Agora Spa

I come here on a regular basis and nothing has happened to make me not have a reason to come back! As someone who just moved into town I was scared to find a spa that matched my expectations. However the no-​chip, mani and pedis, facial, massages and eyebrow services are high quality here with great service. The vibe in the spa is great and you feel well taken care of. Don’t forget to bring cash since they only take tips in cash.

I will be back here again. The only thing that I am not a fan of is how few colors they have. Overall though, it is very very clean and the employees know what they are doing.

Been going to Agora for years for mani/​pedis and too infrequent facials. Tastefully decorated and relaxing on a busy street in south Evanston. The women who work here are outstanding. They are the reason I go back. Helen delivers a great facial and every one of the women who does nails is awesome. Make you feel like a member of their families.

What a gem this is! I have been going to Agora Spa for more years than I can remember. I am there weekly for manicures and every 5 to 6 weeks for pedicures. I have also received fabulous facials from the very talented, Helena… and have had their massages. The service at Agora Spa is impeccable and the atmosphere is so nurturing and kind. The level of professionalism that the owner, Anetka exemplifies is outstanding! I have shared this gem with friends and family (purchasing gift cards for their special occasions). All of them have been greatly impressed! This is a place that ALWAYS puts its clients first. Thank you Agora Spa for making this such a special experience!

So sad to have to write this review… My husband and I have been loyal clients of Agora spa for over three years. We would book couples massages about once every couple months, Swedish and/​or deep tissue.
Today we had massages booked at 2:30. One masseuse came out almost right away, and asked who wanted to go first, and I did.
Little did I know that my husband ended up sitting there for 20 minutes, before his masseuse came out. The girl at the desk didn’t seem to care that almost half his time was up. When he asked if he could get a prorated massage for the remaining time, he was told he’d have to pay full price.
The part that perplexes me is why his masseuse was 20 minutes late. They told him the lady in the previous massage had to go to the bathroom.
So, if I’m ever late for my massage (which I have been), I don’t get that time tacked onto the end. I lose it, but I still pay full price. I was the one who was late. Likewise, if I have to go to the bathroom during my massage, I lose that time and don’t get it back.
We are left wondering then, why this lady had an extra 20 minutes? Why did her bowel movement take precedent over our appointment? Wouldn’t the masseuse end the massage at the scheduled time, regardless of how long this lady had to poop?
And… Why did they make this our problem?
I was livid when I got out of my massage… Our time was wasted. I asked for some kind of discount (they so politely cancelled my husband’s appointment, at no charge). No apologies. No admitting any wrong.
The girl at the desk had the gall to tell my husband that he «should’ve said something!»
Um, he did, and they pretty much ignored him.
The ignorance and incompetence didn’t stop there. I asked the girl to call the manager or owner or whom ever. She was shocked that I wanted her to actually… Call. That didn’t go anywhere, so I asked if I could talk to them.
Dude gets on the phone, I introduce myself and say hello. I get a caveman like grunt of a «hi» in a response. I had to ask him to tell me his name three times. I asked very politely. Finally Brian listens to what I had to say, and his response was, «I gotta take care of my employees.» Didn’t seem concerned his employees fucked up royally. He never even actually apologized!
So sad to have to take our business elsewhere, the masseuses work hard and do a really good job.
I did manage to get a 10% discount, but only Brian told me he’d «have to talk to (his) wife.»

Run by rude and inconsiderate owners with an incompetent desk staff. The massages I’ve had here where pretty good and their masseuses work hard, but my wife and I could no longer go here after all this disorganization.
Coming in for a massage should be a relaxing experience, not an afternoon chore! The staff doesn’t care and nor do the owners, so why should you. My recommendation, go somewhere else and save some money.

This little spa is a hidden oasis, the services are excellent for the price. Helen Villalobos does facials and waxing, special request her for a marvelous experience. She does an amazing job, she is friendly and professional and just overall charming individual. She treats me like royalty ever time. From getting me tea or water to making sure I am comfortable and most importantly satisfied. Thank you Helen and Agora Spa.

I just had one of the best massages in my life… a 90 minute Swedish by a therapist named Izabella. She massaged even my ears and scalp… a great mini-​reflexology interlude was also included. Hot towels and fragrant oils, pleasant music, and several naps later I am so relaxed that I am surprised I made it home.
The facility isn’t fancy, but it’s very clean and pleasantly decorated. Next time I go I will also try a mani-​pedi. Highly recommended.

After over five years I’m still going to Agora. Magda only works on the weekends so I have to plan in advance when I want to go but that’s not a huge deal. If she’s not here I would suggest Ebolya or Annetta the owner for nail services. No five stars because my favorite massage person left and I’m devastated– she was amazing.

I went in for a full arm wax and was decently happy with the result. The technician offered to «clean up» my eyebrows quickly afterwards for no extra charge. Nothing special, just 2 – 3 minutes. WRONG! She proceeds to completely reshape them and make them pencil-​thin and uneven! When I complained to the manager they accused me of stealing because I wasn’t charged for the service and then defended the obviously ridiculous result. I’m furious and will NEVER come back!

Wow a spa that’s NOT Asian… not that there’s anything wrong with that! Hey I can say it, I’m Asian but this spa certainly is a nice change from the spas where the workers speak their language and you don’t know whether they’re dissing you or not… oh but I digress, back to Agora, this place is great. It’s clean, relaxing, and the staff here are super nice, efficient, and do great mani pedis! Once you get beyond the somewhat Eastern European «coldness» everything else is all good! Try it comrade, you vill like!

Agora is a very clean spa and I would highly recommend coming in for a mani/​pedi. I loved all of the work I’ve had done here.
On a regular basis I come to have my eyebrows tinted/​waxed and eyelashes tinted with Helen and she is just outstanding. The color lasts until the hair falls out and is replaced by new hair – no fading. She is very kind and takes a lot of pride in what she does. Beautiful work, I would never go to anyone else.

I had severe neck and shoulder pain for a few days. It did not subside with painkillers or ointments, so I decided to try the massage route. I made a frantic phone call to Agora when the pain started radiating down my back. They gave me an appointment immediately and I came back home an hour later with absolutely no pain! Iga was wonderfully warm and an excellent masseur! The place is very clean and the massage (1 hour Swedish massage) is worth every penny. I might try out more services here.

The massage and facial services were great. The manicurist cut a little too close and I had some sore spots on my fingers, but they looked good! The reason I gave three stars is that there is no place to relax between services. Other spas have comfy couches or chaise lounge chairs, water with lemon or cucumber, saunas, and showers. This place only had some chairs by the window and it was COLD up front! I would go back for a massage or a facial, but I wouldn’t expect the ‘spa’ treatment.

I do my best to support neighborhood businesses, and I’m glad I can support Agora Spa. I’m always greeted warmly and they bend over backwards to try and get me an appointment that’s convenient for me, even when I call at the last minute. I have to give a special shout-​out to Irina. She gives great manicures and pedicures, and she’s a very friendly person who seems to genuinely care about her clients. I enjoy talking with her and will often ask her for her opinion on a whole host of topics.

I thought a french bikini was a landing strip in the front and waxing the rear. NO all that was performed was a bikini wax that went in a little on the sides. PLUS she took 35 minutes!
ALSO I let the technician know that I had sensitive skin yet she proceeds to use 3 – 4 bottles of these concoctions on my bikini area and not tell me their purposes.
ALSO things got a little «handsy». I’m sorry but the middle of my vaginal is not apart of the waxing procedure so why are you fingers going across that area repeatedly. When I told my boyfriend about my experience he thought it was hilarious that I could have gotten a «happy ending». Whatever that was I don’t want this experience again!

Upon entering, I was greeted right away and led to a room in the back. My appointment was for waxing and since my very first concern was the cleanliness of a salon, i looked around a bit when she left me to prepare. Very clean white carpet, hand sanitizer, careful organization of their products. Not a bottle out of place. Adrianna did a great job. She was quick and made the whole session as painless as possible. Super happy that the salon was very hygienic.

This place is really worth every penny. The first time I stopped in to ask questions I thought they were being rude to me, but I was mistaken. There are people here who aren’t from a hotel/​southern type of background, so, you’re not going to get coddled ‘verbally’, conversation when you are booking, etc, MIGHT be sparse, NOT because these are rude woman, quite the contrary, these are exceptionally kind woman who care about you and doing a good service. It’s because there are cultural differences, and they tend to be sparse in their language, or quieter than a lot of people are used to. They are concentrating on what they’re doing, most of the time. They really do care that you’re there, and they do want to help you get what you need. So don’t expect a cheerleader to greet you and take your bags when you walk in the door! Do expect wonderful, professional service and kind treatment!
This is by far the best service, treatment, and mani-​pedi I’ve received in all of Chicagoland, and I’ve tried out many locations. My husband works nearby so for me, it’s very convenient. I think I would continue to come here even if he relocated back to the city. The touch-​ups are a blessing! The prices are actually reasonable for the amazing work they do. The color choices are just perfect. Not once have I ever felt embarrased after leaving my worn out cuticles for way too long. I work with my hands a lot and it shows. They give attentive massages with good products that never irritate my skin, which is something I generally experience at every salon or spa I go to.
Give them a try, you won’t want to go anywhere else when you’re done!

I had a great manicure and pedicure here today with Madga. This spa is in a great neighborhood location on the corner of Main and Hinman. It’s nice looking, very clean and they have both Essie and Opi polishes. I can’t wait to go back!

Helen is the best waxer this side of anywhere!
She is so nice thoughtful thorough & fast…
Such a clean friendly calm environment overall…
Honestly I will go wherever Helen is until she retires…
she also gave me and my niece a pedicure once and it was out of this world, my toenails have never looked so great!
They are more than lucky to have her…