First I called, they told me "no appointment needed" when I tried to make one. I get there, "oh sorry we are booked, come back in few hours or tomorrow". Thought I'd give it another shot so I went on a Tuesday with my friend... SUPER BUSY! This time I made an appointment (even though the one day I was told it was not necessary) and I still had to wait an hour (on a Tuesday!). I asked if it was always like that and the lady doing my nails said "yes". The only thing I like about the place, is the massaging chair. Other than that, she was painting my nails with gel shellac, and she didn't even go all the way to the cuticle. I pointed it out and asked her to paint it more, she didn't. The sides were neglected too. Not even a few days later and there's chipping and peeling. I work from home on a computer... there has been nothing I've done to cause this! I went to Diamond nails in March for this shellac manicure... WAY better experience and it lasted almost a month! All I can say is I will never go back to Great Nails just because of the prices. Diamond nails is my new spot. read more

Great Nails & Spa - She didn't paint all the way back (ploy they must use to get you to come back sooner). Chipping & peeling already after few days - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Never had bad service. Sometimes there is a wait but WELL worth it!! Clean and kind staff.

I've been to Great Nails a couple of times now and after the last visit I will not go again. I made an appointment for a friend and I for mani pedis. They sat us in our pedi chairs and my guy asked me what I wanted. Since I had recently gotten a gel pedi I just wanted him to fill it and do the rest of the pedi stuff (smoothing our dry skin, massage, etc) but he didn't understand what I wanted, minutes later he tells me it will cost 15 for the fill plus 25 for the pedi. This wasn't quoted to me earlier so I opted for a regular pedi. It went ok but he didn't really massage and seemed irritated. My mani was done in my pedi seat which was really uncomfortable and akward. He cut some of my cuticles too short causing them to bleed and didn't paint my nails properly. The next day it was already chipped and my nails/ cuticles looked horrible compared to the way I had them before the mani. I was hot in the salon and they rush alot of their services in order to take more customers. I really wanted this place to be my nail place but after my last visit I'll look elsewhere. read more

Great Nails & Spa - A day after mani. - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Absolutely stunning! I wish I knew the man's name who did my nails. I came in with a set of several broken/ lifting square tips & he magically transformed them into these beauties! Their pedis are awesome but this was my first time getting acrylics here. Very happy & coming back very soon UPDATE: his name is Tom! read more

Great Nails & Spa - fill w gel polish by Tom! - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Thank you Tommy for always giving me the nails I dream of! This place is always busy for a reason, they do a great job and the community knows it. I've gotten shellac manicures, acrylic sets with tips, SNS manicures, and even shellac pedicures. I always leave satisfied and confident that my nails will last. read more

Great Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Finally! A place with high ratings that deserves it! We (there were four of us) went at 11 and got right in. The place filled up soon after with people waiting in all of the available seating. The massage was amazing! I typically don't like massages of any kind but I could have been done after just the massage. Not one single step was rushed. My feet are extra ticklish so he took great care in not making the issue worse. It was $25 for the pedi. He said for a mani/pedi it would be $37. Can't beat that with a stick! All of us were more than pleased. We plan on going back for the full treatment in a couple of weeks. read more

Racists! I came in and asked for a full set and they said no sorry we don't have enough people here for you. Apparently there was only one guy that knew how to do a full set of dips and he was too busy. I have never felt racially profiled but I felt like bc I'm brown and everyone else in there was Caucasian they could get served but not me. I asked if I could wait and he said no he was too busy to take me. I'm like are you closing early is that why? I'm sorry that I don't look my best and I guess wearing my UC Berkeley sweater doesn't matter or my Michael Kors purse. So disappointing! read more

I've lived almost 2 years across the street from this place and when I say I've slept on them! I walked in, sat quickly even though they where busy and my nail technician took his time to make it perfect while coaching a newer technician. Will return and recommend to others. read more

Was in Austin last week on travel and stopped by here for a mani-pedi based on the great Yelp reviews. While the price was right and the pedicure was as fabulous as promised, I had a bad experience with my manicure. The man who did it was not very confident and managed to dig a little too hard into the cuticles on my left hand. I'm posting a photo of the end result. I've never had anything look so bad after a manicure. If I'm ever back in town, I'll definitely come back for pedicure, but that's it. read more

Great Nails & Spa - This is what my nails looked like 24 hours after my manicure. The technician cut off way more than my cuticle. - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

I know why everyone loves this place! Tim did an amazing job on my shellac manicure ($30). He was so detail oriented but still efficient. He even did a couple steps twice and was constantly seeing little touch ups to make along the way. My nails hadn't been maintained in a few months so I appreciated the extra effort. I can't wait to book him by name next time. It was packed - every chair filled. And I still only waited 10 minutes. HUGE selection of shellac colors. Arm/shoulder/neck/back massage after, it was the best! read more

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NO STARS ( but I had to give them one to post this review which they don't deserve one )!! Everybody in the nail shop told me they couldn't do the style in the picture I showed so I made the choice to try a different shop as I'm walking to my car outside it was a lady outside the nail shop whom worked there that insisted that we stayed and that she could do the work and design.... shape was horrible... polish was incomplete... marble WASN'T marble and the girl spelled girl " gird " then laughed and talked mess through out the whole process of my nails ! DO NOT GO HERE ! Very unprofessional! Just some people trying to get money for horrible work ! read more

Great Nails & Spa - HORRIBLE! - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm giving this 3 stars because while I'm not pleased with my experience, this salon isn't "horrible", it's very small and you do feel like you're on top of each other. There is no pricing listed anywhere. The location is awful, minimal parking and a dingy outside--I was worried the entire time that someone would steal my car! My experience was mediocre. I called ahead as reviews said this salon was often busy. Associates had to scour the store to find their shellac swatches (it happens, no big deal) but what I was most disappointed in was my service. My manicurist filed off my previous shellac rather than soaked it off, I was cut several times--twice on the same finger. The initial application of polish was so hurried and sloppy he had to add 2 extra costs to even it out. I was unaware that massages were included in every service. I really wish they weren't. My manicurist proceeds to pinch my arms and shoulders for this "massage" before pounding on the spots he had just made tender. Very uncomfortable. That being said, the polish selection is amazing, and despite being jam packed I was not made to wait past my appointment time. The prices (once you find them out) are reasonable, but I won't be returning. read more

Great Nails & Spa - Final product, plus 2 cuts on my center finger. - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

The only reason this place gets 4 stars is because they run late on "appointments." Appointments do not matter here. If you are in a hurry and looking for a quick mani/pedi, this is not your place. On a positive note, they are clean, very friendly, and give the best massages you've ever had. My polish also tends to last longer here. I always choose Great Nails when I have the time. BYOB is also a plus! read more

Great Nails & Spa - First timer - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

I am first time customer, was recommended to book Lee for a pedicure. I booked the day before my appointment, which is a must. Mostly all spaces were taken. It was super crowded, but that just tells me it's a popular place. I am new to the area, and by far Lee is the BEST tech I have gone with from compared to the Dallas area where I was at. Lee took his time and the massage was GREAT. Definitely will be back. You may need to go a little early since the parking spaces are hard to find. Luckily I went 20 minutes early and found a spot. read more

I went on their yelp page this morning to check the hours and was genuinely shocked to see that their ratings have fallen to 3.5 stars. Yes, if you come in during peak hours without an appointment you will have to wait (ummm duh? If you didn't, the salon is either brand new or terrible). I've been going to Great Nails periodically for 3 years and here is my breakdown: Pros: -Consistently fabulous pedicures. Plan about an hour and a half even for their most basic option. They really work on callouses and then massage your feet and legs. Absolute heaven. -BYOB. -Lively - it is always busy but if you call a few hours ahead you can usually get an appointment. -Did I mention the massages? -Dina does an AMAZING SNS manicure. SNS manicures take so long that the manicurists often skip over taking good care of your cuticles. Dina doesn't and the results are fantastic. -Wifi -Nice decor - I like the fish tanks Cons: -Manicures are a little less consistent on quality. I've never had one I was dissatisfied with but they aren't as blissful as the pedicures. If you don't do a gel or sns the fan table/drying area can be a little claustrophobic. -The sink area where you wash your hands in between SNS steps is a little grody. -Parking can be dicey. Ladies - please carpool when you are in large groups! -The 'cash only' tip policy. I never carry cash. However, they will absolutely let you put it on the card if you ask before they ring it up. They'd rather the person still get a tip than no tip. read more

I've been here twice and It wasn't a bad experience. Although this time it's a different story. I just want to say that my nails look like they need a fill and that's what my appointment was for. every time she was putting coats on there was either hairs in my nails or random black specs as if it was in their polish itself. I feel bad because I never have to tell the nail techs what to do but this time it was different. when I pointed out a piece of hair (either a eyebrow hair or eyelash) she tried telling me no more.. and then when I went to go check out she told me the price and i said that is not what i paid last time. she then went on telling me it was for the long nail length which I did not add any length on whatsoever if anything they're a bit shorter. so then Johnny the manager said that he was going to take the long length off but guess what... THEY DIDNT EVEN TAKE IT OFF THE PRICE ! I still paid the same price that she stated. I was just so fed up I wanted to get out of there. Never again will i be returning to this place. Saigon spa located by bucees is the way to go from now on. read more

Great Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Long wait, even if you make a reservation, but this isn't Westlake! Shellac and a pedicure for $55, I always bring a girlfriend to chat with while we wait our turn. Simple, affordable, but don't show up here if you're in a time crunch. Part of its charm, really! read more

Great Nails & Spa - Two and a half weeks later and they still look perfect! These guys are the Masters of Shellac. - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Tammy did such an AMAZING JOB on my pedicure! The massage was perfect and the hot stones were great!(I got the deluxe pedicure) Id recommend this place in a heart beat! Great service! read more

Great Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Terrible. Customer service was not good. I get sns because I do hair and it's the only thing that doesn't stain and lasts. My first visit was ok. Lasted with no real issues. This visit was horrible. Every nail lifted within a day and eventually after about 3 days chipped. Each nail looked like cracked concrete. Just waiting to break off. I went by and asked for a refund. They wanted to fix ONLY the broken nails. Not the cracked ones so I declined and asked for money back. Manager said I could have half back. I said fine. And then the guy at the dest who wasn't the manager looked so confused and took out his own wallet to give me 20$. I just told him to keep it. I don't know how they do their money but I'm not taking that guys money. He didn't do my nails. I won't be back. Both appointments took over an hour when I was seated instantly. read more

Great Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Best pedicure, foot and leg massage that I have EVER gotten. I will only com here anymore!! Super busy so make an appointment if you like. There is plenty of room so come on down because it is definitely worth your time. Great service for the value too read more

Great Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

One of the best nail salons in Austin Tx. They do a wonderful job, and the staff is very friendly. They take their time and do it right the first time. The place is kept very clean. read more

My husband and I have been here twice! First tried out from YELP and was glad I did. $25 for 1h spa pedicure. Fabulous massage! He liked it a lot. It's a casual place with plenty of regulars Call ahead as when I went 4 women were turned away! read more

Worst nail salon experience I have had in a long time. The staff were impatient, rude, and inattentive. I know it is busy but they could have given me more than two minutes to pick out polish colors without acting so annoyed and rapping their fingers. The manicurist just cut my nails into a weird shape without even asking me what I wanted. I kept looking at them wondering if this could be a nice shape. I asked her to change my shape and she acted annoyed and rolled her eyes and then lied down all my nails unevenly and was even more annoyed when I asked her to make them the same length. The color I picked was too light and she sighed and walked and grabbed another color and just started to put it on me. She then cut two of my cuticles and they were bleeding. Also, the brush she used to brush my nails was old, frayed, and dirty. The pedicurist hardly gave my legs a massage (which is what they're known for) and acted annoyed when I said my polish had been gooped on and if he could fix it. Instead of just reapplying that one nail he just tried to scrape it away and made my polish uneven and not shiny. He also cut two of my cuticles too far and they're raw and bleeding. Then the lady checking me out acted annoyed when I only gave an eighteen percent tip. My service was horrible and I will never come back. The massages were subpar and apparently they're known for that and the fact you can drink there..... read more

Best Thai Leg Massage Ever (with Pedi)!!! Massage chair stays off for me. Personally I don't care for the mechanical jolting. The oils, lotions, hot towels and massage are what set this place apart. 1hr spa/thai massage pedi for only $25--- We got nothing like this in San Francisco. I called ahead for a 12:30 appointment. They were busy at lunch and cleared out after. Huge Fan when in Austin:) read more

Great Nails & Spa - Zoning out to fish. - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

I hate to have to write this review because I've been going to this salon for the past two years and the staff is very nice, however the service has gone very downhill recently and my last experience was kind of the last straw for me. I had a 6:30 appointment scheduled the other day with my friend and we were each booked for a standard pedicure and a shellac manicure. We arrived on time and were told there would be a little bit of a wait. We were not brought to our chairs until 7:10, and as I was going to sit in my chair I realized the foot bath was completely empty. I had to awkwardly stand there for 5 minutes while they scrambled to get it filled up with water and ready. My nail tech did not begin my pedicure until 7:20, which is almost an hour after my scheduled appointment. I went out of my way to make an appointment to avoid a situation like this. The actual pedicure was fine overall but just took way longer than it should have. My friend's pedicure was done 20 minutes before mine was. Same thing happened with my manicure...he did a fine job and was diligent but took SO long. I think he may have been new because two of the experienced nail techs were watching over him while he was working on my nails. I was the second to last person left at the salon and my friend was out the door way before I was. My boyfriend called me several times because we were supposed to eat dinner together and he was worried that he hadn't heard from me in 2 1/2 hours. It got to the point where I told the nail tech not to do the massage because I just wanted to get out of there, which is typically my favorite part of the manicure experience. I guess they only take cash tips now as of June 1st, and all my nail tech said to me when he was checking me out was, "Do you have cash?" I still tipped well because I know they work really hard there, but I was just incredibly disappointed with my experience. Unfortunately, I think I'll have to try a new salon next time. read more

What the literal fuck!!! After waiting 2 days for an appointment apparently Le(Lee)decides he is no good at long nails or designs! Mind you I didn't ask him for a design. Discrimination? Is he overbooked (I was waiting he was still working on his previous client or a walk in... who knows!)? Or is he indeed bad at long nails? I was turned away before he asked what I wanted! The only conversation we had was him telling me he couldn't help me before greeting me or asking what i needed. Other workers whispered and asked me what i needed and spoke to him. What a shame this place came recommended, but literally I've never been more disappointed with an establishment who didn't even provide me a service! Great Nails keep being "Great" at short nails! Took everything in me not to flip him and everyone else staring and whispering off! If you want long nails, decent service, or someone who won't shoo you away before they ask how can they help you.. GOOOOO ELSEWHERE!!!! read more

Great Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have been loyal to another salon for 15 years but the past few months the quality has been hit or miss leaning more to the miss side. Last year I asked a friend where she went cause her nails were always on point. Great nails was her answer. Last night I read some of the reviews keeping in mind that many of us only take the time to do review something when we are dissatisfied. Today I went, initially they said it would be a 40 minute wait but they got to me 3 minutes later. I watched them thoroughly clean after each customer, the tools had been sterilized and the place was clean. I watched the pedi's that were happening and can see why everyone raves about them here. The man who did my nails was fast but not hurried and he did a great job with shaping and paid attention to detail. Depending on how long I make it without a break or crack...I will probably be a regular here. read more

Great Nails & Spa - Great job! - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Walked into Great Nails after walking out of another salon b/c they could not complete the service I asked for. I was greeted and was told yes they would be able to complete a fill on color acrylics. Nancy was so pleasant and professional. She took her time and did an amazing job. I will definitely be back soon! read more

I thought I'd enjoy this place because my regular spot wasn't open but as soon as I walked in I had so many disgusted faces looking at me, they gave me a gentleman who didn't tell me his name he just said sit & to top it all off spoke no English & ruined my nails adding so much solar powder & giving me uneven nails, he wasn't even finished I was unpleased with his service so I asked for someone else to finish my set & they decided to give me this guy who was giving me dirty faces the whole time I was in there...I said hell no...I finally got fed up & i decided to leave so...I'd be ok with paying like a $5 dollar tip because it was shitty service..I told the guy what do I owe you he said nothing... I was told they were giving me dirty looks because they thought I was "black" & because BLACK PPL DONT TIP?!?!? ... I'm Puerto Rican how dare you fucken judge me because I'm not one of your white cliental, sabes que come mierda putas! read more

First time going here since I'm visiting from Houston. Needed a nail place that opens early on Sunday. Never again will I compromise the time. Nail shop was ok. Had a shellac refill and pedicure. Pedicure was good, but the refill was horrible. He (the owner) messed up my nails. Sadly to say he rush to do my nails and I got refill & paint on my cuticles. Never will I come back again. read more

Great Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place has a VERY strong smell when you walk in. My nails chipped within he same day. I had to ask for base coat and top coat. read more

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Charged me $50 for a gel pedicure and the nail tech DID NOT clean or cut my cuticles. When I asked why she said she "didn't know I wanted that" as if it doesn't come with the service. $12 manicure that also didn't include a soak or clean, I still have dirt under my nails. read more

Great Nails & Spa - My cuticles after $50 pedicure damn - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas

Best pedicure I've ever had! They do an amazing job with the leg massages and really take their time! Seriously, at least 10 min massage per leg/foot. This place gets super busy so be sure to get an appointment! We walked in and were seated right away for our appt. Also appreciate the hot towel and the chairs are super big and comfy. read more

Prices are decent as they still offer $25 pedi. Worst pedicure ever. Cheap service so I guess you get what you pay for. I got an older lady who acted like she didn't know what she was doing. Kept asking me if I want her to scrub my feet or not? Massage feet or not? Use scrub or not? Use or or not? WORST PEDICURE EVER! Couldn't relax for her shenanigans. Will not return for the distance from my lace and terrible service, would have rather payed more to get an actual pedicure and not have to go home and scrub my own dead skin immediately after paying. read more

If your feet are tired and crusty go see Matt; he gives amazing foot massage with your pedicure.

Best place to get your nails done- they're efficient AND detail oriented. Also they give you the longest massage (for both mani and pedi) out of any nail place in Austin! Ask for Tom if you're getting dip nails, he's the bomb! read more

Lee was incredible I have never really had a pedicure but this was an incredible experience. Luxurious. Lee was a joy to work with and I will go time and time again read more

The good: service is very good and the manicures and pedicures are great. The bad: no suitable drying fans to let your nails dry before leaving. The ugly: the nail polish area is a mess. All the brands are mixed up, it's not organized by color family. And the bottles are old and mostly used up. Please invest in new nail polish! read more

Ok this place is legit... folks just make sure to let it be known you are there. You aren't going to find this service for the price here in Austin. read more

Another great french shellac from Matt - he always does a perfect job, paying attention to detail and making sure it's exactly what I want without making me feel bad for being picky. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that the recent admin-type changes have tested my loyalty to this place. The nail technicians are still awesome, but the front desk staff and payment policies have changed. In a matter of months, they went from letting you pay and tip privately with credit card, to requiring you to tell the receptionist how much you want to tip and having her add it to your bill, to pressuring you to pay with cash, to requiring that you tip with cash. (This is 2017 - who the heck carries cash!?) I think the new front desk staff may be related to the new payment policies, because it seems to depend on who processes your payment as to how strict the cash rule is. Regardless, it's annoying. Having said all that, Matt's manicures are far better than any other place in town, and a steal at $30 (for french shellac). Since I'm coming for the manicure--not the "front desk experience"--I can deal with the tangential annoyances! (Sidetone: I mentioned Justin in my prior review but he is no longer at the salon.) read more

Great Nails & Spa - Thanks for the awesome french shellac, Matt! - Nail Salons Near Me - Austin, Texas