My absolute favorite place to get a haircut (for 12+ years). I went here before my wedding and go before any special occasion, it's we'll worth the extra drive for me from Snoqualmie. Ly is amazing, as is all of his wonderful staff, thank you, Hair Excel! read more

5-Year Regular Customer Treated Like S--T by Owner "Ly" (Lee). See my 5 Star Yelp review from June 2, 2023. Replace that with today's review from July 13, 2026 below. I have been getting my hair cut at Hair Excel for about 5 years. My nephew has been going here for about 20 years, so I decided to give it a try in 2023, since I live only two blocks away in downtown Mercer Island. I usually make an online appointment with the "next available" barber in the shop, because they are all very good, but today I had returned late in the day after running errands and decided to stop in for a quick haircut on my way home. I put my name on the sign-in roster, and sat down to wait. And wait. And wait. After waiting 30 minutes, watching a dozen men walk in after me and get promptly served by the 3 barbers working, I decided to leave. As a courtesy, I went to the desk to scratch my name off the sign-in roster. I found that my "completed" page of the roster had been tossed aside by Ly to the left of the register, with my name still open at the bottom of the sheet. He replaced my roster with the new "active" sign-in sheet which already had 4 names of men waiting, who were now ahead of me. Ly never called my name as he tossed my roster aside. He didn't recognize my name as a 5-year regular customer, so he didn't care who the last name on the list was. This demonstrates how little the owner of Hair Excel cares about his recurring source of income. I will never return to this shop due to Ly's condescending treatment. read more

My son needed a haircut as the next day would be his school photo day. He preferred those K-style salons, but most of them wouldn't take walk-ins or same day appointments. He ended up going to Hair Excel as it's near our home. Maybe everyone wanted to get a haircut for the school photos. It was crowded when we arrived. We were asked to leave the name on the waitlist. I was trying to get the owner Ly to do the haircut. Unfortunately, he informed us that he's not currently taking new customers. The wait time wasn't bad, considering there were 3-4 people on the list before us. We waited for only 15 minutes. We got a lady whose name was Hiem. My son showed her the hair style he wanted, and Hiem looked carefully and asked some detailed questions. Hiem took her time cutting the hair. She was very careful and she kept asking my son to make sure that's what he was looking for. Hiem did a great job re-creating the look that my son wanted, but she wasn't quite familiar with the Korean Two Block haircut, so it was similar but not exact. But still, my son was happy with the look. The haircut cost $28 without shampooing, which was quite reasonable. The salon was also quite clean. I am glad that they are willing to take walk-ins. Everyone was friendly. We would definitely come again. read more

Hair Excel - Menu on the wall - Hair Salons Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

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Salon refused to wash and cut my daughters hair because she had tangles and extremely rudely said to me "why don't you brush her hair at home" definitely won't be going back there. read more

Conveniently located on Mercer Island is Hair Excel with the nicest Cosmetologist who are professional, quick, and excellent. I've been going here for about a year now and it's my favorite hair cutting place to go. read more

Online scheduling is only available for men's haircuts. No one responds to chat or text messages requests for appointments even though listed as contact options on the website. Should have taken the signs to go somewhere else but I got an appointment (via phone call) for a women's cut and went. Asked for a trim of 2 inches but the haircut I received was closer to 6 inches shorter, and now I need to go to another salon to get it cut even shorter to fix the uneven, hack job that I am left with. The staff that cut my hair even laughed and said "haha I cut off a lot. Too bad. You had nice hair." read more

What can I say but I consistently good experience that Lee and his team have been cutting my hair for going on 6 to 7 years. I think I can count on one hand the number of times there was a problem I called up he said to come on in he fixed it and problem solved. It really is kind of a nice place to go to get your haircut you get to meet the owner and it's a family run business that does a great job read more

Grossly mismanaged and over-rated. Don't respond after telling to call back in 5 minutes. Walk-ins are sent back. Hair cuts are average at best read more

I had never been to this place before, but I think I found my new regular spot. I saw Hieu on Sunday for a regular men's cut. I had kind of messed my hair up trying to trim it myself at home and she did a bang up job getting me in ship shape. She is a really good barber, and friendly and professional as well. I will be back. read more

Coming here is a real treat. My manicure/pedicure Technician, My Bui, is totally awesome. After I finish I feel totally rejuvenated. She is extremely capable, very gentle, personable, and professional. I have now scheduled a return visit every three weeks. I am so looking forward to it. read more

Been going there for over 10 years. Quick, nice haircuts at affordable price. Ly, the owner, is there most of the time to make sure that customers receive quality services. read more

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience here was very disappointing. I went in for a beard trim and the entire service lasted only about 4 minutes. The barber cut it way too short when all I asked for was to have it shaped. On top of that, it's uneven and not what I wanted at all. For $10, the service was poor, and I wouldn't recommend this place for beard or facial hair grooming. read more

I love this place! The employees are always very nice. They do a great job on my hair at a reasonable price. I always tip over 20%. I really appreciate how fast they come out and are ready to go! read more

Tina squeezed in my color appointment, aand was very nice. I liked the way she helped me choose the right tone for me.

Don't go to hair stylist Tan for a haircut!! She will layer your hair and cut off whole sections of hair at intervals along your scalp while thinning it out!! So, your hair may look okay right after the haircut, but once you touch the inside of your hair at home, you'll realize how absurd it is to thin out hair that way!! Now my hair is filled with hair fragments less than 1 millimeter in length, throughout my entire head. I can't believe how ugly my hair will look when these spiky hairs grow back, and I don't even know how many years it will take for the hair that was cut off to grow back to its original length! Tan is an unprofessional, irresponsible, and lazy hair stylist!! Don't go to her for a haircut!! read more

I have been going to Excel for 8 years and have always been happy. I just realized they open a nail salon so I treated myself to a pedicure being and old buzzard to fat to reach them. I couldn't have been more thrilled. My, the name of my practitioner was so good I bought a gift card for a friend for Xmas. Go there and ask for My. read more

The owner of this shop is very Rud, Arrogant, Impatient. I was trying to cut the hair bang and the result came out is not what I want. I was trying to communicate with the hair stylist. The owner stepped into our conversation and trying to argue with me that this is the hair bang he would cut also. He was also trying to blaming me for not communicate clearly with the hair stylist and at thr same time he did not really know what I was talking with the hair stylist. He is not trying and willing listen to the customer voice and very impatient with customer. The owner is too disrespectful. Not recommend!!! Would not come into this place again!!! read more

I walked in for a haircut after work one day. There was a bit of a line, more than I'd expect in a weekday, but nothing too bad, maybe like 10 - 15 minutes. I asked the stylist to cut my hair pretty short, she started trimming it a little and asked if the length was good until she got the length right, which was nice. I think she did a good job. The prices took a while compared to similar cuts I've had, but she took her time to make it look good. The price was reasonable, I'll be returning. read more

Before getting into the details of this review let me summarize what you're about to read: Hair Excel should be your new go-to barber. Well, I can't comment on all the barbers so I'll just say that Lee (ly?) should be your new go-to barber. I've been searching for a place to get my hair cut regularly for over a year now. I've bounced from salon to salon, trying to find somewhere that will deliver the results I'm looking for. I've tried Gene Juarez, Aveda, and a panoply of other expensive options that ultimately produced disappointing cuts. I would never have guessed that a small, inexpensive place like Hair Excel would do a better job than any of those significantly more expensive options. I scheduled an appointment over the phone to have my hair cut by Lee (Ly?), and was delighted to hear that even if I came early (or just walked in) the wait is usually under 10 minutes. I arrived 30 minutes early for my appointment, and only had to wait about 5 minutes before Lee got to me. He listened as I explained the cut I wanted and asked clarifying questions when I showed him pictures of past haircuts I liked. The atmosphere in the shop is about what you'd expect -- it's clean and decently appointed, but can't compare to the luxury of a place where cuts cost more than twice as much. I don't really care about atmosphere, though... I only care about the results. i have straight, fine, blonde hair, so mistakes are easily visible. Lee worked quickly and efficiently, using both the clippers and shears with dexterity. While he could be a bit rough at times, you could tell that he has a great eye for detail. I'm a perfectionist, so I usually have to spend 10 minutes or so "fine tuning" haircuts with my stylist. This time, I watched as Lee spotted and fixed all the little details I was going to point out. The end result was a haircut that I really liked for a price that I loved. This shop is right next to my house, so I'll DEFINITELY be back soon. Keep up the good work, Hair Excel! read more

Hair Excel - Hair Salons Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

It's always difficult to find the perfect stylist and I'm extremely picky. I've been going to this place for several years now. The owner, Ly is extremely passionate about his work and you can clearly see this. His hands are surgical. I've had April do my hair for quite a while and have always left happy. I continue to go to her on a monthly basis because she is amazing. I've observed the other stylists and they also seem to leave with satisfied clients. Communicate what you want and they'll do their best. read more

Hoa is the first stylist who looked at the picture I brought with me and actually made it happen. Inexpensive, quick, and they fit me in as a walk in as it was early and I didn't know you now had to make appointments. I had a different stylist the time before, whose shampoo technique was like having my skin scrubbed off. Glad I lucked out with Hoa. I will be going back. read more

It's been over two years since I had my very long hair cut (I had a traumatic salon experience that made me fearful of another as haircut). I called and spoke to Ly the owner about my concerns and fears and they helped me find a proper stylist for my length and desired style. I was so afraid a stylist was going to cut too short since a lot of stylists would see my hair and cut more than I wanted.. Than (t-AH-n) was my stylist, and she will definitely be a go to for me. Not only was I done quickly.. but I LOVE my haircut. It feels so bouncy and healthy and fantastic. She also cut my husband's hair, he has a interesting hairline and two cowlicks so it can be difficult to cut and Than was such a pro. The final kicker that sent me over the moon was the pricing. It's completely reasonable. We are definitely going to be regular customers. Thank you again!!! read more

You get what you pay for, hair stylist did not listen to the length I wanted and cut 2 inches higher than initially indicated and actually left layers way longer than noted. Will not be returning for women's cut. read more

I regret coming here for my haircut. My layers were too short in the front and long in the back. I look like a boy if I don't bring the long portion of my layers to the front. A chunk of my hair is short in the front but she calls it layering. I should have been more specific but I told her I wanted to keep the length and just layer a little bit. Language barrier is a problem here so I won't be coming back. read more

Just took my 19 1/2 month son here yesterday for his first real hair cut. Ly was really good with him and made him feel comfortable being at a salon for the first time. They have toys and videos in case the "car" seat is not enough to keep your child preoccupied. Will be back and because of the reasonable price, my husband and I are considering of coming here too. The only reason I docked off one star is because he didn't put a hair cutting bib on the little guy and so we had to take his clothes off and used a lint roller (all done at the salon). Most of the hair came off, but I just feel sorry for the little guy if hair was poking at him. I know they use bibs for older children, so I'm wondc read more

First off she did not wet my hair enough to cut it properly and she was complaining that my hair was too curly for her to make sure it was even enough... my hair is not that curly. I'm pretty sure she messed up the cut because my hair is way shorter than what I wanted and when I said to straighten my ends she just blew it out a bit... her layers were so choppy probably because she kept looking out the door while cutting my hair...and the layers are about an inch in difference. As I was leaving a man was getting his hair cut and he yelped out an "ouch" because the other hair dresser nicked him with the buzzer... it just made me laugh as I swore to myself I wouldn't be coming back for sure. read more

The stylist cut 2+" more off my hair than i asked for and left one side longer than the other. At one point she took the drape off to cut and got tiny little hairs all over me. I had to go back a second time to have my lopsided cut corrected, ended up losing even more length for the fix AND the chick cut my neck with the clippers. Why clippers were even being used on me - no flipping clue. I will not be going back ever. Such a terrible first experience. You get what you pay for people. read more

Hair Excel - Dull clipper blades? Rusty razor? Not fun! - Hair Salons Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

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Found this place on yelp after I got tired of hit or misses from Rudys. They take walk ins only which is great because I make decisions to cut my hair on the fly when i see my hair is getting long. Mr Ly did a great job. He is detailed and goes over his work to ensure he gives you a quality cut. Get a fancy cut without the fancy priced ($16) because men don't need 30 dollar hair cuts! read more

I walked in for a quick trim 'n cut. Thuy was my stylist and she did a nice job. The shampoo was great and the shop is nice, clean and rather appealing. It's located near alot of strip mall shops and a Starbucks (with an outdoor fire seating area) across the street. read more

I love this place and these guys! They have a kids chair, DVD player, some toys in the waiting area and suckered for the kids after their haircuts are done! At $14 for walk-in children's cuts, quick service and great haircuts and style everytime, I don't like taking the kids elsewhere. Other kids haircut places charge around $20 per cut and take 30min or longer per child! The first time I went to excel was with all three kids and we were in and out in 40min, and less then $45 for the initial haircuts! They even fixed my child's haircut before when a previous place chopped it up bad. We have been going here now for about 6-8 months and will continue to do so! read more

These guys saved us after an awful experience at a kiddie salon. Li (or is it Lee) is a total master and spent extra time with shears to give a precision cut, even to a 5 year old. They do have a kiddie racecar chair and movies for the littles. We will be coming here from now on for all our family's haircut needs! read more

Hair Excel - After fixing bad cut done at another salon. - Hair Salons Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

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Trying to find a solid place to get your haircut is one of life's struggles. Hair Excel is my place... I have been a few times and always leave happy. The staff always seems happy which is a pleasant change from some of the drama you always seem to get in salons. They recently hired a new stylist, Katie, who gave me a fantastic haircut with a big smile. read more

This is the 1st review and one of the only reviews I give to a business and I feel it is a well deserved one. As a male it has always been hit and miss in getting a good hair cut, more bad than good. You can tell a stylist what you want and they often don't pay close enough attention. I have gone to many chain cheap cuts and they often make me wonder if their stylist actually have certifications. I have gone to Lee for two years now, since before he opened up Hair Excel. I am even moving away from Mercer Island and will continue to go out of my way to go to Hair Excel. I don't know Paul S. but he is right about the two other bad reviews...they are just employees from a competitor trying to bring Hair Excel down by bad review's because they know they cannot do it by the quality of their service. You are not gonna find many salons in town for the money that will really pay attention to what you want. Lee and Hair Excel believe that quality service for their customers is far better than treating customers like an assembly line. read more

The staff are friendly and always getting to know their customers. Due to being on a small island, I felt everyone who sat down had a full-fledged conversation with their stylist. The stylist knew their family, jobs, and all sorts of things two good friends would know about each other. I really felt at home there. The children who walked in were not afraid to get haircuts and from what i saw, everything looked pretty good! The salon is clean, open, and it doesn't take an hour to get a haircut. I was amazed how fast they were. Thumbs up on the quickness and great job. read more

Service was great and location was so convenient. I would definitely recommend this place and would continue to come back. UPDATE: I went back to Hair Excel recently and sadly I don't think I'll ever go back again. I didn't catch the name of the lady doing my hair (different from the lady who did my hair the first time) but it was such a terrible experience! While clipping my hair away for blow-drying she would clip into my ears! I thought it was an accident the first time but she did it 3 times! Not only that, I felt like she was burning my scalp with the blow dryer that I had to move away from the heat in numerous occasions. I have never experienced anything like that before. I'm sad to say I'll have to find a new salon. read more

My regular hair cut shop for the past one year. They do a great job, are very clean and I don't see myself going anywhere else in the near future! Edit: Almost a year later - still my regular shop. Never a bad cut. In fact I use the yelp app mostly only to check their timings:) read more

Went there tonight. Brought photos. Told lady: should length, I have had bad experiences with people cutting too much hair off. She just cut the bottom layer, no wetting, sectioning, Nada. She cut my hair to my chin and said to ME, "YOU SAID SHOULDER LENGTH, HUH?" and I am like... Maybe you should have remembered that before you made me look like a boy. My blonde locks, gone. She cut the bottom and then forgot to layer and I said "uh I asked for layers, remember?" She starts hacking away again no sectioning, no pulling the hair up to make sure things are level or aligned with fingers. Starting a new job where I have to interact with the public and this lady just completely ruined my self-confidence Horrible experience. Would not recommend for women who want a stylist to LISTEN to your request. Awful. read more

Love how they did my hair. My hair got ruined when I got them coloured . They were orange before . Now it's a unique blend of two colours. I'm loving it read more

Hair Excel - Hair Salons Near Me - Mercer Island, Washington

OK first of all, SHAME on the two reviewers who work for the other 'business' and gave Ly bad reviews. Look at their reviews and tell me who you think they work for? Ly is taking their business for good reason and they are desperate to get it back. Pitiful. Now read my reviews and confirm that I am a real, paying consumer. I have been seeing Ly since he was at the original place. There are ALWAYS customers specifically asking for, and waiting for Ly, and there's a reason why. Ly has superior customer service skills and gives a helluva haircut for a good price. It's consistent because he's hard-working and takes a lot of pride in his work. I have personally recommended him to both men and women who ALL return again and again. Go in and see for yourself, I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

I have been there a few times with my two kids. The very first Ly did my hair and it was great. The second I went there and waited for a while. Ly was free and it was my turn but Ly seemed like he was reluctant to take it. Eventually he did my hair cut. I was not sure why he was so reluctant. The next couple of times I took my kids there and the ladies were doing fine for my two teens. Recently I went there with my daughter. The hair stylist I got was doing poor and she kept combing my ears with the combs. It was painful. I didn't get her name, she was pretty short and last time she did the hair for my son. It was fine job. My daughter's long hair was cut short, but it looked pretty bad from the back. Now this place looked not my choice to go for a hair cut any more. If you're a returner, and the owner recognizes you, you'll probably get the warmest greetings and the best services. Of course, that's only for their valued customers. For anyone else, it seems like the owner doesn't care and wish you don't bother to show up since he's pretty much booked already. read more