Elite Salon

This is my first post ever and I wanted to take the time to thank Ruben and Candy for such a wonderful experience. Being from out of town and wanting to make sure my hair was perfect for my son’s wedding, I was a little nervous going to someone I did not know. Ruben was fantastic, very outgoing and pleasant. He did my hair in a half up do and curled my granddaughters hair and then twisted it in the back. He asked us what we wanted and showed pictures to make sure we would like it. And we did!!! My daughter also got a wonderful blow dry and hot iron from Candy. I got so many compliments on my hair and I am happy with the way it looked in the wedding pictures. Ruben and Candy are both talented, professional and nice. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Thank you!

I discovered Candy upon the recommendation of my cousin. I initially came for a haircut and she did not disappoint! At this point, she has given me numerous keratin treatments in addition to cutting & styling my hair. I cannot recommend this salon highly enough. They are timely, friendly and always a pleasure to deal with.

What will it take to get a decent haircut in San Francisco? I booked an appointment with Ruben about two weeks in advance. I’m not looking for a complicated haircut, just an inch or so off and some cleanup. At $ 60 dollars, the price is still a little high, but at least more justifiable than what most salons are asking for.
When I arrived at my appointment, Ruben seemed to have no idea that he had someone scheduled. He was in the middle of another haircut, and immediately thought I must be there for Candy. Considering that I got multiple reminders texted and emailed to me, I would expect that my stylist should also be aware that I’m coming in. He didn’t show any enthusiasm, and then tried to pawn my appointment off onto Candy. She was equally unfriendly toward me and turned it down so she could go on a break.
After waiting uncomfortably for a few minutes, I decided to not go through with my appointment. I just didn’t feel good about spending my money in a place where none of the stylists seemed welcoming, especially to a new customer.

I’ve been coming here for more than a year now and Candy does a fantastic job in cutting my hair! I come here every three weeks and am always satisfied with the haircut. The price is very reasonable for a men’s haircut and I also buy my hair product from here as well. Overall, a very good experience every time and I wouldn’t trust anyone else other than Candy to cut my hair!

Candy gave me a great haircut and was very nice to talk to. This was a really pleasurable experience! As a guy, getting the clippers cut for $ 10 never gets my girlfriends approval, but spending $ 150 at her place is absurd. This is a perfect compromise… let Candy cut your hair and you’ll have enough money left over to go around the corner to get some beers at Green’s…

I came here to get the haircut I’ve always wanted but my previous hair dresser always botched.
Fantastic hair dressers. They listen to you and help you

I would avoid doing the Japanese Hair Straightening treatment here. The results are terrible! My hair is not straight, especially the roots stayed very curly, and my hair became so dry so that can barley brush it. It looks burnt!
I’m giving 2 stars instead of one only because Candy offered to try fixing it. But I would not go there again because I’m afraid the products she uses are not good, and would ruin my hair even more.

I made a haircut appointment with Candy based off of previous Unilocal reviews, and I’m so happy I did! Five stars all around, from the minute I walked in to the time I walked out. The salon is clean and cute, the ambiance is calming and Candy was a great listener to what style/​length I wanted. She made sure I was okay with what she was doing during my haircut and I love the end result. Best yet, I didn’t have a pay a fortune. She also offers free bang trims!

Ruben is just a quality guy! That is a huge factor in me enjoying a haircut experience. The cut was good, he listened to me and offered suggestions like a good barber should. Ask him about his fashion photography!

It’s true. Candy is very talented with a pair of scissors. I’ve been to her a few times now and have been fully satisfied with my hair cut every time. I have a TON of hair and it’s thick, so finding someone that knows how to control my mane is quiet challenging. I’ve had a terrible experience in the past where a hair stylist chopped off and layered the s* out of my hair because she said it would be less maintenance. I’m pretty particular about who cuts my hair now to say the least.
Candy is friendly, patient, a good listener and knows what she’s doing. Go see her!

I had my hair cut and colored here this Saturday and it was awesome! Candy did the cut and I haven’t had my hair cut that well in a long time. I really felt like she knew the kind of cut that would look good with my face and also knew how much to layer my hair based on the texture. She layered my hair just perfectly, not too much and not too little. She is a very talented hairstylist.
Due to scheduling, I had to have my color done separately from the cut, so Ruben did the color. He did a terrific job on the color, mixing two different types of red to give it more depth. I haven’t gotten this many complements on my hair in a long time! I will definitely be coming back and I highly recommend this salon to others!

UPDATE. MY BAD: I wrote this review long time ago and completely forgot about it. I apologize to Candy for forgetting about it. This experience was based on some other stylist there and I have no idea whether she works there anymore. It wasn’t with Candy, who is in fact quite talented with a pair of scissors. Candy is reliable and will make your hair look fabulous.

The haircut itself was fine, but it was such a bizarre experience. The guy (I’m not even sure what his name was because he didn’t introduce himself) seemed extremely unhappy to be there, and did not crack a smile the entire time.
After washing my hair, he parted it in the middle and didn’t ask how I usually part it so I just told him where I usually part it. He proceeded to hand me the comb and say «do you want to just do it?» Needless to say, I was a little taken aback by his statement because no stylist has ever said this to me before; it was just very abrasive. The way he blow-​dried my hair also left my hair looking a little frizzy because of the baby hairs. He put a little bit of product in my hair to smooth it out, but it still looked frizzy (maybe because I was sitting right next to the window) so I asked for a little more product to smooth it out. He put more product in my hair, but seemed exasperated that I’d asked.
Overall, I didn’t think the price was worth this bizarre experience.

I’ve been shopping around for a new stylist in San Francisco for a while and I think I found the one. I’ve tried People’s Barber and Public (Tenderloin) and both places was at most OK, definitely not worth $ 40. The reviews don’t lie, Candy was the one who cut my hair and she did a fantastic job. After going through a number of stylists in the past, the most important thing to say is stating what NOT to do. There were many times where my hair looked great in the middle of the haircut and all of the sudden the stylist wanted to do more making it look like someone took a lawn mower to my head.
Candy did not do that. Candy was very good about following directions and asked me if she could do something before she did it. This prevented all the bad things I usually hate when I get a haircut (i.e. the hard lines, cleaning my side burns, shaving the sides too high, cutting the top too short). I’m not a big fan of the clean cut look. I prefer things looking natural and a bit messy.
Anyways, definitely coming back and relieved I can stop shopping for a new stylist.

I’ve done a couple of cuts here now and I’ve been satisfied each time. Ruben is great! He is friendly, fun and listens to what you want you want to do with your hair. He also offers great suggestions for styling and cutting.
Great cuts for a reasonable price!

It is always a challenge finding a new place to get a haircut. I think we have all experienced the ups and downs. Elite Salon is a must try if you are in the Cow Hollow/​Marina area and are looking for a new place to get your hair done.
Like many other reviews, I get my haircut done by Candy, the owner of the shop. This is my new regular spot, and from the first time I ever got my haircut here I left satisfied. I used to get a buzz cut (3 on the side and 8 on the top). When I came here Candy told me she only uses scissors. I was hesitant at first because everyone knows, the usage of scissors on a guy’s head could be deadly. Anyway, I said why not, and let her have free will. Turned out better than I expected!
Honestly, I have ridiculous expectations for haircuts, so it’s kind of a big deal that I am even taking the time to review this place. Moreover, I am giving it 5 stars! Definitely check this place out!

Full disclaimer: I’ve known Ruben for over a decade, and he’s a close family friend. Why this should only add to your confidence: Ruben has been cutting my mom’s hair for that entire decade (and mine in high school) despite my family’s many, many relocations, and I’m THRILLED that he’s in San Francisco so I can finally have my hair the way I want it to be!
When I was a little punk, he kept my mohawk tight and colorful, and then he nursed my hair through the most awkward growing pains ever. I completely trust that he will never let me walk out with less than a great cut, and I never have to worry about fixing stray or missed sections after I get home. Yay! Welcome to SF, fabulous hair (and you too, Ruben)! ;)

Just went to Elite Salon for the firs time based on Unilocal reviews.
Booked an appointment with Ruben and he was so great. He listened to what I wanted to do with my hair, and I also asked for suggestions. We came up with a perfect plan for my style and he executed it wonderfully. We selected my color together and I’m so happy with the results!
We had great conversation throughout my time there. Overall was a very enjoyable, intimate experience. Will definitely be going back for my next color/​cut!

Candy is the best! I’m so glad I walked in here randomly one day!
Her cuts are always perfect, she does exactly what you ask for. My hair grows out healthy and the cut never looks old. My mom has colored (highlights & color) with her before and also loved her. The price is unbeatable for the quality of her work ($ 50 for a cut!)
My boyfriend even comes here now!
I love to try out crazy hair trends and Candy is always willing and able to execute them! Love her. So glad her salon is only 4 doors down from my house!

Both my boyfriend and I get our haircuts from Candy at Elite Salon.
Prior to discovering Elite Salon, my boyfriend had been making the trek down to Fellow Barber in the Mission and it was always an ordeal requiring an entire afternoon. Now we call in the morning, and Candy is usually able to squeeze us in sometime that afternoon – the first time she even stayed open later just to accommodate us!
I also have straight bangs that require frequent trims (much more maintenance than the rest of my hair), and Candy is always happy to give me a quick bang trim after my boyfriend’s haircut on days I don’t do a full haircut without charging me a penny! We both definitely plan to continue getting our haircuts here.