The Hair Basement

Go to Hair Basement on Fridays. That’s when Eli works. He’s the man. Friendlier than almost anyone you’ll meet in Berkeley, this guy does a great job. You won’t be disappointed

Wasn’t sure what to expect when I went down the stairs but I was pleasantly surprised to find a clean shop with excellent service. My barber was Chris who was extremely friendly and efficient. He cut my hair exactly the way I wanted it quickly and with no fuss. I definitely recommend The Hair Basement.

Located down what some may consider «a pretty sketch stairwell,» the hair basement is one of those hole-​in-​the-​wall gems. Recently re-​opened, this small haircut studio is clean, organized, and affordable. I paid $ 18, with a $ 2 tip for a haircut that I was definitely in need of, but after three days, I think I would have paid twice that for it. I have two pretty difficult cowlicks that most hair places manage to fuck up so severely that I need to gel my hair every morning, but now I can barely tell they’re there. I can’t speak for women, but for men’s hair, I don’t think I’m going anywhere else for the entirety of my undergraduate career. Ask for Chris.

BEWARE!!!
Two weeks ago I went to Amplify for a haircut. Unfortunately there was a long wait so they recommended I come over to «The Hair Basement». It’s run by the same owner and the Amplify staff assured me that I would be in good hands.
When I got to «The Hair Basement», I was attended to by Billy. I told him my hair was getting long and needed a good trim. I specifically mentioned I wanted to go for a «refreshing look» and not need to have my hair cut anytime soon.
He was quite hesitant in cutting my hair. Several times he declared he was done and I had to nag him to cut it shorter. Finally I was satisfied with the front, but I felt the side and back were still too long. Billy explained that if he trimmed the side any shorter he would have to redo the front. I gave in to his explanation, paid $ 21 (+ $ 4 tip) and departed.
Over time I realized that my hair doesn’t feel as refreshing or light as I’d hope after a new haircut. So I returned today and told Billy to redo the sides and back. He said he remembers me and would be glad to help. After he spent ~5 minutes reworking my hair he asked to be paid the customary $ 21.
I was shocked. I complained that it is an outrageous price to pay for a 5-​minute readjustment. Billy agreed completely with me and said if he was the owner it would be free-​of-​charge. But he is required by the establishment policy to charge the customer.
I managed to get the price lowered to $ 18 and left quickly without looking back. It has been a horrific experience so I’m writing this review in the hope that nobody else has to go through with this …

This place is run (and sometimes staffed) by the same guy who runs (and sometimes staffs) Amplify Barbershop; he was the only one in when I got there, but he holds himself to a high enough standard that I doubt that his employees offer any lesser experience (especially given Amplify’s reviews). I don’t know if Amplify take cards; this one only takes cash, but it’s right next to the Wells Fargo ATMs at the end of Sather Lane. Walk-​ins only.
I went in with no idea what I wanted and no history of caring about my hair past «get it short so I don’t have to come back soon;» I was the only one there when I went in but Alec worked very quickly and didn’t keep the guys who came in after me waiting for very long. He looked over my hair, gave me his ideas on what to do with it, and did everything very efficiently — this is a guy who knows exactly how to handle mens’ hair and stands miles ahead of everyone else who has ever cut mine. When he’d finished he told me that since I’m not sure exactly how I want things to look I could come back to either shop (Amplify or Hair Basement) for a free adjustment and that he’s in town Thursdays and Fridays if I wanted to have him work on it personally. He was very personable and conversational for the entire time I was in the building, even risking a run-​off when he said I could go grab cash from the ATM to cover the $ 21 bill (definitely not the cheapest in town, but definitely worth the money).
At this point I’d have to lose an ear to his straight razor before I’d consider going anywhere else in town.