I'm in so much pain right now. I'm 100 % convinced the man that did my massage today was actually trying to hurt me. I kept saying owe... I should have got up and left. He spoke not one word of English but the lady he was working with did. I think pain noises are universal as a nurse of 10 years. I think I might have bruises tomorrow. read more

I went on Saturday got 30 min chair massage cost $35 so I have home $40 and he was all mad because he wanted a $10 tip not a $5 tip I'm paying you for your service and he demands a $10 tip or more how do u demand a tip read more

Finding a massage place that does chair massages is hard to come by. I went to the one at Westfield Escondido and they were good over there. I know they did a good job on my back if it feels sore the next day. Maybe I should have told them I wanted more pressure or that my back was not that tight, but I didn't feel sore that much. However, they were friendly and not pushing at all, trying to upsell other services or ask for more tip ( I did give the guy a hefty tip so he was very happy for that). All in all, If you're looking for a chair massage, this place is alright. read more

Well, it's called something else now but same location you walk in get service and leave don't have to get naked. I like that I don't have to make an appointment read more

I've been coming to So Relax for nearly 7 years. In 7 years, I try to go to one particular person, John. John's massage is great if you can get him, otherwise they send him to all the county fairs for extended amounts of time. If not it's a crap shoot depending on who is there. Unfortunately I went yesterday and the the guy shook me, jabbed into my rib cage and didn't even massage my neck or shoulders. I had to pay another guy to re-do it altogether, it was a total WASTE of my money. My solid complaints in 7 years: 1) clean your restroom 2) tell the guys to take their strong smelling lunch outside 3) make sure all of your therapists know how to massage properly otherwise you will LOSE customers Other than that, if you get John, the guy with the glasses, or the newer one with a buzz cut, you'll be fine. read more

Scary. No happiness or light or warmth in this place. They do a fairly good job on the massage but they don't seem to speak English or acknowledge how you want the massage? Maybe they do , but you wouldnt know. It is definately not a place to relax. The name should be mechanical massage! Lol. Oh and its all men (at least when we went). Maybe needs a womans touch. read more

Ahhhhhhhh, its hard to type now that I'm so relaxed! Great hustle and service! Passed this place many times and talked myself out of going. Today after lunch we were killing time waiting for our apple store appointment so why not! 30min table massage for $36. Within in 2 min, pop goes the back......Ahhhh, I started drooling. I felt like a million bucks afterwards! Well worth stopping! Stay Relaxed Yelpers!!! :-) read more

I am 35 and play in basketball tournaments regularly. Either before or after a tournament - sometimes both - I go in here and they have always done a fantastic job. I feel like a new person afterwards. The full body plus foot massage gets me back to feeling 100%. I am in so much pain following a tournament. Shoulders, back, ankles, feet... pretty much my entire body. Getting massages here helps me heal quicker and takes away the pain. Yeah, they don't speak a lot of English, but I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to relax and feel better. Both of those are accomplished. I I'll be back. Again and again and again. read more

Engrish, no so much, but service is A-OK! I've gotten a couple massages here and they're pretty nice. If you don't want to go through all the hassle of scheduling an appointment at a "real" massage parlor, this is the place to go. In a heartbeat they'll welcome you in, find out what kind of a massage you're looking for and get started. They're very professional, play light Asian-sounding music inside, and even though its located inside a mall, I find it pretty relaxing. You also don't have to disrobe like with a traditional masseuse, everything is just done on top of the clothes you already have on. I always wear jeans and t-shirts, so that's never been a problem for me. I'll go back next time my back is sore. Always seems very worth the money to me. read more

I love this place. They give the right pressure. If you can't handle a firm massage... This is not the place for you. I come here so often they all know me. Very friendly. They say hello when we cross paths at the parking lot or if I see one of them working at the Mission Valley location. Stay away from the Plaza Bonita location. They don't know how to massage there and they nickle and dime you. read more

This is the last time I will be going here. I got stuck with the fat smelly Asian guy that smells like a mildew towel. His massage was so shitty and rough on my back that he bruised my spine. It was a horrible experience and I don't think I'll ever be back. read more

Brought my 54 year old mom here today after a visit to the doctor. She was having a "goosebumps" sensation in the left part of her brain and hands. Doc suggested relaxation and no stress. She got a 30 minute massage and absolutely loved it! It is a bit on the harder side, so if you like soft massaging then this may not be the place for you. Pricing is very reasonable. We may have to make this a monthly visit. I would have given this 5 stars had it been cleaner. read more

So it may not be the cool zen oasis that you find at a ritzy spa, but my gosh this place rocks! Don't waste your money on over-priced, spa table massages. It may be nice to have a private, dimly-lit room with sweet-smelling essential oils rubbed all over your bare body (Am I turning you on yet? haha ;P) but I promise you that the actual massage itself won't be half as good as these guys. They may not know much English but damn can they give a good massage! Trust me, I've had a lot of massages in my day due to my scoliosis so I know what I'm talking about. 15 minutes & $17 is all you need to feel looser & lighter. They are experts at finding all your tight knots in your muscles and working them out. Even the women have strong hands! Although there is a language barrier, the massage therapists are very sweet and work really hard to please you. There was even a time where I still felt tense in my shoulders... I told the guy who had worked on me and he spent another 3-5 minutes getting out my knots -- at no extra charge! There is a younger Asian guy that works there who speaks English and is pretty pushy with sales, but I've only seen him once. I wanted a 10 minute massage but he pushed me (more like annoyed me) to get a 15 minute massage. I didn't care only because the extra 5 minutes were worth it. Looks-wise, the place has a nice set up. The massage chairs are lined up against the left side of the wall, out of sight from the entryway, and the massage tables are hidden behind a room divider so you have decent privacy. Whenever I've gone in it's always been pretty dead, which I like because it's cool having the place to yourself (nice & quiet! ^_~). Next time you're shopping at North County Fair Mall give this place a try. You'll feel good not only physically but financially as well! ;) read more

I usually enjoy a 30 minute massage at So Relax. Most of them are quite good. But then occasionally you get a therapist who is just not good. I just had a massage where he literally shook me the entire time. I tried to tell him to slow down and go slower and less shakier but (and this is the main problem with So Relax), you can't tell them anything cause they don't speak a word of English. It would be really great if you could choose your therapist, and give them some feedback. read more

I have been coming here for a long time now. There foot massage is always great, they are always friendly and helpful. There massage is on the strong side, but they will adjust. Good place good people. read more

I read some of the comments below, I guess not everyone needs a hard massage, I do, so these guys are my favorite. I use the table, I get 1 hr. I sometimes feel some pain, but I need the workout. I'm 61, I got arthritis I have always been helped there and I have gone to both the Escondido and when it was open the UTC locations. These people are trained and work hard. Ok, if the language issue was better the other issues may not exist. But I have no problems with the lack of language. I was so helped yesterday in Escondido, after yrs. of going, I had to thank them, Thank you, Greg Chick and Jane Tanaka MD. read more

I'm mostly a Yelp lurker, but I feel obligated to log in and post a review of this torture shop, out of concern for others' safety. Three days out from this "massage," I'm still recovering from the injuries they inflicted upon me. Here's the story: my brother-in-law and I had time to kill waiting for a table at Red Robin, so we decided we'd drop in next door and get a 20min chair massage. The guys sat us down, and my masseur started working on my neck. I knew something was wrong when he began using his thumb to pry my neck muscles off of my spine, and started smashing my face into the face rest. Nonetheless, I trusted that he knew his craft better than I, so I allowed him to continue. But then the torture began: he placed his elbow in the area between my shoulder-blade and spine, and bore his entire weight on it. My eyes just about bugged out of my head, and I managed to squeak out a feeble "too rough!" before he began digging his fingers under my scapula and prying it away from my ribcage. I decided to swallow my manly pride, and bring this to an end. "Ow, that's painful!" I squealed. "Ah, that's beautiful?!" he said, and he redoubled his efforts to detach my shoulder-blade from my body. As I neared the verge of tears, he resumed ramming his elbow into the muscles along my spine. I periodically moaned in pain and begged for reprieve, but alas, my protests were in vain. He returned to my shoulder, where he dug his fingers into my shoulder joint and attempted -- in my estimation -- to rip my arm from its socket. Moving down the length of my humerus, he then used his fingers to tear my bicep and triceps muscles from their anchors, sending shooting nerve pain down the length of my forearm. Finally, he concluded the "massage" by punching me in the spine repeatedly, and kneeing me in the sacrum, just about shattered my pelvis. At this point, I should mention I have a high tolerance for pain. I have sat through eight hours of rib tattoos before without being caused much distress. But during this horrific experience, I progressed from wishing he would stop ... to desperately praying that he would just snap my neck and end my suffering. Later that night, I was barely able to move, or pick up a bowling ball at a family gathering, and my back was filled with fluid leaking from my pulverized muscle tissue. Each time I leaned back on the chairs at the bowling alley, it felt as if I was pressing against a bag of water. If I were the litigious type, I would sue this hellhole out of existence (at least for the moment, I seem to be healing, but I may yet sue). So, for subjecting me to the most painful and humiliating experience of my life, I give "So Relax" one star, and I caution you all to seriously consider how attached you are to your functioning spine before you set foot in this establishment. read more

I have been coming here for a number of years to get the foot reflexology massage. They do a pretty good job and my feet usually feels better and overall I feel relaxed after the massage. read more

As a reviewer , I must state that I am fiery loyal to this place. I have only tried the chair massages, but every time I do, I knows that I will come out feeling "so relax" :D yes there is a bit of a language barrier, but this is the only place that gives intense enough massages for me. This is not for the faint of heart. Because of my scoliosis I consider myself an expert on massages and this place earns my seal of approval. The people working here are so earnest and are good, hardworking types. Make sure to say thank you at the end of your experience !! read more

I had never had reflexology done so I decided to give it a shot while at the mall last week. I paid $28 for 20 minutes. The guy doing the reflexology was pressing down to hard and I told him, more than once that it hurt but he just kept right on pushing. Finally it hurt so bad on my inner calf that I grabbed his hands. I think he couldn't understand me as he didn't seem to speak a lot of English. I left in pain. The next morning in the shower I noticed that I had bruising all up both of my inner calves. I'm STILL hurting now and it's been a week. read more

The second you walk in you are greeted. the place smells great and is CLEAN. The whole staff is very nice and are easy to talk to. it was a little bit expensive but totally worth it. definitely gonna come back. read more

Thang (Tong) is excellent. I will be back. I loved how convenient So Relax is in the mall. I was in San Diego on vacation and chose to have my massages ( yes I went back two days later for another massage) outside under the tent. They also have a clean, attractive store front if you prefer that setting. Really nice people. read more

I'm not a big fan of dropping my clothes for a stranger, so I come here for a massage. They do a really good massage, and it's only 33$ for 30 minutes. The only thing I don't care for, is that they like to talk to each other during your massage (It's not that it's not English, it's just that I want to relax during my massage) and the noise from the mall is very over powering. I highly suggest an iPod and the chair massage! I'll definately be coming back. read more

2_22_15 I paid for a 30 minute chair massage for 35 dollars. The price was fair and the massage therapist was very good. He had no problem maintaining the pressure of the massage. I thought that the experience was good except that the chair itself needs more face padding. My face was injured during the massage because the metal or wood under the padding would make contact under the pressure. I would give this place five stars if they add additional padding to prevent the pinching of face and wood/metal. read more

This place was great. ..especially if you like an intense deep massage! I did the table massage /foot massage combo..was well worth it. I left feeling so relaxed and calm. I am definitely returning!. Love that you can just walk in! If you are more into a sweedish type massage. .this may not be the place for you. read more

Just had a massage here and these guys do it right. I've been coming here for several years and it's only today that I write this review. Personally, I won't get a massage here unless the two bigger dudes are here. They're the only ones that can speak a little English while everyone seems to just have come from China. The atmosphere would be better if they could close the doors because the music from the mall can be piercing if you're trying to calm down and relax. When I'm doing an hour massage I usually get half on the bench and half on the table. I'm kinda reluctant to do the tables now because I'm not sure if they wash the towels that they lay on the table just before you lay down. It looks like they fold it immediately back up after your massage is over rather than placing it in a bin to have washed. No doubt, these guys have the strength you need for a deep tissue but not sure about how clean the place is. read more

So Relax - So Relax Massage - Massage Near Me - Escondido, California

I admit I am a deep tissue massage snob... No one does it like the guys at So Relax at the Escondido mall...NO ONE! professional, thorough, these guys don't mess around. Never a wait, they all work their ass' off, and I never leave the table without drooling. Get the hour full body, you'll forget why you went here on the first place. Five star service! read more

just threw away 20 dollars so I'm none too pleased and had to immediately warn others. I've been here several times out of convenience and have been mildly satisfied, expensive but quick chair massages conveniently located in the mall. today I've left fuming. I debated getting a table massage but opted out of paying 38 dollars for a 30 min massage and decided to pay 20 for a 15 min chair massage. the man waiting to massage me was apparently upset that I didn't choose the table massage and proceeded to pet my back rather than massage it. I kept waiting for the pressure to begin but it never came. I basically paid 20 bucks for him to irritatingly stroke my back and touch my arms quickly then throw them yes throw them back on the chair. no relief and now not only am I out my money but I spent 15 minutes I'm my life irritated waiting for a massage that never came. never again will I be back. if u only want to sell table massages that's all u should offer and if ur going to pet people instead of massage them you should add it to ur menu so pple know what they're in for. read more