Hands down the best place. All the ladies are so sweet and whatever you want they try their best to GENUINELY accommodate you :) Very Affordable. Love it! read more

Only place I go in PB/SD area. I keep my fingernails au natural so I can only speak for the pedicures, which are great! Only $18 and the massages are at least 20 minutes! Don't expect an upmarket, hoity-toitey salon - it's casual, friendly place! read more

This place is the best to go to in PB! They do an amazing job and their prices are super reasonable! I always leave happy

I didn't catch her name but she was great. You could tell that she was a pro. It Was a great first experience for me. I recommend it. It's inexpensive and nice. read more

Essential Nails - First time done!! She did a great job! - Nail Salons Near Me - San Diego, California

Great, friendly staff! My nails look great. They took their time and did a great job. The massage was also one of the best ones I've had. They're wonderful! I will be back. Thanks! read more

Tammy does a wonderful job with a gel manicure!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! So kind and considerate and detailed! And also so cheap! Amazing!

I just moved to PB and was looking for a new place to get my nails done. I got a gel manicure and a pedicure and left the place happy. The next day one nail completely chipped off and I called them to see if they would fix it and they said to come in the next day. I got it fixed and again left satisfied. Two days later two nails are chipped and 5 days after I got them done 5 of my nails are chipped. Not worth the money I've spent here. It hasn't even been a week and I already need to get them done again. read more

AMAZING people! I usually do shellac manicures and reg. pedicures. Polish won't come off. Unlike other nail salons, they will try to make conversation with you and check that you are satisfied in the work they are doing for you. They take their time doing their work so that it is done right! I have been searching for a salon I love for years! I can finally say I have found it. P.S.: Best massages with manis & pedis! read more

Love the ladies, always so welcoming and they do an awesome mani pedi!!

Seriously LOVE this place! I've been coming here for 5+ years and everytime they give me great service with a great price. They're not overly fancy inside and don't make you feel like you're some creepy housewife up in Beverly Hills like some other overly-pretentious salons in PB and SD in general. Everytime I bring girlfriends here they're pleased as well. Amy is my favorite :) Sometimes they get busy so call for an appt. I'll be a fan for life :) read more

This is place is amazing They are all great I live in la mesa but I don t care I go only here read more

My experience at this salon wasn't as great as everyone else's. The nail tech I had filed my nails and when I left the salon it started bleeding! My nail polish chipped within 2/3 days. Not good! read more

WOW Just had a mani and pedi for Easter with bunnies painted on my toes by Lana. I LOVE the girls here... Tammy does my toes and Adorable Amy leaves my nails Clean and shinny! It's always a pleasure to chat with them in ENGLISH! Carol from PB:) read more

I have had the pleasure of having my pedicures done at Essential Nails for 10+ years!!! No salon between the Bay Area and San Diego do as fine a job as the girls here...True story. The salon is clean, the implements are sterile, their foot massages are to die for...and they do a meticulous job polishing (drying between coats) so your polish lasts until your next pedicure!!!! ALL the nail technicians are professional, kind and very thorough... and the icing on the cake????!? the price is very reasonable....why would you go anywhere else... read more

My daughter and I just had a fantastic experience getting our mani-pedis at this salon. Everyone is super sweet, definitely worth checking out! read more

I love this nail salon. The manicurists are very nice and very thorough. Prices are reasonable. And selection and quality of gel and polish is excellent. It is a small salon, so do call ahead by at least a few hours to make an appointment. read more

Essential Nails is a great place for someone with a busy schedule. They accept walk-ins or appointments. If you are there for a manicure and a pedicure You will usually have two very patient girls attending to your needs. The girls here are very gentle, and artistic. They will make and create your nails to your desired look, color, length, and even apply artistry to them if you desire. If their work doesn't lure you in, their prices will. Best to go during the week, as for going on a Saturday, parking may put you a block away. They are conveniently open 7 days per week, and their is always 4-5 manicurists working on a shift. Donna H. read more

I love love love this nail salon! I have been a customer for about three years now. I always get my nails done by Jessica, I had to go elsewhere when she went on vacation for a couple weeks and I will never cheat on her again! Aside from the quality of her work, this salon is a pleasure to visit. The staff is extremely nice. The biggest complaint that I have heard regarding nail salons has always been that the staff talks in another language and makes you feel as if they are talking about you. Not this place! From the first day that I was a customer, the staff has made an effort to get to know me. I brought my grandma in with me when she visited and the staff still asks me how she is doing. They do not have the chairs for pedicures but that does not take away from the experience for me. The pedicures are still top notch. I would recommend this salon to anyone! I have full confidence that you will love this place. read more

Great service! I was so impressed. Came in on a Friday afternoon around 12:30 after having yelped it. The location is pretty small and they don't have the typical spa chairs. However, all the girls working were very nice (they didn't talk to each other in another language and do the usual make the customer uncomfortable thing). For 22$ I got a french pedicure. The girl was very attentive and spent a long time massaging my legs and feet. I can't wait to go back! It does get pretty busy so call ahead. read more

Highly recommended. Ladies are so lovely and friendly and the service is great value too! read more

Essential Nails - Love my mani pedi! The ladies here are so super sweet and it's such great value. Would recommend them to everyone. - Nail Salons Near Me - San Diego, California

I like getting my nails done here! The ladies don't yell over you..they actually talk to you..unlike many other nail salons. Great prices. It's not the prettiest looking place, but they do an awesome, clean job! read more

I've been coming here for about 10 years and highly recommend these kind ladies. They treat you like family. I've always loved my manicure and pedicure. read more

AH-MAZE-Ing. Did my gel fill for me -- highly highly recommend. My nails were lifting and in terrible shape. Stopped in here on vacation. She took so much extra time to make them just right. They are gorgeous and she was super thoughtful. Also - super inexpensive. Ask For Amy...! read more

I love Essential Nails. Everyone who works there will greet you with a smile and do your nails well. Love going to them for manicures!! I can see why they've been open for 18 years read more

My mani/pedi was more than I expected. The 'regular' manicure lasted through all the Thanksgiving food prep, cooking, and washing for a total of three solid weeks. Easy to become a loyal client with attention to quality so there is real value. read more

They do a good job, especially with french tips. They really take their time. But they don't have shellac, they only use OPI gel polish, and while they tell you gel and shellac are "the same thing, just different brands," this is not true. Shellac is a hybrid between regular nail polish and gel, it's better for your nails than gel and it's easier to remove. They charge $28 for the gel nails. Pedicures are just ok. They get 3 stars because the girls are friendlier than your usual nail salon and because they speak English instead of rudely only chattering in Vietnamese among themselves. read more

These women are fantastic! I was able to get a gel mani/reg pedi without appointment for only $46. They are personable and professional-great shop!! read more

This is an amazing, cozy nail salon with a wide variety of polishes and very friendly staff. The prices are beyond reasonable, including the $1 fee to use a credit card. I wish I had found this salon earlier in my stay here but will definitely go back as soon as I return to San Diego. Today I had the best pedicure EVER! Thank you, Jessica! read more

Owner should invest a few bucks in new decor....but great pedicures. Amy is the best. And they are all bilingual, it's nice to be able to chat. Just needs a bit of sprucing up, it kind of feels like owner isn't very invested. read more

Great service and very friendly people. Came by two hours before closing and they made room for me immediately, even though the schedule was almost fully booked. Gel nails and pedicure, very happy with result and treatment. :-) read more

Called at 6:15 on a sunday night because i finally had the chance to get a mani/pedi. They told me to come in by 7pm. I was so happy and stoked to finally get my nails looking clean and pretty! Amy did my pedi and she is soooo sweet and nice. She introduces herself right away and talks to you instead of all the other ladies like typical nail salons. I cant remember the other ladys name that did my mani but she was so nice as well. It has been 3 weeks now and my mani finally needs to be redone. I constantly wash my hands and dishes all day long and they didnt start chipping until 2 weeks at least. My pedi is STILL good! Eventhough they had me come in last minute before they were closiing they did not rush through anything. Wonderful place! read more

i got my first gel manicure here and love it! the ladies working here are very pleasant and welcoming. i came on a saturday morning and did not have to wait, though i heard it's usually more crowded. the place is clean and comfortable. i'll definitely be coming back here again. read more

So I found them on yelp after I walked past the salon and took their card. After seeing all the stars and comments I decided to make an appointment and they are the sweetest and my thoughtful and caring nail techs I've ever came across! The service is truly amazing and they were really gentle. They're nicely inexpensive but everyone loves my nails. Make sure you make an appointment before you go. I love when I go to a nail salon and don't have to tell them what to do. They have been doing this a very long time and they do take care of you! My new nail place! read more

I came with my daughter and we both had our nails done. First of all, the place isn't that clean looking or perhaps it's just a bit dated. I'm not a health inspector but that was my gut feeling when I walked in. Secondly, the women who did my daughters nails did a really bad job and the polish started peeling away on her toes 2 days later. I wonder if she didn't bother to put a top coat on the toes. Also, she cut the toe nails REALLY short resulting in my daughter getting an ingrown toe nail. My nails were okay, but I would not go back to this salon because I didn't personally like the atmosphere and the nail service/massage was just okay if not subpar. read more

I have tried many places in PB and always keep coming back to this place when I want to look my absolute best. The ladies are really sweet and invest in what they are doing so that the end result is exactly right. They give really nice massages with lotion that smells great and the price can not be beat in PB. Also the best part is that the nail polish they use lasts forever! I never get any chips and one time a pedicure lasted 3 weeks and still looked great. I work in North County and make it a point to drive back to PB just to have them do my nails. Give this place a try and you won't regret it! read more

Walked in, told me to come back in an hour. They didn't ask me if I could come back or maybe even schedule an appointment. Very rude. Went to French Nails down the street and was taken in right away and had an amazing experience. Too bad, Essential. read more

Such a fan!! I'm a hair stylist and for the longest time never got acrylics done and stuck to the shellac polish because it was too much up keep. I Decided to go back to getting a pink and white set after probably 3 years of not having them and went to another nail salon near my work in solana beach and was so bummed with how they turned out. they way too long even after I specified how short i needed them, some were cooked and on a couple I could see my nail underneath almost completely, since it had been so long I wasn't sure if I just wasn't used to it so decided to try somewhere new...I called essential nails before walking in and they were able to take care of me almost immediately. Jessica took care of me and I am so in love with how she did my nails!! I explained to her what I didn't like about what the lady did the first time and she communicated with me the entire time she did my nails to make sure the length, shape and thickness were okay. She even fixed a huge crack one of the nails had gotten in the acrylic without having to replace the nail tip and start fresh. I will definitely be going back to her, my nails look perfect! read more

Love Essential nails. This ladies can be trusted. They remember your name and your preferences.

I used to come here all the time when I lived in San Diego. The ladies in there are so sweet and they always make sure you are taken care of. I never had to wait long - which we all know can easily happen in other salons! I highly recommend them if you're in the San Diego area! read more