As the "aughts" draw to a close, it's hard to avoid fixating on growth and change, constancy and touchstones. (Maybe easier to avoid if you're not a sentimental sap, or maybe you're a buddhist? Or an alcoholic?) I have a new hair salon. No longer the grungy, messy-haired frump who haunted the Haight for much of the decade, jealously guarding dead-ends and tilting at windmills, I am now a grown-up lady with a bike commute, vegetarian cookbooks, and premarital cohabitation in an upstairs flat. The kind of lady with bangs and layers, no visible roots, and a spare bedroom used as an office. After molting most of the trappings of the unmoored disconnected years, I find only the most solid touchstones remain. The "real" friends, the good habits, the simple whiskey and soda. And Shelley, the watchful custodian of my bangs and layers, the artiste of my dark-but-in-a-chic-not-morbid-way perfect semipermanent. She does it right, every time, since the first time a half-decade ago I walked into the Shelley and Christopher show* in an upper Haight salon, a recent grad with no sense of self, and she expertly applied some shape and identity to this cabeza. My hair is always realistic and sustainable and right for my face, and I can trust that it won't go horribly wrong, which is a relief and a rare thing if you can find it. Shelley will tell you if what you think you want will lead you astray, and you can trust her to be right, if you know how to trust (it's a hard thing to learn.) Change is good. I'm into embracing change in a grown-up way, and when you open yourself to change, sometimes you get a bright, airy loft salon with happymaking fenestration and free wine (free wine! get in there!) And because they're no longer held down by the Man, Shelley (and Christopher, if you're looking for him) can now cut your hair into the evening hours, at times mutually beneficial. Change = freedom. *Background for the uninitiated: Shelley and fellow stylist Christopher created a cult following over the last 6 or so years in a little back mezzanine at the upper Haight Pure Beauty store. Characterized by showtunes, gay-phernalia, perverts, pop culture redux and naughty words, their banter made our hairstyling ritual into a smoking patio for the freaks and geeks. Pure Beauty corporate overlords were and continue to be a drag, and if you're looking for them, S & C have made the happy move to this much more attractive Mission salon. read more

Nothing special about this place. * My wait time was longer than the time that was spent on the cut. * My stylist was drunk on wine. * Too expensive for the service I got. I felt ripped off. read more

So this review is a long time coming. I went to get a hair cut there just after it opened which was more than 2 or 3 years ago. I was quite surprised to see such raving reviews because my experience took years to erase. Unfortunately time has erased the name of the stylist but on the ill fated day i dropped in for a hair cut without an appointment (i lived a block away) and a gentleman agreed to see me. I wish he hadn't! I had mid length, thin, straight hair so one would assume that thinning sheers would never be used on it. It was a surprise then that the hair stylist ONLY used thinning sheers to cut all of my hair! As this was going on, and it wasn't looking any better than it sounds, I kept thinking that he must have a bigger plan but then when it all stopped I was stupefied. My hair was now less than chin length and with some very short and some longer hairs all over the place with no shape or form. When I went to pay they did not except cc so i was asked to bring back cash. I still don't know why i went back or payed, I was probably in shock. I guess I had a little hope that the mess could be fixed so i did go back and asked the stylist to make some changes as I directed. It was still awful though and I left. I went directly to another salon! By this time the salon that tried to fix it had very few options as it looked like it was cut by a 2 year old. Actually it took a very long time for the hair cut to be completely erased by subsequent hairstylists as patches with very short hair in weird places took a long time to catch up to the rest of my hair and I did not want to shave it all. read more

This is the best salon I've found in the Bay Area. Everyone is so friendly here! I started going to Tiffany over a year ago. She listens to me when I ask for something specific and gives perfect suggestions when I'm not sure what I want. I highly recommend her. So thankful I found this place! read more

The French girl goes to see Kellee, because Kellee is the only hair stylist in this beautiful city who does the job like a Parisian stylist, and a good one. She's open minded enough to understand that a Parisian girl doesn't need a color, she needs a cut, that she wants to wash and go, she doesn't want to look too prepped, she wants to look naturally perfect and on top of it, she wants a cut that grow out beautifully. And Kellee does just that, every time, without failing, ever. She even found a way so I got the choice every morning between the French gamine cut AND the loose French bun. Aw. I moved out of the city in another city full of hair stylists, but I will enthusiastically cross the bridge to have my hair styled. je recommande cette styliste a toutes les petites parisiennes, elle est super! read more

I've been here a few times over the past few months, and my experience has been kind of meh. It's a good haircut, but not as good as the price would lead you to believe. The setting is great (quiet side street with nice big windows), and they do all the right things (wine, tea, friendly). It's just that none of the hair cuts I've gotten here have really made me excited, and they haven't drawn compliments. I guess my advice would be: you can find a place in the city that is either: (a) cheaper; or (b) better. read more

The one-star reviews for this place are hilarious. Seriously, go look at Ian's profile and tell me that's not a miserable human being. This place is awesome. Friendly staff, Anthony is a champ. An extremely casual atmosphere paired with professional execution. Did I mention the dog? Because there's a cute-as-hell little dog running around (read: meandering from client to client trying to climb into their laps while they get a haircut). Prices are good, and the space itself is very open and well-kept. Do yourself a favor and book an appointment here. read more

Yelp is amazing! I just moved to SF from Atlanta and was nervous to try out a new salon. I mean, how do you find a decent salon and stylist if you don't know anyone to recommend one to you? Yelp is the answer. After pouring through Yelp reviews of salons in my area I decided to try Ginger Rubio. I made an appointment with Melody. She refreshed my color and gave me a great cut. It's fun and stylish. I feel like a different person. She even gave me a few tips on how to meet new people in SF. Thanks, Melody :-) read more

Although Shelley Crowley is a styling goddess, referring to her as my "hairdresser" seems almost demeaning at this stage. I have been a dedicated patron of hers for over four years now. In fact, she was one of my very first successful discoveries off a Yelp talk thread, back when Yelp was a wee yelpie baby. At the time, I was desperately seeking a moderately priced stylist for my waist-length, thick, wavy hair and was directed to Pure Beauty on Haight by the lovely likes of Megan W and Nicole C. I made the appointment by phone and had Shelley promise that she would stay true to her $50 quote to cut my long ("It's really really long," I insisted) hair. Of course, she let out an audible gasp the day of my appointment when she removed the rubber band off my bun and let the hair drop. Today that anecdote is tucked away in the annals of our hair-cutting history (only to be shared with anyone else who happens to get his/her hair chopped on the same day as mine :) ), but four years, a $15 price hike, and a new salon later, our relationship endures. I feel like I can always count on Shelley for not only a great cut, but also for honest no-nonsense advice. RR: I want to keep my hair long but do something dramatically different! SC: Um, you can't--not unless you want pornstar hair that takes 3 hours to style every day. RR: I want hair like that! [points to poster] SC: Um, that's not real. RR: Will you give me extensions? SC: You?! No WAY! RR: I feel like chopping my hair off today. SC: If you want me to chop it off, go home and think about it. I'm only chopping it off if you come back and still want to! She not only cuts my hair, she allows me to reserve TWO hours per appointment instead of the typical one since that's how long it takes to blow-dry and straighten my hair. Mind you, I don't get charged an extra cent for this special treatment. Over the last four years my hair has gone from completely blah, excessively long and ratty, with horrible orange stripes, to long-layered, cute bangs-ed, shiny and healthy...all thanks to Shelley. Moreover, I'm so thrilled to have visited her at Ginger Rubio, her new salon. The space is a lovely two-story loft in a fun, ever up-and-coming area of the mission. The other stylists on hand are awesome (here I have to interject that the other awesome part of getting hair done by Shelley is being party to the ridiculously awesome two-man show of Shelley and her buddy/fellow stylist Christopher who has also come to Ginger Rubio). At the new studio, you get all the awesomeness of Shelley without any of the corporate micromanagement of Pure Beauty. (Not to mention you get all gussied up in Bumble&Bumble products!) Of course, none of this explains why I'm loathe to call her my hairdresser. For that, I have to invoke tales of Yelp Christmas parties, a plane flight with drunk retards, fake Chinese in drag, a magical wine glass that never ran dry (first time at Ginger Rubio ;) ), and some badass tacos... For all those reasons and many more, I am proud to call Shelley much more than my hairstylist--she is my friend! read more

I stormed into Ginger Rubio about 15 minutes early to find a pretty small shop. I immediately felt at home there and as if I had walked in and was warmly invited into some great conversation and fun. I sat down with Melody for my first haircut at GR and said, life and love are weird, unemployment is finally over, I'm going on a trip to a fancy theater premiere, I'm going to see lots of ex-boyfriends and college alums there, and I need to feel fabulous. Can you do it? Can you do it with my already pretty short, thin, and 80s-waved hair? Please?! She was unfazed by this overwhelming task and kept assuring me that when I left, I would without a doubt feel like a million bucks. With little direction, she designed a killer cut, that four weeks later still looks amazing. She was so fun to chat with, the price was fair, the cut was unbeatable, and when I left that salon my chin was held much higher than before. read more

I was referred to Heather Caruso by a friend who is VERY particular about his hair. Heather does not disappoint. (Also, I rarely ever give out 5 stars). Now, my haircut is pretty standard/doesn't require a ton of attention to detail. Or so I thought. After seeing how my hair turned out, I'll always expect a stylist who pays this much attention to detail. Heather is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, and you can see i when she's doing your hair. She double and triple checked to make sure my hair looked good from every angle, and took several opportunities to check in with me for suggestions, and to make sure I was happy with the way things were going. What more could a customer ask for? Heather was completely professional, and is passionate about what she does. I highly recommend her - you won't regret it! read more

I meant to do this the first time I came but better late than never. EVERYONE COME HERE. No, but seriously. I personally come to the amazing miss Heather Caruso because its like she reads my mind and interprets what I want into something better than what I wanted. A cut that's... Me. And that's rare. I don't want a (insert celebrity name here) haircut. I want my hair to compliment me and who I am. I feel so much confidence when I leave his place and I just want to share that with all of San Francisco read more

Kelle is amazing! My hair ALWAYS looks great weeks later. Like, an eternity later. And her dog is so cute, to boot! read more

Kelle Schlax is like the Style Demon! People tell me I have crazy hair. Like, a nappy african jungle jew fro, or something. Unconventional professional men's haircuts are somewhat challenging & often unsatisfying. A few seasons ago she gave me this 80s style freaux hawke. It was the best hair cut I've ever sported. It was down right bad ass. Since then, I've been back for her taming wizardry & styling sorcery...and for the house wine....and for the other lusty ladies on staff...and their dogs... The vibe in the salon is also something special; serenely electric, much like the heart of the Mission, herself. I've grown to have such a good rapport with the salon that I've actually flown a few of the girls down to LA to style some shoots for me & it's been radical, to the point where my expectations are consistently exceeded. Thanks Kelle! & Wendy! & Tiffany! & Katie! & Bissie! Oh yeah, and her shampoo massage makes me drool. : ) read more

I absolutely love this salon!!!! I just got home from getting my hair cut, and the first thing on my to do list was to write this Yelp review. I don't write many reviews. The moment you walk into Ginger Rubio, you feel a total family vibe. Everyone is laughing and talking. Great music is playing. I was greeted immediately and given wine. :D The layout is very cozy. Lots and lots of natural light, which I love. And the stylists are all naturally gorgeous. Down to the nitty gritty. Anthony Lymon is a master! It's like he was reading my mind, which is good because I am terrible at describing what sort of style I want. He made my hair more beautiful than I thought it could be. I've definitely found my go-to stylist. Plus, he is so sweet and easy to talk to. I can't stand stylists who seem to force conversation with you. Anthony obviously loves what he does, loves his clients and loves San Francisco. Everyone should go here. If you want an unpretentious vibe and people who know what the hell they're doing and will make you look and feel special and gorgeous, this is the place. Bonus: my husband has complimented my hair at least four times within the last half hour. :) read more

Heather did my hair and it is exactly what I wanted. She tidied up my cut and gave me great color. Definitely a color pro. Everyone at this salon seems super nice. Prices are around $70 for a cut and then over $100 for color, so it isn't cheap but the ambiance is awesome and you'll look great every time! read more

Had an appointment with Miss Heather Caruso this afternoon. Was hoping she could fix what another stylist did to me. First visit to this salon, so not sure what to expect. Well, truth be told, I am over the moon tonight! Heather rocked it! I am impressed! She was told exactly what I wanted, and that is exactly what she did. Unbelievable. So it can be done! She turned my totally ugly dye job into a masterpiece! Color, highlights, haircut. I am so grateful to her. I Love Her! I actually look ten years younger. It is amazing what a good stylist can do. Thank you, Heather! I feel so much better about myself. And, FYI, a rather dapper gentleman attempted to pick me up on my walk home! OMG! Instant results! Wow.. You are the best! Thanks so much! read more

Shelley is still my #1 A++++ would visit again girl for curly hair. At this point, I trust no-one else. I even take my husband here for trims and while this venue is completely not his kind of "vibe" he always loves his haircuts. Shelley == awesome. If you have curly hair and you're at your wits end, Shelley is the girl to see. Ginger Rubio folks are friendly and the salon is cool but truth be told, this is purely in praise of Shelley and I'd follow her anywhere. Except maybe Phoenix, Arizona. That town sucks. read more

Awesome space - the corner hair salon sports windows all the way around with 4 chairs and a kitchen in the downstairs. The upstairs is a fun lounge with comfy couches and big sparkling paintings. The stylists came from Glamarama and they only use Davines Italian products. Fancy and it smells sooooooo good. It's a bit pricier than what I had hoped for but the service is amazing and my cut was fantastic. Gotta save up before I come back next time! read more

I've been coming here for about a year and a half and I have nothing but great things to say!! I see Tiffany, who does my cut/style/highlights/color and I've never had more compliments that I can remember. I have seriously been told over and over this last year that I have the best haircut people have seen me with. Even when I'm horrible and lazy and poor and don't go in for too long and show up with giant roots and nasty bangs that needed to be trimmed months ago, I come out looking all shiny and new! Other than Tiffany being pure awesomeness, they are just a fun place to hang around and get your hairs did--they are free with their wine (whoever posted about their stylist being drunk, I've never seen them drinking while having clients, ever), the music's fun, you might run into a random dog, what's not to love. I live in Oakland now and still drive back over when I need to. read more

Ginger Rubio is definitely a great place to get your hair cut. The atmosphere is great and the stylists there are awesome. I went there following Tiffany who has been cutting my hair now for a while now. She gives great cuts and is always very consistent when it comes to my hair. Her personality and style is on point and I always feel like I look so much better on my way out. The corner industrial loft space with its acid washed concrete floors has great windows and is the perfect place to sit relax and have months of over grown hair sheared off. A recommendation for sure. read more

I love this salon. The prices are reasonable and the staff are all fun and full of energy. I go to Tiffany and she is the best colorist I have EVER had. I often get some outrageous colors in my hair and she never hesitates to give me the look I want. The color is vibrant and if they don't have what I'm looking for, she will go out of her way to get it for me. I would highly recommend anyone at Ginger Rubio if your looking for a great haircut and fabulous color. read more

Ask for Kelle, she's a champ. Getting a haircut there really doesn't feel like a haircut. It's like hanging out with some of your most hilarious friends while you all talk sh*t. Best thing is that unlike hanging out with friends - you just happen to walk out looking better than when you walked in. read more

I went to Ginger Rubio after reading some reviews on Yelp. The are locate a few blocks away from my house and I wanted to try them out and I was not disappointed! I went to Kelle and I really liked the cut she gave me. I have curly hair and sometimes it's hard to find people that understand curly hair. I also get a little nervous to have a new person doing my hair but I felt good in there. I would recommend Kelle to my friends and anyone else! read more

Christopher is absolutely wonderful. I followed him from Pure Beauty to Ginger Rubio, and i always leave him with my hair looking 10x better. I have VERY challenging, thick hair, but Christopher makes it feel light and easy. The salon is beautiful. The staff offers a beverage on arrival and they also carry a great selection of Bumble and Bumble products. The staff is super friendly and helpful. read more

I have loved Ginger Rubio for some time, and was surprised when I realized I hadn't yet given them a review. I'm one of those people who only gets a random hair cut a few times a year, and I wouldn't go anywhere else. They really listen to what I need before cutting my hair, then totally deliver. Most recently, Wendy gave me a bang do-over by re-styling the front of my hair in a way that makes it swing like it never has before. I am overjoyed with the service, music, stylists, help staff, and Chester, their darling little mascot. Also, Mr. Anthony is a doll! If you want a great cut, check out Ginger Rubio. read more

I found this salon by accident (across the street drinking a great german beer when it caught my eye). After checking reviews on yelp, I decided to call-in for pricing and availability. I was able to get a next-day appointment- color AND cut with Melody, which is unheard of! The salon is quaint, a good size, friendly environment, and my experience started off with a glass of wine- good start. Melody was immediately attentive- listening to my ideas, adding her expertise, and she was lightening fast with her color. She's also a bad ass- motorcycle chic, Keith Richards book reading, fun personality. I highly recommend her... especially if you want to lighten up your hair without any brassy none-sense. The end result was more than I'd hoped for. I will definitely be going back to her, and am so happy to finally have a good stylist in the city (and close enough to ride my bike to)! GO SEE HER! read more

KELLIE rocks my hairs' world! Not only is she amazingly talented but she makes you want to be her BFF. She's very sweet and funny. I followed here to Ginger Rubio from another salon and I'd keep tagging along if she moved again. My hair is really suborn and she is able to take my almost black hair and make it a lovely white blonde without frying it. She's also quite good with a pair of scissors. read more

I don't do massages...people touching me creeps me out. Unless your'e a hot, tall man there is no way I'm going to give you permission to touch me. Shampoo's are more along my lines of relaxation. I don't mind who touches my dome when I'm gettin' mah hair did! Melody was great and she was cool, engaging and she listened to what I told her about my hair and it's annoying complexities. I went for bangs with a shampoo/blow...and they turned out great!!! Ginger Rubio is highly recommended. Wine while you wait and uber friendly and skilled service. I dig it. read more

I was in desperate need for a haircut and was lucky enough to get an appointment with Tiffany. I have never received the amount of compliments on a new haircut, like I have these past two weeks. Tiffany was great and listened to my concerns and exact style I wanted. Will definitely return for my next haircut! read more

I rarely give reviews hence my busy schedule. Also I didn't see too many dudes like me giving reviews so here goes. Got my haircut by Anthony whom I specifically requested since I saw great reviews on Yelp. Walked in, was immediately greeted by Anthony who was actually doing another client...thought that was a warm gesture and I immediately fell in love with the place. The entire team is sexy, friendly, and gorgeous...but Anthony took the cake! He is THE authority on hair! We shared great stories as he cut my hair and felt like long time friends. He really did make me beautiful and I walked out of with a SEXY, ROCKER, BEDHEAD , JUST HAD SEX, SCREW THE WORLD KIND OF SHAG! Exactly what I was wanting! Thank you, Anthony for being the hair god that you are! read more

Have you ever walked out of the salon and caught yourself mesmerized by your appearance in every reflective surface for the rest of the day because you're seriously hot shit? If you answered 'no' it's because you haven't seen Christopher at GR. After a painful two years of reclaiming my hair's virginity, I went balls to the wall with a glaze, highlights and lowlights. A horrifically messy process, but I can honestly say my hair looks effing amazing. I know I'll get compliments on it! Also, it is THE best space I've seen in a salon ever. The windows are perfect for people watching and everyone in there is so happy to be working and working with each other. I've never felt so happy in a salon (and I didn't even take them up on their wine offering!) I've recommended places/stylists before, but I'll be RAVING about this one for a long time. Xoxoxoxo! Thank you, Christopher. You're eyes are just gorgeous!!!! read more

I finally found a great salon in my hood. I am a bit fussy. I will admit but not a problem for Shelly. She is AWESOME and always knows what do and makes me laugh. She is crazy funny and super nice! I LOVE the cuts she creates for me! What is stopping you from making an appointment with her? She is a hidden gem for sure! read more

I have been styled by Mr. Anthony for almost 3 years now. When GingerRubio was born, I most definitely followed him there! Now featuring complimentary wine, sexy coworkers and a welcoming, open space, my hair-defying experiences are THAT MUCH better! My appointments are about style, gossip and therapy, and as soon as I step out on the town w/ my new 'do, people demand to know who worked that shit out. Mr. Anthony, always Mr. Anthony... read more

Melody and I crack up the whole time she does my hair. We both are FREAKED out by ET, hate when people have skinny knees, and both love blonde hair but cannot commit to maintaining it. I went in there a few weeks ago and asked to fixed my SERIOUSLY mangled color job (did it myself, oops) and she did a bang up job. I also had a BAD mullet growing in, but she made it a HOT mullet! I actually feel like ME again. The crew here is so entertaining, be ready for a comedy act FREE with your haircut/color. They also set me up with some shampoo, conditioner and product to poof up my spiffy mullet and it smells so great and makes my hair soft and glamorous. I love you guys! Count me in as a GR faithful. read more

I'd had some hair trauma. Specifically, a nice blonde SPOT on the side of my head that resulted from a stylist (at some other salon) who must have been using me as his guinea pig. Clearly he wanted to make me look like one. Enough of that. I took inventory of my friends and asked the one with the most consistently cool, creative hair to share her stylist. Here's how it went: I gave Melody at Ginger Rubio a call, she took me in within the week, made me feel comfortable with a nice beverage of my choice, was nice and fun to talk to, and best of all, she listened to what I wanted and made my hair look really good. Fast forward two months. I just got home from my second appointment with Melody and am so happy with my cut & highlight/lowlight that I had to sit down and write a Yelp review. My hair looks way too good to come home straight after class tonight! Oh yeah and she rides a motorcycle, too ;) read more

I am updating the below review because I ended up with way too many/ too short layers (think bangs around my whole head). I am going somewhere else now, but still think if you want that "mission look" this is your place. ************************************************************************** I highly recommend Melody! She give a kick ass hair cut and is always entertaining. Actually the only thing I ever wish was different when I am here is that I wish I was as cool as everyone else seems to be... Tad pricey, but I think with the bang trims and knowing that I am not going to look funky when I walk out it is well worth it. read more

I had a wonderful experience at Ginger Rubio. The staff were very friendly and genuine, and the atmosphere is relaxed but professional. Wendy was a pleasure to chat with and did an excellent job on my cut and color job. I will absolutely be going back! read more

Many's the time I've seen Liz R. emerge from a recent cut, touch-up, or blowout at Ginger Rubio looking damn fabulous. Recently, the time came for me to face my fear and cut my hair short after 13 years of long hair. After much pondering, anxiety, and stylist judgment, I went to Anthony. I joined Liz R. on an appointment and watched him work. He gave me a free consultation and I showed him several reference pics. He seemed to understand my anxiety and it put me at ease. A few weeks later, I went back for "the procedure." Liz R. watched and took pictures as he masterfully retouched my highlights (previously done at home) and a good foot of my hair was chopped to chin-length. When he asked how I liked the highlights, I said I wanted them whiter and he complied without blinking an eye. He also mentioned several times that if I didn't quite like it or wanted to change anything about it, I could wait and see how I liked it and then come back to get it touched up. He took great care with how I felt about the whole process and in the end it seemed I'd spent years working myself up about this short hair thing for nothing. I *love* my cut! It looks amazing when I blow it out myself (as in, "Wow, did you do that yourself?") It looks great with a hat and super cute if I let it dry under a hat. It's even cute/acceptable if I just let it dry on its own...a little crazy, but acceptable (par for the course with my mixed/frizzy hair.) I'm so happy I went to him. Huge change for me with no stress. I totally thought I would cry and didn't! Wine, music (he's also a DJ so the tunes are fun,) gabbing, wonderful attention to detail, and such a sweetheart! read more

I get really stressed out when trying out new salons. I suffer from post-traumatic haircut stress disorder, resulting from horrid experiences with terrible stylists. But I needed something new and refreshing and living in my Mission bubble, I wanted a salon that I can actually see out my window. And also see out the window of my local bar. Cause I am a lazy-ass. My first and only visit (so far) to Ginger Rubio was beyond pleasant. Melody is great. I had a cut and I told her to do what she wants cause basically I'm tired of trying to figure out what is best for me. But really, in all honesty I knew exactly what I wanted, but I kind of wanted to test her so I kept that info to myself. She did exactly what I wanted and I didn't have to ask. She kept the length, layered and textured the hell out of it, served me a glass of wine and provided great conversation. Three weeks later, I still feel like I have had one of the best cuts of my life. I'm getting compliments from all over the place and I love it STILL. Looking forward to the end of month for my trim and full color with highlights. Bravo, Melody! read more