Serra Mesa Barber Shop

Manny is awesome. I always feel & look better after a great cut & straight-​razor shave.

Great looking shop, Nice barbers, Happy boys… Definitally will be going here again.

I don’t like giving bad reviews, but when a job is badly done, you bet I will speak up. As far as customer service, great. Barbers personality, awesome. However, I walked out of there with a lousy haircut. I asked Manny what I wanted, which was nice and light and high on sides and half off the top. Simple! But that wasn’t the case. I am walking around with a crooked cut with zero style to it. I asked for the back of the neck to be lined up squared format, not shaved off. Just a lousy haircut. I think they are used to one typical of style hair that they know how to cut, because Manny did a poor shit job on my head. It would be cool if I was asked to come back in to get it fixed, but not going to hold my breath. I will have to pay for another haircut. I will NEVER go back in there, again! As for the price… I wouldn’t say that they are cheap, rather, average prices…

Great place! We were passing by and people were coming out smiling so we decided to give it a try.
And I’m glad we did!

Nice haircut and Friendly Staff for a good price. What more could i ask for?
I had a comb over cut and, told the guy I wanted a similar cut and to make the sides real short and top shorter than it currently was. He said he would take care of me and make me look good, and he definitely delivered.

My husband loves his hair cut that he got by nick today. He said he took his time and did a great job and it was decent price ($ 14)

Loved how close this is too me! Parking was a breeze. Friendly, engaging service. Overall I’d come back

Genuinely nice people who take pride in their work. If your looking for an old fashioned style barber that’s true to the game this is it.

Went there a couple months ago and got a great cut from Sam. Very friendly place, full of SD sports history and memorabilia.

I’ve been overpaying at hair salons for years, so I finally decided to check out a local barber shop for my classic tapered side part cut. Not only was the haircut a mere $ 14, the barber did a fantastic job and paid a lot of attention to detail after I described what I wanted. It was a great customer experience and I’ll definitely be coming back!

…Zip Zap I had no hair. For the few and the proud who knows what that means, this is the place you can go to get away to get a very nice haircut. They cut all styles, and will also end it with straight edge razor.

I decided to try a different shop than usual and went with this one. Honestly the first time I’ve ever been completely 100% satisfied with my cut, which was done by Chad. I went in not really sure what I wanted but Chad worked with me and hooked me up with a super clean skin fade after working through about a foot of hair. Definitely becoming a regular.

Super rad barber shop, pure old school when you go in there. Chad and pixley are great barbers. I’d recommend this shop to anyone. If you’re looking to get a fresh cut, great customer service and overall awesome experience definitely make a stop there.

Walking into the store I was immediately greeted by the barber Chris. I am very particular about how I want my hair. Was very skeptical to get my haircut here because there was only one guy cutting hair and only one guy getting his haircut. I was pretty much the only other dude waiting to get his cut. Another thing was that I was getting a pretty complex haircut and I didn’t know if they would know how to cut it.
After the other patron I stepped up and was greeted by the barber Chris. He seemed like a very intimidating dude, but he was super chill. He knew exactly what I wanted, and I was pleased. If you ever come here ask for Chris! Super nice, and hip dude with a fresh mustache. Thanks Chris for the haircut. Going to come back here whenever I need a cut from now on.

[NO STARS FOR THIS PLACE IF I HAD THE OPTION]
The worst experience EVER!
Beware of the old man, takes pride in 56 yrs of cutting hair but forgot I was waiting on a cut. He really should consider retiring.
When I finally got into the chair I had to repeat what I wanted on several occasions.
Had no clue what «cutting in a hard part» was and suggested he used clippers to cut it in. I opted out of getting my hard part cut.
I also repeatedly asked for a fade high up and didn’t comply.
Ever feel like your being ignored as the barber continues to have a conversation with another person in reception area while cutting my hair, that’s how you’ll feel I a chair at this place.
Barber suggested giving me my hair cut free of cost but I still gave him cash for his time.
*I’ll be sure to Unilocal for another local barber down the street before ever coming back to this joint.

I’m not sure what the Unilocal love-​fest is all about with this place. I went four times and was really only happy with my cut once — the first time. That was done by the new owner, who splits his time between cutting hair and working at a casino somewhere.
Twice, I got my hair cut by the old former owner. He’s not only very slow, but he’s a story repeater. He’s an old codger who has some pretty ugly opinions about women and his family and just praddles on about them without much chance to interject. His haircuts are okay unless you get there late and he’s tired. Then I think he just sort of reverts to short on the sides, longer on top style.
The most recent time will also be the last time. There was an hour wait before I got into the chair and then my cut took an hour. I found out that the guy cutting my hair was still attending barber school, although he didn’t tell me that before he started cutting and I paid for a full-​price cut. The cut turned out okay, but it took an hour.
And waiting is my biggest complaint. There seem to be two types of waiting that are your only options. 1) You come during the middle of the week and there’s only one guy working because it’s off peak and end up waiting for the one or two full cuts in front of you. 2) You come on a weekend when there are three people working, but the waiting lobby is packed so you end up waiting for seven or eight full cuts in front of you. What’s particularly annoying about the wait times is that it seems like the vast majority of these cuts are high-​and-​tight military style. By design, these cuts are meant to go quickly (that’s why the military does them like this). But somehow they take 30 – 40 minutes!
On the plus side, and this is why I gave it two stars instead of one, the barber shop has a great atmosphere. There are interesting posters and model cars as well as an entire wall full of before-​and-​after pictures.
In summary: Decent to poor hair cut quality, really long wait times.

Stopped in for a quick haircut since it was the closest barber to my work. Sam did a great job and had me in and out in less than 15 minutes during my lunch break. Price wasn’t bad… $ 14.00 for a good clean cut. I’m happy and will definitely be back again.

This barber shop is filled with old time charm. It really is an experience to be had. Located in a very military neighborhood, this shop stays busy and people are willing to wait. That says a lot! I have brought my two boys here for years now and this shop specializes in short styles. Its a great experience!

Manny is the best barber on the planet, but i probably shouldnt tell you that because I dont need another person in line in front of me ! Very oldschool barbershop, lots of memorabilia from the 50’s 60’s 70’s. The razor fades come out PERFECT, very convenient, and very affordable. I wish my hair didnt grow back so fast but when it does, I go see Serra Mesa Barber Shop ! THANK YOU MANNY =)
— Bruce Le

I’ve been to probably 20 different barber shops in San Diego, and this is hands down the best one.
It’s cash only, so bring some. If you forget, they’ll let you run across the street to the CVS to use the ATM, and don’t act all weird about it like some places.
I’ve had my haircut by Sam, Ling and Manny, and all are very skilled at giving a good cut, and to your specifications.
Everything is old school here… Sam has owned this barber shop for decades. If you get him talking, he’ll tell stories about the old days, like before Qualcomm Stadium was even built.
I’ve recently started getting my beard trimmed and lined-​up here. Like everyone’s said, the adjustable chairs and hot towel shave w/​a straight razor are awesome, and are like a man’s version of being pampered at a spa.
As far as the actual shop goes, it’s very clean and well kept. The décor has aluminum signs and posters from the 50s and such, and they always play oldies music. The chairs are flanked on one side by the mirror, and the opposite wall is adorned with a couple hundred before– and after-​photos of people’s haircuts.
I think they usually open at around 9 AM, a bit earlier on weekends due to all the military guys coming in. They’re also open 7 days a week.