This place has great service and excellent haircuts. I have been a customer to this place since I moved to Washington, DC. Monica is awesome, ask for her if you want to get a great and worthy haircut, she is the best.

Pleasent staff and very clean establishment. Covid protocol is in place which makes you feel safe. Barbers are all great and Val(My Barber)always does a excellent job.

The shop is always very clean and welcoming. I have been going to Janee for years and she is the best. I’ve never seen a bad cut from anyone else either.

Been going to Ben for almost 2 years and he does an amazing job every time. So consistent!

Love this spot and always leave with a great cut from Mike.

Haircut was good but they won’t trim your beard...... what’s the point? no one wants a fresh cut up top and then have a Taliban beard on the bottom. What a joke and they say it’s to protect their staff.... get them vaccinated then. Wanted to like this place so bad but I’m not getting a haircut one plus to go to another to trim my beard.

Ive been a customer for almost 3 years and although Im happy with the stylist, the front desk customer service is horrible. He is rude when answering the phone and in person.Unfortunately, Ive decided to stop going here because of the horrible customer service despite the high quality haircut that Ive received from Janee

Awesome place, absolutely love getting a haircut here. For the guy who answers the phone: I don’t know who hurt you, but it’s going to be ok. Stop being a drain on this business.

Great haircut in a COVID-safe environment from a really cool/knowledgeable dude named Jerold. Ive seen many comments about pricing--but for $5 more than other places (whose names names rhyme with Shmeveda) you get a precise haircut that turns out WAY better and grows out well. Jerold didnt try to sell me any products--he only seemed interested in giving me the best haircut he could (and seemed pretty proud of his work!), and recommending and explaining why certain products might work best for my hair texture. Ill totally be back!

Fantastic experience and cut. Call ahead.

My boyfriend’s hair is difficult to cut, but Ben was the first one to crack the code. Since transitioning to Wise Owl for haircuts he literally has strangers stop him on the street to compliment him on his “perfect” hair. We’ve never had the issues with service as some others who are reviewing, but ymmv. I have to admit that the price of the haircuts made me feel a little queasy, but given the consistently great results it’s just one of those expenses that are completely worth it.

Went here for the first time recently and very satisfied with my cut. I will be going back. They also have solid COVID safety protocols in place.

Incredibly rude front desk man. I’d go there as a regular but every time get zero respect - liked the barbers but could not stand the man to the point I had to stop going. Go somewhere else to be respected

Employees photographing and making fun of woman passed out on the bench outside. Someone passing by told them to stop because it was inappropriate. The employees doubled down, defending thier actions, using time of profanity toward both women. Dont give a place like this your money, DC doesnt need this.

I doubt I will go anywhere else for a beard trim. It was my first in almost two years. Great job! Good vibe, good conversation. Worth the trip.

Great haircuts, but overpriced.

Outstanding! I read the reviews and got a good nod from my best friend, so decided to try these guys out. I was pleasantly surprised!The shop itself is done nicely without going over the top.. Just enough to give you the vibe. The music was current and at a good volume where I cold still talk and hear the other ongoing engaging conversations. All the staff was busy and attentive to everyone in the shop, and that was appreciated.. No one went unnoticed. There was a connective energy between the staff and the clients. Giving my phone number to be texted when my turn was up was nice and convient ( I only had to wait 5 minutes.. That was convenient too..). Checking out with my actual barber instead of a clerk made it more personal. And the payment system via tablet gave it an extra current, modern touch.Monica was my barber and she was awesome. Chit chated when appropriate, but was all business... And she knows her business well. Her attention to detail and the willingness to listen to me was greatly appreciated. If youre looking for a quick in and out, dont expect that here. You get a very attentive and worthy cut... And that comes with time.Is this place pricey? To most, you bet. But you truly do get what you pay for here. If price is an issue, theres a Haircuttery close by in Du Pont. The word must be out, because there were at least three new clients that came in during my cut. They are selling an experience, and the price is worth it. I highly recommend it. Treat yourself and get Wise.

The barbers here really care about giving you a good cut. The main downside is that they dont have reservations. Normally, I would dock it a star for that. However, the barbers here obviously care more about doing a good job than to make money. One of the only places where I trust the barbers completely to do something new with my hair.Ive had different haircutters every time, and none of them have disappointed. The cuts are either great or amazing. Would recommend if you could shell out a few more bucks.

What you will hate -- the price -- what you will love -- the results. Look there is no denying it, this place is expensive, 40 bucks for a trim, 15 for a beard trim, and 30 for a razoring... I walked out of here with a 60 dollar bill (plus more for tip) but you know what... I am okay paying for it. They spent an hour properly cutting my hair, pampering me (as a male I will never admit to wanting to be pampered -- but it felt amazing), and a perfectly trimmed beard. While I may not come here consistently or at least opting for the full package beard+trim, I will definitely make it a recurring event.Other things useful to know,1) NO RESERVATIONS... go in, sign up, and wait (or they will call you). So when you come just expect a 5-20 minute wait depending. Usually if they are slammed they will call you to tell you when to come back.2) These barbers are no your cruddy cheap cuts barbers -- they have been cutting hair for a long time -- I believe they only hire master barbers -- which shows in the quality of the cuts people get here.Swallow your pride and pamper yourself... its worth it.

Take your business elsewhere unless you like being treated like dirt.I dismissed the critics as simply not understanding their no appointment policy and I arrived ready to wait. I was wrong. Their customer service is beyond dismal. The guy who took my info couldnt have ruined my good mood any faster. He was gruff, dismissive, and would clearly rather be talking to anyone else. Our interaction was less than a minute long but I will never step foot in there again.I walked a few short blocks to Salon Quency and got an excellent haircut on the spot, with wonderful service and a glass of wine, for $38 plus tip.

I am not usually one to leave reviews if I haven’t followed through and actually experienced a place, but this is ridiculous. WOC’s whole philosophy is a unique cut every time and it is for this reason that they don’t accept appointments. Even though their website stresses the importance of not calling and not making an appointment, they still fill up quickly and just expect you to know if they can see you or not. And when you walk all the way there for one of their legendary cuts, be prepared for them to turn you away. I was planning to try WOC for the first time today and now I don’t ever want to return.

This place is great. The staff really know their stuff and they are all really engaging. Ive never met anyone who left without a big smile and lots of thanks to the staff. The hot towel shaves are a must.

The barbers were welcoming and took special care of my nephew. We left with a smile, a great haircut and tidy facial hair.

Enough, this place is managed professionally and service executed quite meticulously and consistently. We are fortunate to have them in our neighborhood. And the reservation system is fine and orchestrates their barber’s demand quite effectively. Keep it up, Wise Owl.🤓👍

Greg did a great job! Would recommend for anyone that needs a haircut

I could not understand how one can fail a haircut until I visited the wise owl club! The result is very amateurish, it looks like as if I have cut my own hair. It took me 2 hours to fix as much as I could. I now have to use tons of pomade to cover it up. Currently looking for a decent barber shop to fix it up.I am new to the US and found the place online after reading positive reviews. I know I have difficult hair, so I thought that $45 should be ok (in London I was paying £45 for a great haircut). Rick took care of the haircut. Even though he was friendly and reassuring, it seemed that he had not cut hair before the way I wanted it. I was obviously distressed during the process which he noticed, and kept repeating every 5 minutes you are looking good. When I mentioned that I wanted the hair on the front shorter he just started cutting off hair without any consideration or technique! Which was a disaster.

This place is a joke and you shouldnt bother trying it out if you expect to be treated with an ounce of respect.For starters, 90% of their advertised hours are during times when normal human beings have jobs and cannot stop by for a haircut, and they do not take appointments like every other barbershop in the world because theyre too exclusive and premium for that. But if you do somehow manage to show up there after 5:00 p.m. on a week day, even if you leave work early, you have an almost 95% chance of being told sorry, even though its 5:30 and our hours of operation say were open until 8:00 p.m., were already fully booked on appointments, so please leave and I guess it sucks to be you for taking the time out of your day to travel here!Your only other option is to show up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday, which is great, because everyones idea of a productive Saturday is waiting SIX HOURS to pay FIFTY FIVE DOLLARS for an unremarkable haircut from people who go out of their way to make it clear to you that their time is worth more than yours, even though YOU are the one paying them.Full disclosure, Im not some rich jerk not feeling sufficiently pampered. Im a guy who grew up working class who came here on a friends recommendation expecting something special, and getting treated like dirt instead.Im sorry owners, but your establishment is a joke and offensive to the very idea of customer service. The advice you need, but refuse to hear? Get over yourself, you are not special and nothing you offer justifies your extraordinarily poor service. Join the present and get yourself an appointment scheduling service. Until you do this, anyone with a brain and self-respect if advised to steer clear.

Best place to get a haircut in DC, but you have to be willing to wait.

Reading some of the reviews that gave less stars because of price dont particularly get decent haircuts often enough and/or dont recognize the difference between price and value.I started coming here a year ago by a friends recommendation and have only been coming here since. Great atmosphere, the barbers clearly love what they do and there are always fun, engaging, and intelligent conversations happening on a myriad of topics. One even gave me great book recommendations on a discussion we were having last time I was there.My style requests are simple and theyve always exceeded my expectations. I also buy some of my hair products from them. That pomade with medium hold is amazing.My one less-than-satisfied comment is to figure out a more efficient way to deal with client queue. I dont know what that may be, but taking reservations might be worth a shot if they havent already tried to do so.

Great haircut for twice as much as an expensive hair cut. Didnt even include the wash it was supposed to include. It has a nice mixed crowd of people. More power to the barbers being able to command those rates, but Ill probably be back only for special occasions.

Amazing spot in the city for excellent quality hair cuts.

Love this place. Chill people and great skills. Rosa is my favorite barber Ive ever had. Sometimes the waiting list is several hours long, but I live close enough that I can go home and theyll call when my time slot is 5 minutes away.

Awesome staff, walk-in-only waits up to 2.5 hours, but theyre up front about it and their waitlist app is on point. As for quality, its good, but itll be a $50+ (with tip) haircut. Ive been multiple times because I really love the staff -- great conversations -- but given the price Ill stick to Diegos.

Best haircut Ive had since moving to the area and have tried a lot of places.

Excellent stylists, cool vibe - been going there regularly for almost a year. No appointments and dont expect to walk in and get in the chair right away. They are always busy. Also sell a small amount of hair and beard care products and shaving stuff.They offer full straight razor shaves in addition to hair cuts.

Jerald is the man. Been going ever since a friend recommended him. You won’t be disappointed.

So, I had many good haircuts here, one or two duds. I dont mind the price but Im not going through the nonsense of waiting around for a haircut. I enjoyed it when it was new but after about a year I could never get in unless I wanted to spend the day in Adams Morgan waiting, I got stuff to do.

Not only was my barber rude and had the worst “bed-side” manners, they completely messed up my hair so that now it looks chopped in one spot on my head. I can’t even style it properly anymore. I absolutely felt completely uncomfortable to speak after being yelled at that I just clammed up. I not only will never come back here but I will let people know they should stay away.

I love this place so much, but the logistics of getting in can be too much sometimes. Went for years and Im sad to have moved on. I dont know that Ive found somewhere to give me a better cut, but I cant do the hours of waiting anymore.

The scheduling system at Wise Owl is horrific and completely insensitive to customer needs. Consistently asking customers to wait 3 hours for a haircut lacks a clear understanding of basic customer service. Why not provide a reservation and appointment system? Why not actively seek feedback from customers interested in their services? I would not recommend this place to anyone

I used to go here but the elderly man at the front checking in customers needs to go. If I am paying $50 for a haircut I better be treated with respect. I understand that people handle stress or personal issues differently, but when youre working in customer service please do a better job in treating your guests well regardless of what youre going through.

This barber shop is awesome. Great vibe with the vintage barbershop elements mixed with an urban street feel. Everyone who works here loves what they do and it definitely shows. Worth every penny for a haircut.

This place has lost all sense of customer service. Ive been going here for 2 years, but after today I will never go back. Knowing the business model of no reservations I fully expect to wait. That said, I also do not expect to sit in the shop for nearly an hour after being told my cut is in 15 minutes. To make matters worse, multiple other people entered the shop and began haircuts during my extended wait. Considering haircuts there cost $50 it is entirely unacceptable to treat customers this way.

Wise Owl Club is amazing. Ive been getting my hair cut here religiously for over a year. Those complaining about the price dont appreciate the value and artistry of the service Wise Owl provides. I recommend this place all the time.and would highly recommend it to you!

Was excited about trying this place out but just walked in at 7:30 and was given a subtle shake of the head letting me know they werent taking anyone else. Clearly says open until 8PM on the site, Google and the door. I know thats pushing close to closing but 8PM is 8PM. Dont even try if youre not more than 30 early.

In my opinion, the most skilled barbershop in the city. I havent ever had better haircuts. I highly recommend Rosa. They take their time, expect to spend an hour and got them to pay close attention to your hair. Its very niceThe down side, theyre a bit pricey and the appointment system is just plain stupid... If you come at the wrong time you could wait 3 hours. They also occasionally stop taking appointments when they have a full schedule... Which is occasionally right after opening on a Saturday.Absolutely call before you go to see what the wait is like

Live in the neighborhood, and always wanted to give this place a go. Lauren, the owner and Lady Barber took care of me and cleaned me up nicely. Great atmosphere (decor ranges from old barber chairs to Bison mounted on the wall) with quality music (I heard ATCQ a few times). Also, everyone who came in, left satisfied from what I can tell.I recommend Wise Owl Club wholeheartedly.

The price is what you get for a stylist, not just a hair cut. Its worth every penny. Though it might be just for special occasions. Id highly recommend seeing Jerold or Mon.

Had couple of ok haircuts, had couple of terrible ones.Couldnt find anything better yet. But I certainly will keep looking for better options, I dont wanna settle for this price/quality ratio.Experience is nowhere near an average European barbershop, but this is common for the whole DC.

Favorite barber named chica left 😢 and tried a new guy and wasnt happy. For a $50 haircut was expecting something better. BRING BACK CHICA!!

I cant afford this place, but if I made just $30,000 more per year, Id visit the place at least once per month. The only things that turned me off about the place were the loudness of the music and the fact that the guy who controls the wait list is a nasty man. Great barbering here, and who doesnt like a straight-razor shave!?

Favorite barber shop in DC! Everyone here is great. Get there early to get your name on the list or prepare to wait a bit.

This is a terrible service. Don’t recommend to anyone! Crazy wait times. They lie online about their opening hours - they say they only take walk-ins, but then if you show up in the hours prior to closing time, they already stopped taking customers. Complete waste of time.

Good cut but you could get similar for cheaper

Good experience overall. Barber could have been more attentive but overall satisfied with my haircut. I cant say I love it but they certainly have many amenities

Superior barber shop with skilled barbers. Worth the extra cost, especially for a special haircut.

This place purports to close at 8:00pm. I went out of my way to come get a haircut, in part, due to their longer hours. I arrived at 7:15pm and was brusquely told they werent taking anymore customers.If your establishment stops serving customers a full 45 minutes before indicated on both the website and the sign on the door, then change your hours. Its completely inconsiderate to other people and poor customer service.I could almost understand if there were a line of customers waiting. There was one person sitting near the entrance.

Top notch service and experience. pricey and also worth it. plan to wait.

See Rosa! As a hairstylist, the only place I will go to pay for a haircut when everyone at work is too busy to cut my hair. Check it out! Rosa is worth the wait!

Good environment and great people. Not the best fade though, came out a bit boxy.

My Barber Rick and I are in a long term relationship. The only downside is to the place is that theyre good and youre going to wait especially if your Barber has an excellent clientele.

Best cut

Haircut was done fine. Nothing special. But to charge $40 for a standard shape up is ridiculous. My advise to others would be to keep walking when you pass this barber shop. It feels and looks like a barber shop but the price for a haircut is that of a saloon. Avoid this scam shop at all cost.

Best haircut Ive ever gotten, darrell is the reason this place is called the wise owl. Seek him out for inspiration and a great cut.

It has a very long line of people waiting and theres no appointment system. They have an electronic wait system thats not efficient at all. This is just the begining.The quality of service is not good at all. They might have few barbers that they know how to cut, but rest of them are mediocres for 45$ charge. Its a truly overrated shop

Both times I’ve attempted to get a haircut here, I arrived at 6 only to be turned away at the door because they “had enough customers to get through close”...there was only one person waiting ahead of me. they really shouldn’t have their hours listed as open til 8. maybe if they accept me the next time i walk in ill change my review

No where else Id rather go for a haircut in Washington, DC than Wise Owl Club. No appointments, and it can get busy, so youll probably have to wait, but its worth it.

Got a great haircut, now I have a place I can go over and over again!

A better than average haircut experience in DC. But you dont want to spend all Saturday afternoon waiting for your turn. There are no reservations (dont even try to call ahead). Thus are hipster things.

The barber that I had did not listen to my request on my last haircut. He cut my hair way to short when I said that I just wanted a trim. I used to go to this place 2 years but will not be going back. Also, the host at the shop was very rude and unwelcoming. Wise Owl’s is also quite expensive $50+ for a haircut in DC.

Knowledgeable staff who not only listed to my direction but provided options that I felt were in my best interest. I left feeling like I had a bad ass haircut and i Will definitely be returning in future trips.

I expect better quality when paying $45 for a cut (before tip). Monica was the barber I had and she seems like shes new. She used mostly buzzers and when she did actually pick up the scissors, she ends up only using shears. Looked like she wasnt comfortable with them either and needless to say I had a freaked out look on my face for the latter half of the cut. Also, isnt it expected that they finish you off with the straight edge at a traditional barber shop?! Seriously guys, I think its time you cut ties with this one. I wont be back. The only reason Im giving it 3 stars is simply because it could have been worse.

Baller place. No reservations but if you show up 20mins before you can be apart of the first round of cuts. 50mins per cut average.

First time here. Dont care how long i have to wait, I will only be going here now. Dont complain about the price, its worth it! Akil gave me the best cut I have had in years and best cut i have had in DC.

Ask for Dan. Hes the man and a great conversationalist.

Awful!!! Treated with no respect. Left waiting for an hour with no explanation or apology. Folks that run it have a completely misplaced sense of self importance.

No frills. Chill people. Great haircut.

Happiest and most peaceful shop I have ever experienced; the cuts are awesome!

Dont believe everything you read. I took the owners advice from a previous post and made sure to get there around 6:45pm and with only one person waiting I was still told that everyone had already taken their last client and that they wouldnt be able to cut my hair tonight. You would think that if you show up over an hour before close, with what they charge, they would try to accommodate you. To make things worse, I took a $10 taxi to get there.

Ive lived all over the USofA and had my shizz cut in all types of places. even after spending 10 years in NYC and moving from funky barber shops to john allens, Wize Owl is the best ive experienced. ask for my man Gerald... 2/3rds artist, 1/3rd modern day philosopher. great haircut plus education plus keeps me up on music, sports, current events... nothing iutside his strikezone. highly recommended.

Max is great and I enjoy the atmosphere here.

First i have to come in person to make the appointment, then after 1 hour waiting time, they text you 15 min before your shave, but when i arrived i waited another 45 min for my turn. very unprofessional.

Great vibe, great cuts.

Rad cut, staff was friendly, and the hour wait turned into about 5mins... so stoked!

The haircut and shave were legit. Expensive though.

Ridiculous price and very rude.

A little pricey, but you wont find a more skilled collection of barbers in DC.

Walk-in only.