Bowie Barker Lincoln Park — Local services in Chicago

I've chosen to give two stars because although the haircut turned out nice, to cut a 10-pound dog 2 hours late, and for $200, we will be going elsewhere moving forward.

The primary issue was their scheduling. We had an appointment at 1PM. At 12:45, already on our way, they called to ask us if we could come in at 3PM to “accommodate another guest.” As this was a Saturday, we had already planned our day with a hard stop at 4PM, so we declined and dropped off our dog on time at 1 PM. As we walked in, the other guest, presumably a monthly subscriber, stepped in with their dog; we suspect they moved the other dog ahead of us anyway.

When I picked up our dog at nearly 5PM, I explained calmly the situation and how they blew well past the original 2.5 - 3 hour time estimate; it had messed up our day. All the woman at the front desk had to say about it was, “Ok, awesome…so how would you like to pay?”. Realizing I was getting nowhere with her, I paid, tipped, and asked for the manager. Instead of giving me the manager's info, as she was off that day, she only wrote down the general email with no contact name, which made it more challenging to raise the issue with her supervisor.

While the haircut was nice, we had an appointment, so presumably they would have had enough groomers to match their scheduled volume. Still, they didn't, and on top of it, they moved someone in front of us, despite us declining their offer. For roughly $200 to cut a 10-pound dog, 2 hours past their estimated 2.5 - 3 hour turnaround time is unacceptable. So, since they can't manage a schedule, and the woman at the front desk offered us no resolution for our time, we will go elsewhere moving forward, and I suggest you should too—bottomline, Bowie’s team gave our dog a 4-star haircut (but not so great it’s not achievable elsewhere, and at likely a far cheaper price), provided 1-star time management, and 1-star customer service. Overall, it was a...

I have been going to Bowie Barker every two weeks for a bath and occasional trim of her bum and paws, and have overall been very pleased until yesterday where my dog received a beyond terrible haircut.

In the written notes, I put down that I wanted her trimmed, kept fluffy, and no razoring around the face or body. I reiterated this to the groomer Trent in person, and he did the exact opposite.

The entire cut is uneven, but what I’m most devastated about is her face. Trent clearly electric razored around her face and it is uneven, sparse, and unblended. He also chopped off her left eyelashes (right ones are still long and intact). Her body is much shorter than what asked for. He basically shaved her, which I asked him not to.

In addition to the awful haircut, Trent was rude and did not seem to care or have any interest in what I wanted my dog to look like. Overall, it was clear he just wanted to be done as quickly as possible and did not care about the quality of his work.

I was refunded and offered a credit when I called and told them how disappointed I was, but that is definitely not enough to make up for the terrible job and months it’s going to take to regrow her once beautiful...

Nails done, hair done, everything did!

It was my seven year old French’s first time at a professional groomer and I am blown away by Bowie Barker! Danette at the front desk warm and friendly. The staff won my pup over immediately and gave him a treat prior to his bath. I loved that they asked if he had any allergies or dietary restrictions first. We all know that French Bulldogs are extra sensitive!

I opted for a bath (includes ear cleaning, teeth cleaning, nail trim, AND blowout), and added on: deshedding, gland expression, hydrating treatment, and a specialty shampoo. Bowie Barker has so many great add on options; I wasn’t worried about their products irritating his sensitive skin.

I received a photo update from the team and a courtesy call to let me know when he’d be ready for pickup. Bathing my dog has always been a challenge for me but Rashad (bather) let me know that he did so well ☺️ I’ll leave it to the professionals moving forward.

We will definitely be back and I’m so glad to know that my pup was in great hands! Grooming can be a stressful experience for some dogs (and dog owners) but my pup Rambo left happy as can be. Thank you for taking care of my boy, Bowie...