Rock & Polish

The women who actually do the waxing and manicuring are nice, but the front desk staff are always a pain to deal with. Hopefully somewhere better opens up in JLS soon.
Update: service seems better lately :)

I have been to tons of nail shops in the past couple years trying to find the perfect one. Rock & Polish just became my one. It’s everything I want in a nail shop: relaxing environment with modern/​industrial chic décor, friendly service, tea or water offered upon arrival. But most importantly, the work was perfect. I see a few complaints about chipping or whatever, but if you choose to try this place I would urge you to ask for Kate. Kate is fantastic, takes her time and then your cuticles are on point.

Got a gel manicure done at Rock & Polish this morning and love it so far!
Pros:
— Great phone and in person customer service
— Close to home
— Cute décor
— Were able to fit me in last minute
— Offer a beverage
— Nice nail tech
— Took time to shape my nails
— Love the color!
As other people said, while a little spendier than your average place, I am happy to pay a little more if it leads to a better quality of life for the nail techs. It would be a hard job to have!

I moved from the North Bay to the East Bay and had been looking for my new go to salon for several months. Then I found Rock & Polish…
Pros:
1. Efficiency in online booking
2. They keep my cc stored so I don’t have to wreck my nails paying for my services afterward
3. Tips can be added to the cc receipt.(many other salons want cash tips)
4. If you book your mani /​pedi at the same time, they can arrange for 2 techs to work on you at the same time. I’m in an out of there in an hour or less :) I love the efficiency of this versus other salons that take 2 hours for a mani/​pedi because they aren’t organized
5. Great quality of work and high end products. Always new bottles of polish. I don’t see the techs adding polish remover to the bottles to make the polish last longer like I’ve seen in other salons
6. The staff are always friendly
7. Chic, hip salon with music and art work displayed and very clean
8. They offer a drink with your service (added nice touch)
9. Prices are about the same or a little higher than other salons but they often offer specials and the efficiency of having 2 techs work on me at once cuts down the time I need to spend getting my nails done; so that is worth a little extra to me
10. Owner always remembers me. Seems like a solid business woman
Cons:
There are none

Awful customer service. Sorry rock and polish I so wanted to like you since I live across the street. The nail technician was friendly but the customer service so bad I’ll never go back.

What a dream! Once you have experienced this atmosphere it’s hard to go anywhere else. There are very few times I get to really unwind and at Rock & Polish I’m able to be in my zone. The owner, Ann, makes you feel at home. I know I’m always in good hands when I go there.

Looking for hip new nail salon and decided to them out! First, the receptionist couldn’t give us a price for services or tell us the services offered (directed online). Second, our appointment was at 5:30 we didn’t get into a chair until well after… we sat with our feet in water just water… One lady start on me while my friend waited for another 10 minutes… Third, no foot massage no lotion… Nothing! The décor was quite nice along with the music… But I don’t think I’ll be back!

Enjoyed their mani/​pedi ! Gel is great and lasts for 2 – 3 weeks. I only wish they had a proper drying station for regular polish (currently using small fans) but gel drys quickly with OPI light. The facility is clean and has a great ambiance.

This was my go-​to nail salon when I lived in Oakland — now that I’ve relocated, I’m still on the hunt for a place like Rock & Polish!
It’s best to make an appointment, as they don’t always have space for walk-​ins. (You can make them online or over the phone.) The staff are always welcoming and warm, and the location has huge windows which let in a lot of sun. There’s always a great selection of gossip mags (an essential ingredient to my pedicures), along with regularly updated polish colors.
I’ve always had great pedicures here, which have included some of the best foot massages I’ve ever received. They use bowls that can be removed and cleaned between customers — this means a lot to someone who’s read too many horror stories about uncleaned bowls! The nail technicians always seem to be in a good mood, check in with you throughout the process to make sure everything is to your liking, and don’t rush you out the door when your toes are drying.
I love this place so much that I will make time to get pedicures every time I’m in the Bay to visit friends! I can’t recommend them enough.

Going to Rock & Polish is like finding a luscious mirage.
Let me explain. The ambiance is beautiful. Great music, cool art, endless colors and magazines to keep you entertained. Super clean. But, then the ambiance is a bit broken by the service.
My first walk-​in visit was absolutely wonderful. But the last of my 2 visits was unpleasant. And here’s why:
My appointment was at 9am. I walked by and the door was locked. I saw some people running around, but I figured I could go grab my phone in my car and come back. Wrong.
A few minutes after 9am (i.e. walked ½ a block to my car and back), I walk in as one of two clients. I let them know I’m there and I start perusing colors, when the woman at reception tells me that they need to start immediately. A bit pushy, but okay. I grab a few colors and head over to my seat.
This seemed to be one of those hurry up and wait situations, since there still wasn’t much ready for me (i.e. no manicurist, no bucket, etc). However, I’m trying to be compliant, so I look at my nail polish colors in my chair and fiddle with my phone. A few minutes later they get started, and my service is pretty rushed. I sit in the chair, I have two women working, no massage (which was supposed to come with my service) and none of the fancy lotions I was presented on my prior visit.
Less than ½ an hour later my mani and pedi is done. The rush was not only evident in the timing, but I had nail polish all over my hands and feet. I asked them to clean it up a bit and they gladly complied.
At this point, I was feeling more stressed than when I came in and was already feeling a bit uncomfortable conversing with the receptionist… who then proceeded to announce my entire tip amount to the the entire salon.
While I still offered a 15% tip, I didn’t think the service merited the tip. Nor was it worth a confrontation in front of the entire store, so I felt a little bullied into providing a tip for mediocre (at best) service. Also, I wasn’t trying to cause a scene at a nail salon. It was really uncomfortable, a bit stressful and as a result– I can’t recommend and won’t likely go back.

After 5 years of trying many nail salons here in Oakland, I have found my jewel! They were so accommodating from setting up the appointment to getting us started. I appreciated the honesty of color selections as most places, will just go with your request. Here, the women looked at skin tone, event, outfit, etc. before making color recommendations.
I absolutely loved their décor! Every detail of this place is carefully put together for a tasteful design that makes it a different experience than your standard nail/​shop. If only they added cocktails, I would like here every two weeks! But I digress.
My only gripe is the price tag, running far more expensive than any other places I have tried. However, in this case, you get what you pay for. My pedicure and manicure passed the two week mark without a single scratch or chip. Incredible!
Look forward to rocking some more of this polish!

You pay for quality here! I just had my nails done by Hannah, and the attention and advice she provided regarding my manicure was pretty awesome! A little overpriced, my normal manicure came out to 19 $ before adding gratuity, but well worth it. I guess now I’ll have to see how long this manicure lasts, but as of right now I am100% satisfied! Also, I walked in at 3:15pm on a Sunday without an appointment and they were able to take me in within 10 minutes. Great service here!

I love this place, and after just one visit, I am never going anywhere else. I think all I need to say is this: the manicure I received there lasted eight (8) days. At most other places I’ve tried, I’ve made it three, maybe four, days TOPS.
They also squeezed me in right before closing sans appointment because they knew I was leaving for a conference the next day and needed my digits looking legit. Rock & Polish, I love you!

I come here on the regular! Love the array of colors they have. All of the ladies here are great with service
The only negative I have is the last two times Ive been in, they have cut my nails too short after I say no clipping the nails just file them down. They still tend to make them too short so you see more skin of the toes than nail.
But all in all this place is very clean and friendly.

I’ve been coming here pretty regularly since my first review primarily because I appreciate the atmosphere and cleanliness of the shop, but I feel like it’s slowly becoming just another nail shop with a higher price tag. They are consistently behind when it comes to appointments and the receptionist’s attitude is pretty much ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Customers are expected to be 5 minutes early for appointments yet I’ve been taken 15 minutes late for at least my last 5 appointments. On my most recent appointment I wasn’t offered water, tea, or a mimosa. There was also a price increase and I wasn’t notified when I made my appointment over the phone. Yes, it was only a few dollars but I do think customers should be notified prior to receiving the service. They still do nice work but it’s not as meticulous as when they first opened.
P. S. I’d definitely avoid making an appointment at the end of the day. The lighting is not the best and I think the nail tech had a hard time seeing because she didn’t get all of the polish off my cuticles and I felt super rushed.

Was really wanting to try this place out. It had glowing reviews, near my place, and it’s my birthday in a few days… Booking and paying for an appointment was easy with it online!
Came in and asked if the nail techs can do nail designs or 3-​D art. They don’t, but I was told to ask the nail tech directly. The nail tech and I went through a few pictures that I was wanting until we found one that she was able to do.
Long story short, she put on 3 gel coats of different colors, had to take off the entire nail set and start all over because she wasn’t able to do it.
Pluses, the staff was super nice! The nail tech apologized and was very sweet.
Down side, instead of sitting through the whole process with a different color and/​or design, I’m left with a boring gel nail set that I really want to scrape off right now…
Tip: find out thoroughly if the nail tech can do the design before spending an extra hour and a half re-​doing the mess ups…

Rock & Polish has been my go-​to place for my waxing needs as of late, with the occasional mani/​pedi. The lady behind the front desk is always welcoming and provides good customer service. Annie does the waxing and she does a great job at a great rate. The ladies that do the mani/​pedis do a great job as well. And I believe if you are getting over $ 25 worth of service, you get a mimosa!

What an adorable place! I went to get manis and pedis with a girlfriend, and we were looking for a great nail salon close in Oakland. Mani/​pedi combo costs $ 45.
Pros:
— Incredibly friendly service and aestheticians: Great vibe of seemingly very happy people. Also, everybody was incredibly helpful
— They serve mimosas!
— They host parties! They were setting up for a birthday party as we were leaving, and they set up a great spread of cheeses, cured meats and dips.
Cons:
— It is a bit small and there are only 6 pedicure chairs. You’ll want to call ahead for an appointment, especially during the weekend

Bought s groupon and came here for a pedicure. The staff was courteous and the pedicure was pretty good. I like their location since it is very convenient for me. Also, their service is pretty decent and they have open availability for pedicures. I would come back for sure!

Hmmmm… I don’t know now. They got rid of one of the owner/​managers and seemed to have cleaned house of a lot of the manicurists that I actually liked.
The new woman behind the desk, the owners «best friend» receptionist is pretty rude and gossipy and I just wasn’t really feeling her vibe.
The rest of the staff were so-​so and didn’t seem as professional or on top of it as the girls that they got rid of.
Then to top it off, when my man went in another day, he said they were super flirty with him (they totally knew he is a taken man and have seen him with me). Not professional at all.
Keep your comments, gossip and questions about my mans personal life to yourself ladies. Not appropriate to act like dogs in heat when your job is to clean his nails quietly. Mmmkay?!
Won’t be coming back.