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Broadway Grooming Clinic
Rating Details »
Category: Pet Groomers [Edit]
Neighborhood: Old Oakland1004 Jefferson St
(between 10th St & 11th St)
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 444-1159
38 reviews for Broadway Grooming Clinic
First off, don't trust a "Yelper" (M.M) that has one measly review...
Don't Hate, Appreciate!!
I first noticed Alfonso's Grooming Clinic, oh maybe because he had four of the fluffiest/cutest little terriers, wrastlin' in a bed (that looks out the window onto Broadway) as they waited to get their hair cuts.
Alfonso's assistant, whom M.M accused of being "homeless" was actually very gentle and kind when holding my Yorki as Alfonso groomed his hair. You're right though... he wasn't wearing Gucci Jeans, he must be drunk or something.
Trust me... this is a local business with tons of charm, owned by a man that loves animals and is damn good with a pair of puppy sheers!!
Yelpers tell me I'm too generous with the 3 stars but I defended the groomer that he still did an okay job with my dog.
Then he sends me a message saying this:
"you are do not expert, you do not understand about pet grooming,and most importantry inf about animal behavior you can contact me rezendeinternational@g... if you want to be critical, learn more about pets criticizing restaurants is diferent . saionara or sayonara, rezendes . tank you."
So it's okay that people who are not experts to praise him but not okay for people who are not experts to criticize?
Nice!
And sayonara? Serious?! Are we using race and ethnicity as a factor now?? FYI, I'm not Japanese.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/12/2009
This was probably one of the very few times Yelp has failed me. I found Alfonzo on Yelp and expected… Read more »
We were referred to Alfonso by both, the breeders we bought our yorkie princess from, and by the owner of American Pet Pro. We brought our little Lulu to Alfonso for her first grooming a month and a half ago. Alfonso was absolutely FABULOUS! Lulu not only enjoyed her first grooming, but we left with loads of valuable information regarding our new pet and about dogs is general.
Needless to say, we'll be back to Alfonso's Grooming Clinic again!
5 stars for honesty. I brought my 6 year old cat in for grooming and Alphonso told me my cat didn't need to be groomed for another 3 years or so (until the cat stopped grooming herself). He obviously could have trimmed her coat and charged me $50 but he didn't. He was also super kind while handling my cat. =)
I couldn't find anyone to clip my dogs nails without an appointment so I tried to do them myself and ended up cutting her nail to the quick. I called around some more and no one would help out. Then by the grace of God I found Alphonso.
He took us as a walk in, clipped her nails in 10 minutes (for 15 bucks) and offered advice for nutritional supplements to help with her arthritis. he was super friendly and obviously adored the animals in his care. And he's knowledgeable!
By the way Alphoso is Italian, a fact I didn't realize when speaking to him on the phone. He sounded Asian on the phone so when I sent my husband to the shop with the dog and he asked me what type of person he should be looking for I said 'heavily accented gay asian man'. Much to his chagrin my description was way off the mark.
I chose the photo I did because it looks like my doggy in the window.
Alfonso is amazing. We have only taken our dog to him once -and we learned more about dogs in 10 minutes taking with him than I have in 6 months of being a dog owner - including from our vet, our trainer, our dog walker, books or others.
He knows his stuff - so I trust him to know what is needed for my pup from a 'maintenance' perspective - and even made a couple of health recommendations that went beyond what our vet suggested but turned out to be true.
Raleigh looked great (he could finally see through his mop of hair) and was puffier than I believed possible!
His rates were also incredibly reasonable - which is a lot more than I can say for the vet ; )
And, as a bonus, he has actual wolves as pets that were in the shop that day (they took up half the floor)! Amazing.
Almost 3 years later, I still ADORE Alfonzo. I have moved to SF but I rent a car every few months just to take Cosmo over to Oakland for his hair cuts. I tried a few places in SF and was horribly disappointed. I've been spoiled for life!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/14/2006
Alfonso's little grooming salon is just fantastic. My little dog Cosmo is very finicky about new… Read more »
Alfanso is so nice with my golden and whenever we go he is always enthusiastic to see my baby. My golden always come back smelling good, and her coat is shinny and wavy. The only concern I have is the price. Last time I scheduled a haircut for her and the price came out to be $100 + tip. I was shocked to find out that my dog's haircut is more expensive than mine. 5 stars for the service and quality and -1 star for the price = 4 stars. I guess I will go to PetSmart for her haircut. It's cheaper that way xD
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Updated in March
I am quite unhappy with Alfonso's whining... Every time I bring my dog there he would tell me how tired he is and how eager he is to go home... At the beginning I thought he's a funny dude... but I realized he wasn't just saying it for fun. He neglected to pamper my dog and resulted in ear infection. My dog's anal gland wasn't expressed and she constantly rubbed her butt against the ground. Will not return again... very disappointed.
As almost everyone has said, Alfonso cares about animals and takes great care of them. My fussy cat was quiet and calm in his shop even with lots of dogs barking, and she came away clean (but smelling like flowers, which is weird) and nicely trimmed.
However, at $75 + tip for a wash and groom, I'm going to be investing in my own set of electric clippers.
I was recommended to go to Alfonzo from a coworker. I've never been to a groomer before, I think purely because I always assumed it would be too expensive. However, my coworker guaranteed me I'd get my bang for my buck and I sure did! Alfonzo was great with my dog. He suggested to meet her first so that she didn't get any stress or anxiety. When I picked my dog up, she smelled so fresh, like baby powder. Her hair was trimmed slightly, giving more definition to her face, and her nails were cut nicely. After the bath, her hair was so beautiful and shiny. Everyone stopped me to compliment me on my dog as I walked us back to the car. All in All, it was very much worth the $25!
So Ive mentioned our beloved Racey before. The long and short of it? Shes a 12 year old dog who we saw hit by a car while visiting family in idaho. She also has hip dysplasia. The owner didnt feel they could put the care and cash back into her, so we brought her back with us and after 5 months in a cast, shes finally able to go for walks on the beach and to the park. Shes a special needs doggie who is VERY special to us.
Racey was a farm dog and one of her new city experiences was to be a haricut. I took her to Petco and they treated her like she was bubbling over with scurvy, mange and every other nasty disease. So I looked at the yelp reviews and found Alfonso! THANK GOD!
When I went in to introduce Racey, he treated her as though she was a show dog. She's nervous and new to all of these experiences, and he got right down near her and loved and kissed her. Just incredible. And now, she sports an absolutely ADORABLE puppy cut that takes a 12 year old farm dog to a chic little pixie of a lady. :) While i was there, he chatted with other customers, loved other dogs and cats, and was just wonderful.
I am so grateful, and so is Racey. If I could, Id add a 6th star!
Love,
Sara
I have taken dozens of dog walking and boarding clients to Alfonso with great results. The only negative feedback I got from my clients was about an Italian spinone, Pepe; the owner didn't like the first version of his haircut. The second time Alfonso groomed Pepe he completely "got" the client's vision and now she takes Pepe there regularly and raves about him.
A few weeks ago I took two golden retrievers I walk, Buffy and Elmo, to Alfonso for a summer cut. He told me that he had a new European technique that would thin out and shorten their fur and would look much better than the standard, weird haircut with the close-to-the-skin body and puffy head and tail. I had no idea what he was talking about but I asked my client if she would trust him and go with a new thing. She was up for it and we both love the cut he gave the "golden babes." Their fur is thinned out and shorter all over but it's not an obvious "summer cut." It's really easy to get burrs and foxtails out of their coat now and they are obviously cooler and more comfortable than with their thicker coats. It's a winner.
The salon is far from fancy but there is a lot of love and respect for the animals and that is what is important to me.
I don't do much work with cats but I know he is a cat grooming expert and there aren't too many of those.
Alfonso has been a grooming instructor in the past and has an amazing way with all animals. He grew up on a big farm in Brazil with tons of animals and they trust him immediately. I recommend Alfonso highly. He is a wonderful person and an artist with his grooming tools.
Alfonso is the best! We took Sasha to meet him after reading his reviews and we definitely got more than we expected. Sasha is the lhasa apso love of my life and the last groomer we took her to cut chunks out of her tail, after my incessant requests to leave her beautiful tail alone. She was a big matted mess around her face and ears and in desperate need of grooming when Alfonso returned my phone call and told me getting a "next day" appointment would be no problem.
Sasha is very picky about the homosapiens she takes to, like most lhasas, and she loved Alfonso and really enjoyed hanging out in the waiting room (an adorable window/playpen) with the two other dogs that were there.He listened to all of our particulars and gave Sasha an awesome summer cut, all the while treating her with the same respect and love we treat her with. We definitely found THE groomer we will be with during our stay in the bay!
My new puppy was not old enough to get her rabies shot so calling around everywhere no on wanted to help out at all=( That is until my wonderful boyfriend found Alfonso to help out a little bit. Alfonso was already pretty booked so he couldn't help lil LuLu for a whole grooming session. But he was able to clean out her ears and help us clipped her toenails which was resembling mighty thorns at this point. He was really caring and sweet and didn't charge us an arm or a leg. For the time he spent on her when he didn't have to, he charged us nothing. Now that LuLu finally gotten her rabies shot we are coming right back to him for the full treatment and more then ready to pay full price!
We use Alfonso for nail trims for our HUGE dog. It seems many groomers only like to work with small dogs, but he was great with our big girl. She is very shy and HATES getting her nails done - so I was impressed with how easily and quickly he did it.
I wouldn't recommend leaving your big dog there all day - it's a small shop and better equipped to handle 'day care' for the little ones.
Amazing! It was my puppy's first haircut and she walked right into the salon. Alfonso was totally friendly and put her in the window play area. We got her back in a few hours and she looked sooo cute with her summer "puppy" cut. The puppy cut is like a trim. I didn't want to get the standard cut yet because she has all the rest of her years to get it.
My hubby picked her up and when Alfonso noticed her cate in the car's back seat he asked, "You're not leaving the dog in the car are you?". My hubby responded, "No way, my wife would kill me!" And Alfonso replied, "I would too". haha.
I'm glad she had a good experience! By the way, I have a 5 month old mini schnauzer.
Washed and trimmed my neurotic but lovable chow retriever mix. Chewy came out of the groomers looking like a new dog. I had previously been unable to take Chewy to the groomers as he wasn't happy being tethered. Alfonso did wonders and Chewy came out sparkly and happy!
Chewy has since passed away but I will be taking my new pup Malla the next time I'm in the neighborhood.
I am confident in recommending Broadway Grooming Clinic to any dog owner
Alfonso is wonderful with animals, a serious animal advocate, and knows exactly what he is doing and takes charge right away!
Very experienced groomer and very trustworthy
Did a wonderful job grooming my two dogs to the tee
I immediately felt comfortable leaving my dogs under their care and supervision
Just right on the nose price wise
Parking available in two lots and on street
My partner and I've been taking our cocker spaniel Sasha to Alphonso for the last 3 years. We were most taken with how personable and loving he is with the animals - you can tell that he really loves and cares for animals by the way he treats them and talks to them. The storefront play area makes a great place for the dogs to play, as well as the best storefront display anyone could ask for!
Sasha was a rescued dog, and while we aren't certain of her age, we know she is getting up there in age. Alphonso shows great patience and understanding in handling her ... he treats her like the dowager she seems to believe herself to be! Plus, there is a green zone curb right in front of his shop for quick and easy drop-off/pick-up, his rates are reasonable, and when possible, he is flexible on his scheduling. Seriously ... if you are looking for someone who will treat your pet like their own, this is the place!
. We have been bringing our difficult shih tzu Webster to Alfonso for six years now and are always pleased with the cut and the way he treats Webster. (This is a dog who was abused in a prior life and only likes about 12 people=--Alfonso being one of them)Last year we fostered another rescue dog who was due to be euthanized in Manteca for lack of shelter room. We ended up adopting him, and of course, he goes to Alfonso also. Although both dogs are shih tzus,Little Bit is as different from Webster as chalk from cheese, from size to color to temperament. Little Bit is a sweetheart, but HATES to get his feet groomed and it's a real struggle for me to keep him combed , and do his toes and nails between visits to the groomer.Alfonso works miracles on him: Little Bit comes out looking and prancing like a show dog, and he always has a good time there.We shudder to think of what will happne if Alfonso wins the lottery and decides to retire.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/20/2006 First to Review
Alfonso does a wonderful job. He genuinely likes animals and the first thing he does when we drop… Read more »
Alfonso is great! Cosmo, my border collie and Ella, my pitbull are like putty in his hands. Alfonso is an impecible groomer and has a nature with animals that is better than anyone I've ever met. Cosmo sometimes gets nervous at the vet and such, but at Broadway Pet Grooming he feels right at home. Thank you Alfonso for all your work with my big babies over the years!
Alfonso also does a great job with cats, too. I've reffered friends to him for cat grooming and they were very satisfied.
Alphonso is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S ! If you are looking for a good groomer who will be attentive, caring and great detail in work...... Broadway Grooming Clinic is the place.
I recently adopted a small dog (Izzy) and took her to Alfonso for her first bath and nail clipping. Alfonso was awesome! Alfonso is a true professional-- kind, caring, knowledgable and attentive to the individual needs of each pet. Izzy's first experience at Broadway Grooming will not be her last!!
We have been going to Alfonzo for a year and he has done a great job with out tibetan terrier. We referred a number of friends here and felt very happy to get to Know Alfonzo. Quite a surprise today when Alfonzo said not to bring back our dog because she barked too much. We had really liked the service before and were happy to get a number of clients for him ) some who gave good reviews here) Now we feel betrayed....we were fired because the dog barked too much......
Alphonso was great with my 5 month old puppy who was miserably shaggy. He explained how he was going to cut my dog when I got there and was really sweet with my dog. My dog barely wanted to leave!
It is a doggy free for all but it was fine with me since I wanted my dog to have the socialization.
I'm giving him 4 stars since it was $10 more than what I was originally quoted for. It was still worth in the end since my dog hates having anything near his face and feet and somehow Alphonso was able to trim the hair close to his eyes.
*UPDATE: Alphonso totally apologized for not explaining the increase in rate to me before. (Apparently, there were several complaints from other groomers who reported him to some sort of union version of groomers that Alphonso's rates were too low). His rates are still really competitive with the quality of the cut I get so will be a repeat customer for sure.
I chose Broadway Grooming Clinic based on all the great Yelp reviews. I called a week in advance to make an appointment for the next Friday at 10 am. When I showed up, Alfonso wasn't there. The assistant called Alfonso and handed me the phone -- Alfonso told me he had car trouble, was at the repair shop, and would be there in 15 minutes. When I said I'd wait, he said, "Okay, it will be 20 minutes, then it will take me 5 to get there." First it was 15 minutes and now suddenly it's 25? I wouldn't have been bugged if it were just car trouble, but he clearly had completely forgotten about my appointment (I was a new customer). He asked me all the same questions he'd asked when I first made my appointment. Even that might not have bugged me so much if anyone had thought to look at the appointment book and call the clients to let them know there would be a delay -- but no one bothered to do that.
However, the REAL turn off was that when I arrived, the assistant was standing outside doing nothing (uh, he could've been calling clients!). I had two dogs, and he immediately grabbed both their leashes without even saying hello to either me or them. I had to explain that one of them was just along for the ride while scrambling to get his leash back. He then took the other dog and, without petting her, asking her name, or letting her so much as sniff the floor, SHOVED her into a cage. He pulled her by her collar and then shut the cage ON her nose. I'm not kidding. He actually bumped her nose. It was my friend's dog who had never been groomed in her life, so I was pretty amazed that she took all this in stride.
Besides the obvious problem of how that is no way to treat an animal, I started to be concerned for the assistant's safety. Most strange dogs would attack any stranger who just shoved them in a cage. If Alfonso had spent even 5 minutes training his staff, they would know better than to manhandle dogs. I was glad that my own German Shepherd/Rottweiller
was behaving like his usual docile self -- something like that could've easily scared the bejesus out of him, and you don't want an 80 pound dog mad at you.
I told them I'd think about whether or not to reschedule. As I was leaving, another client was walking in with two dogs. I heard her say she had an appointment for 10:00 AM. So he scheduled three dogs at the same time? And didn't call any of the owners when he was going to be late?
I honestly have no idea how this shop could've received such terrific reviews. They don't know the most basic things about animal safety, animal kindness, or courtesy to clients.
This place was horrible and he charge me more than my original quote. I will never go there again. It was really dirty and my dog did not want to be left there.
Alfonso is wonderful!! After finding this place on Yelp, I brought my baby girl here for a bath and pedicure, it was apparent to me within 5 minutes of meeting Alfonso that he is a true animal lover. He proceeded to plop my dog behind a little gate putting her on "window display" in the front of his shop located in an old victorian. When I went to retreive her it was so adorable to pull up and watch her frolicking in the front window and playing with the vairous stuffed toys strewn about....she didn't want to leave, but after some kisses goodbye to Alfonso we were on our way. As I said earlier Alfonso is a true animal lover, the way he handles the animals with love and care and the observations he made about my dog show me he truly knows and can read animal behavior and this is what I'm looking for in a groomer.......'cause anyone can just give a bath and trim hair...
Alfonso loves animals and was willing to take my dad's scruffy matted mess even after he told me he was booked for the week. Cody was in desperate need of a good shave n wash and I had him only for a few days. Cody came out looking cuter than ever...clean, fluffy and groomed. Alfonso gave Cody an "Excellent!" review for his great doggie behavior. I give Alfonso an "Excellent!" review for his technique and kindness. Alfonso not only loves his furry clients, he is accommodating and lovely to chat with. Thank you!
The cat whisperer!
Alfonso charges the same as established area groomers ($65/small dog) but takes longer and the quality isn't as good. However, he is very good with dogs.
Alfonso is truly great. We brought our dog to several groomers who were not able to handle his wiggly ways. They wanted to muzzle him and sedate him, Alfonso was patient with him and is helping him overcome his fears. We are so happy we found Alfonso and highly recommend him to everyone. He clearly care about the animals.
For thirteen years, we owned a really great golden retriever. She was a terrific dog and a much loved family member. She shed like crazy and got a bath a few times a year. After she left us for doggy heaven, a little black lhasa-mix walked into our lives, with some pretty big paws to fill. At first, we thought "hey, this little guy doesn't shed....cool!" Next thing we realized was "HEY, this guy's hair just keeps on growing and growing.....he's starting to look like a canine version of Cher". It was then that we realized we had become members of that fraternity of dog lover's who require the services of a groomer. I started asking around for recommendations and decided to try a place suggested by the receptionist at our veterinary clinic. That was a mistake. The "groomer" was a guy sitting at a desk, eating a donut, while talking on the phone and playing on his computer. The facility was an open space with four laborers, each standing at a table doing the actual grooming. I think the owner said about 3 words to me as he was collecting $75 for his services. He was completely indifferent to me and my pet. The haircut was just ok. I left with the feeling that this was not a place I'd be returning to. Next on the list, was a shop rather enthusiastically recommended by one of the clerks at the store that we buy our pet food. This particular groomer has a little lobby area that you walk into from the street, beyond which a metal screen door separates the lobby from the grooming area. I had been quoted a price of almost half of what the first place charged, which was possibly why it took over a week to get an appointment. As I entered the shop which reeked of cigarette smoke, I was not noticed by the groomer due to a hair dryer that was running at that moment. What I witnessed was a haggered looking woman yelling at and even striking the dog she was working on. Suffice to say, I made an about-face and got the hell out of there. Strike two. I was beginning to get discouraged and figured I'd just open the phone book and simply pick a groomer at random. This hapened to be Broadway Grooming Clinic. As I entered this quaint little shop I was greeted by a man with a great big smile and a funny accent. This man would become one of our dog's favorite humans and a person whom I have come to trust and admire. That was three years ago, and we have not looked back since. Alfonso is a talented, competent professional. His technical grooming skills are first rate, but what sets him apart is the fantastic rapport he establishes with his animal clients. He truly loves animals first and foremost. His prices are very fair and he handles each and every animal personally. Other than an assistant who does the shampooing, Alfonso does 100% of the grooming. It is very clear that he loves his work. We feel very fortunate to have found him. His shop is not super fancy looking, but it is apparent that he has chosen to invest his resources in the absolute finest tools available for his craft. He recently showed me a pair of scissors from Germany that cost over $1000. He also told me that he has to be extremely careful not to accidentally drop a pair of scissors on the floor, because once they hit the floor, they're never the same. This level of precision and attention to detail is apparent in his work. I believe he loves our dog almost as much as we do and I look forward to having him as our groomer for many years to come. He is one in a million. Bravo!
I just recently moved to the area from Chicago where my long haired medium size dog had a fantastic groomer. I was really hoping to find the same out here. I went here because of the great reviews on yelp, however when I got my dog back it seemed to me that she had mearly been washed, her undercoat not touched, hair still between her toes and behind her ears where she gets tangles. My impression is that they only deal with smaller dogs that need primping, not larger dogs that really need grooming. My recommendation is that if you have a large, long haired dog you are best to go elsewhere.
I have a 6month Springer Spaniel and was VERY happy with the cut he got. Most groomer wont cut it short the way I like it.
I chose Broadway Grooming based on the reviews of other Yelp members. I am happy that I did. I arrived at the clinic, which is located in downtown Oakland, about a block from the federal building. I went up to the shop window, and it looked like a doggie free-for-all. He lets all the dogs run around the shop, so you have to be OK with that. It was fine with me. He came out and met with my dog to make sure that he could work with him. They got along fine, and he told me to come back in a few hours. I received a call from the shop notifying me they were done. I was pleased with the results. My pup (not really a puppy anymore) came out looking and smelling like a million bucks! They are very nice, professional and knowledgeable. I recommend them.
we have three large dogs--all golden retrievers with long coats and lots of grooming needs--as well as a small peke mix. Alphonso does a PHENOMENAL job with all the dogs. The goldens are always beautifully groomed when they come back and the peke looks just adorable. :) i would encourage anyone with ANY kind of dog to trust alphonso. You won't be disappointed! :)
Alphonso is just great. we have a 13 month old Samoyed, Gracie, and my wife and I are completely neurotic about her. First and foremost anyone who grooms her must be an obvious dog lover, willing to spend the time and attention necessary to groom well but without any fear or pain for the pooch. Alphonso fits that bill completely but he, also, does a fantastic job of both basic grooming and show grooming. Last week he groomed Gracie for her first real competitive show, and grooming a Samoyed is a real challenge under any circumstances. She looked extraordinary in every way and went on to win both her age class and Best Winner Bitch in a Samoyed Specialty Show (which I understand form those in the know is a real big deal, especially for a first time non-show dog). Gracie is first and foremost a family member and running and hiking companion and certainly not a show dog. No doubt it took Alphonso a lot of extra time to get rid of the remnants of the hike up Mount Tam the day before.
