They are a small salon but do an excellent job....I hav been to several places. My only complaint is they need to put more than a half teaspoon of foot soap read more

The second star is because they did try. Initially not super welcoming. They're nice but also assertive and I would never go here again. Three nail came off like a press on in one week and I haven't done anything crazy. Very disappointed. And the nails were pretty but also not how I wanted. I paid $180. WASTW OF TIME AND MONEY. Avoid at all costs! read more

The best!!!!!! They may not be the fanciest, or have everything the the next nail place will have, but they have amazing service, dedication to a great job, and really sweet. Unlike other places, it doesn't matter who you get, the job will be GREAT. As a black male, I experience rough and rude nail techs, which is very much a micro-aggression. It makes you feel less than. NEVER HERE. Only place I trust for hands and feet and the have mood ring colors now The best thing I witnessed here wasn't even for me. It was the care and gentleness they showed another black man, who happened to be vision impaired. Not only did they do his nails, the gently helped him around the salon as he waited for his ride. If that doesn't tell you that this is an amazing place, then no amount of fanciness will be enough for you Call for appointment read more

Every single visit is a hit or miss. The eyebrow lady gives you a new brow shape every visit. You might even end up with two different eyebrow shapes at the same time (like I currently have). They can't shape to save their lives & always have thick painting & don't let me get started on designs. I asked for simple French tip and it's literally the worst I've ever had. I've tried them multiple times considering I can walk here from my house, and every time I'm reminded of why I don't get here often. This last set (I'm walking home as I write this) and my mix match brows is the last straw. Learn how to do at least decent work or admit when something is out of your skill set. read more

Do Not Come Here For Service. I came to get my brows done and the Asian lady used the same stick she used on the previous client before me. Before she could used it on my face I yelled "Aren't you gonna use a new stick". " I just watched you use that on the woman before me". She then started talking in her language. Then the owner of the salon must of told her to use a new stick but that doesn't matter the wax was still contaminated. So I ended up leaving with out services. This salon needs to be reported to State board asap. Do not come here for any service. read more

amazing work! sweet people, great results._________________________________________________ read more

Central Nails - they took great care of me - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

Absolutely disgusting service. I asked for the blue nail polish which is in the booklet of colors & she said okay. But when she began to paint, I noticed the polish did not look like the vibrant blue she had previously shown me. Then she tried to finish & I politely ask her to stop & for her to remove that stuff off of me & I wanted her to NOT proceed. She then said I needed to pay her 32.00 . I did but as soon as I left her shop I informed my bank to pay her 15.00 instead. Don't play with me lady ..... be honest & up front with your customers or you will get negative feedback. Thank you for absolutely nothing. read more

they do great with cuticles with no pain at all! they are very careful and meticulous! I had a wonderful experience read more

Central Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

2011-2012 I went here constantly. I was in high school. I got my eyebrows, single eyelashes and acrylic nails. Actually my first acrylic set. This place, I have to give five stars because I have never been given the same treatment in a nail shop as I did here. They were always nice. They did my nails impeccably and they lasted a long time, so did my eyelashes. Every other nail shop now butchers my nails every single time no matter the time or place, they fail, miserably. So thank you for making me feel pretty and appreciated for that time. I wish them the best. read more

Great experience. I'm a nail biter. Hoping the acrylics will help. Great crew at Central. Thanks.

Loveee Tu. I have been going here since January 2015 and if I have a choice not to, I will not go anywhere else ... Unless Tu isn't there. She does my eyebrows so well. The clean up is nice and I'm always complimented on my eyebrows. My nails are always done to perfection. There's a large variety of colors and the prices are cheap. The only reason I'm giving a four is because there can be a wait if you're not there by appointment or you come in when it's busy. Sometimes even with an appt there is a bit of a wait, but there are only three people working in there. read more

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It seems like I've been to every nail salon in a 4 block radius from my job! I needed a fill and decided to give this place a try. I actually remember coming here once before when I was a student at Cal, but hadn't been back since. There were 2 ladies working. There are a lot of people that drop in and I think it's better to make an appt. But you should still expect to wait...I've learned to expect this of any nail salon! It's a business driven by quantity so if they tell you to wait 10 minutes, just think it's more like 20 or even 30 minutes lol! I got a regular acrylic fill with shellac and a design for $28!! Plus $1for credit card use. I was very happy with the price and even happier that they came out well. My nail tech took the time to apply alcohol, oil, and lotion to my hands even though she had customers waiting. I would go back again. As far as aesthetics...I mean come on people, it's a small shop in downtown Oakland, can't expect much...so don't and you won't be disappointed. My review is based on a comparison to similar shops in the area. read more

Central Nails - Acrylic fill with shellac and design $28 =] - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

Location is not good but the work is really good. I got a pic for my nails, but they did it better than that. Had to wait a lil longer but I guess it's worth the price we pay and the service I got. Not from Bay Area but was really good price as per Bay Area and they did a really good job. Got Lots of compliments read more

Central Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

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Service now sucks. I had been frequenting this shop for over 10 years. Since Tu & Van have left so has my love for this place. Although they've made some upgrades, they appear to prefer appointments to walk ins. So don't come without scheduling an appointment. They aren't efficient and the nails are not quality. Try Ann & Amy's. In the meantime I'll be looking for Van & Tu. read more

Worse experience ever. She kept hurting my fingers without apologizing. My fingers were sore after the service . Not worth it at all. Don't recommend read more

I have been going here for years and they always do a great job! Tu and Van are great nail artist, and very underrated. I used to work around the corner, but no matter where I work, even in San Francisco, I always wind up coming back. Today I got the Ombre and got compliments walking back to work. Thank you! read more

I got my nails done here and they were cute, but they DID NOT DO THE PEDICURE I HAD PAID FOR and also what the fuck I witnessed while I was here is why I rate this motherfucka so goddamn low. It's fucked up that they had two women walk in AFTER ME and only helped one of them in the right order. The other woman waited more than thirty minutes for an eyebrow shaping and a nail fill but was NOT HELPED because they let another person who walked in after she had been waiting in the chair hella long. And then when we tried to let them know they had fucked up, somebody else walked in and got helped as well!!! WHAT THE FUCK. The nail techs were talking to each other in their own language the whole time, and you mean to tell me the order in which they were supposed to help their customers was not part of the conversation??? That's not good customer service. I don't care where you go. And people don't go back after you treat them that way! It should be first come, first served. Especially if someone walks in at 4:34 and sits until after 5:00, knowing your location closes at 6. That's some bullshit. Probably won't be going back after that because if that's how they do people, I'm good. It's plenty of other nail shops in Oakland. read more

Central Nails - They took a customer who walked in AFTER someone else had already been sitting for more than 30 minutes. - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

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I LOOOOOVE this nail salon! Oh my gosh. I used to get off of work and run down here to make it to my appointments and spend mi dinero for my Oh-You-Fancy-Huh nail sets. And yes, honey, I am fancy. I require all of the bells and whistles on my fingertips. Vibrant colors, airbrush, oval shaping or sometimes square shaping, glitter, hand painting, etc. you name it, I've gotten it all done here. As far as pricing they are affordable. The shop is really clean and small but I never feel overcrowded or out of place because everyone there (including fellow patrons) is warm and have good vibes. And of top of being nice it's not foreign for random ladies to openly admire nice nail sets. No hating zone here! I've never been cut here, these ladies pay attention to detail here and last but not least i've never felt they were trying to upsell me to get a service I did not ask for. I havent been in awhile because I've grown my natural nails all strong and pretty like but ya'll know girls wanna have fun soooo I'll be headed there this week to get fly tippy tips for my trip to LA. Hola, acrylic. :) read more

i have a thousand bad things to say about this place and I am praying that a health inspector comes out to this establishment and SHUT THEM DOWN!!!! The lady who is in charge of this place is mean as f*&% but her workers are very nice and it's too bad because the lady in charge doesn't tell you if there is an extra change if you need/want anything different. I'm allergic to the clear and white powder so I have to use the Pink Powder (I was told that that was extra AFTER they put it on), the worker asked me did I want my nails cut down, I said yes, then it was time to pay (I was told that that was EXTRA ALSO, AFTER they cut my nails down), then the lady wanted to out-talk me when I asked her why didn't she explain this the day before when I got my feet done, she said "whatever" and then said that I was cheap and laughed me off. I asked her who was the owner, she said it doesn't matter go somewhere or just pay the extra money. You better believe that the Better Business Bureau will be called on this place. I would really hate to see her workers be out of work but the head lady in charge is HORRIBLE and cares nothing about you as a client. I was so upset before leaving there i had a prove a point, since the lady called me cheap, i pulled up my bank account and showed her worker that I wasn't as cheap as she thought I was but I'm hoping that a Health Inspector reads this post and shut them down!!! Sorry to all of you ladies who go to this place and get your nails down, but if you were treated like I just was, you wouldn't go back, the young girl does nail quite well actually (so she gets 5 stars) read more

I love tu always always does an awesome job on my nails i go every two weeks and get the works

If you're looking for cheap, come here bc it's cheap but you will not feel pampered bc it's a bit disheveled like a grumpy old man's house and not sure if the tools they used get cleaned.... But it is $10 for a manicure and they're quick. read more

I really wanted to love this place as it's super convenient to my work... but I didn't. The ladies were super nice but here are the issues: - dirty - the tools they used on my cuticles and nails weren't taken out of an autoclave but out of a drawer. Not sterile by any stretch of the imagination (i didn't actually see an autoclave anywhere) - stingy - I had to contort my hand to get all my nails in the soak which just seemed crazy - bad filing - my nails are rough as in not smooth at all. now i need to go home and file my own nails. I wish it had been better but maybe convenience isn't always best. read more

Outside of their store looks dirty, inside of store is tiny AF. They're utensils are dirty and they don't clean them very well. I couldn't find somewhere to sit while I wait for the three Vietnamese ladies to finish their customers before I walked in. Also one of the lady was kind hassling me to get my finger nails done when I didn't want one (while I wait for pedi) she asked me like four times.That made me want to walk away from this place lol I wanted to get my ingrown out. $16. same price as medi without nail polish. No small talks with me and the lady doing my pedi. Overall, this place is ehhhhh. the ladies are...ehhhhh. I don't want to badmouthed them but ehhhhh. I've experienced better. read more

They did a great job on my nails as well as 5 of my friends! Did an awesome design on my best friend! Very nice workers. They were also pretty quick. read more

Central Nails - Great French tips - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

My usual salon was a bit of a drive, being in the constant hurry I've been this week. Decided to Yelp, and dropped into the closest location, although they didn't have many reviews. To my surprise, I got a great mani and the 2 girls were very nice, friendly and funny. I'll give them another shot....and if I continue to enjoy it, who know........:) read more

LOVE Central Nails! I won't go anywhere else in the area. My nails always look great and never chip. I tried a few places in Oakland and Berkeley before going here and none compare. The prices are reasonable and the work is great! (I've added a few photos of their work, including some that were repinned hundreds of times on pinterest) read more

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follow me they are great ladies and can have you laughing all day. the only thing is you need to be one or the only 2 people there when they open to really enjoy. i have pictures on fine read more

Central Nails - Love them treating myself - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

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I love the nails that I got! Me and 4 of my friends all went there with me and we all got amazing nails! I got a gel nail and it was so perfect! My friends got the best acrylic nails I've ever seen! The ladies were so nice and friendly! The nails weren't that expensive either! I am always going to this salon now! I highly recommend going here! read more

I've been going here for almost about two years now. Used to have AMAZING prices and they used to do AMAZING work. I don't come often but when I do it's originally the owner that's there and some OG workers. I went in yesterday and there were some workers I haven't seen. But I thought it was still going to be lit, I was so wrong. I went in for a full set, like I normally do, and I had two different do my nails. The first lady that did it had no idea wtf she was doing, she was hella rough and didn't know how to glue on the nails properly. Then after she glued them on and then shaped them, I had to wait for someone else to put the powder and the nail color on it. The second lady I thought did a pretty good job until she told me the price and when I saw how fucked up my nails were, I was already gone . Everytime I go in for a full set, it's $25, a fill is usually $30. This bitch fucking charged me $40!! She really charged me $40 for two people to fuck my shit up. Save your money and go somewhere else, anywhere else. read more

Central Nails - My middle finger is shorter than everything else. - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

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if anyone locate tu & van please comment! i went here and my gel was peeling a week later.

The ladies made my nails look beautiful! Very good price. My new favorite spot in Oakland. read more

Central Nails - I have done my nail at this place very love it - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm so glad I came here! I had to get a last minute fill, and the women here were so accommodating. I called 30minutes ahead to confirm an appointment. Cash only, but I'll be coming back! read more

Hmmm... for once Yelp has mislead me! I hate to do this but I was not impressed at all. Let's say it was far from classy and definitely not an environment I wanted to be in. I should have known from the sign outside- it was old and dirty. When I came to the front door I almost ran but I thought I might be pleasantly surprised. I was surprised all right- the entire salon is 1 room and jam-packed with people- loud, obnoxious people who aired their dirty laundry out loud in front of you. There were no less than 3 conversations going on at 1 time. I was cringing listening to the conversation around me. Then, a man passing by popped his head in and tried to sell us movies. The conversation continued. My eyes almost came out of my head as I thought to myself- "OMG I can't wait to tell someone about this". I am definitely not in the city anymore! In all fairness, the lady who took care of me was fine and the price was right ($16 for a pedicure). The variety of colors was not great and they were all over the place. Alas, I will not be returning... if you must, go when it's empty! read more

key notes: prices may vary. seriously, they will quote you one price on the phone, so you best confirm when you're there BEFORE they start on you. let's just say they quoted me $36 for gel mani and reg pedi, when i got there i thought to ask again and it was $26 for gel mani and $16 for pedi=$42! i retort, you quoted me $36 on the phone. reply, "oh, ok, we'll give you a discount" i mean, seriously?? colors on the wall are mostly generic, splatteriong of some o.p.i. felt like all the women were sitting there talking about you. awkward when you're the only one in the joint solely bare bones facility, i had to try and shove both of my hands, one on top of the other in the nail dryer, to the point, where it kinda burned the top of my hand. i mean, really??? ok, pretty much ghetto. read more

The women who work here are very skilled, friendly and sometimes hilarious. The place is clean but could use some upgrades. I come here because they do a good job and are so good at what they do. read more

this place is amazing!! my nails look great and i am very happy with the result! the place is pretty clean and the staff are very nice! my nail tech knew what i meant and did it very nicely. read more

Central Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

I came here thanks to the Yelp reviews. The place didn't look promising from the street, but the women working here today were AWESOME! The shop was packed with regulars for gel manis, acrylics, eyelash application, and pedicures. I got a pedicure and they did a perfect job fixing my broken nail, plus some awesome nail art on my toes. Seriously, check out the photo books there. read more

Unfortunately they've lost a customer. Bad fill job, chipping gel polish after going there for six months I rather pay more for better service. read more

I just came to get a fill. The shop is very small only space for a few chairs. But the results were satisfactory.

I've walked pass this salon, but never tried it until today. Having some time to spend in Oakland I decided to take a chance and get my nails and toes done. The shop could use an upgrade, but as far as I'm concerned, low overhead, means low prices. I had the best pedicure I've ever had and I've had quite a few over the years! She was very professional and took her time. The same with my nails. They also have nail accessories and supplies that I've never seen before in any salon. If you don't mind the look of the shop, check out Central Nails. If I'm ever in downtown Oakland again, I will definitely go back! read more