Soulard Barber Shop — Attraction in St. Louis

Really hate writing bad reviews but I feel that sometimes information needs to be communicated for the public good. I live close by and the only reason I tried this place out is because I’m trying to minimize my car use and patronize more local businesses in my neighborhood. And the price!! You get what you pay for, I guess.

I’m very relaxed with my expectations and get a very basic cut. Numbered clippers on the sides, scissors on the top and blended. Just like 70% of younger guys these days. All I ask is for a neat cut because I am a professional and work with the public. Nothing fancy, outrageous or complicated. I told the barber what I wanted and got a positive affirmation (seemingly understanding what I wanted), but he immediately started going at my top WITH CLIPPERS. I stopped him right away but of course a chunk of the top had already been clipped off way too short. I stayed polite and said it was no big deal, ill just get the whole top shorter now. Everything else seemed to go fine until I felt him use the guardless edges on my edges and it felt way too high. Turned out he took off a solid quarter inch of my hairline on the sides and an inch on my neckline. No joke, people started asking me if I tried to cut my hair myself because the unnatural lines make me look like a cartoon character.

Sadly, I will not be returning to this barbershop and will have to look elsewhere while I live with this nightmare growing back until its long enough to fix somewhere else. For 7.75 its not even worth going back...

My hair style is fairly straightforward, long on the top and faded short on the side. I asked for a trim with 1 inch off the top and a fade (3 to 6) on the sides. I ended up with no fade and a good portion of my long hair removed (about 4 inches taken off in places). No scissors were used, only clippers. I stopped the barber about 30 seconds into cutting as I could feel him taking off parts of my long hair. I clarified with him what I asked for and was met with strong verbal confidence that he knew what he was doing. I ended up with a different style than I walked in with and will have to wait 3-4 months for my hair to grow out before I can get it back to the way I like it. I wish the barber would have just been upfront with me and told me he couldn’t do it the way I requested.

I was excited to support a charming, traditional style barbershop but I can’t recommend this shop.

EDIT: Thanks for your words, John. I appreciate your concern on this. No need for a refund, you have a lot of great reviews on your shop so I assume I am an outlier. I just wish the barber would have been upfront with me on their ability to meet my request. I deal with a wide variety of clients in my work and am always happy to refer clients to someone else who fits them better than what I can provide.

Your response to my review reveals a lot about your character, John. Thanks for...

The Soulard barber shop is a place you rarely see these days - an establishment that provides a fantastic haircut at an unbelievable price ($7.75). I've been more than satisfied every time I go in, and I'm surprised more people don't know about it.

I always drove past the shop on a usual weekend excursion to Soulard. Curiosity got the best of me one day, so I decided to go in. Ever since that day four months ago, the Soulard Barber Shop has been my go-to spot for a haircut. John or Pol are always kind and courteous; they take their time to make sure you look good and are confident on your way out. Just recently, I asked John to do a buzz/skin fade (Fezco cut) that I liked from a show I saw, and he came through with a clean cut. Got multiple compliments from friends, and he made me feel confident with my hair and recent balding.

More people, especially younger folks like myself, should check this place out. It's these places that make STL special, and I'll continue to...