1. Golden Nails

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Castro Valley, CA

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Golden Nails

3.7 (157 reviews)
Open • 5:00 am - 11:30 pm

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Response time

40 minutes

Response rate

20%

Services - Golden Nails

Manicure

Manicure and pedicure

Nail fill-in

Golden Nails Photos

Recommended Reviews - Golden Nails

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Reviews With Photos

Allison F.

I always have a great experience every time I come to Golden Nails. Their parking lot is very small and there's only a couple dedicated spots for Golden Nails but I've always been able to find a spot. I usually don't have an appointment but I'm able to walk in and get serviced. I've only ever gotten gel pedicures or manicures but I've seen a lot of great more complex designs come out of this salon. They open at 9 am but I was told if you make an appointment in advance they will open at 8 am for clients in need.

Another nail not entirely painted. These ladies seem nice but what is this.
Claudia L.

Quality has gone down, and has become a low effort service. Uneven nails, and nails not fully painted.

angela r.

Karen provided my pedicure service. She is friendly, used my name throughout the service and did a great job on my toes! I'm very happy with my service and will be coming back.

Chipped Polish

First visit at Golden Nails in Castro Valley on September 17th for a manicure and pedicure before my birthday. Initially happy with the service. Unfortunately, the next day I woke up with significant pain in my big toe and noticed it was very red, swollen, and inflamed around the area worked on during the pedicure. It got bad enough that a doctor diagnosed an infection and put me on antibiotics. Within about two days, the polish on my left thumb and index finger chipped despite me not doing anything excessive with my hands. I went back, gave them the chance to fix both nails, which they did. But the next day, another nail completely lost a polish. I paid around 150 dollars total, including tip, and was told it should last two to three weeks. Having multiple nails fail within days, even after returning to have them fixed, was extremely disappointing. I really wanted to like this place, but between the infection and the polish issues, unfortunately, I won't be returning. Replying to the owner's comment: I just want to clarify a couple of things. What I told my nail technician, Karen, was that I was recovering from bunion surgery and asked her to be gentle with that toe. I did not have an infection before coming into the salon. The redness, swelling, pain, and infection developed after my pedicure, and I was subsequently prescribed antibiotics by a doctor. Had there been a visible infection beforehand, I would hope that a nail technician would not have proceeded with the pedicure in the first place. I also was not in a rush when I returned to have my nails fixed. I called ahead, came back, had the two chipped nails repaired, and even left an additional $5 tip. I appreciated them fixing those nails and thought the issue was resolved. Unfortunately, the very next day, the polish completely came off another nail. I appreciate the offer for another free service, but after my experience, I am not comfortable returning. I simply wanted to clarify those points and accurately share what happened during my experience.

The picture I showed as inspo
Avelina W.

I'm so disappointed in my first time experience of this place. I feel like I'm being generous with the 3 stars honestly. I called ahead of time to ask what time they close, in which the guy told me 10pm. I told them I'd be there at 6:45pm, and when I did get there, I patiently waited 45 mins to be seated in a chair. I asked if they could do a 3D design on my nails (which I had asked over the phone), and they said they could, but by the time I was seated, and I showed one of the techs what I wanted, she said they stop doing designs at 7pm. I was very frustrated because I could have gone somewhere else if I knew I couldn't get the birthday nails I wanted, but at that point it was too late. So I found a more simple look, in which they agreed they would do. Holly did amazing on my pedicure, but by the time they got to my manicure, I could tell they were rushing. I'm a very understanding and kind person. I honestly wish I had just canceled the manicure. They didn't even prep my nails (i.e. remove my cuticles). The cherry on top was how expensive it was for such a poor job -- $150 . I feel so taken advantage of honestly, and it's a really bad start to my birthday now. She even forgot to put a top coat on my left hand and I can tell the difference.

Bea P.

*Update (this is the next day5/12) I wanted to hear him out after seeing his response that he wanted to make things right. He did apologized and explained I can go back without charge to get my nails redone by Helen who has better experience. In the middle of my response, he cut me off and said "I don't have time, you can come back or book. Have a good day". The customer service here is so bad. The comment was just to make them look better on Yelp. Please look at other people's reviews before deciding to come here! This is the first time I'm giving 1star review. I don't normally give reviews lower than 4 stars, but I'm really disappointed since I paid $120 for a manicure and pedicure that I didn't like. The pedicure was fine since it was just plain white polish. The reason I'm upset is because the lady who worked on my manicure seemed to have an attitude after I asked her to trim the acrylic shorter. I understand misunderstandings can happen, possibly due to a language barrier, but I clearly explained at the beginning that I wanted short almond nails. As a customer, I didn't appreciate feeling like my request was an inconvenience. She even said it's harder to work on short nails. It's frustrating to pay $70 for nails that I'm planning to remove the next day and pay another salon to redo. I still tipped her though I wasn't happy. I also blame myself for not reading the reviews beforehand since there are already a good amount of negative reviews. I'm getting married on Sunday, so things have been hectic, and this was one of the only salons near me that was open late. I really wanted to like this place because the late hours are convenient. * Some nails are crooked

Location

Booked a appt for acrylic nails online and as I arrived, they said i would have to come back the following day to get my nails done unless I get a pedicure done with my acrylic nails. I told them I didn't have time for both, told them I can next time. Johnny said I need to leave because two workers need to work on one client at a time, not just one worker on one client. The guy said I was very difficult cause I wouldn't get a pedi with my nails lol. Don't bother to come here. Deserved zero stars. I should have read the bad reviews then I would have saved myself time. But the owner did me a favor by not getting my nails ruined by them!! look how the new owner responds back to the negative reviews....very unprofessional in person and online...

First day with the ombré pink and white. Looks like as if my nails already grew out more and dead skins.... Totally lack of details
Lena H.

I came here to Golden Nails the second time only because my friend wanted this place and we walked in without an appointment and we were seated at the pedi chairs right away to start service. No wait time is good. I like they offer beverages like coffee and wine while they work on the feet. Both times we did mani and pedi and both times I was disappointed and I don't think I would come back again. The first time I spent nearly $150 for both mani and pedi and they started to chip at around day 4 which was terrible. I had gels the first time. They looked so ugly after chipping away so I had to put on nail polish at home myself to cover it up, then why am I spending $150 again to last a few days?! What a waste. Second time I had the ombré pink and white for my manicure (tried something else for longer lasting since the gel from the first time didn't work well) and black gel polish on my toes. When Tommy said my nails were done, I looked at the backside of my nails and they are dirty, rough, and absolutely need more filing. So I had to ask him to continue working on them. My fingers still had the dead skin and apparently one hand is poorly polished and the powder-turn-into-hard-gel nails has large gaps as if they have grown out after days, and it is the first day!! My toes are not smoothly filed so the color looks like rough edges. The quality is just not there after spending another $130 the second time. Such poor quality and lack of details is really bothering me. I expect professional results when I pay for service, otherwise I might as well just DIY at home.

$75 (now $70 with his $5 back) gel fill. Not worth the experience of being talked down to. Stay away!
Sheba S.

I have been going to golden nails for the past year, I got builder gel for the first time and politely asked a question about their pricing and details of service, the owner was extremely rude to me. He threatened to block me because I wasted three minutes of his time with my questions and then turned around and said he'd send me $10 off my next visit. I paid $75 for a gel fill. I simply was asking the details of this pricing as he said it was $55 for fill & $10 for chrome. The math didn't math. He said "you learned a life lesson for not asking beforehand" not sure why the owner feels like he needs to teach his customers life lessons. I stated over again that I'm being very polite and was just seeking information - there is no reason to be rude. He then offered me $20 on my next service and then turned around and said he refuses my service, bc just bc I paid doesn't mean I get to ask questions. I'm genuinely confused at what was so triggering to him but certainly no excuse to blow up on a customer. He sent me $5 back on Venmo, but that doesn't start to make up for how rude he was. The techs here are great at what they do, I feel bad that they have to deal with an owner that doesn't hold himself up to a higher standard of customer service, or just simply doesn't display basic human kindness. Update: after talking to others, this owner is new and other customers in addition to his own nail techs have expressed distaste in his mannerisms. This was a phone conversation politely and calmly seeking information on services. I even thanked Helen again for the nails over the phone bc I was very happy with her service. He initially told me $55 + $10 for my nails (fill + chrome), I'm happy to pay more for nails I like, however, misplaced rudeness to a customer will not be excused especially one that has been loyally returning. 2/28: The business owner keeps changing his response to this review, and now is providing lies to deflect from his very poor customer service. I would pay Helen $75+ again to do my nails, but not at a salon that has such a vile owner. Sir - a simple apology goes further than the lies you keep updating on here.

Richa O.

This is an overdue review, but I feel it's important to share my experience. I saw Tan several times for dip powder on my natural long nails. Each visit was for the same service -- one color dip on the same nail length -- yet the pricing was inconsistent every time. Although he never directly said it, he often seemed frustrated working on long natural nails and would cut corners during the service. He frequently suggested I switch to acrylic because it was "faster" and would make backhanded or snide comments that made the experience uncomfortable. I prefer dip on my natural nails and came in specifically for that service. He attempted to "fill" my dip powder a couple of times instead of properly removing and reapplying it. This is not proper technique for dip and can trap moisture. The last time he did this was my final visit. After that appointment, moisture became trapped and a few of my nails unfortunately developed green discoloration, which I later learned can happen when dip is not removed and reapplied correctly. There was also an uncomfortable moment where he believed I was taking a photo or video and raised his voice saying "no photo," becoming very defensive. I have taken photos of my own nails many times before without issue -- and there is nothing wrong with documenting your own service. I was not recording him, and even if I were taking a photo, it would have only been of my own nails. I have photo proof of both the service and the resulting nail discoloration. I value professionalism, consistency in pricing, respectful communication, and proper nail health practices. Unfortunately my experiences here did not reflect that, so I did not return.

Theresa S.

First visit to Golden Nails Salon. Customer service A1 amazing, water offered, and my service requested outstanding. The vibe was chill comfortable and relaxing. I will be back..

Colors galore!

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Page 1 of 4

Ask the Community - Golden Nails

Does the regular kids pedicure come with color?

Yes

Do you offer gel x?

Yes

View All 3 Questions

Review Highlights - Golden Nails

“Tommy good customer service beautiful nails Nice and patient did my nail how I like.”

Mentioned in 19 reviews

Read more highlights

Studio Fourteen - Waiting room.

Studio Fourteen

5.0(25 reviews)
0.1 mi
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I follow Dahila wherever she goes every since she came into my life. The sweeeetest gal you will…read moreever meet plus she is extremely professional and experienced. It doesn't get better than this. Tops it off that she's beautiful inside and out, skillful, and just the absolutely best esthetician that you can find in the area. The studio itself so chic and modern, but most importantly of all, it's CLEAN. That is so important. Clean and sanitize is key here. It always smells amazing inside, not dirty not like anything burning or melting. Love her playlist because it gives you something distracting when you're getting hair ripped off your fragile body parts. You can book appointments online and see her work on her Instagram, or you can take my word for it because she's simply amazing. Hard wax gets everything done and she's so detail oriented. My wax queen, but best of all, she's the TWEEZE QUEEN. She gets all the ingrowns and the hair that breaks off. She teaches you post care and does her best to ensure that she gets all the hair. No rush at all and I never feel pain. The wax is amazing and I see a difference in how the hair grows back. She uses two different types of hard wax on me just because my hair grows differently. She applies great pressure, especially on my sensitive spots. Best of all, she always remembers you from the last session and makes a huge effort to stay consistent. I can't speak highly enough of her. She does amazing work and my Brazilians are always A1. I see her religiously every four weeks and she doesn't even try to up sell you things or make you come sooner. She really does care about her patients. Parking is easy, there's a lot right behind the building and it's easy to find. She knows when you arrive so if the shades are drawn, she's probably with another customer at the moment. But she'll pop her head out and acknowledge that you're there. She takes cash and square- but I always believe if you can cash her out do it. Got to support out go-getters and cheers to entrepreneurs.

This place is very welcoming and clean. I have been going to Monique for waxing for over a year…read more She is judgment-free and very professional. I feel as if my comfort is her top priority. I highly recommend checking this place out and booking an appointment. They use hard wax...so none of the soft wax with cloth strips that hurts like no other on your sensitive areas. Plus side: easy access from the 580 freeway and plenty of free parking.

Photos
Studio Fourteen - Studio Fourteen is located in Sola Salon Studios, in Castro Valley CA.

Studio Fourteen is located in Sola Salon Studios, in Castro Valley CA.

Studio Fourteen - Brows by Monique. Instagram @browsbyaleciya $18 Service.

Brows by Monique. Instagram @browsbyaleciya $18 Service.

Studio Fourteen - Brows by Monique $18 service.

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Brows by Monique $18 service.

Golden Nails - othersalons - Updated October 2026

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