South Shore Nails, a beloved staple nail salon in Alameda, continues to be a go-to destination for…read morenail enthusiasts. It's been a decade since my last visit, but their exceptional customer service remains as impressive as ever. I recently visited on a Friday evening, hoping to schedule an appointment for the following day. To my delight, they offered me the option to get my full set of gel nails immediately. Lani, the talented nail technician, took her time and ensured that my manicure turned out beautifully. Despite the rush, she maintained her patience and attention to detail, resulting in a flawless finish.

Lily, GIRLLL.....you KILLED it!…read more Okay, I was a bit hesitant at first because I have been EVERYWHERE trying to find someone who can nail (pun intended) my Pinterest board and let me tell you, no one has been able to do it like Lily. I literally sat there watching her amazed by her talent and how she was able to get my design so spot on. Like, FINALLYYYY. Now for the salon itself- I came in at 2pm on a Friday and it wasn't too busy, but it definitely started picking up around 2:30ish. I did notice Lily had another appointment who walked in and was booked for 2:40pm when we were still probably another 30 minutes out from being done, so it looks like they overlap her appointments a bit. I think they need to be careful with that because personally, if I have an appointment, I expect to be seen at my appointment time or wait no more than 5- 10 minutes. We all have places to be, right?? Especially when you're booking with someone because you specifically want THAT person. Nails at Southshore is definitely on the smaller side. There aren't a ton of pedicure chairs, I'd say six total and there's not really a waiting area besides literally two folding chairs lol, so that's one thing I think they could improve. BUT, they do seem pretty efficient at getting people in and out. Also, this next part is absolutely NOT their fault but South Shore management really said, "You know what would be perfect right outside a nail salon? A children's playground." So either come with AirPods or be prepared to hear kids screaming while you're getting your nails done because Lily's station is literally right at the front door. I was fighting for my life LOL. Anywaysssss, back to Lily- She's super sweet, VERY talented, took her time and care with my design and absolutely nailed what I wanted. Basically, she's my new nail girl now. I'm locked in. (Photo is 4 weeks out as I failed to take a photo after getting them done. Still looks amazing!)

Cici is very great nail tech I've been with for years and always have very good experience. she has…read morenever disappointed me in what she can't do with nails.

New owner! Absolutely love the renovations and the cleanliness of this salon. Plus, I totally love…read moremy eyebrows AND my big toe flowers. The refreshments are a nice touch also. Thanks Chi, Angel, Nancy, and team for your excellent service and making me feel welcomed. Much love!

As I'm getting my signature pedicure, I just have to say that Leann will always be my favorite…read morego-to. I know I'm in good hands every time I come in, and she always takes great care of me. I've been coming here for almost a decade, and every visit leaves me feeling refreshed and happy with the results. I couldn't recommend her and her team enough!

Unfortunately, my experience was very disappointing. The owner, Leann, was not present, and the…read moreemployee assisting customers was rude, seemed unsure of the services being provided, and communicated poorly throughout the visit. I was also quoted prices that were higher than the rates listed, which was frustrating and confusing. What stood out was that this wasn't just my experience--while I was waiting, I witnessed two other customers encounter similar issues with communication and pricing concerns. I had to tell her multiple time to paint the corners as she did such a sloppy job. Customer service, transparency, and professionalism were lacking, and based on this experience, I would not recommend this business.l

My nails have been constantly breaking for at least a month, I needed a good manicure to help them…read moregrow a bit. Timmy used the starter gel on my nails and it was like artwork! My nails are finally growing and I enjoyed my time there! I'll be back

I came back to Tulip Nails to do my 1st Gil-X nails today! I'm so happy with the design and…read moreresults! Timmy did an excellent job based on the reference I provided! Now I'm hooked to Gel-X and Tulip Nails!

Made an appointment for earlier this week at the recommendation of one of my friends and they did…read morenot disappoint! I was a regular at another salon in Alameda for the last decade and the last few times I had gone I just wasn't as happy with them as I used to be. After mentioning that to my friend she told me to go to Vena and see Amy. Making my appointment online was super easy and check in when I got there was the same way. I got to sit and pick my color while I waited for a chair to open up and was then offered water or tea while I got my nails done. Amy did my fingers while another one of her coworkers did my toes but both of them were super sweet and good at what they do. I chose a blue/grey cateye color and love how it turned out! Will definitely be coming back here in the future.

UPDATE: they offered to redo my nails and they turned out quite nice! So relieved that I can still…read morecount on this place! Great service and quality!! Maybe it was a fluke I'm so disappointed the quality of service slipped this far. Went for mani pedi today as usual, my nails are poorly sharpened, cuticles are not cleaned up, and the polish is all kinds of misaligned... I've asked the lady to fix multiple times and I genuinely believe this is her best effort. I could have done a better job DIY at home, can't believe I paid money for this. I regret coming here today and unfortunately I will not be back :/

Nail Bar is simply in another league from your average walk-in nail salon. This is more of a spa…read moremanicure experience - it's by pre-paid appointment only, with premium gels and polishes including organic options, highly meticulous nail prep and application, and a lovely, quiet space right on Park. Kathy is a master of her craft, and she's also a lovely person to chat with. All services are about 20-25% more expensive than a regular mani-pedi shop, and it is 100% worth it.

I stopped by Nailbar for a gel pedicure and paraffin wax service and it was a wonderful experience…read more Due to heavier than expected traffic, I was over 15 minutes late to my appointment, and I called and left a message so the staff would be aware. Luckily, Kathy was super understanding and friendly, she took her time with the service and checked in frequently during the pedicure. Initially, I was undecided on nail color choices, and Kathy brought out multiple options and helped me choose a nice shade. The nail salon is clean, comfortable, well-maintained and located in a convenient area. I was very happy with the overall service and the customer service was excellent. I'd definitely consider returning in the future!

Great service and very nice customer care. It was me and my friends first time and we had no…read moreproblems and they did a great job!

Kevin and Lin are the best! They always do an amazing job, pay great attention to detail, and make…read moresure my nails look perfect every time. The salon is clean, welcoming, and the service is always friendly and professional. I always leave happy with beautiful nails. Highly recommend coming here if you're looking for quality work and a great experience!

Took my two daughters with me. We waited 20 minutes for our turn. We all requested manicure and…read morepedicures. They took us all at the same time. Then they completed our pedicures first. Then they took two other customers and made my daughters wait 45 minters to do their manicures. This was not nice at all .We ended up there almost three hours, not cool. They have no respect for people's time. They need to complete a person's manicure and pedicure all at one time, in a professional manner.

This is more of a 3.5 star review, but hear me out! But also, please keep in mind this is/was my…read moreexperience, and in no way shape or form i am trying to sway you to not come here. The reason for 3 stars is solely dependent on the amount of time, and how much the services costed, a minor service issue as well, not terrible though. This is my first time here, i was taking a stroll on park and saw this place and peaked in and saw how luxurious and clean it looked, very big open space, lots of massage chairs, so i decided to pop and see for myself. So i stroll in around 4:30pm, for a new set and gel pedi. Typically both services take me at most 2 hours. I get sat down to remove my current acrylic set, this probably took at least 30-45 minutes. From the filing, to the soaking, removal, soaking again, and removal again. This is the longest I've ever experienced a removal. Then comes the cutting and shaping of my natural nails to prep for my new set. Finally i get moved to a massage chair to start my pedicure. I opted for the deluxe so this comes with a variety of things, from what i can remember, at least 2 masks, scrub, 10 minute massage, and hot rocks after. The total for this was $70, which is way more than what i would've normally paid at different locations, but I'm not knocking it, just isn't in my range but can be for someone else. Quality isn't great, but isn't bad. This is where my service issue/frustration comes in. My pedicure took almost 45 mins, and finally someone comes to start my set, or so i thought. She kept moving around, from one person to another, helping another client in between, but there are 3 other workers. I then get moved to a table, and I'm waiting again for about 10 minutes. She sits back down with me, and i thought okay great we're starting forreal now. Nope, we weren't. There was another client waiting, and she stops what she's doing with me, the gentlemen comes over and she moves to help the other client and he's now my nail tech. It is now 6:38pm and we're finally starting my set. Precise time because i was texting my bf to let him know bc this process was just taking so long. And i kid you not, the process from putting on the gel x nails, to shaping, filing, etc etc, i didn't walk out of there until 8:12pm. I did a very basic paint with cat eye polish. Typically 2 layers of paint, but he painted at least 5 layers before starting the cat eye magnetic process... In total i paid $168, and tipped $20. The amount of time spent there and the cost of it all, and being moved around from one person to another, ultimately costed the 2 stars. But again, this is just my experience i am sharing, and not to deter your decision to visit, because the quality of work is there.