- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Pete's Barber Shop
Category: Beauty and Spas Barbers Barbers [Edit]
455 Macomb StDetroit, MI 48226
Neighbourhood: Downtown Detroit
(313) 964-7200
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
4 reviews for Pete's Barber Shop
4 reviews in English
-
Review from William B.
Detroit, MI
5/26/2011
Pete has been my sole barber for the greater part of the decade, which is nothing compared to the half century he has been working in Greektown.
Regarding the hair, there are no options as far as I know. You get a man's haircut; that's it. But I have never had a bad haircut with Pete. There is no hit or miss.
Call ahead. He goes on vacation, or goes to lunch, or is just randomly not there, and, well, it's just him.
Yes, there are dirty magazines and Pete will banter with the cops that come in, but he is a really good guy. The walls are plastered with pictures of his family and there is absolutely nothing sketchy about this place.
After all these years, his hearing, and somehow, his English, are still limited. Still he likes to make conversation.
Pete can't make any money off this place these days. He does it because he likes it and it's his trade. If you're a man that needs a good haircut, go visit him. -
Review from Aaron B.
Chicago, IL
7/1/2009
Coolest barber shop I have ever been to.
Pete has a picture of him cutting Bill Clinton's hair, he's the only guy working this shop on the 2nd floor of the Metropolitan Uniform store. Not only is it like walking into a time warp it is like being at your house; nothing to read except Maxim, Playboy, Penthouse, Stuff, etc...
He has been in Greektown forever and is a great place to go after you have either just won or lost it all at Greektown casino. Though you need to be here when the uniform store is open and be wary of the police who are always here buying their gear. -
Review from Kevin L.
11/13/2010
What else can I say that the other reviewers haven't? Somebody already indicated that Pete is a legend. He has cut so many prominent people's hair that bomb's were dropped in his honor during the Gulf War.
Pete's is a traditional barbershop (think of Floyd's in Mayberry). As mentioned, he has one chair. He is the only employee. Therefore, you may incur a wait at times, but things move quickly. Besides, he has such great reading material in the waiting area that you almost hope there is a wait. He is not open on weekends.
You get a great haircut done with scissors, not clippers. Your neckline is shaved with a straight razor. Vitalis hair tonic is applied to your hair when he finishes.
If you want your hair to be styled, go to the salon with your wife. If you want a man's haircut, go to Pete's. -
Review from Clayton C.
West Bloomfield, MI
6/7/2009
Pete the Barber is a legend.
He's been cutting hair on the corner of Beaubien and Macomb, across from the Detroit Police Headquarters, for something like 40 years and he still pulls in a crowd. Pete's shop is on the second floor of the Metropolitan Uniform store. Just go up the stairs and turn right.
Pete's a big, burly Greek guy in his late 70s and he once told me he'll retire when he dies. I believe him.
He's one of those guys who is friendly to all of his customers and pretty much knows everyone who's been coming to him. I've been going to Pete for over 10 years and it's not uncommon to meet someone there who's been going to Pete the entire time he's been open. But don't excuse Pete's friendliness for weakness. He's as tough as nails and has a few stories to prove it.
Once he told me about a time when some really big crazy guy (Pete said he was a huge guy) kicked in his glass frong door. Pete was cutting the hair of a Detroit Police Sgt. who got up out of the chair and went out to see what the guy's problem was. The guy suddenly punched the cop in the face and knocked him out. He then made the mistake of charging Pete the Barber. It was a mistake because Pete just happens to be a former green beret with the Greek Army. Pete actually saw some very serious combat during the Greek Civil War following WWII. Anyway, the guy took a swing at Pete, who blocked it and returned a blow that knocked the guy out. Two undercover cops just happened to be walking across the street when all this went down and ran over to break up the fight. One of the cops grabbed Pete (who had no idea who they were and they made the mistake of not identifying themselves as cops) and Pete quickly knocked him out. The other cop, of course, drew his gun and told Pete to freeze. Pete yelled at him, "What is wrong with you? Why don't you tell me you're cops? This guy here on the ground (the first cop knocked out) is cop. This other guy on the ground, he's crazy and break my door and I knock him out. I'm a barber. What do you think I'm wearing the barber shirt for?"
So here is how this story ended. On the ground, knocked out, are two cops and some big crazy guy who started it all. Pete is still standing and never even got a scratch. When he told me that, I made sure to never forget my money when I showed up for a haircut. He is one barber I don't want to make mad.
Pete is great old fashioned barber. He's given me great cuts for over decade and even though he's raised his rates a few times over the past decade, he still only charges 12 bucks a cut. Don't come here expecting a modern stylist with a shampoo and a neck rub. Expect a good clean cut with a razor neck shave. Expect Playboys and other magazines on the rack. Expect old guys sitting around shooting the shit, often in Greek. In the old days, you could even smoke at Pete's, but no longer.
And don't forget for one second that this is Pete's place. If you do something he doesn't like, he's not afraid to let you know. But he's been nothing but friendly to me over the years and I always enjoy stopping in for a cut. When I worked for the City of Detroit, I used to walk over during the day. Now I have to drive downtown, but it's worth it. He's a bit of the old Detroit you see in pictures. A Detroit that is almost completely gone. When he showed up in Greektown back in the 50s, it was still a Greek neighborhood, with butchers, restaurants, coffee houses, etc. Now it's only Greek by name and the main attraction is a casino. You can still find that old Detroit in places like Pete the Barber, but those places are slowly drifting away to obscurity.
I'll go to Pete until he retires.
