Absence ... and in this case, a very extended absence, has certainly made my heart grow fonder of the days when I could breeze into this sweet little nail shop (with an appointment, of course), knowing I would float back out with my hands and feet looking amazing. The mid-level pedi ($40), including leg and foot massage with fragrant oils and lotions, hot rocks rub, all while the pedi chair kneaded my back, was ahhhhh... and worth every - last - cent. Owners and staff are still wearing masks (but don't require us to), stations and chairs are well-spaced with plexi glass barriers, but nothing felt forced or in any way diminished this relaxing experience, or how meticulously well they worked on restoring my feet to their former glory. Well, presentability, anyway. Sun's out, so sandals on again. At last. read more

The nail artist is really good but you sit there while they have conversations with others like you're not even there . Kinda made me feel uncomfortable. read more

Average nails. Nothing special. Every time I have booked an appointment I have had to wait at least 15 minutes for somebody to free up. I don't like walking in the door and seeing the lady I requested doing a full set on a walk in before me. It really feels like they prioritize walk ins. The also have messed up my shape two separate times. You can't go back to square once you round a corner... The vibes are good in there, but unfortunately there can be a slight language barrier at times, so maybe that's where the mixups come in. They have children pedicure chairs which is sweet, if you have a daughter this is probably a good spot. Wouldn't recommend for adults squeezing full sets in their schedule. The result isn't worth the wait, unless you're goin for basic nails on the thicker side (acrylic and gel, for reference.) read more

I stopped in and made an appointment for a pedicure last week before a big event where I had to wear sandals. I haven't been here before, but was very pleased with the service, the quality of the pedicure (my toes are still looking PERFECT!) and the relaxed atmosphere. It did take a bit of time for them to get to me, but I wasn't in any hurry and the massage chair and lovely warm foot bath were relaxing. I look forward to visiting again! read more

My daughter is 16 and bites her nails. She has high anxiety and nail biting is something she has struggled with and been embarrassed by for years. Once she was old enough, she expressed interest in acrylic nails. We have tried half a dozen nail salons in the area and each time our experience has left a lot to be desired. We have experienced subpar work and even worse customer care. Many of these nail techs went as far as to tease, shame, and torment my daughter over her nail biting and the state of her nails throughout the entire service. As a parent, there is nothing more heartbreaking than having your child experience any level of shame, embarrassment, or inadequacy, especially due to the unkind and harmful words of others. Today she tried Nails First and Spa for the first time. She was very anxious about the appointment, anticipating the unkind remarks she thought she might receive. KEVIN WAS AMAZING. Not only did he give her the most beautiful set of nails she has yet to receive, but he was kind, accepting, and supportive. He acknowledged her nail biting but only offered words of encouragement and did not carry on about it throughout the service. She was completely at ease and loved the experience. We will absolutely be back and HIGHLY recommend this salon. Kevin, thank you so much for being such a kind human and creating a positive and joyful experience for my daughter. read more

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I have tried to make this my nail salon because they usually can take a same day appointment but, when I try them every few months, the service is consistently messed up for reason. This time really showcased how little they care about service. I made an appointment for mani pedi. Got one of the more junior male techs who looked angry from the start, when he was not giving me mad dog face, he was literally turning around to watch tv. I paid for the deluxe service- he was going so fast, I'm not kidding, he barely touched the file to my nails. No file, no shape. I had to ask him to please file my nails. Even then, they were still scruffy. He proceeded in the same manner with all other tools. Touching them onto each toe but not actually using them- at top speed. No cuticle pushing- just touching it with the tool. Never saw anything like it. He should have just sat next me and watched tv. I gave three stars because the person who did my nails (at the same time as the pedi), did a good job. Granted, it's awkward and you can't really relax or turn on the massage chair but, he did a decent job without having good lighting and a flat surface to work with. I watched my pedi guy start the next customer. She cheerfully greeted him and he just glared at her in silence. read more

Came here for my first time with my friend and our daughters for pedicures. Here's are the pros and cons- They had a good amount of polish to select from. Staff was friendly. They have a kids pedicure which was cute and really reasonably priced! Overall quality of our pedicures were good. I really like the way they shaped my nails and im really particular about this. They were timely. Cons: They did not have many options are far as different type of pedicures. I think they offer 3 different pedicure options and the spa I usually goto has about 10. There was some communication issues. I got a lime green polish and asked if it would be too light and would need the white polish underneath the green; the man and lady were unsure what I was talking about. My friend wanted specific colors and a flower print that was previously done at this spa (found the picture on their yelp) but the lady was very unsure of herself and artistic skills to do the flower so she just ignored my friends request. Overall, it was a decent experience. read more

Nail First & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

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Great local spot! I don't get acrylics, but have heard Kevin is great. Only once in many years did I have an issue with the service I was provided, but I came back the next day and they fixed the polish immediately no charge. read more

Love this Nail Spa. The only place I will ever get my Nails done. They are clean, friendly, talkative, and just plain great at what they do. I bring my 90 year old mother in aNd they treat her like a Queen , how many places do that these days. Fantastic people and Service - Thank - You Kevin ! read more

Nail First & Spa - Deluxe Pedicure is so fantastic!!!! - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

Amazing gel manicure. Very receptive to whatever tweaks I asked for too and very friendly. Took off a star because it's definitely not a relaxing environment or atmosphere, and the roof has obvious leaks and some structural damage too. Great spot for a quick manicure, but definitely not a spa experience. read more

I found this nail salon on Yelp the reviews were decent and said they accepted walk ins. I arrived a little after 11am I walked in as another customer was finishing paying and then left. The woman at the counter greeted me I told her I needed a fill and a pedicure and she just said "I'm sorry we can't right now" which I found to be odd. Most nail salons I've gone to will tell you how long of a wait or if you want to come back but she just flat out told me no. If they don't accept walk ins and every person in there had made an appointment I would understand but that's not what she said to me. I found it rude and a little strange. read more

I love the pedicures I get here! It's clean and calm, and I always leave feel pretty pampered . Plus my toenails look lovely for ages afterwards! It's a great stress buster when you want serenity now. And pretty feet. read more

I love my nails when I get them done!! I also treated my self to a pedi this last time and it was amazing!! So relaxing and just what I needed!! read more

I came in today asking for a pedicure and manicure. I asked that the gentlemen not use the drill to remove my dead cuticle as it grinds into my nail bed. They said that is the only way they will do it. last time they did it, it left indents in my nail bed. I will not be coming back and will no longer recommend to friends. Kevin is great but the service is not. read more

Just Awful! Daughter and I had our nails done at Nails First on a Thursday and we were the last customers that day. We got two deluxe mani/pedi's and my daughter got acrylic nails, with the gel instead of regular polish. The total charge was $160, strangely a lot more than I was quoted when I made the appointment and I didn't change anything, so that was confusing but I rolled with it. If I'd been given a receipt, I would've looked into why I was charged more, so I can't be certain what happened. They seemed to zip through our main pedi's much faster than ever before. The lady doing my daughters acrylics only buffed with one of the heads with the machine thingee, but usually they use several different heads (4 I think) and prep the nails more first etc. and this led to my daughters nails not adhering well. By the third day after nails were done, Sunday, my gel nail had polish peeled completely off one of my nails, and I was told they'd last about two weeks and that was why it was worth upgrading to gel polish. I was in Arizona because of a family crisis for the week however. I did call the salon on day 4, Monday, when my daughters acrylic nails started coming off, but a lady answered who didn't seem to understand me and told me I needed to call back later. As soon as we were back in town, which was Sunday, I called but got the machine and left a message about our issues. I waited, but no one ever called back, so I called again late in the day on Monday. The man I spoke to said to come in the next day and he'd look. Before it'd been a week, I'd had 3 nails where my gel polish had peeled off, and my daughter had lost two nails plus most of her acrylic nails were coming off at the edges. This is sad because she'd wanted to maintain them and get fills etc. and was so so excited and LOVED her nails initially. When we went in to get them fixed, they fixed my gel polish, but when I was showing the technician the loose nails and commenting about my concerns about my daughters nails, the man who seemed to be in charge, Kevin, I think was his name, said no way, we will only fix the two that have come off and said no way they came off without her (my daughter) doing something wrong. My daughter was so happy about her beautiful nails and was always very careful. She was eating dinner when the first nail popped off. Even from day one, she said they felt funny and not strong like they had the time she'd gotten them before, I said to the man, aren't you going to fix the loose nails as well, none of her nails seemed to have been put on well, and the guy insisted no just those two and was rude. When I said I wouldn't come back, he said good we don't want you back! I've never ever been treated like that and I wasn't being rude. He never said something to compromise, like we'll split the cost etc. It costs them pennies to fix the problem, so know if you happen to get a rush job or something is wrong with your polish, they don't stand behind their work. The two nails they "fixed" ruined everything - my daughter had two colors of polish, one on the nail one on the tip, and when they "fixed" the two nails they would fix, they did a solid polish on those two, and now her once pretty nails look like trash. The lady who did the fix for the two nails took several more steps than the first time, for instance using the four different heads on the buffer thingee, not just one really quick, which helped us see why the initial nails were loose & the two "fixed" nails are adhered solidly unlike the rest. My daughter was heartbroken & so embarrassed. This was supposed to be a special mother daughter day that we were going to start doing together regularly, and now it's just a bad memory. Watch out, if they make a mistake they'll blame you! What's more, they left glue stuck to her fingers etc. -it was just a mess today. I'll never go back and shame on them for not caring and not just fixing the problem. My biggest regret is the first time I went, my acrylics started coming off within a few days too. I wouldn't have gone back but my daughter made the reservation and had a good experience herself and so I figured I'd give it another try, though I didn't dare get acrylic nails again, thank God. I think they get too busy and in a rush and aren't always the best. While Kevin is rude, he does a good job, this is why the good ratings. Watch out though, two of the ladies are just sloppy & if you happen to have a problem, you'll get yelled at by Kevin in front of a full room of customers while he says it's your fault. I don't care how good a job a few people here may do, it's not worth the potential humiliation or risk that you'll get a bum job. I posted pictures so you can see if you'd like this, my daughters messed up nails, to be your future. All this said, a wonderful lady named Maria did a beautiful job on my toes. Sadly, her boss will keep me from coming back because he treated us so poorly. Terrible customer service! read more

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Thank you Kevin and crew for making time for me today. Staff is always so friendly. Always a great experience.

If I could give zero stars I would. When I walked in and asked for services, the guy flat out said NO. Then I said well Sir are you going to offer me a future appointment time, he said No we are busy. Ok bye then Wow such horrible service! read more

I went to Kevin for an Acrylic Fill and I'm very happy! He did so much better than a lot of places I've been to and made sure to pay a lot of attention to detail. I will most definitely be returning even though I live 15min away. read more

Nail First & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

My nails turned out so much better than I ever could have imagined and the costumer service was outstanding! read more

Nail First & Spa - My nails turned out so much better then I could even ask for! The customer service was outstanding! - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

I was really hoping this place would meet my expectations as it is so much closer to home than my usual spot. They were very nice, and got me in as a walk-in, however, their health and safety practices would fail a state board inspection. Metal implements were not from a sanitized container, rather, were grabbed from a tray without being sanitized from the prior customer. I have had a horrible experience at different nail salons where one visit caused me to lose a nail due to fungus. I really hope I get lucky and don't have any issues from this place. Disposable files were also reused from different customers. Hopefully they will bring their sanitation practices up to California State Board regulations. read more

So this is a long overdue review. Been here a few times now and each time they do an amazing job. I've had work done by several different people and they have all done a great job. Today my sister and I went in to get our nails done for the 4th of July. We didn't know exactly what we wanted, just something festive. They were great in working with our changing requests and ensuring the result is what we desired. They will willing to make any changes if we didn't like something. Great customer service, very good work. read more

Nail First & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

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I have had 5 nails break In the first week of getting a full set and I've been to so many nail salons in Atascadero alone and this is the only one this happened and I always get long nails I've never had a problem like this I paid 70 dollars because I went to get them fixed and then another broke and I didn't like the color because their examples Just don't match and I swear every nail was a different shape NEVER AGAIN read more

I walked in for my first visit today. The location is super clean and the staff is really friendly. I was welcomed with a smile and told that it would be 5 minutes wait. I replied a bit sarcastically and said, " that's what everyone says" laughing and sat down. Well it was only a five minute wait. I walked in for a mani/pedi. The prices are posted on a pretty mirror on the wall and hopefully there won't be any changes-- something I have experienced at other nail salons. John was the one to start my pedicure and he was great. He was patient with me as I changed my mind on colors multiple times. All in all great experience. I will definitely be back. read more

BEWARE!!!! No price list on the wall only 1 behind the desk that you have to request to see=they will charge you whatever they want & up-charge for whatever they see fit!!! This place is a rip off!!!! I used to come here a lot, it's nothing fancy but they have always done a pretty good job. It's been a long time because I work in SLO now so go to places there now but out of convenience I came on my birthday on 12/30 and I'll never be going back again. First of all... it was so sad In there!! The people are so quiet it's borderline rude!!! The lady who works there didn't have a customer so she was giving herself a pedicure on one of the customer chairs, trimming her toenails and sanding her own feet. It was very unprofessional. Kevin has done my nails dozens of times, and I'll admit he does a good job! It's been quite a while & I wasn't expecting a big hug or anything but he was almost acting mad!!! He was flat out rude! I simply tried to make conversation and asked how he was, how the holidays were around there for the business and he was so awkwardly quiet and made it obvious that he didn't want to talk. It was to the point it was rude!! I get it, maybe he was having a bad day...So okay!! I'll take the hint and watch the boring home tv makeover shows they always have playing on every single tv in the salon... so awkward!!! Not to mention, he slips out for a quick puff of his cigarette every moment he gets a chance and comes back without even washing his hands. Gross!!!! This is where it gets SKETCHY!!!! When I picked my gel color, I asked if he charged extra for a coat of glitter and he said no. So I did that. At the end when he charged me it just seemed a bit high. I've noticed before that they don't have a price list posted, you actually have to ask for the one that they keep behind the desk. He gave it to me and seemed nervous. An acrylic fill with gel is $35 and he charged me $40!! I know it doesn't seem like a huge deal, but once you add tip that's like an extra $10 easily! So I said, I thought you said you didn't charge extra for glitter. He said that my nails are very long so he had to charge extra because he had to rebuild some of the sides and edges. If that's truly the case, he should have told me that he had to charge me for $5 extra for a nail repair service because my nails were so long or whatever the case may be. That is ridiculous! I understand what he's saying, because he did have to rebuild a bit of my length but my nails were done in less than 1 hour and if he was going to charge me extra for any service he should tell me before hand. That is extremely unprofessional and shows very poor business practices!!!! If they throw an extra $5 in for whatever service they can possibly justify without mentioning it, just think about how many other people they do that to who don't notice!! Needless to say, I called him out on it and then he and the owner began speaking in Vietnamese.... it was obvious by their tones and responded they are used to this situation. Kevin told me that I can just pay $35 instead of $40 but of course my card had already been charged the $40. I'll never go back there again! Beware!!!!! read more

Came here for my 1pm appointment. 30 minutes later and they've taken people who are walk ins ahead of me and I'm still sitting and waiting and there is no one left to do my pedicure. Frustrating is an understatement. read more

Greater nail service but even Better at being so kind and accommodating! I bring in my 5yr old daughter with me and Kevin offers her yogurt and his wife Sydney dots with her and paints her nails like it's way more than a 5 dollar paint job on a little kid. Tom does my hands and he's great too! Love them! But book an appointment if u can, they're always slammed read more

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Best pedicure I've had in a long time. I chose the DELUXE, she took her time and gave me such a good pedicure and a great foot and leg massage I'm a happy girl read more

Love my nails this place rocks. Everyone was very kind and did a great job. The service was gentle and precise. I really liked that they home improvement shows on :) It was very relaxing on a rainy day like today!! My nails feel great and look like holographic Pokémon cards I love them so much! Thank you :) until next time read more

Nail First & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

I walk out feeling like a new woman very sweet people best pedicures in townthank you guys so much for all your hard work I really do appreciate you read more

Terrible experience used to love this place and it's gone way down hill. Gel manicure chipped within a day. Paid over $130 and they finally decided to refund me. read more

Deserve no stars. I was gifted a mani and pedi for my birthday. I'm so disappointed cuz when I came in here my toes were free of infection and my hands had no issues. I'm fighting foot fungus and on my hands look like complete shit after their service. I DO NOT RECOMMEND as they do not sanitize their equipment properly. I'm even to embarrassed to post a picture of what my feet look like now. Don't go here if you have beautiful nails. I'm in so much pain from ingrown toenails. I'm am at loss for words that they are still running in business doing this to people who don't deserve to be treated like crap. read more

Nail First & Spa - This is similar to what I got going on. It isn't pretty at all. - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

Kevin and his amazing crew have been doing my and my families nails for years now. We go for almost every special occasion and are never disappointed with the results. They are all very friendly and accommodating and we plan to be coming back again and again :) read more

I have always liked this place but lately they have been overbooking and as a result your appointment time is never really accurate. I had a 2 pm today for a pedicure and arrived at 1:50, and was still not in chair by 2:20. When I finally got in a chair they left me with water too hit and started a nail Job on two gals who came in ten minutes after me. Out looking for new pedicure business. read more

Clean and relaxing. Would have given five stars except they don't cut my toenails short enough even though I always tell them ... also they guy drew blood last time he trimmed my cuticles (not Kevin, he's the best). Still, I like it overall and the slip of the clippers only happened once. Massages are inconsistent, depending on who does it; usually, they are too brief. read more

Best place I have found to go in Atascadero! They take their time, do each step properly, the salon is nice with tv's to watch while getting pampered. All the other places in town are too fast, don't trim/push back your cuticles and just seem rushed at all times. read more

$50 an acrylic set didn't even last a day in a few hours the paint started falling off I will never be back read more

Nail First & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

You need to call ahead as they are popular. I have only ever gone for gel nails. They are like other nail salons, choose your color or gel color while they get ready for you... All the technicians are quite friendly if you engage them in a conversation. The salon has big tvs with usually HGTV on, bonus. :-). I came in once before I was due to get a polish change because I had a nail that had broken below the quick. They fixed it with acrylic and re polished the nail without an appointment for $3. I went to another salon in the area last month because I was too impatient to wait and the polish at the other place did not stand up after even a week. Seriously, started chipping within a week. So glad Nails First was recommended to me! read more

Nail First & Spa - Nails First is my first choice! - Nail Salons Near Me - Atascadero, California

First time getting my nails done here and Calvin is off the charts unbelievably great! He never fails to give only his best, and that was exactly what I received. Got the French Tip Gel manicure and was beyond happy with the customer and quality service. You know where I'll be going when I get my nails done again in a couple of weeks! read more

I simply can't put into words how rude the technician was to me when I provided him an exact photo of what I wanted on my acrylics (for my wedding, no less). I asked for the palest cream with a hint of pink as the background, with ombre tiny silver glitter from the tips inward (so there would be heavier glitter at the tips and blend inward toward my cuticle). I got *bubble gum pink* nails with large glitter (multi-colored, no less) on the whole nail. When he was putting the color on, he kept telling me it was the right color and the same as the picture when it clearly was not, as I was telling him it was the wrong color. When I asked the manager to have him re-do them since my wedding was hours away, with a photographer booked, the technician stated "I'm not going to do them again because you won't like them anyways." WHAT would possess someone to say something so rude?! The manager re-did them himself (making us late for rehearsal) and they looked more like something you'd find in the show "Housewives of Beverly Hills" than anything else. I cut my losses, paid and will NEVER return. read more

Got my nail done and two days later a nail broke. Walked in to get it fixed and received very unprofessional service. Never coming back.