Wise Owl Club

Jonathan Snider — 5/5 (via Google) May 3, 2023

Flew into DC and arrived to Wise Owl as a walk-in and was told they were booked up for the next 3 hours. However, Peter said he could quickly squeeze me in before his next appointment. Peter rocked my cut. He took his time and his attention to detail was near perfection. I am beyond thrilled with the cut and wish that I lived in DC so Peter could be my personal barber. The Wise Owl staff was great and you should stop in and have Peter cut your hair! You won’t regret it!

Alex DiCaprio — 5/5 (via Google) May 27, 2015

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.

G. Damon Dyer — 5/5 (via Google) Apr 30, 2017

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 you're looking for a quick in and out, don't 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, there's 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.

Saïd Martínez-Calderón — 4/5 (via Google) May 20, 2023

Reading some of the reviews that gave fewer stars because of price don't particularly get decent haircuts often enough and/or don't recognize the difference between price and value. I started coming here a year ago by a friend's 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 they've 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 don't know what that may be, but taking reservations might be worth a shot if they haven't already tried to do so.