River Oaks Nails & Spa

I’ve come here three times now and have been very pleased with the service. I usually get a shellac pedicure along with a full set shellac manicure.
I decided to bring my boyfriend with me for his first time to get a pedicure and the ladies were great with him. They were not to rough and there was a football game playing on the television, so he seemed pretty content.
I fell in love with how my hands and feet came out. I picked a fall color this time and it works perfectly with my skin tone. These ladies are all very sweet and very good at what they do. I have never left unsatisfied.

I moved in the area 11 years ago and visited every nail salon on West Gray, then less than a year later I found Mimi! This place is economical, fast and friendly. It’s not fancy, but that’s not what I’m looking for. I just want a good mani/​pedi for a good price — the bonus is I get both done in less than an hour.
I’ve seen the other posts, I guess there will always be people who complain about one thing or the other, I would just say give it a try, you will be happy you did.

No thank you! This is a perfect example of «you get what you pay for.» A friend and I were looking for last minute mani/​pedis. The $ 20 pedicure involved dunking your feet in a bucket and there were no nail dryers. We would’ve been better off doing each other’s nails. I’d rather pay the extra and go across the street to Your Nail Time.

A friend and I were on a desperate, last minute hunt for mani/​pedis. We started calling salons near us, and this salon was the first to welcome us to come in last minute before closing time.
Each of us received a spa pedicure — included a citrus scrub, mud with warm towels, and hot stone massage. My feet feel so rejuvenated!
I received a shellac manicure on natural nails, and Mimi did a fabulous job! I always choose natural/​nude colors which often leads to a transparent result, but this was the first time someone painted three coats of color without me having to ask or be charged more.
My friend got a set with shellac polish. I’ve honestly never seen such a natural looking result. Mimi mentioned she was filing the tips thinner to help achieve that outcome with the shellac polish.
We both left extremely satisfied. Our services weren’t rushed and were of great quality despite them agreeing to service us last minute.
FYI: spa pedicure with standard polish and shellac manicure on natural nail = $ 60
Spa pedicure with shellac polish and full set with shellac manicure = $ 90

Great place for shellac nail! The workers here are super friendly. I will definitely come back :)

I usually get shellac/​gel mani but this time I just went in for a regular mani/​pedi. The crème they use on my feet was AMAZING it made my feet feel so clean and lasted for a while. The massages were in different. I had one lady who could have massaged a little harder on my feet, but the second lady did such a good job that I asked her to massage my shoulders (which I never do). The best thing about this place was that my regular manicure lasted about the same time as my normal shellac/​gel does when I get it done at other nail salons. Needless to say I will be back :)

With a heavy heart I must change my review. I have gone to this nail establishment for many years. Today was the last time.
This happened several months ago, but I let it slide. Since it happened a second time by the same person, that let me know it is her standard operating procedure. And folks being in the SERVICE industry this is not a good personal policy to follow.
One thing I DID like about this place is that they did not do that up-​sell crap. I totally hate that. I am a creature of habit. I get a mani/​pedi. Sometimes I get a gel mani and others I just get buffed. Occasionally, I will get a face wax and that is it. PERIOD. I have never gotten anything else. EVER EVER.
Today 2 gals worked on me – do you want paraffin? No. Thanks though. Do you want a shoulder massage. No I do not thanks. And then the crème de la crème. As I am paying out with plastic one of the chicks asks for the TIP IN CASH.
Number one, being in the service industry you should NEVER assume that a client is going to leave you a tip. Newsflash – it is not automatic. No one owes you the damn tip. The client decides if they want to tip, how much to tip, and the manner in which to tip.
My husband is in the service industry and I can only imagine what would happen if he started asking guests for a cash tip. Yeah that would not fly the least little bit and his ass would be out of work because people do not want to be treated like that. It is rude. Obnoxious. And many other things.
So as I got up to leave, I announced to all of them that I would never be back and why I would never come back. One lady followed me to my car apologizing over and over. Sorry Charlie apology does not cut it at all. I WAS a long time client. I recommended the establishment to friends and strangers. Never ever again.
I live in downtown Houston. There are dozens of nail salons within a 3 mile radius of my home. If I walked outside and slung a cat (not that I advocate that because I am all about rescue/​foster/​adoption of animals) most likely I would hit at least one nail salon.
A friend of mine already started going to a new nail salon so I will try that. Guess what? If I do not like that place, there are plenty others from which I can choose.
The sheer audacity to EXPCET a tip and recommend how the hell I should leave a tip? No. I am done. Wash my hands of this place and it is sad because I had been going there for 6 years. But when I am DONE, I am DONE.
My recommendation is drive down the street to Q nails or go across the street to the place next to Kroger.

This is the second time I have visited this nail salon. The first experience was positive. Sadly, the second experience was not. I had the most rushed pedicure that I have ever had; the foot massage lasted about a minute for each foot with barely any pressure. The woman who did the pedicure was not at all friendly and had a scowl on her face the whole time. She acted as if she couldn’t get done fast enough. Perhaps she was having a bad day, but she did not make it a pleasant experience. As I live very close to the salon, I will give it another try but will make a point to ask for someone different.

It is with mixed feelings that I write this review. I started going to this place about 5 years ago but stopped a little over a year ago.
When I started out going, they always did a fantastic job on your pedicure for just $ 30…I was amazed it was so cheap! The owner was always extremely friendly as were the other ladies.
It was about a year before I stopped going that things started to take a turn. I noticed that their tools were being reused without being cleaned, same with their jet tubs. They eventually started requiring the use of a plastic tub liner, which the rumor was was due to a health code violation (same with why they are supposed to have you sign a paper saying you saw them clean your tub). It also felt like they would rush almost every time I went in, which almost always resulted in several cuts from them trimming my cuticles… Not a big deal every once in awhile but this was multiple times the same visit every visit.
Now that I have been spoiled at my new place, I can’t imagine going back even if they did fix their issues.

I looooooove this place. Yune is a nail wizard and Tina is awesome too.
It’s not fancy, just a whole in the wall with great prices. They are also super speedy and will get ya in and out even on a lunch break.

I was referred to this salon by a co-​worker. Her nails are always immaculate, so I was optimistic. The facility is small and without any frills; however it does appear to be clean. The young girl who did my pedicure was excellent. She was warm and easy to talk to, and she took her time though the salon was quickly filling with customers. She without a doubt deserves five stars. However, where the nightmare begins: an older lady comes over to do my manicure. I jokingly forewarn her that my nails are awful, and that I have a difficult time growing them. She merely nods. She proceeds rather hastily and without care on my nails. Because my cuticles are most often in bad shape, I do tend to bleed a little during the process. However, she cut back my cuticles so far that every finger bled uncontrollably. I have NEVER had that happen, never. She did not show any concern and continued to nick away. Then she began to paint my fingernails. I have never received such a terrible paint job! Yes, my nails are shorter than most, but that does not mean you merely paint ¾ of each nail. Because I am not one to make any sort of scene (yes, confrontation scares me a bit), I waited to call to complain when I returned home. They offered to redo my fingernails the following morning. So, I reluctantly returned. I was praying the sweet girl who did my pedicure would be the one to fix my manicure. To my surprise, however, they had the same lady do it. Not only would she not talk, but she would not even make eye contact. Furthermore, she proceeded to push back my cuticles even further and cut them AGAIN! I simply told her to stop, that I would rather not have them repainted, and I left. I will NEVER return, and I do not recommend one visit this salon. For quality service, visit Nail Time Spa instead (on the second floor next to Kroger)… I should have stuck to my usual.

Love this place, the service was great and my feet felt like silk when Nancy was done. They were quick and precise. The only con was, they keep asking you do you want extra stuff (waxing, facial, deluxe pedicure…) The facility was clean and the customer service nice. I would visit again and recommend to others.

Place is a POS. Do not rec for anyone. If they cut their prices to ¼ of what they charge, they might — on a good day — justify the quality of their work. There is absolutely no attention to detail, which pairs quite well with the complacent attitude of the workers.
Stay away unless (i) you do not own a nail clipper and (ii) you do not know where to purchase one. I promise you, you will be better off on your own.

Went there for two years until:
I got my eyebrows waxed with something that was definitely not cosmetic wax. It smelled like hardware store paraffin canning wax. It was abnormally hard and IT RIPPED MY EYEBROW SKIN OFF! I had scabby red stripes over my eyes for a week. It was freaking awesome. Did I mention how amazing it felt? Because, that was truly an added bonus. Not to mention the sexiness. Oh, the sexiness of that look!
Not only that, but I went for a facial and ended up with a wicked sinus infection within hours after having steam sprayed on my face from this weird, old, unclean steam looking device that did not smell so great.
I sat in a pedi spa chair that was a serious electrocution hazard. The plug was hanging out of the wall and they couldn’t think of a way to keep it in, so it dangled out precariously next to a tub full of water, not to mention the fact that IT WAS BEING HANDLED WITH WET HANDS! Holy jeez! Electric chair pedicure. No thank you.
Also, the place is just super not clean. There is «skin dust» on the floor, they aren’t very good about cleaning their instruments or changing out towels in the waxing room. The building is really old and small, so it doesn’t have a clean spa kind of feeling.
Anyway, you get what you pay for.

Nothing too special here but they got the job done. The place is also a little off of West Gray so it me a u-​turn to see it given the small sign (next to pier one, across from krogers)
I decided to treat myself to a mani/​pedi for Christmas and came here on a Saturday. I walked in and got seated although you should probably call and make a reservation to be safe. I got a spa pedicure and french manicure for $ 50. The lady gave me the foot mask and hot stone treatment without asking if I wanted it which was about $ 10 or $ 15 more. Granted it felt good, but I probably would not have done it if it were up to me. So I would suggest telling them exactly what you want if you don’t want the full treatment. I also saw people leave and another come without the foot tub being disinfected like most places do. As a huge germophobe, I was slightly disgusted but I had already committed! They do offer OPI’s gel nail polish version of shellac. I think you can find a better, cleaner spa for the same if not less price.

My friend and I scheduled a 10am mani/​pedi here on Saturday. They had a good selection of nail polish colors and had massage chairs for everyone to sit in. They do a great massage on the legs and a scrub on your feet. I paid extra for an extra massage on my legs, which was an additional $ 10 and it was totally worth it. They did a really great job on the pedicure and I was totally pleased with their work– I will absolutely return here for my pedicures and brow waxing in the future.

I was super impressed with the quality and professionalism of this nail spa. I have always had very bad experiences with many of the others (rough work i. e: makes me bleed, pushy employees (didn’t let me use the color of nail polish I wanted) and unsanitary workplaces) and this one was finally a winner! Ti, pronounced Tee, was absolutely fantastic and effecient :) My boyfriend had Kim, who also did a wonderful job. They are hard workers and care for your feet. We got the spa pedicure and it was not only relaxing, but the foot mud masks, lavender foot scrubs, and hotstones left our feet feeling very fresh and rejuvinated. The entire process took around 30 minutes. I defenitly recommend going here :)

For a «cheap» nail place, it’s decent. It’s certainly better than other cheap places. It used to be a lot better, but I’ve found that in the last year or two, they’ve raised prices and the quality of their work isn’t what it used to be. They haven’t been taking the time to buff my nails and scrub my feet like they used to.
They also are always trying to push customers into getting a paraffin wax… even after you say no!
But overall, the people are nice and they are clean. They’re also quick.

Getting my feet rubbed as I’m writing this. I’ve been coming here for nearly 8 years and have had an awesome experience. It is clean and cheap and there are always familiar faces. I would not go anywhere else. Even my pedis from fancy salons don’t last as long. There is a wait at peak hours at lunch and after work. Otherwise you can get in and out pretty quick as a walkin!

Great place to get your nails done in Houston…$ 30 for a good pedi/mani…and it’s clean too!
They do waxing as well!
Definitely give it a shot. Close to midtown!
Bring cash for the tip.