Borseno’s Barber Shop

I’m not good at describing what I want in terms of a haircut, but the people at Borseno’s worked with me, and gave me a really solid haircut. Some earlier reviews had me expecting higher prices, but I thought they were quite reasonable, falling in the $ 25 – 30 range, with tip.
I’ll definitely use them again.

I just moved to the Seattle area from FL and needed a place that would do me right w/​a quick, no frills haircut. So, I cranked up the ol’ interweb looky box and found this place.
Initially, I was a little afraid to send my business their way because I figured (from looking at the photos) that me walking into this place would fit along the same lines as Will Smith starring in a Quintin Tarantino film or AC/​DC cutting an album for kids.
Alas, I chose to quiet my inner critic and take the advice of Unilocal reviewers.
I rolled up around 2:00 PM on a Tuesday. A super nice woman named Frankie approached me and immediately made me feel right at home. I told her exactly what I wanted — «I’m growing out my hair, but I’d like to clean it up alittle.» She said okay, took a few runs through my hair w/​her tatooed fingers (rad) and explained what she was going to do.

I happily obliged.
Being 3000 miles away from home, Frankie and the folks she has working w/​her make the place feel very homey.
The haircut was spot-​on… If you’re looking for a good haircut at a decent price, these are your peoples.
Say no to drugs.

Yeeeah. I feel the need to update my review after «Stormy» decided to put her 2 cents in.
I do not «usually returns to receive a «re-​do», regardless of shop or stylist. «as she said. In 10 years of getting my hair professionally done. At least once every 3 months… so basically 4 times a year. which puts it at a ballpark figure of 40 TIMES — I don’t think 5 times is a lot. First of all, I can’t even recall 5 actual times. I just threw that number out. Also, stuff happens! Mess ups happen! I don’t just go back in because it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. I would only go in if something was technically wrong. As in, very uneven cut or botched color job.
I will say though that I have never heard of a salon being so CHEAP that they would refuse to fix a mistake. SHE NEVER EVEN CARED TO LOOK at the blatent mistake that her employee made. I am not saying Nick is a bad hair dresser. I actually think he is probably very good. No offense to him at all. But people do make mistakes, and one was definitely made.
Once again, I would NEVER return and because of «Stormy’s» policies, I wouldn’t recommended it.

My main gripe from before:
I remember this was my staple barber shop for a brief while. I had a different barber each time but wasn’t hung up on who was actually manning the scissors. Then after I found someone who gave me a great cut I got the business card and tried to make a repeat appointment:
«Oh he’s been gone for a while now.»
Funny in retrospect, since he had been describing how a barber who just started was fired for being late on her first day. Maybe there’s high turnover here???
Anyway, the next three or four times I came in was a mixed bag; the lineup and overall results were different each time as before.
But I went back recently and was glad I did. Frankie, the owner cut it this time and she’s not going anywhere obviously as it’s her shop.
The dilemma of barber impermanence is solved, finally!

I tend to be selective with praise, but I’ll definitely give credit where credit is due (and constructive criticism where appropriate). I personally believe review sites aren’t always the most accurate, since, generally, what motivates a person to give a review is a negative experience, rarely do people go out of their way to give a positive one.
Borseno’s, as a barber shop, has a great Rockabilly feel to it. Very laid back (notice the Playboy’s in the magazine racks) and the in store staff is very friendly. When I go in for my every other week appointment, there’s always a fun vibe and interaction between the various stylists and clientele alike.
Like Mark G, and several others, I’ve followed Nick W. during his career as a stylist in Seattle and I’ve always been more than satisfied with the service he provides. He’s able to feel out my mood and tends to be right on target with the amount of dialog (a lot to none at all) I’m up for during that particular visit.
Perhaps more importantly, I’m pretty much able to say, «Short sides, easy to do in the morning» or «I want to try something new» (I realize that’s giving up a lot of control to the stylist) and he has been able to set me up with fun and inventive looks to refresh my look and always satisfy me. Another thing I like is the fact Nick is more than willing to take the extra few minutes to explain to me HOW to do my hair to achieve the same look I leave the shop with.
I’ve had colors and all types of cuts, from faux hawk to a more military look and he’s come through every time. If you’re looking for a new look or a seasoned talented stylist, check out Nick W.
That’s my .02¢

I’ve had some F’d up haircuts and have trust issues!!!
That is not a healthy combination!
So when I say go see Nick… You know I mean it!
I HEART NICK!
Nick is great! He puts up with my BS and cracks me up! But more importantly, he is one heck of a stylist & colorist!
He has been cutting my hair for years at a different shop but I followed him when he moved to Borsenos.
I walk in, sit down and leave it up to him!
I don’t have to worry about how it will turn out because it always turns out great! But when I do want a little tweak here and there, he is very patient and is great about making adjustments.
I would highly recommend seeing Nick at Borsenos or Westside Barbershop!
You can walk in or make an appointment but I would call ahead to make sure Nick is available.

A very urban hip no attitude place to get a great haircut. From the minute you walk in the door you are greeted like you’re an old friend and feel very welcome.
Having moved from Los Angeles recently, I was lucky enough to find Nicolas through a friend of mine. He is the best stylist I’ve had so far and I don’t plan on getting my haircut by anyone else anytime soon. Not only is he friendly and a master at what he does but he actually cares that you are 110% happy with what your hair looks like when he’s done. Nic is the best. If you are getting your same cut or want to try something new then Nic is the man for you.
I highly recommend him to all my friends and Unilocalers.

Side note: Stormy is a pain in the ass and turns the whole energy of the place around when she blows through. I have even asked before making an appointment if they know of a time she won’t be there. They said that she is always popping in to micromanage everyone. I tip extra because I feel bad for anyone who would have to work for or with Stomy. She won’t let them touch a flat iron to your hair without charging you for it. Stormy is the reason I am currently auditioning other shops since I heard Nick left. Just being honest…

i haven’t been here in years since my one harrowing experience outlined in my first review. but i feel the need to update my review now that an employee here messaged me on Unilocal to harass me for sharing my experience. i received a message from a nick w. (
) who identified himself as a borseno employee. if you look at his profile, you can see the only Unilocal review he has left is for borsenos, posing as a satisfied customer!!! this place is so overwhelmingly unprofessional, they actually FORGE REVIEWS ON Unilocal.
he messaged me to antagonize me for this review i wrote that wasn’t even directed towards him, as it was written about a female stylist three years ago.
to quote this harassing email from a borseno employee who has never met me: (emphasis mine on the truly classy parts)
«I have met your kind and its sad. Not only are you UGLY ON THE OUTSIDE BUT ALSO ON THE INSIDE. Its pathetic that PEOPLE LIKE YOU HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT LIFE. Here is some advice. Buy a book called the Persuit of Happieness. THanks for reading my email about you. Know you know how it feels, and oh yeahI HOPE YOUR HAIR FALLS OUT LOLOL»
no joke. this is officially the most unprofessional encounter i have had with a business. i wish i could lower my rating

Got my hair cut here one time. The cut was nothing special so I can’t really comment on much, but the girl did her job well. When I’m going to a hair salon I’m mostly concerned with feeling relaxed and cared for… and I got that here.
She was also fun to talk to, which was something I was really hoping for when I came in. One of my last haircuts was a trim at a cheaper place and (after a while) I got somewhat frustrated when I was trying to have a conversation with the older asian lady working on me and she kept misunderstanding what I was saying.

I really love Borseno’s! They’re the only place I go that ever seems to get things like, «Oh, your hair is curlier on the left than the right» and knows how to cut it to not look lopsided a month after my haircut.
The only time I ever had a less-​than-​great experience was with a male barber who’s name I forget: and the worst I can say about that haircut was that he was really slow, and people who walked in for appointments with the other stylists got seated before I was seated for my called-​in appointment with him. The haircut was still good, but I was an hour late to a party, and missed the girl.

Hearing about other people’s experience and wanting a new look, I decided to go Borseno’s Barber Shop for a haircut. With a new quarter, I wanted a new-​ish look. Being very indecisive, my hair stylist was nice enough to talk about my different options and helped me figure out what I wanted. I love my haircut! I have really fine, flat hair, and she was able to give it some volume. Not only that, but also she able to give me a new, fresh look that differed from my usual just-​below-​the-​shoulders, angled, and layered cut.
I’m definitely coming back again!

When it comes to my hair, I am defiantly spur-​of-​the-​moment. So finding out my regular stylist was booked 2 weeks out was disappointing. My bus drives right by Borseno’s but never bothered to try it out because I thought I wasn’t cool enough… but today I took a chance…
I am glad I did! For 25 bucks I got my hair trimmed and it looks great! And what a fun atmosphere – everyone was singing and there were Playboys to look at while waiting… my kind of wonderland!

Wow is all I have to say…
My girl told me to come down here and try it out…
ANNA was amazing… I have a very low maintenance cut and style so I didnt really give much thought about going to any specific spot or stylist.
She was quick and efficient, and DAMN she did the finger length on top with what looked like a straight balde… FTW???
I will deifintely go out of my way and deal with parking in the U-​District to visit this shop again…
Thanks again…

After Jana left (to open her own biz in Tacoma) I thought I’d never go back to this place.
Honestly, truly — it devasted me. So I started going to Zero Zero but then everyone and their hipster fucking dog went there, so I had to go someplace else. I decided to try Borseno’s again.
I went in to get my hair cut and I got exactly what I WANTED. Can you fucking believe it? First off, barbers and hair stylists are not magicians. They cannot «read your mind» or tell you want you want. So before I went in there I decided that i was going to tell Harmony that I wanted «to keep the shape the same, but thinned out and chopped up.» Short and sweet.
Harmony was professional and really down-​to-​earth. I’m definitely going back. If you know your hair and know what you want, go to Borseno’s. They can «deliver.»

You know, for the number of top-​notch reviews this place received, I was thoroughly let down by my experience.
Before going, I thought, «Wow, this place has gotten five stars from just about everybody — this is going to be great!»
Sadly, I was left underwhelmed about my haircut. Even though I was the only customer there at the time, I felt like my hair was a rush job. I have moderately long locks for a guy, but that didn’t seem to garnish any extra attention, despite the $ 25 price tag.
There is plenty of competition around the U-​District for good, cheap haircuts… and quite frankly I won’t be returning to Borseno’s any time soon.

Probably the single most positive experience I have ever had getting my haircut. Not really a very high bar, sure, but this place pretty much rocks, and I’m not just saying that because the owner’s totally sweet old Triumph motorcycle is sitting in a back hallway. Which I am going to steal. The motorcycle. She can keep the hall.
I walked right on in about three months past the day my hair should have been slashed and burned, and was told they’d be able to slot me in after a bit. It’s pretty cool in there, with lots of nooks and crannies and dirty magazines to pass the time with their amazing articles.
The main thing is the haircut, though, and Stormy did mine. «Kind of like it is now, only, instead of looking long and bad, make it look less long and less bad.» I’ve said this before to decidedly mixed results, but this time it actually worked. She busted out the scissors and the small talk and started working her way around my gigantic head (no extra charge). A while later, and I was shocked and awed to see that she’d actually gotten something meaningful out of my vague rambling, and delivered exactly the cut I’d been wanting. Really, it was pretty awesome.
$ 20 (cheap), friendly (not awkward or creepy) conversation and a careful, great cut (rad). Go here.

I’m sold.
Well, I was sold when I read the reviews on how happy people were with this place.
I was sick of going to mediocre or mainstream salons. I knew that if I wanted my hair a certain way without worrying about the end result, I had to try something new. It had to be somewhere where the stylists would know the current styles and know what I want and not try to do something different.
Anna cut my hair and she did it with ease. She was very quick but precise. She even explained to me that with the full sideswiped bangs I desired, she had to cut back further. And the layering is just right. I don’t have to do much straightening as I have in the past with the almost identical haircut.
Price is average, and I actually feel like it was worth paying. I usually have only left a small tip in the past at other places, but I had no hesitation giving Anna recognition on a job well done.
She is even the stylist who does someone else’s hair that I know (*ahem*.Kim), so I knew she had to be good from the get-​go.
The ambience is great, my taste of style and music, and cool staff. I didn’t even know they had a tanning salon there too– not that I like to fake n bake, but I need a little boost before summer– so I know where I’m goin for that too!

Need a haircut? Want to hear excellent music while you wait? Go to Borsenos, dammit.
Anna is a goddess, and everyone there is hip, beautiful, talkative, and probably ready to share a drunken escapade story while they make you purdy. Finding stylists/​barbers that are talented AND approachable can be tough. Borsenos has both.
The only real downside is that Billy Idol’s «Rebel Yell» isn’t _​always_​playing when I walk in. I can deal with that. ;)

Like the reviewer before me, I infrequently venture to the U-​District, and I am especially loath to do so during rush hour. However, after reading these reviews and seeing some of Anna’s work on her website, I decided to brave the traffic and head down there after work yesterday. It was totally worth the trip; Borseno’s is fabulous! Anna gives a spot-​on precision haircut, and is the queen of A-​lines. I walked out with a gorgous A-​line cut and full highlights for a price that can’t be beat. The joint is hip without being pretentious, and are experienced with a range of styles.
It’s definitely not a spa kind of joint — for that, you’re gonna have to go to Gene Juarez. But if you’re looking for a good, modern cut without spending a fortune, definitely check out Borseno’s.

I am a vain guy, and like to find someone and trust my hair to them for years. Since I found Frankie (she also sometimes goes by Stormy), the owner of Borsenos (and The Westside in Seattle) I have been a loyal customer.
The ambiance is very cool, very 50’s and tattoos and street, pretty funky for this nearly guy of nearly 40. But Frankie always gives me a good cut. I’ve had good and great, and NEVER bad.
Price is comparable to Rudy’s (which I pan for the randomness of the cuts I used to get there).