Every time I go to the braid bar I'm always leaving happy with my hair. Everyone there is very nice and always do such a great job on my hair, especially since I have so much and it's so thick. I've gotten my hair done by Fatima, Ashley and Rika and have had great experiences with all of them. My braids are never too tight and I don't feel like I just had a face lift after getting them. Overall they're so nice and always leaving me looking great. 12/10 would definitely recommend :) read more

Rika is responsive, professional and fast. My niece and I have been back several times. We love it here. The decor is absolutely adorable. read more

The Braid Bar - Hair Salons Near Me - Oakland, California

So, today was the Re-Grand opening for The Braid Bar, and of course I was in attendance it looked beautiful inside. The braid Bar is definitely regal and elegant! I have been coming to this shop since it opened three years ago and never had a bad experience! the tranquil atmosphere is very inviting! Rika is the talented diva that does my hair! I love you Rika! read more

I've been coming to the Braid bar for almost two years now and always get great service and a great finished product. I am a loyal customer.

Yesterday was the first time at the Braid Bar, don't let the name fool you they do all types of services. Everyone there was extremely friendly and I love how they make sure your comfortable. Ashley did my hair and I am very particular about who I let in my hair. She gave me just what I asked for. I would definitely give her a chance. read more

My daughter had her hair braided today by Rika. She did an excellent job! I really like the location and they have any and all supplies. I am really happy that I found this place! read more

Both of my girls (12 and 16) have had box braids done here and Rika is amazing. We came in with no knowledge of extension braiding and she walked us through the process as well as showing extreme patience with our lack of knowledge. The entire staff is always friendly. We are now back for natural corn rows and again she does amazing work! I highly recommend. read more

Had Havana Twist installed today and they are PERFECT!! Pauline braided my hair and she did an excellent job. Rika and her staff are very nice and her shop is so cute and clean. Definitely will be a repeat customer!! read more

I called to make a same day appointment and they were able to accommodate me in a short amount of notice and I'm so happy they had availability because having my hair done at the braid bar was the best experience ever my hair was a complete mess when I came in they didn't complain rika was totally helpful I had so many questions for her she answered every single one they worked with my budget and gave me the best deal really affordable and reasonable friendly staff and clean Pauline very fast and efficient I will definitely be coming back I'm so happy with my Senegalese twists thank you braid bar read more

Best braiding shop I've experienced! Rika is always super accommodating. Definitely come here if you want nice and stylish braids.

I've been in search for a new braider. I tried this place experience was ok however I agree with some of the other post that they are way too pricy. I got similar style before and it was 40.00 less and looked just as good if not better this same style cost me 120.00 for 8 basic large braids with some accent braids about 10 in total nothing to write home about. So... I guess I'm still in search of a braider...ugh read more

very disappointed with my experience i met and consulted with rika who quoted me a price which i agreed too. I arrived i ciara who was nice did my hair. And i was utterly disappointed the receptionist was a little abrasive when i expressed the dislike of how she started my braids. $100 for 4 braids that made my forehead look larger than I had ever seen. NEVER GOING BACK! read more

I absolutely love going to Ashley! She can do any style I request and even washes, conditions, and presses my hair before installing beautiful braids. I also love The Braid Bar for having a great selection of extension hair to get the style just right, cutting down on time spent rushing to the beauty store before getting my hair braided. Five stars and ask for Ashley read more

Super nice people and I felt very welcomed when I first entered! They did an amazing job on my hair and had an overall fun time!!oh and I even called last minute and they made room for me to get my hair done! read more

I love this shop .. Pauline, vivian and Rika. .they all have saved me ..doing my daughter hair last minute ..I always wait and they always take care of me ...best braiders in the bay..all the ladies in the shop are nice and the shop is really nice ..its purple the color of royalty! Check them out ..they ALL braid good read more

I had an appointment to go to The Braid Bar today, and the location is pretty easy to find. Rika the owner was very nice, as well as the other ladies there who assisted with my hair - they were really quick which was great! A bit disappointed that I couldn't get twists done, but I'll definitely be back later in the summer to get them done here. And the braids I got are really nice, they did a great job! read more

My first time getting box braids. Wonderful service, braids are clean and professional. Staff is very knowledgable. Pricing is great for all of the hard work put in. For sure a new regular here! read more

first off, the shop is great. they are all good braiders; but the job that I had done definitely wasn't worth the 170 I paid. also, we had agreed to 160. 10 less dollars but whatever; my money. when it came down to paying she's like "ok so 170?" because I handed her 200. rude as fuck. I don't like that fake shit. I ended up paying it anyway to avoid bullshit though that did bother me. anyway, I knew it wouldn't be worth it by the enthusiasm of the beautician who braided me. also she came like 25 mins late. not too much of a problem cause I had to take down the braids I already had in (took like 30 mins) but ??? this is your job, why are you late? whoever the lady is that owns the shop was coaching her the whole way through so she was brand new & all I could think was "why is this always happening to me?" lol. after the owner & everyone left, it was just me left getting my hair done & the girl wanted to start rushing cause no one was there. (oh yeah she was texting the whole time.) we finished in a good amount of time but we definitely could have been done quicker if she gave her undivided attention. I have waay short hair & I was getting a poetic justice bob look. when we were finished, I didn't get my hair dipped because earlier the owner asked if I wanted to keep the stiffness or not. I said yeah but just go over it with a hot wet towel. y'know, to tame the stray hairs sticking out since they maybe went over 7 braids with scissors. you'd think as beauticians they knew what I meant. nope. she goes over my braids with a luke warm towel. barely that. almost cold. like what is that gonna do??? I just told her it's good from there. thanked her, took the pics, thanked her again & left. the style looks very good, yes. she is a good braider. I just see that I got half assed service & insincerity and paid almost 200 dollars for it. annnnd my sides ripped out. so judge the job from that info. read more

This is the second time I've come to this salon to get my hair braided and again I have left completely satisfied. I had the pleasure of having my hair braided by Fatima who was very professional, personable, and a fast braider. Next time I schedule an appointment I will be sure to request Fatima. read more

This is real braid shop however the person that braided my hair was AWFUL!!!! If you value you hair, "DON'T" go to this shop!!! The lady that braided my hair was relentless. She pulled my hair sooooo tight, even after I told her it hurt. She told me "I'm not braiding it tight" however, I was almost in tears from the pain; I really could not understand the need to pull so tight. She also used this gel that was more like wax. She said it was to keep my hair neat; the only thing it did was make my braids stiff. She was horrible and insensitive to my pain; my hair did not loosen up for over 2 weeks; I could barley sleep because it was so painful. The worse part is when I took my hair down after 4 weeks. I realize that hair will shed once the braids are removed, however, my hair came out so bad that was criminal; I know that the main reason my hair shed so excessively is because of the stress she put my hair follicles pulling on my hair like she was insane. If I had it to do all over again, I would get up and leave after expressing the pain and not being heard, and if I could sue her or the shop I would, but at this point it is water under the bridge. All I can do now is warn people about her, and braiders liker her that don't give a dam about the health of your hair. Please take heed to this warning, Just because they come from Africa doesn't mean they can braid, or they care about you hair. read more

I found Braid Bar on Yelp. I haven't had braids in over 2 years, and I'm taking a few trips back east this summer. Dealing with the humidity and my natural hair just doesn't sound appealing right now. I called last Tuesday to set up an appointment. I was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. I got to the shop about 20 min early, and Rika was just finishing up with another client. Good sign! I've had appointments for all kinds of hair services, and most of the time, they're not ready when they tell you they will be. The price didn't change from what she told me on the phone, either. She was amazing! Always asking questions about how I was feeling and if the braids were too tight. I couldn't even feel them. Her shop is also very clean! She's very knowledgable about what she's doing when she's braiding and not just concerned about slapping some braids in your head. It took a little less than 6 hours, and I was out of there! Super fast. She gave me some pointers before leaving on how to maintain them, and I'll definitely be back to have her do my braids again. It's worth the trip to Oakland for this level of service. :) read more

Update: I went back to the Braid Bar today. The owner Rika had offered me a discount from our last experience which was wonderful. Pauline twisted my hair and she was AMAZING! I'm so pleased with the outcome AND it took her under 5 hours, which is crazy because I have a LOT of hair! I'll definitely be back. read more

If I could give more stars I would these ladies are freaking Amazing they are all so talented and make you feel like you are at home you will have so much fun getting your hair done you will forget where you at the name is so perfect for this company because it truly feel like I'm out at a bar getting my hair done because it's so much laughter and gossip going on Paris is the bomb!! I text her when I was in need of getting my hair done and that same day she booked me on her day off now talk about excellent customer service she is so genuine and talented she is a very sweet lady I was so happy I met her these guys will forever have my service I recommend everyone to come to the bar and get your hair on fleek!!! Because these ladies will have you walking out looking like money!!! Thank you ladies so much for an incredible experience can't wait to book my next appointment!! read more

Rika is the stylist I usually go to for my braids. She good and quick, which is important since braids could take long depending on style. I would recommend her to a friends.... read more

Fist let me say that after years of using YELP, this is my VERY FIRST review! That's just how pleased I am with the service at The Braid Bar! Making an appointment was easy; just a simple phone call. I went to the shop the day before my appointment, not because it was required, but because I was nervous about the process (it had been over 15 years since the last time I got my hair braided). Rika was very professional and hospitable. I arrived at my 9am appointment the next day and Rika was waiting and ready to get started. I was done in 5.5 hours. It turned out better than expected! I highly recommend The Braid Bar! Worth the $! read more

I was in search of a new braid shop and like you, I read every review I could find on shops near me. I went to the braid shop for singles using human hair and I have to say that I love the job Fatima did! The shop was clean and the women I interacted with were professional and welcoming.They even put a small space heater near me to keep me warm after they noticed I was shivering. I would have given the establishment 5 stars but the person who booked my appointment confused me with another client the day of my appointment causing Fatima to be late. This was not her fault but the reason I left my other braid shop was due to their lack of respect for their clients time. read more

Thank you so much to all of the ladies at The Braid Bar, especially Erica and Vivian! I had a truly terrible experience with Braids and More by Char and had to cancel my apointment. The problem was I was going out of town in a few days and really needed my hair done. Erica at The Braid Bar was very understanding and was able to fit me in the same day! Not only that, but there was a huge black out when I arrived and these ladies still worked to make all of their clients comfortable while they CONTINUED TO WORK HARD WITH FLASHLIGHTS AND TEAM WORK! They refused to send anyone home less than satisfied. Needless to say, I love my Senegalese twists (done by Ms. Vivian) and i will definitely, DEFINITELY be coming back here! read more

omgee I love the braid bar, Rika did my weave and Paris colored it . It is great and i feel wonderful !! Thank you Rika and the Braid bar for Slaying this big head of mines!!! read more

Today was my first time going to the braid bar and the stylist made it the best experience for me. Vivian worked really hard to help me figure out the length of the braids I would get and worked with me on pricing. She was so polite and even offered to pay to get me and another customer something to drink. I am so happy with my braids and I look forward to returning to the braid bar. read more

I just got my hair braided at The Braid Bar a few weeks ago. Jazmynae was my stylist and I LOVE my braids. The Bar has a chill atmosphere and they let the clients pick what to watch on tv. The owner and staff are polite and welcoming and I learned that they do braids, natural hair care, color and weaves! So glad to see a Braid shop owned by an African American woman. I'll def be back! read more

I have been getting my hair done here for 4 years and I refuse to go anywhere else. The entire staff is friendly, professional, and seriously glam. The women in the shop work so hard all the time because they genuinely have a passion for what they do. Rika, the owner and my braider, has become a personal friend of mine over time - and the warm sense of community present within the shop is definitely what sets it apart from so many others in the area. Whenever I'm out and I see another pair of flawless braids, I always compliment them and more likely than not we end up laughing about how we both get our hair done by Rika. She's the best, hands down. And any girl who has got her hair looking right definitely knows it. (And now you do too - thank me later). read more

I came in a few weeks ago not to get braids but instead I asked the owner Rika if she could do a simple style of braiding up my natural hair in the back and leaving the rest out on top for her to curl and press. She was able to deliver the style I wanted and the braids she did in the back were excellent and very stylish. She was very professional, welcoming, and nice. I enjoyed my time in the shop and appreciated it how she was efficient with getting my hair done. I would definitely recommend her because she has great customer service and really makes an effort to ensure that you walk out getting exactly what you requested. =) read more