Willow Salon
Category: Hair Salons [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA155 Brannan St
(at Delancey St)
San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 777-1171
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
2 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"I just had my first visit to Dara about a couple of weeks ago. I had an appointment for a cut after work, and I arrived at the hair salon…" read more »
29 Reviews for Willow Salon
I just had my 1st haircut by Shab. I was in serious need of a trim and she gave me gorgeous layers. I walked out of the salon swinging my hair around like a Pantene commercial.
Unfortunately I had a bad experience here--I don't want to say who I went to, but because the salon carries Bumble and Bumble I was expecting a high quality haircut. I asked for layers and I got layers--but they looked ridiculous. My hair was dry so the stylist asked me if I wanted a conditioning treatment--failing to mention how expensive it ended being.
After trying 3+ different salons in the city, then making a few special trips to SoCal to get my hair done by my old, trustworthy hairstylist, I stumbled upon Willow Salon. When I called, the earliest appointment available was with Veronica, which was incredible luck because (unknown to me at the time), she is awesome.
The way she does hair reminds me of how I cook - she knows the recipe/rules so well that she can use them as a basic foundation and then depart from that to adapt to the situation/problematic hair at hand or come up with something entirely new and different if you want that. Or she can just stick to the usual. I tend to stick with the usual highlights and long layers, but she'll throw something slightly new/different in each time so that I end up even happier with my hair than on the previous visit (and I've been VERY happy with the color and cut every time she's gone to work on me).
Side note: watch out for Thursday/Saturday afternoon appointments because there is a 'regular' elderly female customer you have to witness/experience at least once if you appreciate people-watching/listening and quirky old people. She has picked poor Gilbert as her go-to hairstylist, and she talks EVERYone's ears off about some of the most random topics. It makes for some fun side commentary.
Cost me $170 for haircut and partial highlights (I have long hair, so this may vary) - and that's $50 cheaper than other places I tried (even a former customer of mine who supposedly gave me a 'deal'). Note: unlike other places in SF that will give you about 12 foils for 'partial' highlights, Veronica does a good job of putting in lots of thin highlights so that my hair looks natural.
Very laid back atmosphere, full of jokes and sarcasm if you invite it, but friendly regardless.
I went to willow for the first time last week for a haircut and highlights and I am very happy with my experience.
I have short hair and have been very wary about switching salons, but my stylist keeps hopping salons and I haven't been happy with my last couple cuts.
Anyways, I called Willow and got an appointment right away- within 2 days of calling- with Shab.
Willow is a small salon, but very laidback and friendly. Shab listened to what i wanted and seemed to really GET it right away.
She was really friendly and was patient with me even when I went into random coughing fits, even gave me tea with honey.
In a nutshell:
Highlights: really great color- mixed a couple shades of blonde with darker lowlights- very natural looking
Haircut- exactly what i wanted. Short, layered and edgy
Product- bumble and bumble - which i love
Atmosphere: laidback but clean, modern and comfortable
Price- about 20 bucks cheaper than what I'm used to paying
I'd give this place 5 stars, except the bathroom is a block away, which is pretty inconvenient to walk down the street in a robe and foil in your hair.
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So, I'm a bad mom. I put off getting my daughter's haircut for school pictures until ~the day before school pictures~!! And, to top it off, I took my daughter to one of those discount chain places. A place that would probably be more aptly named as a Butcher Shop than a hair salon, as it turns out. After the hatchet wielder manages to take off an extra 2 inches in an effort to 'even out' the hair, I escort my teary eyed daughter out in righteous anger and desperately try to find a salon with a stylist that speaks English fluidly to try and repair the damage.
Enter Willow Salon and the miracle worker that is embodied in Alain. My daughter and I walk in, and she bursts in to a fresh spate of tears over her hair, but Alain was nothing short of excellent. He came over and started talking with her, putting her completely at ease and reassuring her that it wasn't that bad. He asked her to look at some books to see if she could find something that she would like, while he finished up with his current client.
When he was available, he took my daughter back and managed to repair the damage; crisis averted! My daughter's hair looks fabulous. As we were leaving, my daughter, now all smiles comments "Mom, it's a miracle."
It was more than twice what the butcher shop would have cost (if I'd actually paid them for the chop job), and it was worth every penny. EVERY SINGLE ONE. (In fact, I managed to get a parking ticket because I forgot to put more change in while we were there, and it was STILL worth every penny.) I will definitely be returning here for all my hair-cutting needs.
Oh - one last thing; the atmosphere is amazing, very calm and spa-like. It was exactly what we needed.
I go see Gilbert and I cannot tell you how much he's done for me. He's helped me with getting a great haircut even though I was skeptical about cutting off 5 inches, but if Gilbert says so it must be for a good reason. Now the hair is just so much healthier and shinnier. Thank you Gilbert.
The location is close to where I live and everyone is very friendly. Gilbert is a great hairdresser to kick some ideas around and loves what he does.
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New to the city, I turned to yelp and quickly found Willow Salon! And I totally agree with all the positive responses!
Booking the appointment was simple and so was getting to the place. I took MUNI to the Brannan Station and the salon was about a block off. I noticed a lot of empty metered parking along the Embarcadero at Brannan for those with wheels.
The receptionist was nice/professional and took care of me right away, directing me, not far away, to the changing room and offered up refreshments.
I was scheduled with Gilbert, who came and checked on me while I was waiting, which I appreciated. When it came my turn, I was greeted warmly and given one of the best consultations I have ever had, really!
Gilbert took his time and gave me an awesome style! I have had short hair since May of this year and have had different cuts/different takes and have enjoyed most of them. I love change and the new style Gilbert gave me makes me feel kick ass! He gave me a cut I've always wanted, but thought I could never pull off! You know that shorter twiggy kind of cut and when Audrey Tatou went very short.
They do take tips on credit cards! Yay! Cuz I never carry cash.
They carry Bumble & Kerastase also!
I very much recommend Gilbert and with the talent/professionalism/kindness he showed me, I'm sure that you will find that with other stylists there at Willow!
Thank god I found you Willow Salon! It's almost like a second job hunting amongst the hundreds of businesses around here! whew!
Looking forward to another great time & cut!!!
I love this salon for many reasons; but first and foremost, every time I've gone there I have been able to park within 25 feet of its entrance.
Willow is exactly what I want in a salon: cute, clean, hip without the hipsters, easy parking, in a nice neighborhood, with reasonable prices. I've been getting my hair cut by Veronica for about a year now, and she always does a great job.
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Go see Veronica! She gives the best color and blow outs known to SF. I drive all the way from Laurel Heights just to make her do it. Its also very cute and they use great products.
5 Stars and my first Yelp review because:
1.) Located across the street from my building!
2.) Lovely/friendly staff, very cozy and chic inside, tea service, just all sorts of fabulous
3.) Extremely reasonably priced for their level of service/work
and most importantly:
4.) SHAB! Love love love her! My hair finally has a home in the city!!! No more treks back to Napa (the salon I grew up going to) just for a bangs trim!
Sara Rocks! Cool, friendly, and a hair magician. I have sent numerous friends, family, and co-workers over without hesitation.
The salon is very comfortable, clean, and relaxing. Appointments can be made within a reasonable time frame and are never rushed.
Love Sara...I have crazy thick hair that like Hilary C is wavy, curly and straight. Sara not only gave me a great cut, but she took 20 minutes off my hair drying time (it's down to about 50 minutes, yes, that's how much hair I have!) I love my color as well. I like that it's in my hood, so I can walk there and everyone there is friendly. Oh, and Sara sometimes brings Leo in.....the cutest little Yorke I've seen. Sorry Sara.....if you're dog is missing, check my house first!
Willow is the 3rd salon I've followed Veronica to, and I still make the trip back into the city to get my hair done, even after moving south. A good colorist is hard to find, and she's great. She's done my highlights for 5 years and they are never brassy, and look natural when they grow out. I like her cuts too. She also doesn't push products which I really appreciate. I'm more particular about the stylist than the salon, but the atmosphere here is bright and they serve tea, which is nice. The old receptionist was flaky but I haven't seen him the past 2 times I've been there, so he might be gone.
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as a straight asian guy, it wasn't that long ago that i did the standard high fade haircut. when i look at old pictures of myself, i can't believe that's really me - it's like looking at pictures of people in the 80s - just a totally different lifetime ago.
at any rate, the great thing about the high fade was that it was easy to do - find a friend or barber who was capable with the clippers, and you were good to go. the downside was you had to get your hair trimmed every other week or so because it'd grow so fast. and ask any asian dude - there are few things worse looking than the asian fro. so i was well motivated to keep my haircut costs as low as possible, given the frequency i'd get it cut.
that philosophy persisted over the last few years where i'd try to find a good barber for the lowest price, but that was easier said than done. supercuts? not so super for asian guys. there were times i'd walk out looking like a mushroom. not the greatest look for me (but if you're into mushroomheads - where were you 4 years ago?).
enter willow salon! finally sick and tired of mushroomcuts and crewcuts and razor burn, i decided to bite the bullet and go to a professional (sarah). going from $15 to $50 for a haircut hurts for sure, but i justify it by saying i'm paying for peace of mind. feelin' good about how i look is worth paying for too.
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I got a terrible cut somewhere else and started looking for a new salon where I could find salvation from my new-found ugliness. So I read all the great reviews on Willow and decided to give it a shot!
Gilbert gave me a great cut! He was very patient and friendly, and by the way he handles the scissors, you can tell he loves what he does.
They use great products and are reasonably priced.
___________________________________________
Update: I got super, super natural highlights from Gilbert! Very thin and blend in with my hair beautifully (my husband still hasn't noticed them and it's been 3 weeks lol). I also got a refresh on my haircut but for some reason my hair has lost funkiness!! The fabulosity from the first cut and blow dry has evaporated and lately I leave the salon feeling old and blah... Did they change the blow driers? shampoo?
I chose this salon for several reasons for my first haircut in San Francisco:
1. 7 out of 8 positive reviews on Yelp!
2. 2 recommendations from friends who had gone
3. location in proximity to my work
This salon is great. We did have a small hickup with my appointment. The stylist I was suppsoed to see left, so my appointment was pushed back a day and my services were confused. While this may seem negative, it's not. The salon handled this issue in the most professional manner. First, they called to reschedule my appointment other than just letting me show up. Second, the stylist still cut my hair and colored my hair even though I was only scheduled for a color.
The atmosphere of this salon is clean and chic. I really don't know how anyone could feel awkward here, but to each their own. It's very nice, casual, slightly zen, unlike some other salons with super loud techno music, funky haircuts and everyone wears white.
I cannot say enough about the cut and color I received from Gilbert. He totally listens to what you want and works with you to figure out what color and style will work best. I was very impressed with his knowledge of coloring. This has to be one of the healthiest cuts I have received in awhile.
Other perks include: you can tip on a credit card, great products available in store, FABULOUS prices, easy parking at location, evening appointments available, friendly and helpful staff.
Like Arnold would say, "I'll be back!" (ok too cheesy)
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Alain is a genius!
Excellent sense of style, attention to detail, fabulous skills and he's a cyclist! What more could a girl ask for! I LOVE my hair!!!!!!!!
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Sarah is fantastic! How do you know you have found a perfect gem? When you recommend your friends and they, too, have a wonderful experience. Ahhhh, the power of referrals. Go to Sarah for a very wicked stylish hairdo.
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I felt like I was uncool and ugly the whole time I was in there. I was saying all the wrong things and kept second guessing myself like I was back in junior high. This salon just made me feel like a dopey preteen who doesn't fit in. Also, I hated my haircut. I'll never go back.
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Love Willow! It's very chill, very cozy, very personal. You never feel rushed, and you never feel that you're in a haircut factory. The stylists are great, very friendly and very talented. They take their time to get it right. Love my cuts and highlights!
Other pluses: they serve tea and cookies up near the reception area and sell Kerastase products. Willow is also dog friendly.
One warning: parking is very difficult if you happen to book an appointment when there's a Giants game, or some event at the baseball stadium.
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Love this place! Convenient , reasonable, and Veronica does a great job (with both cut and highlights).
Gilbert is a God. Nobody else has ever made my hair look close to as good as he does. Listen to what he says and do what he suggests - he's always right.
This is a great Salon. Although it is Tiny the people in it are very friendly and upbeat. Ever since Gilbert cut, colored and styled my hair i have been going back for more.
I love the way they have set up the the interior of the Salon, it is just beautiful. And the atmosphere is calm and relaxed, which makes it a great salon to get your hair done in.
I had a great coloring(3 color highlights) and a haircut from Sarah.
Very comfy place with nice friendly people.
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This is a great little salon. I have been many times and continue to be impressed. There is parking outside on metered spaces which is a nice touch if you are driving into the city or neighborhood. They also accept tips on credit cards which is a huge plus.
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The stylist I've been going to for years decided to move to NYC to teach for bumble and bumble. I was left hopeless and tried out SOOOOOOOOO many other salons and stylists and no one was good enough. I even thought about planning a trip to NYC just to get my hair cut UNTIL I went to Willow Salon, more specifically, Gilbert. He is the BEST!! This charming salon is tucked away in SoMa and is a treasure. Forget all those hyped up, trendy, wannabe-skinny-jean-wearing-faux-hawk-types in downtown or Haight. this place is great from the word "Hi"!
Let me tell you about Gilbert - He listens! Ahat more can I say... he listens to what you say and doesn't go off on a tangent about what he thinks is best. He makes fabulous suggestions, works around what you want and don't want, makes fantastic conversation and is friendly. nice and a great person to spend 60 minutes with...oh, he also gives wonderful hair washes. He takes his time and I left feeling great about my hair. He is awesome. I have found my answer and I don't need to go to NYC unless it's just for a fun trip.
Gilbert...YOU'RE THE BEST!!
PS - Everyone else at the salon seems cool as well.
I've been going to Willow Salon for the past 6 months and I have to say they are exceptional! I've had so many comments on my haircut from Christopher- it's amazing! They really care about what they do- and take so much pride in their work. It's nice to know that my hair is in such good hands :)
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This place is awesome. Ok ladies I have to admit I have misdirected a stylist or two in my day. They either tried to steer me away from my vision or told me to get out. This has all resulted in a few hair mishaps. There is a guy here, Gilbert, who helped me through my possibly less then perfect ideas and directed me into the best cut and color I have had in a long time if not ever! It's the first time I have not had a stylist tell me I was crazy or follow what I said and leave me a disaster. He basically took my idea and made it work and made it better. He apparently reads minds, as the color was exactly what I wanted. The salon itself is adorable and all the people in there are very cool! From what I could see the other stylist were also great. Parking was easy and after, I had a few beverages down at Delancy st Bar. Don't get me started on the hot ex-cons that work there! Always attracted to the bad guys! Hey at least they got jobs. All in all this place rocks and Gilbert is my new bestest friend.
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this place had a really chill atmosphere but i had higher expectations when it came to my hair. i wasn't impressed at all and they gave me the shittiest bangs ive ever seen.
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