Walked-in for eyebrow threading. It only costed me $10 + $2 tip. I was in and out within 15 minutes. The threading was fast as expected. I have gotten eyebrow threading before but I still cried. Lol... However, comparing waxing to threading, threading is cleaner and lasts longer. The person who did my eyebrows doesn't speak English (i think) so she didn't give me some barber gossip or anything like that. I believe her name is "Derpie" or "Herpie"? I would say the experience was a rush for me but I do not mind. I have things to do too. As a heads up, minimum of $15 to use debit/credit card. I was NOT asked how I want my eyebrows done. But for me, it worked since I was told by a Pakistani friend before that each person have a natural shape eyebrows that threaders just tend to follow. I like my threaded eyebrows since even the tiniest hairs are gone. I have gotten threaded before at Maxi but it was not as clean as I wanted it to be and costed a few dollars more. At the end of the day, Maxi gave me a punch card wherein after a few visits you get something free. Looking at the words "free", I am sold. read more

Personally from Southern California, I have very high standards for eyebrow threading. This place is the only place that I'll go to (for the price) in Berkeley. They do it well and they do it for a relatively good price for $9. I am a regular! One time, I left and noticed that the brows were uneven so I went back. They fixed it without complaint and for free. read more

Awful! I love my eyebrows thick and nicely, naturally shaped. I even told the lady before she started to leave them thick and she said "mhmm." So I thought I was in the clear but after when she handed me the mirror to check out my eyebrows I just wanted to start crying. She left them super thin and shaped differently. If you like thick, evenly shaped eyebrows DO NOT go to Riya's. read more

I've been looking for a good eyebrow waxing/threading place for a long time, and i'm happy to say that i've found it. I've tried 3 or 4 other places around the berkeley campus area, and this is by far by favorite. There wasn't any wait when I went in there, the price was a cheap as it gets (8 or 9 dollars... I don't remember), they were super fast (8mn) and the end result was better than all the more expensive places I've tried since coming to california. True, it isn't the place to go if you're looking for a life-changing conversation - the ladies who work there don't seem that fluent in English and are shy with speaking it - but I definitely wouldn't attribute the lack of conversation to them not caring: When I was getting my eyebrows threaded, my eyes started watering a little. The lady who was working on me stopped, wiped my eyes with a kleenex, and asked if I was ok, in broken english, before continuing. Most places just ignore my watery eyes until it starts streaming down my face, haha. plus, they have a stamp card now, too. I will definitely go back. read more

My eyebrows love riya. My wallet does not love riya. What can i say, I've been spoiled for many years with $3 deals on eyebrow threading in Socal's little India. But...I'll still be going back, as my eyebrows still be growing. read more

Well, since Yelp was pretty obsessed about reminding me to write a review about this business, here it is: Treading should be much more professional, less expensive and more about the middle eastern shape, so 2 starts. I tried it twice, will not go there again, minimum on credit card is $15, the cost for the eyebrows is $10 so... Parking in this area is a b****h. so you can add the cost of that too. read more

I came here for my first threading experience a couple of yrs back and I've been hooked ever since. Unfortunately, I moved back down to LA and after trying out FOUR different salons, I've decided that Riya is hands down the best. The price can't be beat (seriously, avg. threading in LA is $10) and I've never had to ask the girls to redo my brows. They know exactly what shape looks best on me and I never have any complaints. All you Bay Area girls should know how lucky you are to have this salon here! read more

OK, so it's been a few years... but I did come back again. The place looks the same but they have hired more people, and now you get a stamp card (10 stamps and you get a free eyebrow threading, you know the deal). Also helpful to know that they validate parking. They still do great work! They have expanded their menu of services as well. I'll probably stick to their eyebrow services for when I happen to be in the area. read more

I used to come to Berkeley on the weekends to study at the library, and beforehand I would stop by Riya's and get my threading needs taken care of. They used to be a cash-only joint which is difficult for a non-cash carrying person to adhere to, but they have now switched over to accepting credit and debit cards. I've also noticed that prices have increased over the last couple years, but they are still competitive, and not outlandishly overpriced. I wouldn't go here for them to shape your eyebrows, but they are a decent place to visit to get your eyebrows touched up and they will be sure to keep the shape the same. read more

I'm hella lazy. But when it comes to my eyebrows, I'm willing to drag my ass ALL the way down University to go to Priya, the place I initially chose after reading the mixed reviews on yelp about Riya. Some people were blessed with thick, caterpillar eyebrows, and it really wouldn't matter if they were nicked or thinned out here and there because it would grow back overnight. Not the case for me my friends. My eyebrows grow at the same rate as the yearly shift in tectonic plates. Anyway I needed an emergency threading so I shuffled myself over to Riya, crossing my fingers the whole time that I wouldn't regret it. My eyebrows turned out fine. You just have to specify what you want, and not much can go wrong. Well, unless there's an earthquake. Bring cash. They don't accept cards. read more

My friend told me about Riya and threading almost two years ago. While I've never been to any other salon that offers threading, I'm pretty satisfied here! Brows are about $8 and while I don't know her name she does mine really good! I don't even have to tell her how I want them, she just kinda sees how they will look best. I get the dreaded upper lip done too, thats only like $5!! And I'm in and out like that! Thats if there isn't a lot of girls waiting (which ive only experienced once)!! Although they're not very talkative or amazingly friendly, they're not rude either...which is fine with me as long as the threading and prices stay amazing! How do you expect them to talk to you when they got thread in their mouths anyway?!! I tell ya, I'll never wax again! The only downside is looking for parking in this part of Berkeley is a bitch!! read more

This is my first time here. I have been to many places to get my eyebrows threaded but this place is by far THE worst. I came in for a clean up and although the reviews aren't great, I figure a clean up is super easy. My mistake. I had my skin ripped out under my left eyebrow. When I pointed it out to her attention, she went to reach for something. I told her to leave it alone and not put anything on it. She ignored me and went for my face with a cotton ball. I said "No" twice before she stopped advancing. Went on to explain that I am allergic to certain antiseptics with my hands coverings my brows in defense. She said "ok" and lowered her arms. I went to stand and she attacked my ripped up skin with the antiseptic the moment I dropped my defensive stance. I screamed and was taken aback. I never got attacked with antiseptic before. Generally, non means no and I explained why too. I am very very angry. Not only do I have two little chunks of flesh missing but my left eye is swollen. Going home to take a Benadryl and hope that I don't look like I got punched when I go to my work event tonight. Don't go here! read more

I've come here a few times to get my eyebrows threaded and there was really nothing special about this place. However, I just went here recently and I'm extremely unhappy. My eyebrows turned out decent but I have scars all over. At first, I didn't think the new scar straight across my forehead was from them, but after finding some more under my eyebrow, I'm thinking otherwise. Aside from that, I've never felt this much pain from threading. The area around my eyebrows was extremely red right after, more then they have ever been. When I looked again, my eyebrows weren't even clean because there were still a few pieces left to clean up. I don't think I will ever come here again because it was definitely not worth the $10. read more

I'll be honest - I have sparse eyebrows. So I'm always in this awkward position: do I let them grow out and then get them threaded gorgeously (but with much, much pain attached) or do I do the scatterings of eyebrows regularly without much to show for it at the end? Riya, somehow, has managed to always thread (hehe) that line wonderfully. I haven't had such good threading since I was back home in Singapore's Little India, where every corner has a fabulous threader. Kanchan and Happy are some of the sweetest people and they swiftly shape everything that needs shaping without prolonging the pain. I also always end up with perfect arches and never need to utter the refrain "don't take too much off please, i don't have much to begin with". Today's experience really put them over the top for me. I called ahead and said I could get there by 5.45pm after work (they close at 6). They said it would be alright but unfortunately, by the time I got to the Downtown Berkeley BART it was already almost 6. So I frantically called them and said I was on my way - what do you know, they stayed open despite it being 6.10 by the time I got there. Kanchan gave me her full care - eyebrows, lips, everything - laughing and waving aside my apologies the whole while. Yes, the cash-only policy always leaves me in the lurch (who carries cash around anymore?). But I really wouldn't dock an entire star off for that just because they're really great people and deserve every 5 star review they get. $21 for eyebrows, upper lip, lower lip and chin. Beat that. read more

I desperately needed my eyebrows threaded today and I couldn't get an appointment anytime soon at my usual salon so I tried Riya. There was only one other customer here when I stopped by so I didn't have to wait at all even though I didn't have an appointment. It was fast and the lady did a pretty good job though it hurt a little. The place is kind of small, dingy, a little dirty but it was ok in an emergency. I kind of don;t like cash only and I heard they accept credit now. However as of today they still have a cash only sign and weren't taking credit. Luckily its only $9, half the price of my usual place. All in all not bad for the price and will probably stop in again sometime since they have a frequent buyer card! read more

Hot damn, I'm in love. Threading fell out of favor with me about 13 years ago, when I was a wee lass of 20 running around New York. I had a biweekly visit to Jackson Heights, Queens, the holy land of all things Indian in NY including hair removal, and had varying levels of success with the brows. Over the years, I moved and moved, and fell into San Francisco where there are also continuums of talent and cost - (continui? sp?) continuums that do not always meet. I was walking around with eyebrows that I had tweezed and trimmed for months, aka a hot mess and mamas, possibly hide your babies. Enter Riya's. A tiny woman whipped out her thread and had her way with the eyebrows and I kid you not, 8 minutes later I had gorgeous arched sexy things. For $9. She was a doll and I looked awesome. Getting to this place from SF without a car sucks, but it will be done. Also, for those who complain about the lack of communication/friendliness - some of these ladies speak less than perfect English, and may be a little shy. Get a hold of yourselves, seriously. read more

This is the worst threading parlor I've been too. The lady who did my eyebrows looked so not interested. She didn't ask me anything about how I wanted to do my eyebrows. She just went for it. When she showed me the end result, she messed up my brows. When I tried to tell her about my eyebrows, she just avoided the conversation. Never again going there again. It was my first and last time going to that parlor. Very disappointed. read more

Sometimes you have to overlook crappy customer service to see the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that perfect eyebrows can be painful, and someone who knows what they are doing beats someone with a grin on their face any day of the week. The threading here is amazing...I will never wax again. read more

This is my favorite place to get my eyebrows threaded in Berkeley! I come about once a month to get my eyebrows and sometimes my upper lips threaded. They do a good job of maintaining my eyebrow's natural shape and not making them too thin. Eyebrow threading costs $10 and upper lips $6. read more

Inexpensive. Quick. $8 for eyebrow threading. When I'm near Telegraph, this is where I get a quick eyebrow fix. I walk away with some brows on my cheeks, and so there's some muss without the fuss. read more

I come from sri lanka where getting your eyebrows costs less than $2! Although I will say that getting my eyebrows done at Riya's isn't as affordable, it became more affordable when I used this app called goodlife coupons. I saw them promoting the app at this Cal Student Store event and I got it then because obviously they were giving away free football tickets in exchange for downloading a free app, so I got it. Then one day I was just scrolling through the app and I found a riya's coupon. I was psyched because pretty eyebrows now became affordable! The staff working there were extremely friendly and even accepted my card even tho its meant to be $16 for cash a minimum. My eyebrows since then been complimented over and over again. I work as a model and influencer part time so keeping my skin clear of little hairs crucial to me. I even got so many people at my shoots asking me about where I get my eyebrows done, and if thats not a sign idk what is. I can't seem to figure out how to upload a picture but here's a link to my website where you can view the work of these amazing artists! https://foppinaroundblogs.com/modeling/ read more

Simply horrible! I asked for a clean up on eyebrow and upper lips. She quickly did both within 10 minutes but left a bunch of unwanted hair. she also pitched my lips several times. All she wanted was your money..$9 for eyebrow, $6 lips. I will never come back to this place. read more

I'm so happy I found Riya a year ago on the way to drown my furry brows at Yogurt Park. Totally affordable, quick, and a lot more painless than waxing. Thanks for threading my brows even though I'm just a hapa! read more

Riya is great. It is a dream come true for ladies with Burt eyebrows like me. I think the woman who does the eyebrows is named Happy (or something like that). You have to be pretty trusting with your eyebrows as she doesn't make small talk, let alone talk except for saying "stretch" when she wants you to strech your eyelid. She always does a great job and trims them nicely and then give you a hand mirror for approval. You are left with a bunch of loose hairs all over, but it's totally worth the $8. Only problem is that it's a pain to park there and I end up shopping on Telegraph and buying junk everytime I go. read more

quick and cheap. what more do you want when you get your eyebrows threaded? i walked in and from start to finish i was out in 10 minutes. my brows look good -- good shape. i'm not sure the name of the woman who did the threading, but she did a nice job. i had a couple of small spots that were bleeding a bit, but that's to be expected, in my opinion... read more

It pains me to write this review as I've been a loyal customer to Riya for over 6 years now. But I must say that the customer service has declined drastically, particularly in the last 12 months. I don't feel the current threaders have proper training. Getting my eyebrows done is quite painful and the majority of the time, neither eyebrow matches the other. The one pro is they are very quick--if you are in a rush they can have you in and out the door in 5 minutes. However, the amount of time they spend on your face will show, and not in a good way. Riya has lost some skilled threaders over the years and I'm sad to say I will not be returning to them again. read more

I'm glad to see that so many gals are happy with the eyebrow service here, because Riya is so wretched at bikini waxing that they'll need merit in their other services in order to stay afloat. Of the five or so times I've stopped by, twice I've been told that the woman who does bikini waxes isn't here, and might not be in today, no one knows. Ridiculous. (Makes more sense now that I see that their main business is eyebrows.) Once I got a woman who managed to leave entire areas unwaxed, and the areas she did wax she burned (wax too hot), hurt (more than necessary), and left sticky (no oils to take off the residue at the end). All this and I get uncomfortable looks for even requesting the bikini wax. Booo! I'm going to try Annahita's on Adeline. read more

For all the SF girls who want quick and good eyebrow threading, come here. Granted, you'll have to pay the Bay Bridge toll (if you drive) but even factoring that into the price, a trip to Riya will still be cheaper than some expensive downtown SF salon. Don't get a manicure here though, they aren't that great. read more

Unless you explicitly tell them NOT to thin your eyebrows, you will be quite disappointed when you look in the mirror. When they "clean up" they take away the shape of your eyebrow and thin it out a lot. Personally I won't be going here again. read more

I got my eyebrows threaded here and I thought they were just okay. When I got in there, the beauty parlor was completely empty and the 3 workers in there just stared at me not knowing which one of them would have to work on me. I don't think eyebrow threading is their specialty... but I'm not sure what is. read more

The women here do a good job of threading. Drawbacks are that they only take cash and are not open on Sundays. Also, parking is tough round here, so better ride your bike! read more

I got my eyebrows threaded for the first time and i love them! they ended up a lot thinner than i expected, so if you like thicker eyebrows let them know! I only gave them 4 stars because she left a few hairs in the center that i had to clean up, but im sure she would have done it for me had i asked! Not the best customer service, but she does a great job! read more

DO NOT COME HERE!!! Seriously, the lady goes so quickly and snatches your head around, DOESN'T CLEAN HER HANDS BEFORE STARTING, and doesn't even ask how you would like your eyebrows. I am literally BLEEDING under my brows!!! There is no shape to them, and again, I AM BLEEDING! Forget that, how I walked out of there without complaining, none the less paying I don't know. BUT NEVER AGAIN! I DO NOT recommend this place to anyone who actually cares about their eyebrows! read more

Since my last review for Riya's I've moved twice - once to San Jose and now I'm in Redwood City. I have such faith and trust in Kanchan that I have traveled close to 3 hours round-trip every 3-4 weeks since moving to get my eyebrows done. There is simply no one else I would feel comfortable threading my eyebrows. She just knows how to shape them to compliment my face. I prefer my eyebrows natural and full/thick and I never have to worry that they'll come out pencil thin with her. She is truly an artist when it comes to shaping eyebrows. I also get my arms waxed by her every other month and she somehow makes it (relatively) painless and easy. I noticed some folks commenting on their eyebrows being thinner than they'd like or not being asked how they would like their eyebrows threaded... my suggestion is to just speak up! :) Everyone at Riya's is very friendly and accommodating. I've come to Riya's since 2005 and Kanchan and her family are warm, honest and hard-working. It's like coming to see friends rather than coming in for a service. This amazing local business has my highest possible recommendation. read more

Had a great experience here! The service was very quick and they did a great job on my brows :)

I have tried couple of places sacrificing, until I found Juthi. She is amazing. She is the only one I have trusted so far. I havn't tried getting my eyebrows threaded by anyone else at Riya's but I'm sure they are good. I recommend giving a try and ask Juthi to thread your eyebrow if you are picky. Thank you Juthi! read more

I've gone here for eyebrow threading on and off for several years, and tried several different women who have worked here during that time - in general, it's been pretty inconsistent. Sometimes they do a good job, other times they do a really bad job...most of them are not friendly and don't seem that interested in their customers. Not a big deal, and it was still ok with me for the price they charge since they do an ok job if you just want a clean-up. But, the last time I went, I had the worst experience. Not because of the shape, but because of how painful it was. (Little tip: always look to see if they have nails or if they are wearing a ring that might potentially poke you. If so, go to someone else.) Like I said, I've been getting my eyebrows threaded for many years. And I have never felt so much pain as I did with this one particular lady. I had to stop her at one point because she was torturing me. It was a combination of her nail digging into the bridge of my nose, and something about her threading technique that was unusually painful. She left me feeling really sore all over my eyebrow area and with a big red mark where her nail was digging into me, which, over the next few days turned into an even bigger and redder mark, started peeling, and basically looked hideous. I haven't gone back since that experience. I may try it again sometime, if she's not working there. But I'll definitely make them stop right away if I feel anything digging into my skin. read more

STAY AWAY This place doesn't listen to you when you give them directions. My eyebrows have always been what made me feel beautiful--they were thick, bold... I asked the lady to do barely anything to my eyebrows: I said not to shape/give them any shape, not to take anything away other than the very outlying hairs, not to trim apart from the very top, and not to make my eyebrows any thinner than they are. I maybe told her the instructions twice before she did my eyebrows--and I kept reminding her as she was doing them. She finishes, I look at my eyebrows, and they look like two pieces of string. I told her they were thin, and asked her why? She responded: "if they weren't thin, they'd have no shape." I TOLD HER NOT TO GIVE THEM SHAPE TWICE AT THE BEGINNING. I can't stand to look at myself. I am foreign. I am not myself anymore. I don't even feel beautiful. My eyebrows are MINE not THEIRS--and they clearly don't get it. I paid them to take directions--not follow their own direction. People before have had no problem doing my eyebrows--but for some reason Riya's does. I am never doing my eyebrows there again--if they even ever grow back enough to do them at all. read more

I would give this place a 2.5 for eyebrow threading. I just moved from NYC where I pay $7 for very good threading but here it seems to be much more expensive. I decided to check Riyas b/c it is close to campus and its on the cheaper side (although I consider $9 pretty expensive for eyebrow threading). I knew from the reviews here not to expect an intimate or even friendly setting but I was still disappointed by the service. She didn't spend much time on them and when I asked her to take care of some hair she left behind, she tried to remove them with tweezers and then said they were too small to remove...the reason I get my brows threaded and not waxed is because threading is so good at taking care of all of those little hairs! Anyhow, not the worst place I've been to, I might even be back but I will continue my search for a better place where I can become a regular at! read more

Riya's is an okay spot if you don't care too much about friendly service. It's a cool spot to quickly get your eyebrows done - in and out within 5 minutes. They have street parking available otherwise there is a parking garage across the street. They do validate so that's cool. Eyebrow Threading is currently $9.00. The lady who did mine didn't even speak to me. When she wanted me to hold my eyebrows up, she simply grunted and that's when I knew it was time haha. Don't expect much. read more