The QG

I sent my husband here for a man-​spa day, and now he won’t go anywhere else. I cannot say enough good things about Ebony; although I’ve never met her, I love her! This woman keeps sending my husband home with the freshest cuts! I swear all the trends must start in her chair, so he keeps going back and changing it up to keep ahead. Book Ebony!

This review is for the QG’s tailoring services. I had a suit that I hadn’t worn in a while and due to some lifestyle changes it had gotten pretty big on me and looked sloppy when I put it on. I’d heard some very positive things about the QG’s tailor so I decided to give him a try.
I’m not the best qualified to judge the finer points of tailoring work, but my suit looked and felt great when I got it back. The price was a bit high, but it wasn’t excessive for the quality of the work. As a bonus I was promised my suit back in two weeks but got it several days early.

By far, both near & wide… QG is the most racist establishment I have ever been to, in MD… and I’ve actually been in the ‘Maryland Club’ (so that should tell u something). Don’t even get me started on the unprofessionalism.
Don’t get me wrong, get me right… IF u are of ANY non Afro-​American ethnicity, u WILL be treated like a king up in here… but AA’s — not so much. I have been in numerous times, expecting a ‘welcoming’ experience so I can attest to all these accolades. This wish has continuously been met with a feeling of, ‘what are you doing here?’ feel to it.
A perfect example of their unprofessionalism would be the experience I had when i decided to have my jacket ‘re-​waxed’ you them. They offer the service to take ur broken-​in Barbour jacket/​coat and send it off to Barbour to be re-​waxed for you. Sounds GREAT, right?
All excited with this service I go down to the QG and, as usual, walk into the reception area w/​4 employees and several guys waiting for appts or to make various purchases. After I walked in, two other guys walked in. One employee was on the phone, two were talking to each other and one took a guy to his hair appt. everyone there before me was greeted & addressed. The two dudes that came in AFTER ME were greeted and their needs addressed. I think, ‘this did NOT just happen. I say, ‘umm, pardon me. I was here before these two and no one has said a word to me. I’d like to get my coat re-​waxed. Where do I go have this done’? Both guys say, ‘yeah, he was first’. The employee looks me up & down and says, ‘oh, well THEY have an appt. I’ll be with u in a minute’. WHAAAAAAAT!!! Mutha @&$!#%‘er you really DID say that. One of the two guys looked at me like, ‘wow, dude, that was not cool’. He then insisted I be helped first. This girl had such an attitude about the whole thing. She grimaced and said, ‘what do need again’? I point… ‘The coat’. She says take the elevator to the shop’ and goes back to the guys. Ummmm, what elevator? What shop? Who do I ask for? Where tha F*CK r u sending me!!! I had enough of her and asked people and figured out where this tiny hidden elevator was and where the shop was located.
I get up there and a well dressed young man was there. Greeted me and asked how he could help. I explained and he was excited bc I was actually the 1^st customer to try this new Barbour service. He proceeded to tell me all the attention to detail they took and why QG was really poised to be ‘THA PLACE 2 BE’!!! It was all quite eloquent. Very personal, Bergdorf Goodman type attention — which I loved.
I hand him the jacket, he write down some info and says, ‘U can pay when you pick it up’. Problem #1 — where is my claim ticket? He says, ‘oh, u don’t need one. Just give me ur name when u come. Problem #2 — what if you aren’t working? He says, ‘just give them ur name/​#. I say, ‘I’m not comfortable leaving a $ 500+ jacket with you and in I have no proof it was ever left here’. He looks surprised and I explain what happened downstairs. He’s embarrassed & apologizes (thanks but I don’t care. Where’s my claim ticket?) He then looks around and finds a claim ticket pad and writes EVERYTHING he can think of on this ticket. Cool! I’m satisfied. He said it should take several week and will call once it’s in. Cool. Bye …
Fast Forward — it’s now a month and no call. I call and ask for my buddy upstairs. He’s not in. He’s actually not in for the next couple weeks… And no one knows about this Barbour service so they can’t help me. WHAT!!! Manager please — I explain the scenario and she apologizes but doesn’t know where he kept the info on the jacket. I tell her to call Barbour thru the # they have for the company. I want feedback IMMEDIATELY!!! (Glad I pressed the guy to give me proof). I never hear from this manager again. I call several times and she literally ignores the call… As in, I call, ask for her… The employee SAYS her name, ‘this is Darren A. He’s calling about a jacket again’. She tells him to put me on hold and NEVER picks up. WTF!!! After several calls, I go down to the store. I demand to speak with her. She shows, I explain who I and she looks ‘caught’. We go upstairs to the shop but she has no idea where the coat would be. That was fruitless. I end up CALLING BARBOUR, explaining what happened and the notify me that it WAS sent back to store two weeks prior. EXQUEEEZE ME!!! They give me the pertinent info and I schlep BACK TO THAT CRAPHOLE OF A STORE and do this dance once again.
This time, I am NOT leaving without my coat. I go in, demand the manger. We go upstairs and still can’t find this coat. I ask her to call the guy that helped me. She can’t… ‘Cool. Then I will see you in court. QG had stolen/​misplaced /​mishandled an item of mine and I want to be compensated. This shyt is ridiculous’. She excuses herself … Comes back and gives me the coat. WHAAAT!!! #DONE
BEST PART: two weeks later, I get a call saying my coat (that I HAVE) is ready.

I love the QG. I’ve been to a lot of places for hair cuts and tailoring but I’ve never felt comfortable in one. This place is classy, inviting and high quality. I’ve never been disappointed with my service here. Highly recommend Ebony for your hair cut; she’s awesome.

QG Department Store
I was looking for some unique boots when I came across these olive colored Red Wings at the QG Department Store. At first I was a little apprehensive but Phil the very knowledgeable salesperson convince me that the olive color was the new black. He was dead on. I wear these boots with everything. I get so many compliments. I must say that the QG Department Store have so many unique and exquisite finds. So if you are looking for something that no one else has, I say start at the QG.

So far I came here about 4 – 5 times. My brother-​in-​law recommended this place to me because of the quality hair cuts and many other services that they provide. The services include: massages, retail shopping, shoe shining, and much more. I’ve only gotten a haircut from here but i’m always tempted to buy something on the first floor (They have pretty sick belts!). Marry Horton has been my hair cutter all four times. She’s easy to socialize with and she helps me decide what to do with my hair, since I’m so indecisive on what to do with it. In addition, I would often have questions on what types of product to buy on how to make my hair look a certain way. She would easily give me suggestions on pomade/​forming cream.
Parking may be tricky so read here… Parking is actually the only thing I dislike about the QG.
Parking information (as provided by a QG email):
Street: Mon — Fri 10am to 2:30 pm and 6:30pm on
Saturday/​Sunday: All Day
Rate: $ 2 per hour
Valet at the Hampton Inn and Springhill Suites.
Rate: $ 7 Flat Rate/​Day
Arrow Parking: $ 6 per hour. Make sure to validate it at QG.
I’ve heard great things about the massages and plan on getting one before or after my final exams! I definitely would recommend this place. Super chill place that makes you feel comfortable and welcomed (free beer & pool table).

Had some time to kill and thought I’d get a haircut. Used Unilocal and found this location nearby and had not been in the area for years.
The reception staff did not seem interested in helping me. I was brand new to the location/​experience and had no idea about offerings and needing an appointment. There was no initiative to offer services and seem to not be interested I me being there. It went from an appt available in 30 minutes to one ready and immediately. After my haircut, they again displayed a ‘false’ concern for my experience.
However, my experience with the stylist was fantastic. She took her time, good attention to detail, made great conversation, and flexible to my requests. She even discussed the other services offered in case I returned in the future. If I were to return I would want her again and tip her directly.
I’d like to return in the future but will likely make a reservation to avoid hassles with the reception. It’s a bit pricy but is worth it for an occasional pampering.

This is the only place I will go to in Baltimore for my grooming needs. When I moved here, I was looking for a place to get my haircut. Found this place — and was thoroughly impressed.
Although my stylist (Kristen) recently left, Mary is fantastic, and provides excellent service.
From haircuts, to shaving to spa services — this is the place to go to if you’re a guy.

See Phill on the Fifth Floor for all your fashion needs. Old School care taken with clothing to fit you the way that it should.
Everything from sport jackets to swim trunks. Cufflinks from Os to Bohs and ties to match. Oh and did I mention Star Wars themed Socks for whichever side of the Force you sympathize. Custom shirts and a great selection of jeans and pants.
Phill just put together the perfect outfit for me for a wedding celebration at the Washington College Boathouse. He realized my vision right off and made it all work. I will do most of my shopping here from now on.

I actually remember when this was just a little one room studio/​barber shop type of place and word was just getting out about how awesome this place was. Fast forward so many years later and The QG is as hip, trendy, and popular as ever. Craig has done a great job molding his business idea into a wonderful patchwork of salon-​type services geared towards men (and even women).
I recently lost contact with my old hair stylist, so of course The QG seemed like the logical place to go to try to get a haircut that wouldn’t make me feel like I had to sport my O’s hat for the next 3 weeks. I was assigned to Ebony, and I must say she was really awesome. She took the time to understand the professional look I was going for, while still maintaining a sense of style to help me get the mature, yet cool look I was going for.
Certainly, one of the best haircut experiences I have ever received. I really left looking so good I had women crawling over me left and right. At one point it started getting so bad, I had to start issuing tickets for these woman to wait in line. But seriously, I left feeling and looking great and will certainly be back again.

Alright I gotta say, this place rocks. Shoutout to Lauren Flater for making me look so good.
I just moved here from SF and was hard pressed to find a go-​to place… first trie some Aveda salon in Towson that was more expensive and way less cool, and my hairline came out crooked and I swear I had bald spots. Took myself to Lauren and she fixed that janky cut and was even gracious while she did it «well… it’s not THAT bad» as she almost kept a straight face.
Plus she’s cool and easy to talk to, and everyone who works the reception area is very nice and friendly… really the prices are reasonable for what it is.
Get there early and enjoy a beer of your choice… discounted parking in the garage, and an easy online system to book.

My man crush Monday comes here for a haircut every 3 weeks and loves it. I haven’t cut my hair in over a year, so obviously homeboy is serious about his beauty regimen. He always looks super fly with a fresh cut, and he says he gets all the perks like a hot towel, straight razor on the neck, and nice product.
Today was my turn though. Today they were piloting their women’s salon services with $ 10 manicures and $ 20 shellac manicures! They’re opening a women’s salon on one of their 6 floors, and they figured this was a great way to advertise. I got a very high quality shellac manicure from an amazingggg aesthetician, who was super friendly. The room we were in had a cozy (fake) fireplace and CNN was playing on the flat screen which was a nice change of pace. The products used were all top of the line and it was very intimate and relaxed. On top of all that I got a free beer as a regular customer and a special St. Paddy’s Day cocktail (midori and champagne) included with my mani.
Lemme tell you, a buzz and a fresh mani is a GREAT way to start a Saturday evening!

The ‘Quintessential Gentlemen’ is an outstanding high-​end barbershop — actually it has become a lot more than that over the years. QG now takes up all 4 levels of the building & features a spa, cigar room, and more. I believe they are about to open a women’s salon on the 4^th floor. I typically go for a straight razor shave a couple times a year, it’s a bit pricey to go every week –though I’d certainly like too.
Get there early — shoot some pool and have a complimentary adult beverage or two while you wait. All the barbers are excellent. The only draw back is the location, it’s not a dangerous area (just 1 block from the harbor) but you can expect at least a few low lifes loitering around. It’s worse when leaving in the evening.
I wish they would open a 2^nd location in Fells Point or Canton.

Everything about the QG is top of the line and professional. From the moment you walk in you are greeted and offered a beverage (complimentary with a service). If you arrive early you can enjoy a coffee or beer upstairs while shooting pool or watching sports on one of the many TVs in the lounge.
I’ve been going to the QG once or twice a month consistently since my first cut almost a year ago. Justine gives the best cuts in Baltimore. I’ve tried a lot of places in the city only once, meaning that they’ve been underwhelming to say the least. Justine has taken the time to know exactly what style and cut works best for me based on my facial structure and hair composition. She is a true professional. After a fresh cut with Justine I notice an increase in double-​takes and smiles from women. What more could you want?
The QG also makes it easy to get a quick touch up in between cuts for a low cost, which is great if you have an event.

I’d be giving this a 1, but the customer service here is good, that’s about it.
I’ve had my hair cut here several times, over the past few years, and each time I leave, I think «I’ll be wearing a hat the next two weeks».
You pay 40 dollars, for what any other barber shop in baltimore would charge 16 – 18 for. The difference here, it seems as though everyone went to cosmetology school and not barber school, because when I asked for a razor part, she made it a half inch wide at the front! I was so embarrassed. I basically had to say «don’t worry about it, you can’t change it now, it’ll eventually grow back».
I wish this place could cash checks that its appearance is writing. I honestly hope I’m never in a spot where I need a hair cut, because I will have to tell them to just buzz my head, because asking for what I want «I even provided 4 pictures from my last cut to the barber» and still didn’t get what I asked for.

I’ve been coming here for the last few months since moving to Baltimore from Portland, Oregon. In the past I’ve used Brendan as my stylist and he’s done a pretty good job — not to mention a nice and professional guy.
Well today I received the worst beard trim and work ever in my 5 years of having a long beard — by Salvatore. For starters, I booked the appointment as a Buzz Cut and Beard Trim — since I only wanted the sides of my head shaved, since I am going to grow out my top part. He immediately tells me that if he has to do any fading than its no longer a buzz cut, but an actual haircut. Weird to me since I’m basically getting a high and tight with only 1 clipper size on the side and I would assume fading comes standard in any «buzz cut.» In my interpretation, a buzz cut means not using any scissors (hence, buzz cut). I told him it was fine to change the price or cut to meet standards, but already now first impressions is not starting out positive.
I then show him a picture, attached, of how I want my 3 inch long beard to be trimmed up as. He very quickly glanced at the picture and goes «ok». From the attached picture, I feel that he nowhere near effectively trimmed up my beard. Stray hairs still all over the chin area and he brought the jawline down so far to the bottom of my face. I went back into the office with everyone saying that I looked like a goat.
At the end of this quick, rushed and quiet 30 minute session, I walked out spending almost $ 50.00 and had to go home and shave off my beard of 5 years — which was a sad experience. I also received none of the amenities that I thought came with my treatment — i.e. Hot Towel on face, etc…
I am incredibly disappointed in my experience today at QG and at this point cannot recommend them. Brendan was great but unfortunately he can be very in demand and hard to get appointments with.

I’ve been coming here for haircuts for two years and have yet to be disappointed. I’ve even tried out some other barbershops in the area over that time and keep coming back to QG.
When you enter those at the front desk are friendly and accommodating, always greeting you warmly and offering a beverage. The lounge is nice, and you can browse the products for sale in the front lobby (I buy Jack Black and Anthony products regularly, so sometimes pick them up here).
My regular barber at QG, Frank, has moved away so I’ve since switched to Brendan. The quality of cut here beats other places and the experience adds a nice touch.
Coming to QG is worth the extra cost over other barbershops in the area. After your cut you should go to the men’s store upstairs and take a look, they have a lot of nice clothing and merchandise.
Also, I’ve never seen the spa, but I plan on starting to get massages here as well. As you can see, it’s a men’s lifestyle location where you can be catered to for most of life’s requirements (tailor, shoe shine, haircut, shave, massage, clothing, cigars, and more!).
Recommended.
Update 9 March 2015: I was fitted for a custom suit on the fifth floor today and had a great time. Both Phill and Earle exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to get my clothing.

This place is great! Yes you can get a great haircut at many places in the city but who hands you a free beer when you come in??? Awesome! They have many services to take advantage of and do it well.
If you want a tight fade go to Alex. Great hair stylist.
You can come here if your a woman but lets be honest… this place caters to men. From the pool table to the cigar lounge you’ll love this place. Makes you feel like your a true gentleman!

Just had my first ever appointment at The QG. And I must say, I was impressed. I got my hair cut and a straight razor shave. Kristen did a great job with both. First time in awhile I wasn’t nicked during a shave. She also helped recommend a new look for me, that, not only did I like, but my wife did too.
They’ve expanded to add more than just barber services. They offer you a complimentary beer (or other beverage) upon checking in. They have a nice waiting area with comfortable chairs and a pool table. They’ve also added clothing and a cigar room. As well as having a professional tailor on site.
I certainly see myself coming back.

The QG is an excellent barbershop which caters to a more refined spa-​like experience. On site is a master masseuse and tailor, not to mention several extremely talented barbers /​cosmetologists.
There are several locations to park when arriving at the QG — behind the shop is a parking garage which is complementary so long as you provide a ticket to the check-​out desk. Alternatively, you can have your car valeted at the hotel across the street — just say you are going to the QG and everything will be taken care-​of.
Appointment times are strictly followed without more than a few minutes delay, which makes setting a time to get in and then out (roughly 30 minutes) easy — so please be on time! When you arrive you receive a complementary beverage, you can keep a bottle here if you are a regular, and then it is up stairs to the waiting room. The waiting room is surrounded by a large billiards table, several plush chairs, and a small television.
After I was taken by Kristen back down-​stairs, she took less than a couple minutes to start my cut. Everything looked prefect when we were finished — rare, in my case.
Overall, this location is a great spot to visit in the city. There is also a large amount of customize merchandise, cigars, shoes /​shining, and overall great location to visit!
5-​stars!