. Gerardo is awesome, friendly, and he’s a total perfectionist. This place is a good, old fashioned barbershop! Love this place.

Leaving this review is not a good idea, because it means the lines will get longer for my bi-​weekly haircut.
That said, Gerardo is the best barber I’ve ever had. Straight-​razor shave, neck massage; this place is old-​school. Ask him about coming from Cuba!

Gerardo has been cutting my hair for 18 years. I am 26 now. He is the best, please don’t come. The line is already too long. I look really, really good thanks to him. Cheers.

Excellent! I went early in the morning so there was only one person in front of me. I usually cut my hair two or three times a year only, so I showed up with my afro/​chewbacca-​style hair and asked for a «short but not too short» haircut. Now this would have scared away more than one barber but Gerardo did an excellent job, making sure I was satisfied with what he was doing. Highly recommended!

So let me start off by saying that I’ve never had any interest in making a Unilocal review until I got a haircut from Gerardo. This man is as legit as it gets when it comes to barbershops. He’s been there for I believe he told me 32 years and has been cutting hair since he was 12 years old.
I got there on a Saturday and man was it packed. There was at least 3 guys waiting ahead of me for a haircut and that wasn’t including the guy in the chair already getting his haircut. He doesn’t rush even having that long of a wait. He takes his time, but don’t get me wrong this guy cuts hair fast. Fast and precise. He doesn’t have any screw ups he cuts hair like its second nature to him. Even crappy places like SuperCuts can’t cut as fast as him and (of course) would never come close in results.
Gerardo is an awesome guy overall. He’s super friendly, easy to have a conversation with, and everyone in the area knows and loves this guy. While I was getting my hair cut there was at least 4 separate people who stopped by just to say hello to him and ask him how he’s doing. He cuts your hair exactly how you tell him to and I need to emphasize this again: His cuts are magnificent. He moves through people like an assembly line during busy times but he doesn’t rush their cut or skip the fine details. Once their done, they pay and the next guy hops on and he does his thing.
What I love the most other than Gerardo and the legit barbershop antiques (like the chairs and his cash registers) is the SMELL. You walk in and smell barbicide and after shave. It just smells terrific.
The cherry to top it all off? He does a straight razor shave of your sideburns and neck to clean everything up. I didn’t get a single cut and this dude was shaving away with that thing like it was a butter knife. Also, he uses disposable aprons so you don’t have to waste time for him to clean it off and make sure there’s no germs from the previous guy. When he’s done with your cut he balls it up and throws it away and puts a brand new one on the next guy.
Overall I’d suggest anyone who wants a good haircut to come to this guy. $ 23 for a haircut you’ll love is beyond worth it to me.
TLDR:
–Awesome barber
–Fast and precise
-$ 23
–would recommend

Great haircut, great conversation. Great place.

Great hair cut, GREAT conversation, and yes, the «massage» at the end was actually appreciated (it’s basically just a quick but solid scalp + neck rub). Gerardo is an old school style barber. The type your dad or even your grandfather would have gone to. Not the type you should go to if you are an insecure homophobe that can’t handle a person still practicing a classic trade. Nor the type you should go to if you look like a Backstreet Boy. If you are either of those types, do yourself and the rest of the Cardinal Barbershop clientele a favor and go straight to the nearest Aveda beauty salon.
Also, it’s cash only so come prepared. If you can’t tolerate someone who doesn’t accept either Google Wallet or Apple Pay, see above.

I have a super busy schedule so I haven’t been able to see my local «San Jose» barber since I work in Palo Alto. I started to look like a ^*&(*&)*(hippy so I jumped on Unilocal to see what’s near my office.
Gerardo is cool as hell, old school barber that was fun to chat with. He was able to cut my hair on my lunch break and fade looks great, no complaints here. I seriously have some of the hardest hair to cut (he even said so)
I’m dying laughing at the review about the creepy massage. Get over yourself for real you insecure bastard

Simply put — nailed it. Dave and others… get in touch w/​yourself and dont let a neck and head massage at the end of the cut throw you… not creepy at all. Its the full service attention to detail and customer focus that 99.9% of businesses dont have.
Great cut and all around amazing customer service. This place is one of a kind.

This is my go to shop when I want a classic barber experience, and in Palo Alto. I have always received a good hair cut here.
Some things to expect (for the most part):
–Detailed Haircut
–Old barber shop feel, just like Grandpas (girly/​car/​sport mags, blue tinted water thingy, warm shaving cream, etc)
–Straight razor clean up (neck, ears, sideburns, etc)
–Hand held head massager (this threw me off but was relaxing)
–Great conversations (politics/​Cuba, girls/​sex, traveling, food/​restaurants, walk of shames from Old Pro, etc)
–Neck massage (All old school shops do this in one fashion or another)
–If it’s close to closing time and he likes you, you will get a free beer (happened to me twice!)
TLDR: This is a barber shop that offers you a traditional experience at a reasonable price.
What do you have to lose? It’s just hair and will (sometimes) grow back.

I’ve been here several times and gotten a fair haircut, but the latest time I was there, I got a really creepy massage at the end, even though I wasn’t interested. Not going back, and not recommending Cardinal Barbershop.

I just moved to the area and finding a good barber was something I wasn’t looking forward to. I had tried a couple of places prior to coming here and couldn’t find the right combination of price, skilled barbers and good atmosphere. Getting a good haircut at a place that is comfortable and reasonably priced shouldn’t be too difficult.
I asked around and was referred by a couple people to see Gerardo at cardinal barbershop. I have had 4 haircuts total and was compelled to write a review. The first cut I had was great. Gerardo was great and very open to feedback and suggestions. Came out feeling good which is how you should feel after a haircut. Each time I have gone back has been a similar experience. He does a good job and it only costs $ 20. Uses a straight razor on the neck and sideburns. Gerardo has some great stories too that will make you laugh. If you want a comfortable, old fashion barber experience that is inexpensive, give this place a try. Cash only.

This will be a long review… because a place like this warrants a complete review.
I care about my hair. I spend a lot of time thinking about it… but not as much time as I spend looking into the mirror appreciating it. So simply put, I’m careful who I choose to cut my hair and have been willing to cross county & state boundaries just to get it cut by trusted hands.
And I shit you not, this was by far the best haircut experience I’ve ever had — in terms of both service, atmosphere, and results.
I was looking around the Bay Area for a place to get my hair cut. But kinda confused with all the barbershops in this area… they offered hair coloring/​highlighted. WHAT?! What kind of barbershop is that? I wanted a traditional place that had an experienced barber (not some girl or boy just out a cosmetic school) and offered complimentary straight razor neck & sideburn shave. I had also had enough of those stupid barber shops that buy antique stuff to appear as though they’re old school and legit — a barber would need to appear as though he’s legit, the small details will come out themselves.
When I first walked in, I had a good feeling. A one man shop (Gerardo) — craftily snipping away with shears, NOT clippers. The slight smell of Barbicide. A simple nod from the barber upon entrance. And the effin’ topper on it all, stacks on stacks of Playboy for reading while you wait. (There’s some other family-​friendly magazines too if you want).
Another gentleman was getting a cut, so it was a quick 15 minutes for my haircut. Note that he did NOT rush the gentleman’s haircut when I came in, but rather, continued on paying attention to client.
When my turn came, I sat down and he asked me what I wanted. I told, «My sides are getting way too long and my back is starting to rub on my shirt collars. Can I get the sides and back down to an inch and half or two? And leave the top.» For me, I know what I want. Ain’t nothing worse than a barber asserting too strongly his own opinions or asking too many questions for clarification. He offered (not asserted) I get it cut even a lil shorter until he pulled out my hair and saw actually how long it was. But I agreed with his reasoning. The cut… was…proper. His style was smooth, quick, and confident, He never hesitated a single moment while cutting my hair — a true sign of experience. Proper use of comb, shears, and thinning shears. I knew I put my hair is the right hands.
Side note: I typically don’t care at all to make conversation with my barbers… but legitimately, I enjoyed chatting with Gerardo. I found out this man had been cutting hair since he was 12 years old in Cuba — son of a barber.
After he had gone through my cutting my hair, it was my favorite part — straight razor neck and sideburns shave. Dat shit is therapeutic to me. Best part is I didn’t even have to waste my breath telling him how I wanted my sideburns done. They were already done properly. Normally, after a barber does your shave, he’s done. But Gerardo went back in to touch it all up.
He wicked off the cape and boom… only two of three strands of hair. It’s about the small details. A good barber takes care to carry out all the small details.
At $ 20, this place and the workmanship are far better than anywhere else in the Bay Area. I walked out of there looking good. I mean… I already look good everyday… but man, that was a good fucking haircut. Take the word from someone who has actually been to other well-​praised barbershops — this one is good. Since 1982 (I believe)…owned by a man. Operate by a man. Cutting hair only for men.
— $ 20 cash only.
— Legit haircut & straight razor neck shave.
— Quick yet still attention paid to detail (~30 mins.)
— NO call-​in appointments… just walk-​ins only. So expect to wait a little.
Basically, if you consider yourself well-​composed and aware of your personal appearance, I would personally recommend this place to you.
But really… if you wear clothes designed by women, dress TO impress women, and think a good haircut will instantly make you look good. No. Go somewhere else like SuperCuts or whatever.
This shop is an oasis amidst hair salon and metro-​barber shops. I’m not gunna say I WOULD recommend this place to my friends because I already DID recommend this place to my vatos. Because simply we understand men should wear clothes designed by and for men. Dress NOT TO impress women… but that women should BE IMPRESSED by the way we dress. And a haircut won’t made you look good, it’ll simply top off to the aesthetics of your own personal visual composition.
The_​Pomp.

If you appreciate a traditional barbershop experience, this is the place to go! The shop was established in ~1930, and Gerardo has been the barber/​owner for 30 years.
I’ve had one haircut here, and it was done with patience, precision, and attention to detail that is hard to come by. Very, satisfied customer.

Okay, you might be wondering why a female was going to a barber shop. I first called to make an appt for a hot shave for 2 of my male friends. I was told over the phone he doesn’t do hot shaves. I have walked by several times where I saw him doing hot shaves. So, I walked over to ask in person. Once again, I was told «I don’t do hot shaves» to which I said, «I’ve walked by and SEEN you do hot shaves.» He fumbled over his words, then said he was too busy. I asked if he could do next week and then he finally said he wasn’t taking new clients. Something is very strange about this man.

This is a great place for a haircut and some conversation, which is what I imagine barbershops are supposed to be like. Remember the barbershop in Coming to America?
So I was down in Palo Alto for work and desperately needed a haircut so I ended up at this place 30 minutes before they closed. The guy who runs the place, Gerardo, was very accommodating even though he had someone on the chair and another person lined up. Fortunately, the barbershop has plenty of magazines for you to peruse, from Sports Illustrated, to comic books, to Playboy (good articles). He didn’t get started on me until well after closing time but again, he had no problem with it.
The haircut was ok; he cut it shorter than what I usually get, but it was worth it just for the conversation. Gerardo is an old school Cuban guy who came to Palo Alto 20+ years ago after a stint in Miami. He has some pretty good stories of Cuba and just life in general. Having emigrated from Miami myself and known plenty of Cubans, we had a lot to talk about. If he likes you enough he will offer you a beer but unfortunately we both had to drive so I got a rain check.
Like any old school barbershop, he cleans up your sides with a straight razor and that is always welcome since it makes you feel like you have a new face on. He then finishes up by giving you a neck and scalp massage, which is a little weird at first but then you get used to it. I am not a fan of massages at all, but it’s a nice touch anyway, especially since once it’s all said and done, it’s an $ 18 haircut.
Overall, this is a good place to get a decent haircut. If you are in a hurry, you might want to try some where else out, but if you have some time to spare and want to make it a memorable experience this is the place.

Cookoocachoo! That’s the call of the Cardinal. The Arizona Cardinals? No. The Catholic Cardinal? No. ‘Tis the great Red Breasted Cardinal Barbershop, where the good ship’s always lollypop and the prices are hot hot hot! Whenever I strut on in with my golden locks I’m always greeted by Herr Hoffbrau, or El Grullense, or my personal favorite, Black Beauty. I ask for my usual, Fuzzy naval, and my usual hair-​cut; the male pattern baldness. The chairs are heavenly. Some say it’s inappropriate to fondle yourself beneath the sheets, I think it’s just being polite. Besides, it all comes out the same place. After a few bottles of the blue stuff they put the combs in, I start saying inappropriate things about my impotence, but a barbers patience knows no limits, waiting to strike like the Great North American Wild Emu. Cakaa! CAKAA!
And I thuroughly enjoyed my haircut! It was too my exact specifications! Which is shocking, cause I only give measurements in cubits, just as my forefathers did before I. Well… I, before E… ‘cept after C.