River Oak Nails & Spa

I came in at around 1 pm on a Monday and it wasn’t busy at all, I believe Janet was the one that did my full set and surprising I came out very happy. Two things I look for in a fullset are:
First, I am so picky on my nails and how it should, all nails should be shaped and sized precisely equal. They get on my nerves if one is shorter/​taller than the other. (I know, I’m obnoxiously picky)
Second, they should be thin and as natural as can be. However, it should not feel like it’s going to break in two days.
I honestly went here on a nudge cause I was next door buying my babies some food at natural pawz. Didn’t know what to expect or if I would come out happy, but I think Janet surprised me and did a wonderful job on my nails.
She was very meticulous on every single one of my nails. I didn’t expect this but she restarted on my middle finger cause it was somewhat a little bit crooked! Like wow! They are perfect to my eyes!
The downside is that it was $ 35, that’s a little bit steep for a fullset, but I think if I’m in the area and in need of some acrylics I would definitely make another visit, definitely recommend!

I live in the area and this is one of the better places around. It may not look upscale but they do a great job and there is rarely a wait when I go unlike some of the «fancier» salons in the area. I go to Janet regularly now so I do make appointments but when I call they always ask if I’d like to come in immediately so I can’t imagine there’s much of a wait like some reviews have mentioned.
Also, if you call ahead even if they’re about to close, they will take you! Great customer service. My friend and I were running around trying to find a place to get manicures and no one was open or willing to see us until we found River Oak Nails & Spa. I haven’t gone anywhere else since. That was 6 months ago and I go every 2 weeks and have never had a problem.
I am super picky when it comes to getting a full set and Janet does them absolutely perfectly every time I go. For people who get full sets, you should understand how rare it is to find someone you trust to do it your way! I have never had one fall off or even start to peel off from the bottom/​sides before my next appointment and I sometimes stretch it out to 3 weeks. The only reason I go sooner is because they grow out, not because they’re breaking.

Wanted to give this place another try after a bad experience a couple years ago. I got a plain mani/​pedi for a great price (30 $). I wanted to get my nails done for prom. My nail ladies were both very sweet, however on both my toes and nails almost ever nail had some portion that was unpainted. It looked as if I had done them myself, and a bad job at that. I had high hopes for this place as it is so close to my house and a nice atmosphere as well. They were very busy at the time which could have contributed to the rush. Maybe next time they will be more thorough.

I used to be a customer but Had to switch because one time they had me and my baby girl and husband wait for 30 minutes just to ask us to wait for another 30 minutes.
But to be fair, usually they provide good mani and pedi and the brow waxing is very good.

It’s a great a great place if you’re Caucasian. I walked in there with my mother today to get a pedicure. Since we were going to my brothers wedding, I wanted my mom to get a mani/​pedi. The lady asked us to wait in the sitting area. Five minutes later, an older Caucasian couple walked in and and were serviced right away. I thought maybe they had an appointment, so I ignored it. Five minutes after that, another Caucasian lady came in and was immediately taken care of. My mother and I saw that and left .
It’s really sad that Vietnamese people treat us like that. I was really hopeful that this place was a great place to go but it lost my business forever

This is the best salon I have been to in Houston! They have hundreds of gel color options and all the ladies are super sweet!

One of the best nails salons I’ve been to in Houston. I have ingrown nails since I was a baby and it is so hard trying to find a place that takes care of them well. They do a great job here! Most of the ladies have regular clients in the Bellaire area which is a good testimony to the excellent customer service and quality of the service.
They are so nice here as well. For instance, if you are still hurting a few days after your pedicure (for ingrown nail pedicures) they will do the pedicure again. This hasn’t happened to me here but the supervisor told me they offer that. Also, if you really don’t like the color you chose a day or two after your manicure they will change it for you.
The location is in the whole foods shopping center, really close to 610.

Walked in at 10:15 and was immediately seated for a shellac mani– the poor reviews on here don’t do this place justice! I had an excellent experience after having this location come highly recommended! Clean and friendly atmosphere! I’ve already scheduled an appt to return later this week for a pedicure!

I love this place. They do such a good job. If you are in a rush, this isn’t your place, but if you have time to relax and enjoy the awesome massage that accompanies the manicure, this is your place .They massage your arms, shoulder and neck as part of a manicure ! I love it !
I’ve had manicures and pedicures, shellac and facial done here. They were all done really well with a lot of attention to detail. Angela does really great facial
The people who work here are super friendly and nice as well.

Not sure of all the bad reviews but I have been coming here for many years with no problems. The place is nice and clean for a nail salon. They line all the tubs with plastic for each person and I’ve always seen them wash up while my nails are drying. Compared to other pedicures I’ve had the price is great especially for the deluxe. The only thing that bothers me is they try to up sell EVERYTHING, but that’s how they make their living so I can’t fault that. Vivian and Tracy are both really good and take the time to really work on your nails. The pedicures I’ve had here tend to last a lot longer than other places. My friends and I all come here.

Great chairs!
Good price.
The service depends on the attendant –Some are very great! Especially Kristen!
They serve wine ;)

DO NOT GO HERE. Let me list the reasons…
1. If you make an appointment, it is not honored. I wasn’t sat until 40 minutes after my «appointment.»
2. The manicurist insisted I get shellac when I was not interested. After telling her several times I did not want it, she brought the shellac colors to choose from. I had to remain firm that I wanted regular nail polish multiple times.
3. The manicurist also pushed me to buy additional services that I did not want.
4. When I set up the appointment, I made it clear I wanted the basic mani/​pedi. Apparently during the mani/​pedi, the pedicurist asked me if I wanted the deluxe version. I don’t recall her asking that and even if she did, I could not understand her. That was very clear, as I kept asking her to repeat herself. I was charged $ 20 extra for the deluxe mani/​pedi I did not order.
5. Afterwards, my nails were still drying, so I stood in line to sit under the drying machine. Another woman came by to tell me I did not need to sit there, as my nails were already dry. To prove it, she touched my nails, confirming they were indeed not dry at all. After that, I just left, infuriated with the awful experience.

This place was gross. The manicurist put down a very dirty towel for me to put my hands on. When I asked her for a clean towel she looked annoyed. Overall, the place was dirty and the employees were rude and unfriendly.

I got a mani/​pedi there for the first time because the location was good for me. The place was nice and clean. The woman who worked on my nail was friendly and recommended a nice color. She wasn’t really paying attention to what she was doing. The water in the spa was so hot my feet were red and when she put her hand in there it burned her. Rather than add some cold water, she just kept cleaning her workstation. She finally put some cold water in there when I told her it was way too hot.
She did a horrible job with my nails. She did ok with the first two coats, but she basically just slapped on the top coat. Most of my nails are half covered with the top coat. I felt like she was rushing through the top coat so she can go work on the next customer’s nails. She could have spent an extra minute to do a nicer job and I wouldn’t have to redo my nails when I got home. It was a waste of my money since I had to redo when I got home.

I think this place is better than most. I have been coming here for a year now and have received excellent service and hygienic practices. They line the tub with plastic and remove the tools out of a sealed packet. I saw the posting from 2008 from someone. I am guessing their practice has improved??? I have not had any issues here. I am very OCD as I’m a nurse!!!

I have not had a manicure or pedicure here, but I will definitely try because my eyebrow waxes there are always great. Good price, good service.

My nails are great — Vivan did what I asked for. They also tried to sell me a million things, so you have to be firm about what you want. Convenient location next to Whole Foods — which is great if you want to pick up a lunch salad when you’re done.

I’ve gotten a mani/​pedi here a couple of times as well, and agree that they can be a bit annoying when they try to push extras on you. I go here for facials and massages. The location is convenient for me, and Tracy gives great facials and massages here.

Wow. All I can say is that if it weren’t for the cheap prices, I really don’t think this place could stay open. I wasn’t aware that it was a chain until I came to write my review, but hopefully the other locations are much better than this one. All I can say is avoid this place like the plague.
Let’s start off with my stupidity. Really, I’m an idiot. And this may gross you out. But I came here with a friend who I hadn’t seen in ages. We were catching up and trying to get as much gabbing in as possible while her hubby was on baby duty. After we chose our nail color (we only wanted the basic pedi), she was seated immediately and I walked over to continue talking. My chair was occupied by someone just about to leave, so I just plopped myself down in one of the mani chairs until my turn was up. The other woman finished her pedi and walked back to the lights to seal the deal. My nail technician came in, drained the water and filled it back up. Since I was busy catching up, it didn’t even occur to me that she didn’t clean the tub out before I stuck my feet in there. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww! Everytime I think about it now, I get really grossed out. Aren’t there health regulations regarding this?! Isn’t it a requirement that you MUST clean out these spas between clients? I’m so ashamed of my stupidity.
The really low ranking isn’t just because of this. I’ve never been so harassed at an establishment by the workers! We only wanted the basic pedi ($ 20) and made that very clear. The woman would not stop badgering us to upgrade to the more expensive pedis, or to get a wax, or to get solars, or to get decals, or to get manis, etc, etc, etc. It went on the entire time with her interrupting our conversation trying to get us to spend more money. At first it was understandable, but towards the end, it was just irritating.
So, we finish our pedis and realize that not only do they not have the disposable flip flops available, but they were pretty rude about us staying to wait for the polish to dry. After we sat ourselves under the lights, we had almost every employee walk back to our area and «accidentally» kept bumping into us. By the end, we were just ready to escape. The whole idea of pampering yourself with something like a pedi is to relax and instead, we were badgered the by the employees, treated rudely when we didn’t upgrade, and otherwise ignored by everyone. On the upside, so far (all of two days), my pedi still looks good and hasn’t started chipping or anything. Yet, somehow that isn’t enough to make me give this place another chance. Hmph!