MCDONOGH NAIL & SPA — Attraction in Pikesville

I’ve been to McDougnoh Nail Salon in Owings Mills about six times and usually leave happy. Today was different.

I asked for a high French Gel X tip with a thin line and politely requested to see one nail first before continuing. When I asked the technician to make the line higher and thinner, she became visibly frustrated, rolled her eyes, and spoke angrily in another language. She continued to ignore my request, repeated the same style, and grew louder when I asked again. I felt uncomfortable and asked the receptionist to step in.

The receptionist explained the technician was upset because they were busy, but I had an appointment and had shared my design request when booking. The technician was sent to the back, and I waited about 20 minutes for another technician to start. The male technician who took over did a good job, but there was no apology from the owner or staff for how I was treated.

I had originally planned to get gel nails on my toes and an eyebrow service as well, but because of how uncomfortable and toxic the environment became during my manicure, I canceled both and left as soon as I could.

They also charge an extra $20 for a high French tip compared to a regular French tip. Given the upcharge, I expected patience and care to ensure the design I was paying extra for matched my request. Instead, I was made to feel like an inconvenience.

This was my first bad experience here, but the lack of professionalism and customer service from the staff makes me hesitant to return. I would not recommend this salon for anything beyond simple nail styles that don’t require adjustments or...

The shop itself is beautiful, clean, welcoming, and has a steady flow of customers, which I understand is why it's so highly rated. I really enjoyed my pedicure, it was relaxing and well done.

However, my manicure experience was disappointing. I told the nail tech I only wanted certain nails cut, but she filed one I explicitly asked her not to. When I spoke up, she told me, "Trust me, it won’t be even,” and kept going. I know it wouldn’t be even, that was intentional. Then I showed her a simple design I wanted, and when I asked for the lines to be bolder, she said, "It won't look good if I do it thicker, trust me.” Again, dismissing my request.

The final design has gaps and faint, uneven strokes. What should’ve been a clean and bold look just felt rushed and poorly executed. To top it off, when it came time for the pedicure, they didn’t track the polish color I picked for my hands, so there was unnecessary confusion.

I did speak up during the appointment, but I was repeatedly told to just "trust" the tech instead of being listened to. Rather than argue, I chose to finish the appointment and not return.

I’ve heard great things about this place, and maybe your experience will be better with another tech, but I personally won’t be...

I decided to try this nail salon because of the high reviews, but my experience has been far from great—TWICE. The ambiance is nice, and the complimentary wine is a cool touch, but that’s about where the positives end.

The first time I visited, I had a bad experience, but I decided to give them another chance. Unfortunately, the second visit was just as frustrating. All the techs are NOT experienced enough, I still had to repeatedly explain how to fix things on my nails and feet, which was exhausting. To make things worse, they randomly switch techs in the middle of the service, having to fix each other’s mistakes—something that shouldn’t even be happening at a place with “experienced” staff.

The staff seems nice at first, but if you express any concerns, the energy shifts quickly—and not in a good way. They are actually rude and dismissive. What really sealed the deal for me was overhearing them talking badly about customers in Vietnamese, not realizing I had a translator. Smiling in someone’s face while talking bad about them in their face is unacceptable.

Safe to say, I won’t be returning. If you’re looking for quality service and respect, this is...