Counterbalance Barber Shop

I’ll start off by saying I’m an extremely picky person when it comes to my hair. I’ve been to many places (ex. Rudy’s, Bishops, high end salons, etc.) to find the right fit of barber, chit chat, and good vibes. Piotr and Julio tick every box.
Hair: Grade: A+, Piotr and Julio are well aware of «in/​popular» and the «classic» looks, and can do both extremely well. I’m a more of a «classic» type, and since my first haircut they’ve nailed it every time (I’ve had haircuts from both). If you act like you give a damn and care about your presentation these guys will line you up and you’ll feel great walking out… None of that «holy sh*t what just happened to my head get me out of here asap so I can fix this at a different shop tomorrow» feeling. They give you a «I feel like a boss» and «money well spent, I’ll be coming back» feeling.
Overall chemistry/​service of barbershop: Grade: A+, both Piotr and Julio are considerate and down to earth individuals with great stories to tell. Every time I walk in they greet me with a smile, and our conversations typically have me laughing or listening to an interesting story.
They’ve got great taste in music and always stick to their time table. If you’re haircut is for 5PM — you’re sitting in your chair at 5:01PM.
Overall great service, quality of haircut, chemistry, and general A+ positivity. This shop is going to do very well and I have no doubt it will be in QA for a long time.

New owner is great. Best haircuts I’ve ever had. My fiancé only let’s me go here. Book online to make sure you have a chair.

Piotr and Julio are both exceptional barbers. I used to go to Acme Barbershop to have Piotr trim my hair and beard and followed him to his own shop in Queen Anne. I’ve also had Julio cut my hair once or twice before they got the shop and I was also completely satisfied with my cut.
The shop is very clean and contemporary and has a fridge full of beer and a few bar tables for waiting patrons which feels much less awkward than the customary chairs lined up when you wait your turn in the barber’s chair.
Piotr is very easy going and the he seems to be genuinely interested in what you have to say and the conversation never feels forced. The quality of the haircuts is also top notch. Being a bald guy I’ve felt a little blown off going into other shops to just get a buzzcut or neck clean-​up, but Piotr has never treated me any different than any of his hairier customers.
I highly recommend Piotr and Julio’s shop and will definitely continue to visit!

I’m pretty picky when it comes to my haircuts so I always get nervous when I have to switch barbers. Got a tip from a friend that Julio is the man to see and I’ve been loving my haircuts ever since. I’d keep coming back for the cuts alone but they’ve built up a great atmosphere to the place on top of that. Good music, cold beer in the fridge, everyone in the shop is always talking and joking with each other; I definitely look forward to haircuts here. Piotr and Julio are doing an awesome job with this place.

Of course children are not accepted. This is clearly a gentlemen’s barbershop. What, did Juli C. not notice the complimentary beers or the issues of Playboy so prominently displayed in the waiting area??? Thank you Piotr for making your establishment one where adult males actually want to spend time at. Thank you for your talent. Sorry you have to deal with idiots sometimes. I wish there were an option to give you six stars.

Doesn’t like children. Canceled haircut when we arrived because had two older boys. Queen Anne community beware. Not supportive of our families.

Called in and was happy they took a walk in. I needed a haircut for a new job that I was starting and some of the other «hip» spots were so over booked.
Julio took care of me (he was the only one there) and was a pleasure to talk to. Asked me what I wanted and went straight to work. He made some suggestions and I went with them.
Only thing that bugged me was he never really turned the chair so I could see my hair during the cut, but I know why. Because he knew exactly what he was doing! Maybe I was just having some paranoia from other barbers hacking my hair.
My haircut is seriously the best cut I’ve ever had. Very, very, very satisfied. I will be getting this same cut over and over from this man.
Thank you very much for adding to the confidence I will need for my new job.
What you get:
Good music
Beer
Welcoming attitude
Good cut
Straight razor edging
Some barber powdering
Overall very satisfied

Killer barbershop. I just moved here from New Orleans and was in search of a regular barber. I found one at Counterbalance. I will definitely be frequenting this shop. Piotr was awesome, and friendly and cut my hair in the exact way I wanted. I would highly recommend this shop to anyone looking for a fresh cut.

Updated review: new management/​owner actually sticks to the posted schedule, which is nice to have a reliable barber. Great cuts and conversation.

This place is great. Peter and Julio do a good job of creating a fun environment where you feel more like a friend than customer. Peter is my barber and the guy is good at his job. He’s done a great job reinventing the image for Counterbalance. I’ve sent a long time searching for a barber I like in town and glad I wandered into this barbershop.

Julio has been my barber for almost 6 months now and I won’t go anywhere else. He is kind, easy to talk to, and most importantly gives a great haircut. He takes the extra time to make sure the style is on point. Highly recommend him!

I’ve walked by this place too many times without stopping in. Finally remedied that mistake and dropped in today to tame the mane a little bit. I was definitely refreshed to hear the Roots on the radio and real talk spiked with adult language from the barber, Julio. I can’t speak to the haircut just yet as he suggested continuing to grow it out and just cleaned things up. That said, you have to love when a tradesman offers honest advice even when it yields him less revenue. I did, however, witness the fella before me receive a solid cut. Did I mention he drove from Covington?! Simply because he liked his coworker’s haircut received at Counterbalance Barber Shop. I’ll certainly be back and highly recommend this joint to any fellas looking for a place to get a great haircut while feeling like you’re hanging out at the bar your buddy built in his bachelor pad.

Was looking around for a new barber and was so glad to have found this place. One of the best haircuts I’ve ever had and all I did was give a rough outline of what I was looking for. It took about an hour (I have a decent amount of hair) but the owner was casual and cool to talk to.

Want a great haircut at a fair price!?! Run, don’t walk to CounterBalance! Great people, talented barbers, and cool vibe! Peter (owner) and Julio are awesome! You have to check them out!

**UPDATE**
This really isn’t the same business that I previously reviewed. There’s a new owner, a new second stylist, and a much updated interior. In short, not the same shop. I got my cut from Julio, who seems to have done a great job. I normally like to wait until a cut has grown in a little before passing judgement, but in light of the my previously negative review of the old shop, I feel it’s important to update this review sooner rather than later.
I’ll update this review with more details in the future once I’ve had some additional data. But, from my limited experience with the new people, this appears it will be a winner. Piotr and Julio seem much more engaged with the business, and have clearly poured their own labor into sprucing up the place. I’m not a super fan of the TV, but I’ll let it slide.
Also note: In the spirit of unbiased, unvarnished opinion, I sneaked in ninja style and did not take the owner up on his offer of a free cut. While a nice offer, and clearly indicator that the new owner cares about his business, it wasn’t Piotr’s business that botched my last haircut at this location.
tl;dr: This isn’t the same business it used to be. New business gets high marks, with caveat of limited experience on my part.

Christine is the best. Great thorough haircuts. Great price. The BEST dogs on QA.

Christine is awesome. I’m new to town and she gave me lots of great tips on farmers markets and such, and she’s just really friendly and fun in general. Perfect haircut too!
It helps if you love dogs (which I do) but she has big comfy crates for them to go into when it gets busy, and they happily went in at one point and took naps.
Thanks Christine, I’ll definitely be back!

The stylist at Counterbalance is going to know exactly who I am after I write this review since it’s a one-​woman operation, but eh, whatever.
I needed a haircut over in Queen Anne, and ended up walking finding this shop. For $ 22, I got a nice trim that made my head a good half-​pound lighter. It’s a nice casual atmosphere, and you can tell that the person running the shop is a diehard local who cares about the community (and her dogs). If I’m ever in need of another cut, I’ll go here.

What you get:
— A haircut for $ 23 (or $ 24?)
— Friendly conversation (or not) with someone who’s local to the neighborhood.
— Close access to dogs. (not great for those with allergies)
— Small wait as I’ve only seen 1 person working at a time.
— Old fashioned barber chairs.
What you don’t get:
— Rinse /​Shampoo, so you’ll have small bits of hair left over when you’re done.
— Cash only, so you don’t get to use your credit card. Thankfully there is a Chase right across the street.

I have been coming here to get my haircut for the past five years — ever since I moved to Seattle. Christine (every regular knows her well and she knows every customer’s name) is a fantastic hair cutter. And for $ 20 how could you argue? 10x better than anything else that you would find for anywhere near that price and she is super nice.
if you live in Queen Anne and looking for a good cut, it is a no-​brainer.