I've been here twice now and am about to schedule a third appointment; couldn't recommend this hair salon more strongly! Here is a summary of my two visits: * My first visit likely explains the bad reviews here. Namely, I scheduled an appointment, showed up late, and the owner had to rush a haircut to meet the next appointment on time. Obviously, this was completely my fault -- the haircut turned out poorly and a few of the reviews mention a similar experience. * My second visit was the complete opposite. I made an appointment and showed up 15 minutes early. Rather than wait for my appointment, he started me early and took more time to perfect a cut. This time, the owner checked with me periodically for the look and length, paying attention to details and ultimately producing an amazing haircut. So in short, show up early! The price is amazing, the owner is friendly although terse, and the haircuts are fantastic. I'm going to schedule my next appointment now... Also, the owner only takes cash. There are Wells Fargo ATMs nearby if you need it! read more

I was happy to find a hair salon that was still open till 6pm in Chinatown. Benly is a nice guy. He was willing to wait for me and stayed past his closing time. He tried to make small talk. He's been cutting hair for at least 20 years and he works alone. Unfortunately my partner and I were not happy with our hair cuts. As you can see from the photos, it was not cut even on the sides or on the top. My $10 hair cut from another salon in Chinatown was way better than this $19 hair cut he charges. He also does this thing that's really annoying. He pushes your head with his fingers as he goes around buzzing your hair. While other barbers tilt your head slowly with their fingers, he pushes. I've never had any barber do that to me before. I felt like a kid being picked on. Because of this I would never come back. read more

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Great haircut for affordable price. Owner is a nice guy. Can't go wrong here, will be coming back next time

A real hidden gem. Fantastic hair cut, quick service, friendly owner. I will be back again. Note that this business is cash-only.

My bf just got his hair cut from here and it came out perfect. Benley was super friendly and knows what he's doing! Would definitely come back. read more

The haircut price of $17 is accurate, and a very good deal for the city. They only have two chairs, and the place is nostalgic of 2004, and I love it. Good haircut, no frills. I booked a same day haircut, he was fast and moved quickly. If you're looking for a fancy salon experience, this is not the place for you. If you know what you want, want convenience, at a good price this is the place for you. The barber grew up in SF and is fluent in Cantonese. Very friendly read more

Happy Hair Studios - Barbershop front, accessible on Pine in Chinatown - Hair Salons Near Me - San Francisco, California

Haircuts are low on my list of priorities as I'm usually forced to pay a lot of money for forced small talk and to look slightly different - not the case at Happy Hair Studios. It's a small establishment with only the owner providing his services but I wouldn't go anywhere else, he is such a kind man who also works fast and efficiently. This location isn't hot on the extra services or anything fancy, but for a good clean haircut that isn't too awkward, you can't do much better. read more

Great deal. It's hard to find a barber that offers more value than what they are charging. This place is easy to get in & out with parking directly in front of the business. Most cuts have been under 15 minutes. Check this place out if you want to try something new. read more

Happy Hair Studios - Haircut from happy hair - Hair Salons Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been coming here for over 20 years and have always gotten in and out for a quick haircut from Benley during that time. Highly recommend this place. read more

Happy Hair Studios was fantastic! I'm from out of town and have an important interview in the morning. He was able to fit me in last minute and even stayed open late to cut my hair when no one in the city could take me. He did an incredible job and made me feel human again!! Very nice and fast for such a high quality haircut. Would highly recommend you go to Happy Hair Studios read more

Happy Hair Studios - Before hair was wild - Hair Salons Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Best saloon in city for 15 dollars. Good hospitality as well. I recommend Reaching over there need lots of energy. As it's a bit hill top in the pine street. But it exists on the Main Street read more

This place is one of the best values in the city. $17 for a male haircut and the barber, Benley, really knows his stuff. There was some consistency issues for some of my haircuts, but nothing that would make me not recommend this place to others. If you're looking for an affordable, quality haircut, this is the place. read more

I was recommended this place by a pilot I flew with. Then checked out yelp. Well I am very Happy with my haircut I received from Benley. I called first and he let me know there was no one waiting. I was in and out with a fresh haircut. Thank you and you can't beat the price. read more

Benly is the best. Always able to make time for his customers, just be sure to call ahead and give him a heads up you'll be coming in. Haircut is incredibly cheap for the area, so be sure to throw in a nice tip. Cash only though! read more

Great value and service! Highly recommend this business and he takes great pride and care of his customers!

I was scared to come to this place because I didn't think that i was going to get a good hair cut. I was desperate, and I am glad that i came here. The barber did a phenomenal work on my hair. I will return to Happy Hair! read more

Been going here for 7 years. It's consistent, reasonably priced and short wait time. Love Benley. He's the man.

Would definitely recommend! Great service at a great price with an expert who is friendly and did an amazing job!

I came in to fix my botched haircut from another barber. He took me on 15 min notice, was super gracious and grateful, fixed my haircut, and set me on my way 25 mins later. Haircut turned out very good, and the guy was really nice and pleasant, real SF OG, been in biz for 30 years. Oh, and the cut is only $17. This might not be my go to place, since I prefer a bit more designer, but thats's from now on is absolutely is my favorite backup option in the city. But if you are on budget, this place is a no brainer, one of the best deals in the city. read more

Very worthwhile haircut - checked what I wanted and made sure the correct lengths and styles were being done. Walked away feeling like the haircut was a value! read more

Very good barber-style haircut for a great price. Cash only.

Super friendly, patient, and professional. A great value. Has always been accommodating even when I didn't have a reservation, and like the other posters say, he doesn't get flustered when others are waiting and rush things. Been coming here for 4 years and will continue to do so. read more

First post covid haircut that wasn't self cut. God bless anyone who got a good cut and left good reviews. I asked for a fade with specific guard numbers. After several request for a fade at the start and during, I was left with a line across the back of my head. I ended up going home and evening it myself. I would pay him not to cut my hair again and wouldn't ever think that I could pay to get a worse haircut than I give myself. I wouldn't even have left a review if I got a halfway decent cut, which really leave me questioning the positive reviews on this site. read more

Recommend heavy. Place is quite fire, especially at its $15 price point. The man running the shop has been doing it for 28 years. Perfect for cutting Asian male hair. read more

Benley is legit. Good haircut for a good price. Be specific with what you want. He's also a funny and honest guy which I appreciate

This is an excellent place to get a quick but professional men's haircut. Benley is honestly the type of guy that seems a little cold at first but once you engage him in conversation he's the easiest guy to talk to. Don't get me wrong--the haircut is fantastic and a great deal at $13 for a men's haircut. But my favorite part of Happy Hair is seeing Benley every couple months and having him recognize me and discuss his life and my life updates together. It's honestly refreshing and a real treat to get to know a guy like him who's been cutting haircuts for 25+ years and has nuggets of wisdom that come for free with the haircut. Could not recommend any more highly. read more

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I've been going to Happy Hair for over 10 years and surprised about the negative reviews. This is a one-man shop in Chinatown and the barber (Benley) does a great job. I hope he reopens soon. read more

Been here twice after work, around 5:30pm, didn't make a reservation either time. Each time I came there were maybe 1-2 people in front of me. Even though it's only one man cutting hair, it goes by pretty quick. Haircuts are $13, cash only I believe. Barber is a nice guy, knows what he's doing, and I'd definitely come back. Probably a bit more expensive than other haircuts you can get in or around Chinatown, but at least I know I'm getting a good haircut. read more

I have gone to Happy Hair Studio for years and can strongly recommend this place. He gives a very good haircut, quickly and efficiently. He's also a very nice and funny guy. I actually drive across the city to go here! I've also recommended this place to friends who now go to him regularly. A great place for a haircut! read more

Could not recommend this place more. The haircut is worth at least twice as much as Benley charges. He knows exactly what he's doing. I just moved to SF recently and had a horrible haircut somewhere else (looking at you Supercuts). I would never go to anywhere else. The price made me a little fearful but my haircut turned out great. Benley is great and gave me exactly what I was looking for. You should absolutely go here. Also, cash only. read more

This place is honestly great! I was in SF and wanted a simple clean up haircut. Every where I called was at least 40$, this was the last place I called and was in shock to hear that it was only 13$. This old man was working there by himself, and because I called waited for me and let me go first. He took his time on my hair and let me change my mind on the size of the side of my hairs. He was honestly so nice. I gave him 15$, left, and he came to get me to give me my change, not realizing it was a tip. He was very thankful and I wish he accepted cards so I could have gave him more. This guy is true quality over all the other places that are just price quantity. Wish him the best and if I'm ever in SF again I will be sure to see him again! read more

Classic barber who knows how to cut. There used to be a long wait, but sadly, all of his regulars are gone bc the neighborhood offices are closed due to COVID and ppl are working from home. The place is no frills, just 1 barber chair, some waiting chairs, and an AM/FM radio :). And $15 is unbeatable; he could definitely charge more. It's a low enough price that I can go see him more often. I just ask him to clean it up, and I'm back out the door, looking fresh in 10 min. I also appreciate that when I asked him to go shorter, he used his experience to advise me not to do it bc he knew my hair would stick up. Give Happy Hair a try! I'm going here from now on. p.s. Safe COVID protocols as well. He is masked and gloved and asks you to mask as well. He also does a quick temperature check before starting, so I appreciate his professionalism and care. read more

Great owner, good price. The owner is a really nice, hard working guy. He'll ask you how you want your haircut. Although he has to service a lot of customers, the job is never rushed, and he really cares that each of his customers leaves satisfied. I recently moved to SF out of college and I think I've found my new regular barber. read more

Been travelling for close to a month and desperately needed a haircut. Thanks Yelp for the recommendation! $15 (price updated due to covid I guess?) for a decent haircut! Mr Benley Lee is friendly and strikes up a good conversation. Highly recommended! Please support! read more

Very reasonable place to get a haircut in downtown SF. This is where I used to go when I needed a trim. The hairdresser/owner is aways very pleasant. Great location. read more

He is still apologizing for raising his rate to $9. This guy is great!

I never write reviews but I feel compelled to write one because Benley at Happy Hair Studios is the best! He does exactly what you ask for and double checks the amount before he cuts it. Ladies, I'm sure we've all had experiences where you ask for 1 inch, and the hair dresser cuts 2-4 inches off instead. That will never happen with Benley. He is very meticulous and I've loved every haircut I've gotten there! The $15 price is awesome, he's super friendly, and it feels great to support a small local business too. :) read more

I don't usually write reviews, but Benlee is the man. Couldn't recommend him more - he's very accommodating and detail oriented.

If you have trouble finding time to get a haircut, you don't want to pay a ton, and you work in the financial district, then this place is for you! I hiked a couple blocks up the hill at 12:30 on a Tuesday and found absolutely no line, just a friendly barber welcoming me to the chair. He asked a couple quick questions about what I wanted, even offered to trim my beard (I declined), then got straight to work. No nonsense. He worked primarily with scissors to trim three months of growth, then cleaned up the edges with a trimmer. I don't like a ton of conversation, but he made just enough light chat to pass the time. He wrapped it up, did some light styling with a blow dryer, and charged me less than your average FiDi lunch - just $12! I tipped generously and was back in my office by 1:10. It's not the fanciest cut I've ever had - that's the missing star - but it's even and just the right length. If you're looking for a quick, cheap haircut in the FiDi - Happy Hair is a winner. I'll be back. read more

Needed a haircut and this place happened to be next to my hotel. One of the best cuts I've had in ages and can't beat the price and friendly service. No pretensions here. Really happy I stumbled into it. read more