The Neighborhood Barbershop — Attraction in Falls Church

I'm sorry to have to leave this review. I've been a regular of Dustin for 2 years, and up until last Friday I'd always gotten great service. I've always been respectful, been on time except for once probably 6+ months ago. Not quite sure why things went down the way they did.

I came in and waited a few minutes for Dustin to finish up with his previous client. When he was asking me how I wanted it, I thought that where he parted my hair was too high. So I asked for the comb and moved my hair around a bit, and asked him to do it there instead. He replied "So where I originally had it?" in a bit of a sarcastic tone. Despite that he was right, and I explained to him it originally looked higher because of the hair being combed differently than I was used to, and I apologized. Didn't think much more of it. The rest of the haircut went as usual with some small talk.

At the end, he used a hot towel around my head. I noticed that the towel smelled slightly of stale water, but it wasn't that strong and so I didn't say anything at the time. When I went to pay, I had forgotten that the price went up from $35 to $40, as it had been about 2 and a half months since I was in last. I asked in honest curiosity when it had gone up, and Dustin said the start of the year. Since I pay in cash I had to go out to my car to get some more for the tip, which I then left.

After being in the car where there wasn't as much air movement, it became apparent to me that the smell of stale water was lingering on my face, and I wanted to wash it off. Now while this wasn't a big deal to me (stuff happens), I figured that Dustin would want to know about it so that he didn't unknowingly use another stale towel on his next client. So as I went back inside to use their bathroom, I let the person at the front desk know about the situation (Dustin was starting on his next client and chatting with him, so I didn't want to interrupt). I didn't say this loudly or cause any kind of scene, I was just passing the info along in a respectful tone so Dustin could correct it for his other clients. I went into the bathroom to wash my face and get the smell off.

When I came out, Dustin stopped me at the front door and told me I would have to find someone else to cut my hair, as he didn't like my attitude in the chair, while also handing me my money+tip back. I guess he interpreted the towel comment as some kind of insult vs. the constructive criticism it was? I was very confused and wanted to find out what he was referring to and started saying "I'm not really sure what you're referring to, there must have been some miscommunication", but he cut me off and said "You're going to have to find another barber man". I said "fine, it's your shop and I respect that", but I wouldn't take the money back because I was actually happy with my cut. After that I left.

I'm still confused as to why he reacted the way he did. I suppose there is a way of interpreting all those events as offensive or disrespectful? But only if you stretch it and are already assuming bad intent on my part. What I can't get past is that he seemed to have no interest in discussing anything person-to-person, and at no point earlier in the haircut did he talk to me directly by saying something like "Hey I appreciate you as a client, but just so you know, I personally find it disrespectful when you do x and would prefer you don't", to give me a chance to stop doing something that he didn't like (asking for the comb to adjust the hairline myself is the only thing I can possibly think of, and no disrespect was intended and I didn't grab it or anything). I tried following up via the email address posted on their site to clarify my intent, but got no response.

I can't recommend this shop because respect goes both ways, and it felt like he didn't respect me enough to give me the chance to correct anything he was annoyed with. Just escalated immediately to kicking me out as a client with no discussion. Disappointed that this...

As someone new to the neighborhood, this is truly The Neighborhood Barbershop. This establishment is one of the most welcoming places for all walks of life in Falls Church. I’ve been here 3 times and have had a fantastic experience every time I’ve come in! I’ve been playing musical chairs with the barbers here starting with Ariiz, moving to Tom, and then my latest experience with D. Each barber has their own perks and quirks that have made for an enjoyable experience! When you walk in, you’re greeted with a very friendly face and salutations from the shop owner, Dustin working in the highly sought after first-chair. The shop itself has a great vibe, filled with eclectic, eccentric, and energetic artifacts and barbers. Every time I’ve come in they’ve been playing some great music whether it’s punk to reggae to indie and more. I really like how wide their selection of music they have and make the environment not feel too sterile like many other places. All of the barbers I’ve experienced have been great communicators and conversationalists, however if you’re not one for the conversation and more for listening to others, the banter between barbers is worth going for. You can really tell that the barbers really enjoy working with each other here. There have been many times when I’ve walked away from a haircut at other shops where I’ve left upset and unsatisfied, but I can confidently say that every time I’ve left The Neighborhood Barbershop I leave happy with the haircut, and the experience I’ve received. What I like most about this establishment is that they give the opportunity for not only barber’s apprentices to learn, but they also give the opportunity to the customer base to chose an apprentice or choosing a professional to cut your hair. As I mentioned, I received my most recent cut from D, and I would say that D provided a more quality cut and experience than 80% of the haircuts I’ve received in my life (Disclaimer: I’ve received a 100% success rate with my barbers here). I was honestly shocked when they gave me the “apprentice fee” when I closed out because D definitely deserved the full professional price range! Their menu for their verity of options is very approachable, and their prices are very welcoming in a time when other shops are asking for an exorbitant price. When you leave the shop, you’re given just as friendly of a farewell by the shop owner, Dustin. From what I hear about Dustin is that if you want your beard/ mustache done, you HAVE to go to Dustin. I usually prefer to do my beard myself, but I’m very excited for my next big event I have when I need it done by a professional so that I can go to Dustin. Overall I would highly recommend this establishment: 20/10 for the total experience, 15/10 for the Apprentice D, and 5/5 stars for The Neighborhood Barber Shop. Looking forward to the next time I need a cut!

P.S. Something else I really appreciate about The Neighborhood Barbershop is the quality of their appointment booking is online, how easy it is to book online, and how quickly I’ve been seated when I’ve...

Bottomline: On-time, Meticulous Haircut, all while sipping an ice cold PBR. Pure Bliss. I made my following appointment with Spud before I even left the shop.

Full Scope: I had an appointment for the following Saturday, but while on my drive home from work I saw that there was an opening on the Resurva app (with Spud). I drove in about 10 minutes early, stepped inside and was greeted by a gentleman at the front desk. He kindly pointed in the direction of Spud, which I can now only remember as a cinematic portrayal of the man, who at the time I did not understand, would be the only individual to touch my hair going forward.

He asked if I would be returning to work following the haircut. I replied that I was not, to which he graciously offered an ice cold PBR to enjoy. While enjoying my first few sips, Spud and I conferred on what I was looking for in a haircut on this fine day. I had my concerns, because to this point while living in NOVA, I had not found a haircut that really had me wanting to return. I typically get the generic high fade on the sides, while leaving the top a bit longer. Through our discussion we concluded to keeping the same format, but leaving the top a bit longer. Spud talked through this with me, and I felt as though I knew the haircut I was leaving with, instead of the standard, "hope I get lucky with this haircut".

I signed up a 45-minute haircut, and boy did Spud utilize each of those. The careful use of each piece of equipment in his arsenal, combined with the right amount of conversation, and perfect background atmosphere (i.e. 1950s hipster barbershop, w/ added humor from other barbers) really crafted a very enjoyable afternoon haircut.

At the conclusion of the haircut, Spud showed me his fine work, and added a matte finish wax to really wow over the crowd. He took the time to explain how my cowlick would best lay, which is something that I've struggled with for years. I went ahead and purchased a travel sized container of the same wax, with hopes of recreating the look that I was walking out of the barbershop with. After paying, I asked Spud if he was planning on taking any vacations at the beginning of July, which he assured me he was not, and I went ahead and booked my next appointment right then and there.

Overall, this was a great haircut, and that alone I would return for. But the phenomenal service, and excellent atmosphere make this an experience that I look forward to...