I heard great things about this salon so I scheduled an appointment online. Granted it was an 8am appointment on a Saturday, but if it is a good cut I'll forgo sleeping in on a Saturday. I show up at 8:00 am and the door is locked. 8:05 still no one. At 8:10, door still locked so I left. I called the salon five minutes later to make sure they knew I was not a no-show. The reply was, "we are here now, you can come back." Nah, don't think so.... if I was 15 minutes late for an appointment, I'd never hear the end of it with my job. Just saying... when you sign up for an appointment, you give your phone number. A phone call would be a courtesy to give your customer that you are running late. Then I would've hung around, accepted the apology, and all would've been good. Oh welll..... :-( I'm updating my previous review and adding a star only bc Dot called this afternoon to apologize. Still not right that it occurred, but at least as the owner she recognized that the situation did not look good for her business. I'm all for supporting local businesses so I would recommend not making an early appointment. read more

Took my son here for a cut with Charlie before he started middle school. One of the previous reviewers pegged Charlie as an "odd" character. Charlie is no more "odd" than anyone else living and working in the fan, so I don't really know what that was about. He was cool with me. My son liked his haircut but did say that Charlie hurt him a little bit. He's used to women cutting his hair, maybe they are generally more gentle? I don't know, I am not a dude. So maybe don't take your kid here if he is too young or prone to crying. That was the only negative part of the experience. Everything else was good. It's a cool shop. read more

"It's not just a haircut. It's an experience." That is Dot's motto, and that is what you get when you go to Refuge. Signing up for an appointment is mad easy online. I'm not normally a morning person, but Dot made the 8:30am appointment enjoyable. She's got sports on the TV, and plays good music during the cut. Usually I'm not a talker at the barber, but Dot is a nice person to talk to, very thoughtful and a good listener. You owe it to yourself to pay Refuge a visit. It's a great experience. read more

I went to this barber for two reasons: I needed a haircut. Yelp reviews. After I walked in, Charles let me know he could cut my hair. I have a classic "gentleman's cut" with the side part. Charles took his time and did a great job. I am new to the east coast, and unfortunately I do not live in Richmond. By far the best cut I have had in the last six months, and among the best I have had ever. I was able to meet Dot and Natalie, and would expect the same service out of them as well. Great place to go when you you a cut. read more

This is sort of a follow-up review to my review of Refuge on Cleveland, where I have now had I think five great haircuts. Ever go to a business where all the employees "get it" ? Where everyone is truly nice and friendly, and you are treated like a friend, and you get more than you pay for, and you are sad when you have to leave? That's this place. Which is pretty rare these days in my opinion. Anyway, Refuge For Men is a separate area of the building with a different website and a specific set of man-specific services. Go through the front door, past all the girly stuff, and bear toward the far right corner of the building and through the glass door. This puts you in the ultimate "man cave" which is staffed primarly by Dot the Barber. It is an awesome space, I sat in a comfy chair and read the new issue of Maxim during my short wait. Dude next to me was on their wifi checking his email. The main barber chair faces a wall with projection TV and Dot will put it on any channel you want or leave you with the remote! There is also Xbox but I didn't play it because I was too busy watching ESPN. Dot will cut your hair any way you want, she really listens and isn't happy until you are happy. She can also talk sports all day long which is cool. As I mentioned in my Refuge on Cleveland review she has magic hands when she shampoos you. Then she wraps your head with a hot towel and lets you relax for as long as you want. It's awesome! Long story short it was the best $25 (+ tip!) that I have ever spent on a haircut. Soooooo much better than what you get for $15 at Hair Cuttery or whatever. Highly recommended! read more

I should've posted this review awhile ago....but I've been so busy getting complements on my haircut. Honestly, I was beyond surprised. Hadn't seen an actual barber in years, had the same person cutting my hair for years. I took a leap of faith and I could be more pleased. Dot was amazing and went above and beyond what I asked. She had to get it perfect before I left. You also can tell she really cares about RVA and it's community by helping kids in their perspective carter patches or the arts by showcasing art...amazing! read more

Dot was wonderful. Great atmosphere and a great haircut for a reasonable price

Went to see Gus for a cut and a shave before an engagement party. Gave him a rough idea of what I wanted and he went at it. Great job and I'll be back if I'm in the area again. read more

Refuge for Men has amazing comprehensive salon services. I have only ever gotten their regular haircut but, refuge is the only place in richmond I get my hair cut. The regular cuts are 25$, which is higher than some places but we'll worth it. People rave about dot as a stylist and she lives up to all the hype. I have also had my hair cut by Ron and he does a great job and is especially proficient with clippers. I highly recommend this place! read more

Woah! Such professionals, these people have skills with scissors and buzzers. I was amazed. We walked in for an appointment and was seen immediately. They made me look super cool, just like I asked. Looking so fresh for my lady thanks to this barber shop. Wish I could leave 10 starts. Fair prices and great service. Clean shop and incredible people. Thank you! read more

Dot took me as a walk-in today and hooked me up with a great haircut. Dot is a great barber/stylist and a great person. She's intelligent, funny, kind and a football fan. She explained more to me about hair care in 5 minutes than all my previous barbers combined. She gave me a haircut and shampoo all at a great price. She also has a PS3 and Atari set up and football on the big screen on Sundays. Definitely a great spot to get your haircut. read more

John did my haircut and I couldn't be happier. He turned me from a Shaggy to a Chad (so to speak). Would recommend over any other haircut establishment in Richmond (especially SportsClips). read more

Wtf did they do to me??? I asked for a nice trim before graduation and this woman just butchered my hair. I'm still finding spots where she straight up forgot to even cut anything off, spots cut way too short and spots where she tried to style me and gave up halfway through. Had to get my girlfriend to try and course-correct this when I got home but all in all it's the worse cut I've ever had and I have the easiest hair to cut. Yuk. read more

Stopped by earlier today for my appointment with Dot. I actually arrived almost a whole hour later but was still seated and didn't lose my spot, which I was really happy about. Although, if you don't like booking ahead of time - they welcome walk-ins as well. The atmosphere when you walk in, is very welcoming and slightly hip, to match the aura of the surrounding neighborhood, but not over bearing (which I liked). Additionally, there are 2 floors as well, and the entire shop was nicely decorated to make you feel at home. As I mentioned above, my barber was Dot, who is the owner. Dot took her time to understand what I wanted and in addition to making sure I was comfortable during the entire cut. All the barbers there though appeared to be really nice, personable, and chatty (but not too chatty). As for the haircut, can't complain on that as well - done on a timely and professional manner. I would highly recommend getting the straight razor service as well, if you are looking to get a fade there. Lastly, as a plus, I also got to learn a little bit more of how I could better take care of my hair as well! Definitely had a great experience, and come back here again! read more

Before Refuge, I had a completely baseless but nevertheless very real fear of getting my hair cut. It might have something to do with a bad experience as a child when my father and I did not see eye to eye with the current style for 6th grade boys. I digress.... I first came across Refuge while searching for a barber/stylist while passing through Richmond. My needs are somewhere between the Supercuts chop shop and the $60 cuts that serve you Evian and doppios. I went with Refuge because of the positive reviews and I was more than happy with the ambience, the conversation, price, and result. I have since moved to DC but come to Richmond a few times a month. In need for a new cut, I used Refuge's reservation tool on their "Contact" page. Within minutes, Dot replied and I had a reservation for the next morning. Dot greeted me (by name) at the door and led me to the chair. Being Sunday, our conversation centered around football. I very much appreciated the effortless conversation (far exceeds the forced sports banter that you get at a "SportsCuts"). Dot is VERY knowledgable and seeks feedback throughout the process, which I appreciate. She acknowledged that I know more about my hair than she does, which made it easier for me to mention that bump on my head or that my hair does weird things in humid weather. I think I might have found my refuge for the every-six-week cut! read more

Dot is amazing! She is the only one I would trust to take my long hair to a pixie. Total 14" to donate to Wigs for Kids. Dot was very familiar with the donation process and walked me thru it. She even did the cut for free since it was a donation ----which I think says a lot. Great vibe in the shop. Tip: tea tree shampoo with hot towels is so relaxing Authentic-Local-Mad Skills read more

Great concept. Terrible execution. I was visiting Cary Town and walked in. My barber was on the phone for half of the 15 minutes she spent on the haircut talking about the texts she was getting at 3am the night earlier. The other half it felt like she was looking up how to cut a "high-and-tight" haircut on her phone. Seemingly, Supercuts would have done better. I will not try this place again. read more

Not impressed. Booked an appointment for a "classic Refuge haircut," which includes a shampoo, with Dot. Before I even arrived, they switched my service provider to Jack without so much as a call (I wouldn't have known without the automated email from their system). When I got there, I found that the facilities are dingy and poorly lit and there is no real waiting area. While I was in the chair, Jack was way too aggressive with the comb/clippers, scraping and jabbing my ears multiple times. I had to ASK for a shampoo, which should have been included without question as part of the service I booked. To top it off, Jack dripped water all over my face and in my ears/eyes while he was shampooing me. I guess if you don't care about being comfortable or actually enjoying your experience then Refuge is ok, as I got a cut that was more or less what I described. Dot may be better, but I really don't know how these people get away with charging $25 for a rough haircut and a sloppy shampoo. I've gotten cheaper cuts AND better service at the Hair Cuttery. P.S. Not sure who said this place is good for kids, but they have issues of Playboy sitting out openly as "reading" material. Definitely not family friendly. read more

I honestly don't know what else you could want in a Barbershop than this. I was able to book online (same day out of simple luck) and got my hair cut by the owner, Dot. This isn't an overly swanky place, but it fits the neighborhood so well that you just feel like it's been there forever, in the best way. Refuge, the massive headed store bulldog/mascot was also fun to watch while getting a cut. The two most important parts, though: 1) Haircut was timely and on point. I love a great straight razor edge. 2) Dot was on time. The shop may be laid back, but she was prompt and I love that. read more

I am so happy to find a real barber shop that has barbers that listen to you, make suggestions on how they think you should get your hair cut, and takes the time needed to make you look good. I visited Refuge yesterday for the first time. I made an appointment with Jinx. I BADLY needed a haircut and beard trim. She made sure that when I walked away, I was completely happy with how my hair and bead looked. The atmosphere of the shop is very chill. Jinx is a great barber. She's also very personable. I will be going back to her and Refuge for Men for sure. read more

I've been here twice and I've gotten my hair cut by two different barbers and both have been great! Amazing staff!

Not many barbers are open on Sunday's but this place is. I made an appointment with the owner Dot for a shave. First off she was right on time. I have to say I had a great shave. She even cleaned up the ends of my hair and shaved the back of my neck. She was meticulous in making sure the that all of my whiskers got cut. I didn't cut my beard for the month of November as it brings awareness to men's health. She raises a lot of money for the Massey cancer center at VCU. Will definitely be back for a shave. read more

It is a decent place to get a haircut. Select your barber carefully as it can make or break your look. Overall a good place. Walk-in get seated quick since they have many barbers and open chairs. Recommend this place if you are in need of a quick touch-up or haircut on short notice. read more

I think they assigned me a trainee knowing that this was my first time here. What was weird and just ridiculous was the fact the guy sat me in front of a tv, AWAY from the mirror and I couldn't see what the heck was going on with my hair. I asked if I could see the mirror and he kept temporarily turning me around, then back at the tv. The guy spent like 30 minutes on a small subsection of the backside of my hair and the lower part of the sides. Then he said he was done, but he HADN'T EVEN TOUCHED the top or front of my hair (which has the most volume). The price they charged me was not cheap either... Not a great experience. read more

Super friendly service. Make sure to check in on yelp for a discounted haircut. And you're supporting a great cause by getting your cut here! read more

My son gets his haircut here and he just loves it. Dot does an amazing job and it's spot on each time. I also took the chance and had my own hair trimmed - never tried a barbershop before - and I was surprised Jinx did an incredible dry cut with my complicated layers and curls. Recommend the place to anyone, but only disappointment was confusion on the tipping and no one called out I left a $40 tip on $40-some worth of services. read more

I hate to give such a bad review, because Dot seems to really care about customer service and running a good business. But, here goes. I called in around 6:30 and made an appointment for 7:30. I got there on time, but waited for about ten minutes with no acknowledgement of my arrival/presence. Finally, I turned to the guy on their computer (turns out it was their IT guy) who looked up my name in the system to confirm that I did, in fact, have an appointment. He couldn't find it anywhere. Come to find out that Charles-who had really only begun to cut the hair of the guy sitting in his chair when I arrived-had not only taken my call and made the 7:30 appointment, but was the barber I was to see. After a full half-hour, I finally sat down with Charles to get my cut. I told him to trim close at the bottom and blend up to about 2 1/2" on top. Because I was facing the opposite wall, I couldn't really see what all he was doing, so, when he handed me a mirror, I was pretty shocked to see I had essentially been given a crew cut plus a little extra. There's not a hair on my head longer than an inch now. It looks like crap, frankly. I told him that he cut it way short, but he insisted that he only took an inch off. I just sighed and got out of the chair. I figured there was no way he would charge me, but, sure enough, he ran my card (I regret not make a bigger stink about it, but I needed to get home to put my daughter to sleep, which I was unable to do because I was so late). Had the nerve to hand me a frequent customer card. Balls, man. No tip and I just shook my nearly shorn head as I walked out the door. Dot apologized again for the wait. I doubt she knew that I'd also been scalped. read more

I've gone here for almost two years now. About 16 or so haircuts from 8 or so different barbers. A couple haircuts were quality. But on average, they are below average. My last haircut here was atrocious and they raised the price so a ridiculous $28. They seem to hire whoever wants a job and the quality has suffered. Take my advice and DO NOT come here because I will never again read more

Not sure if all these reviews are fake or if everyone in Richmond has the wrong idea of what makes a "good haircut" ... but my experience was exclusively negative. I booked an appointment with Dot when my usual stylist moved out of town. I'm always reluctant to change stylists, but with such shining reviews, Dot seemed like an extremely safe bet. When I got there, the place seemed nice enough. It is, casually put, a man cave, with tons of seating, open space, sports on TV, and video games to play. I appreciated that ... but the haircut itself? That's another story. I told Dot what I wanted, and she told me she understood. After that ... Well, I'm not sure if Dot was stressed out, felt rushed, or flat-out didn't care, but my haircut (which usually takes about 25-30 minutes) was over in no more than 7 minutes. It looked nothing like I had requested, and when I told her this, she said I just needed to go home and style it. So I did, and when it still looked awful after those attempts, I went back to Refuge for Men and asked that she fix the mess. She quickly agreed, which I thought was very nice ... but after taking me back to her chair, she said, "So, your previous stylist made a mess, and I gotta clean it up?" I sat there, perplexed. She didn't remember cutting my hair JUST AN HOUR PRIOR? I shook it off, explained that it was her flub, and told her how she could fix it. She went on to hack away at it again, disregarding my suggestions, and left it even uglier than before. (I should mention -- the remediation attempt also took about 4 minutes.) I then walked out, went home, and shaved my head. I basically paid Dot $25 to let me give myself a buzzcut. TL;DR version: Horrible experience, horrible haircut (despite my clear requests), too expensive, didn't feel heard or valued when voicing concerns. Never again. read more

So this is the first time and probably the last time I go to this place.The girl that was cutting my hair did a good clean cut on the sides to short for my taste, when she went to the top part, she asked me if I wanna cut some, I said yes just a little bit. Oh she definitely don't know the meaning of little bit. She cut more than half of my hair and now I'm so mad, I know hair grows but damn if I'm paying for something do it as I told you. I'm not satisfied with this place at all. read more

R.F.M. has great atmosphere and even better cuts/shaves/shampoos. A must for men that enjoy the experience of a haircut. Indeed, this is the proverbial 'spot' if you place a premium on quality grooming. I couldn't be happier with Dot's service. read more

Dot was very friendly and did a great job on my son's hair. We will definitely be back!

just got back from a fresh haircut. after reading reviews from a couple different places, i made the trip from the southside. i'm glad i took the extra 15-20 minutes out of my way. all the reviews are correct. dot is awesome! she took her time to make sure i got exactly what i wanted. if you're looking for a supercuts that cranks out bad stylists that give bad haircuts, this place is not for you. price was ok but you get what you pay for and she's worth every dollar. sure, you can spend less and get a crappy cut. i won't. bring cash if you want to save a few bucks. refuge has found another repeat customer. read more

Refuge For Men - dot's the best!! - Barbers Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Charlie and Refuge are the best. I know Charlie from years as my guy in Alexandria, and now that he has landed in Richmond you should check him and check him and Refuge out. He gives perfect cuts along with great conversation and cool. He is a treasure. I don't get to Richmond often but every time i can, I will be at Refuge. read more

Great haircut, excellent atmosphere with pleasant conversations. I went on a Sunday when they opened at 1100, booked online. I'm going again when it's time. read more

Fantastic shop. I have been going to Refuge for 3 years now and highly recommend it to anyone in the Richmond area. The shop serves as an art exhibit for a great local artist (instagram: hamglass) which gives it a unique vibe. I get my haircut by Dot, the owner, who has never given me anything short of a perfect haircut. She has continuously impressed me not only with her hair cutting skills, but with her knowledge of the Richmond area and engagement with the community. She has established programs that raise awareness for men's health issues (something vastly overlooked in healthcare) as well as the Refuge for Men foundation, which helps at risk teens by teaching them barber skills and keeping them in a positive, productive environment. It is just a really unique concept and something I can get behind. I am really particular about my haircuts and Refuge has always taken care of me, which is why I felt compelled to make a profile and post on here. I have also seen Brandon for a haircut when Dot was unavailable and I was in a crunch. Super personable guy, asked me a lot of clarifying questions to make sure he got the cut exactly how I wanted it. Just an overall good dude with a passion for what he does. I could tell he really cared for his customers and his work product so I wanted to make sure I gave him props as well. tl;dr- Awesome place where I always receive a great haircut. High level of community engagement, truly making Richmond a better place to live. Ask for Dot or Brandon. read more

I've lived in RIchmond for almost two years now and have very carefully avoided a haircut. I've survived on shaving my head then growing it out, repeat, since I arrived mostly for fear of a Supercuts butcher job or a $50 salon cut. However, as my hair approached critical mass I decided I might as well get it over with. On a whim I decided to do a Yelp search for "haircuts for men" and Refuge came up. The reviews convinced me it was worth a shot. What convinced me to write this review was the experience. I went in Tuesday night and wimped out, decided to get a trim down instead of a cut. I asked Dot to layer it and shorten it, which she did by my meticulous direction. I went home a happy customer. However, I woke up the next day and realized that my directions had turned my head into a poof. I asked Dot if I could get another cut down to something short and business appropriate. She made space for me Wednesday night and offered me a discount, though she definitely didn't owe it to me. I went back, she gave me the full treatment at 9PM at night, and absolutely nailed it. This is literally the best haircut I've ever had, I spent all of today walking around with a little extra swagger because I knew I looked good with the new haircut. The spot it great, she is a true master, but most importantly she was willing to go way beyond what could reasonably be asked of her to give me a great experience. I couldn't recommend Refuge for Men highly enough. read more

I live one block away from this place and they advertise to me every time I walk by them with their discount coupons so finally I decided to try it. I called ahead to make sure they were taking walk-ins and they told me no problem. When I got there, it didn't take long for people to be done with their clients and a couple chairs to free up. For the next hour I watched them play with their dog( who runs around and chews on people's shoes), talk to their friends on the phone, and just chit chat right in front of me. After 60 minutes of being the ONLY person waiting, I just got up and left without a haircut. Needless to say I won't be coming back. read more

I finally found a real barber shop again. I don't hand out a five rating because them and ones are overused. Saying that, I've started my beard and it's hard to find qualified people to shape and groom them properly. Ray did a fantastic job. He took his time and did it properly. I've set my next appointment. When I do something like that it means that I'm quite satisfied. read more

I went here for a quick haircut, but I've had some bad luck at other places in the past. Being new Richmond I decided to give this place a try am I'm so happy I did. Best haircut I've had in a while!! Ask for AMBER when you go, she's fast, but precise and will do exactly what you want and add her opinion as well which was so helpful. Thanks for the haircut! I have a wedding this weekend and I'll be lookin fresh now :) read more