Drybar - River North

Five stars, easily. This location didn’t skip a beat from the moment I walked in. My first interaction was with Anita at the front desk. She was smiling, warm, and had the kind of energy that immediately sets the tone for the entire visit. I notice these things. I coach, mentor and consult med spas across Chicagoland, and she truly hit every checkpoint of what you want a guest to experience the moment they walk in. I’m not a secret shopper, but my brain is wired that way. I was then paired with Nina, who did an absolutely fabulous job. I walked in looking like a wet dog and left looking like a Victoria’s Secret model. She also happens to be one of their educators, which makes perfect sense because she’s exceptional at what she does. I live in the suburbs but work in the city, and today’s experience alone made me want to join the membership. I cannot recommend this location enough.

Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. I came in for a blowout a few days ago and left with damaged hair. I clearly requested from the start I wanted no volume — asked for silky straight with rounded ends only. Despite this, my stylist put my hair in rollers. I reminded her midway through the service that I did not want volume. When the rollers were removed, my hair had big 70s-style volume and curls. When she saw my reaction, she said she could "fix it" and proceeded to run a flat iron over the same sections repeatedly. No heat protectant was applied at any point. The heat used throughout the service was excessive — the dryer had also burned my scalp multiple times throughout the drying portion. By the end, my hair looked overprocessed, weighed down with product, flat at the roots, and uneven at the ends. I left feeling upset I had just spent money on this and would need to go home and wash my hair myself. Once home, I discovered the most serious issue: the entire top layer of my hair was broken off. I have never experienced hair breakage in my life and had healthy hair prior to this appointment. This damage was immediate, localized, and consistent with heat damage caused during the service. I contacted the manager right away, provided photo documentation, and explained what occurred. The response was dismissive, attempted to shift blame, and refused a refund while denying responsibility. This wasn’t just a bad blowout — it caused real, irreversible damage by the stylist which they refused to take accountability for. If you value the health of your hair, do not risk it. Go elsewhere!

I had such a wonderful experience with Jolie at Drybar! She gave me a beautiful, bouncy blowout full of volume and did it all in just about 25 minutes. My hair looked amazing and felt so light and styled to perfection. Jolie was also incredibly pleasant, professional, and friendly, which made the whole experience even better. I’ll definitely be booking with her again.

I had an appointment with Kiki and she was absolutely incredible. She listened to what I wanted and gave me the best bouncy blowout I’ve ever had. My hair looked so full, shiny, and perfect. Definitely coming back!

I came here for a blowout (I don’t get blowouts very often) and to get my hair curled for a wedding I was attending. It was my first time going to a Dry Bar and Kiki was amazing! I was so happy with the result, took less than 25 minutes, and lasted through rain, wind, and snow!

Don’t Waste Your Time or Money One of the worst salon experiences I’ve ever had. I booked a 7 AM appointment for an important event and was assured everything would be on time and handled professionally. The stylist, Shae, showed up 20 minutes late with no apology or explanation. Her attitude was careless, and she didn’t listen to what I wanted. Honestly, when Shae was late, the receptionist didn’t seem to care either. And 20 minutes late at 7 AM? Do they think people book that early just for fun? I had important plans afterwards. I specifically asked for a long-lasting curly style—it completely fell apart in just one hour. I also asked for volume at the top, which was already gone by the time I got home. This isn’t my first time having my hair done by professionals—I know what a quality job looks like and how long it should last. Totally unprofessional. I left feeling frustrated and disappointed. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. I’ll attach one photo of what I asked for, and a second photo of what I actually got. Let me know—does it look like I had my hair professionally styled in the second photo?

Loved my southern comfort by Jolie! This is my second time getting my hair done by her! I’ve also had the old fashion by her in August with my longer hair! Truly an experience!! 10/10