The Braid Bar

Rika is a very sharp and intelligent young entrepreneur who is an expert at braiding! Unlike many braiders who are mean & control freaks. Rika has a heart of gold. is really laid back, creative, kool & friendly. She was also very patient with regards to working out a style that fit my budget. To top it off, Rika is the fastest braider I have ever met. she literally can braid twice as fast as anyone else! I highly recommend «The Braid Bar»
Thank you Rika! With Gratitude and Grace, Y :)

I love my hair!
For months now I’ve been wanting my hair braided and couldn’t find a decent place in Boston to do the job, but thankfully upon moving back to the Bay Area I knew there would be a bunch of options.
A search on Unilocal pointed me to The Braid Bar and I called a few weeks ago to make an appointment.
I figured it was best to start the new year with a head full of gorgeous braids.
Vivian did a great job braiding my hair and I was out in about 5 hours (which is nothing considering the longest I’ve spent in a hair salon was 11 hours once durning college).
The great thing about Braid Bar is that they have samples of braid widths that you can choose from if you’re not sure what size and length you want them.
The best part is that they are open on Sunday’s. I wish that more salons opened Sunday’s because it’s the perfect day to get your hair done.
Other notes:
–Cash only
–Street parking
–They sell hair for braiding and weaving

I waited a bit to write this review so this is my true, honest opinion. I went to Drue who works in The Braid Bar and specializes in weaves and sew-​ins; I found her on StyleSeat (an app that let’s you search for stylist in your area). I purchased a lace frontal wig (full unit) so I could just wear it and not have to sew or glue it down and wanted to have someone professional install it so it would lay flat.
Our initial interaction was great! I called her and she was super polite on the phone; I needed and appt for Saturday, but the only thing available on StyleSeat was an appt for Friday. She assured me that if I booked the appt for Friday that would just secure my place, but that I could come in on Saturday since it was more convenient for me.
As the appt got closer I called her to confirm that I could still come in on Saturday. Called Thursday morning, no answer. Left a message. Being that the appt was technically scheduled for Friday I was a little nervous that she would forget our verbal agreement that I could come in on Saturday instead so a little panicked I called again Thursday afternoon. She answered… and because I really needed my hair done in time for my vacation I agreed to just miss work and come in on Friday.
I went in for my appt on Friday and I had a great experience. She was super polite and we had great conversation. After braiding my hair down she attempted to put the wig on but struggled to get it to stay on. The wig came with an adjustable strap and clip on the back. After a few attempts so told me she was going to have to sew it down on the sides and that I would need to go out and purchase more clips and another adjustable strap so she could put it on the wig for me. I agreed to this because I had no clue how securing a wig worked. The wig definitely wasn’t secure on my head and was already sliding back before she finished. She informed me that I could come back on either Sunday or Monday and she would finish the work on the unit; that meant cutting off the rest of the lace, sewing on the clips and elastic band, and styling the hair so I could take it off when I want. She even said she’d be happy to go out and purchase the material for me, seemed like a good fit for me so I agreed to return so we could fix it. She charged me $ 45 for the braids and the work she did, I left her a $ 15 tip for her good service.
Here’s where things went left… so I called her Saturday to confirm that I could still come in on Sunday. No answer. Texted her to ask as well. No answer. A little frustrated I just assumed I could go on Sunday and wait until she had an opening to fix my unit, I assumed it would be a quick fix since most of the work was already done. By the end of Saturday my wig had shifted from barely sitting at my hairline to completely exposing my braids so I really needed to have it fixed.
I went out to purchase the items the night before and headed to the shop around 10:30AM. I wasn’t the most comfortable going because we didn’t have an official appt set, but I showed up anyway. She hadn’t arrived yet, but the staff was very welcoming and told me to give her a call and see when she’d be arriving. Called. No Answer.
She arrived about 20 minutes later and was a little shocked to see me. I told her that we agreed to fix the rest of the unit, but she let me know that she was really booked [and as she counted her fingers to see how many appts she had that day] and that I should return maybe around 5. But wait, she wasn’t sure because she wanted to see if some of the other stylist in the shop could help her with her clients so she could leave early. I was confused, so should I come back at 5? or 4? Or when? She then went on to say that I should walk with her to the Café down the street so she could get food before her first client and we could talk about it. Um, why do I need to accompany you to get food if we are discussing business? Okay whatever, I still had faith in her so we walked.
When we got there I was explaining to her that it wouldn’t be much work to do since I only wanted to add the elastic band. As I am talking to her she was consistently texting (even asked me how to word something she was trying to tell someone). I found it funny that she was on her phone that much, but couldn’t answer or return my calls or text. So the little attention she did give me during this conversation she suggested that I «go on Youtube or use glue» to figure out how to get my wig the way I wanted it. Really, YouTube? Glue? Neither or which were ever an option for me. She basically didn’t want to bother with me or my wig situation that she started and didn’t finish. I was so frustrated at this point so I decided to just leave. I went home and taught myself to sew and applied my wig. It stays on very secure now with no glue and only sewed once on each side.
Overall, Drue is a sweet girl and I truly feel she does great work, just not for me this time unfortunately. I hope to find a stylist soon.

This was my first time coming here and I will be back!!! I came in for my appointment it was scheduled at 9:30 and we started at 10 she was finished at 1:30 she was quick and she also asked me if I was tender had it which I am very tender hate it but I’ve got my hair braided dozens of times so I didn’t mind that she needed to pull my head slightly to braid my hair and I’ve been through this many of timesshe was very pleasant and we had a great conversation she also offered me like water and was very kind she also had another lady there helping her braid just also to help speed up the process! I have never had my hair braided so quickly and neatly I was so surprised that my hair was done so fast and so beautifully! I would totally recommend coming here to anyone who doesn’t want to sit in the chair for a long time !! I believe I saw rika but she is amazing! And fast ! She definitely just gained a new customer!

If I could give more stars I would these ladies are freaking Amazing they are all so talented and make you feel like you are at home you will have so much fun getting your hair done you will forget where you at the name is so perfect for this company because it truly feel like I’m out at a bar getting my hair done because it’s so much laughter and gossip going on Paris is the bomb! I text her when I was in need of getting my hair done and that same day she booked me on her day off now talk about excellent customer service she is so genuine and talented she is a very sweet lady I was so happy I met her these guys will forever have my service I recommend everyone to come to the bar and get your hair on fleek!!! Because these ladies will have you walking out looking like money!!! Thank you ladies so much for an incredible experience can’t wait to book my next appointment!

If I could give a ten star review I would! I have been getting my hair done by Paris for the past two years! From curls to flat irons, weaves to braids! She simply just knows exactly what to do to make you look AND feel beautiful! The fact that she’s so skilled in so many different aspects of the hair game makes it easy for me to only allow one person in my head for all my different styles! I wish I had begun going to her much sooner because my previous hair stylist was pretty much ruining my hair and making it fall out and I can see the DRASTIC change since being a client of Paris! The atmosphere of the shop is very nice and conversation between us is always great! My appointments with Pairs are far beyond a simple hair appointment but a magical little experience! Def my stylist for life! I highly recommend her if you are looking for someone who can do it all!
Sidenote: I love the fact that she’s flexible always does her best to squeeze me in whenever I need! Def a plus for someone with a unpredictable schedule!

I’m so glad I found this place! It’s right around the corner from my house and definitely the best braid shop i’ve ever been to. The salon is so cute and always clean, and everyone that works there is super friendly. Rika is my girl and never gets frustrated with me and my crazy hair ideas :) She’s the BEST. Definitely the place to go in the bay area for your braids.

I’ve come to the Braid Bar a few times now and I. Love. It.
The shop is clean and Rika always asks exactly how you want your hair and checks in with you while braiding. She can talk and braid at the same time and doesn’t scream or smack gum in your ear. She also braids neatly, but I don’t have to worry about not having any edges. Coming here, I pay more than what I did at my previous braider, but for the cleanliness and time she takes brushing my (natural) hair out and just generally being pleasant, like she actually appreciates my business… I don’t mind at all.

I have never left a review before, but my experience here definitely deserved one. For starters, I called at the last minute asking for a sew in. I called on Sunday and was in on Monday for an event on Tuesday. They stylist Drue was sweet as can be. She was late showing up, but traffic was terrible, so you can’t blame anybody for that. While I was waiting, the other ladies in the shop offered me water and snacks, and were very helpful/​friendly. I brought my own hair in but it wasn’t enough, so she went with me to a beauty supply store and helped me pick out a good brand of hair, and prevented me from buying some cheap hair (that I probably would have ended up getting if she wasn’t there with me because I don’t really know any better). Once we got back, she listened to what I wanted and explained my options. Throughout the entire time she made sure I was comfortable and she actually did the style that I wanted. Normally stylists pretend they listen and end up making you look like a mess. My hair came out AMAZING. I have had a few sew ins and none of them have come out this good! Thank you Drue for your masterpiece! Unfortunately I am moving back to Texas next week, but if I were staying in the Bay Area I would come back here for all of my hair needs. All the way from Vacaville! Once I can figure out how to post pictures on here, I will share the pictures of my hair (:

Update: I went back to the Braid Bar today. The owner Rika had offered me a discount from our last experience which was wonderful. Pauline twisted my hair and she was AMAZING! I’m so pleased with the outcome AND it took her under 5 hours, which is crazy because I have a LOT of hair! I’ll definitely be back.

Rika is the stylist I usually go to for my braids. She good and quick, which is important since braids could take long depending on style. I would recommend her to a friends…

Not sure what Sara or Rhonda below are talking about. Sounds like they were having a bad day (or dealing with some personal issues) as this is the best braiding salon in the Bay Area by far… and I’ve experienced service from MANY braiding salons.
I constantly am changing my hair from the style to the color to the length. After years and years of hair altercation processes (extensions [sew ins, u-​tip glue ins, micro loop, tape-​ins], wigs, hair straightening treatments (Brazilian blowouts, keratin treatments), color processing, etc… I decided to go with something different.
I’ve had a compulsion to get a full set of braids for awhile and I finally decided to pull the trigger. I talked to the owner Rika yesterday, who took his time to discuss different options and fit me in her schedule.
Let me tell you, Rika is a hair GODDESS. After a full consultation, we decided on the style, length, part style, and every other detail to ensure we were on the page. It seems nowadays hair stylists have a tendency not to listen and do what THEY want, but not Rika. She was patient, listened, and replicated the exact image I had in mind. Not to mention, Braid Bar has a large selection of hair and she took her time to color match my hair perfectly.
The Braid Bar is officially my new hair spot. From the customer service to the talent, they are all around the perfect salon. THANK YOU Rika & The Braid Bar for hooking it up. You will be seeing a lot of me ;)

Yes I to booked with Braids by Char and yes i got the same poor attitude and I actually made an appt with her but never confirmed so it being a couple days before my birthday I was in a panic! I called around quickly and crying the braid bar owner tried to fit me in the next day!?! What!?! She even texted me that night to gave me choices when to come in that weekend oh and btw it was Labor Day weekend so that Sunday after 5hrs not 7 or 8 like usual I was done and off to Vegas for my birthday! My braids are very neat and gorgeous. I love this place and will be getting my braids done here from now on many many thanks and blessing to Pauline she is the sweetest lady

Drew at Braid Bar was awesome! She did a fast and tidy job and made my idea look great! I’ve never had my hair braided in corn rows before and I think it might be a new trend for me. I forgot to give her my business card so Drew, you can find me at
and on FB at
and Instagram under SuperSugarRayRay, let’s collaborate!

Both of my girls (12 and 16) have had box braids done here and Rika is amazing. We came in with no knowledge of extension braiding and she walked us through the process as well as showing extreme patience with our lack of knowledge. The entire staff is always friendly. We are now back for natural corn rows and again she does amazing work! I highly recommend.

Nice girl. Conversation was good. My braids were beautiful, however, they fell out during the first week. That was definitely not worth the $ 200+ I paid. A braider should know that braids need to be smaller in areas where the hair is shorter to prevent slippage. I took my braids out in the 2^nd week because I was unable to hide the areas where the braids had fallen out.
I would not recommend her to anyone with short hair.

I am really excited about this shop! Rika was so great to communicate with, I was able to message her multiple times on facebook and send her pics of the type of style that I wanted and she answered all my questions. When I got to the shop I only had to wait a few minutes which is rare for hairstylists lol. She had demo braids and twists in a glass case that we could use to discuss pricing based on size. She really took her time and listened to what I wanted! For the longest time I have been saying I don’t want a lot of hair added in doing my braids and twists but people just keep putting too much hair and braids and my head ends up looking crazy full. Well Rika really executed what I wanted! And she was able to do it quickly for a fair price.
The shop itself was very clean and beautifully decorated with a tv she was happy to give me the remote for. Everyone was professional and friendly. I noticed they do makeup and have a weavologist that does hair color and cuts as well. Very cool place. I will definitely be back and tell my friends who are tired of lazy or ghetto work in someone’s living room :)

So, today was the Re-​Grand opening for The Braid Bar, and of course I was in attendance it looked beautiful inside. The braid Bar is definitely regal and elegant! I have been coming to this shop since it opened three years ago and never had a bad experience! the tranquil atmosphere is very inviting! Rika is the talented diva that does my hair! I love you Rika!

I just got my hair braided about a week ago and this was my first time there. The Unilocal reviews proved to be right and I am highly satisfied!!! Everyone was so warm
& inviting. The shop was very professional & clean. My hair looks awesome and my braider was so fast! I’ve been getting compliments left & right. Needless to say, I’ll definitely be going back.

RIKA!!! Is the
!!! I had a hair emergency and she quickly accommodated us and hooked my daughter up! And we made an appt. for Saturday for a different style!