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This barbershop wins Readers’ Choice as best around Fort Worth with 40,000 votes

Vincent “Vinny” Clark and his wife, Alisha, had always talked about their dreams of opening a barbershop together. They spent years working as barbers in plenty of shops where he said he felt they weren’t cared about.

“We were just a number or booth rent,” he said.

Vinny Clark had been cutting hair since high school more than 17 years ago. Alisha Clark spent many years in cosmetology before getting her barber license six years ago. The married couple of 15 years would spend hours thinking about their one-day barbershop – how they wanted it to look down to the paint, the chairs, the vibe and the music.

Owner Alisha Clark styles Sylis Conner’s hair Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga.
Owner Alisha Clark styles Sylis Conner’s hair Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga.

“We just wanted to be one of the most talked about shops in the DFW area,” Clark said.

When the couple lost their jobs as barbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, they went to a private suite to keep styling hair. With the high price for a private suite, they soon realized pursuing their dream made more sense.

While dining at a restaurant in Watauga, they noticed a vacant storefront a few doors down. Located on 6539 Watauga Road, Suite 130 had been empty for almost 20 years. They jumped to call the owner and see what kind of deal would be possible.

“It was a full remodel all the way from the floor up, and he pretty much gave us the freedom to remodel it with our vision and they made the dreams our reality,” Vinny Clark said.

The Texas natives used all of their savings to buy every chair and toolbox.

And TX Barber Cartel was born.

The barbers of Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga. The shop was picked as the Readers’ Choice Barbershop winner.
The barbers of Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga. The shop was picked as the Readers’ Choice Barbershop winner.

Now just one year since opening, TX Barber Cartel came out on top in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Readers’ Choice poll for best barbershop in Tarrant County.

The Star-Telegram has done these unscientific polls about once a month this year — from the best brunches and breweries in Fort Worth to favorite places for burgers, fried chicken or pizza — as a fun way to highlight local businesses. We start each by asking readers to nominate places. Then we take the businesses with the most nominations to form a bracket-style ballot. Through a couple rounds of voting on star-telegram.com, we have the winner.

For barbershops, we received nearly 600 nominations from readers in late July, and nearly 109,000 votes cast during two rounds of voting among the top 15 nominees.

In the end, TX Barber Cartel garnered nearly 35% of votes, followed by the two finalists Loso’s Barber Shop in Fort Worth’s Northside neighborhood and George the Classic Barber Shop on 8th Avenue on the Southside.

Clark thought of naming the shop “cartel,” because he wanted their organization to be “unstoppable.”

“A cartel is an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition,” Clark said. “At TX Barber Cartel, we’re here to supply the experience at a higher level, and be successful while doing it.”

The shop is open seven days a week and offers a variety of services including men’s and women’s haircuts, hot towel straight razor shaves, beard shaping, hair designs, braids twists, color and more. The team of nine barbers, both men and women, treats all hair textures.

Owner Vinny Clark holds clippers as he cuts hair Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga.
Owner Vinny Clark holds clippers as he cuts hair Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga.

On a busy recent Friday, the barbers bantered back and forth across their stations while welcoming groups of walk-in customers looking to get a trim. One mom said her boys “begged” her to visit the shop.

Dressed in shirts that read “Straight Outta TX Barber Cartel,” multiple barbers said the team feels like a family. When asked how many clients were regulars, half of the seated guests raised their hands.

“We want them to know that we care,” Clark said. “We’re very family-oriented and want to support our barbers’ dreams. If a barber wants to open up a shop one day, we support it. We’re not gonna sit here and view them as competition. We’re gonna be there at their grand opening.”

Across the shop, red Milwaukee tool cabinets replace typical hair salon storage carts. Smocks are decorated with skeletons, skulls, roses and barbershop shears. Ring lights attached to each station replace traditional barbershop lamps.

The tools of barbers while in use Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga.
The tools of barbers while in use Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, at Texas Barber Cartel in Watauga.

A top performing barber will do an average of 14 to 15 cuts per day, especially on busy weekends, Clark said. Many of the barbers will be completely booked. The Clarks hope to one day open at least four shops, including one in Haltom City, Vinny’s nearby hometown.

Still, Vinny attributes the shop’s success to his team.

“Our first priority is our barbers,” he said. “If it wasn’t for them, there wouldn’t be a TX Barber Cartel.”

Loso’s Barber Shop

The finalist Loso’s Barber Shop in Historic Northside came in second place with more than 6,500 votes.

Carlos Rudio opened Loso’s Barber Shop four years ago after dreaming of opening a shop since he was 13. He remembers doodling beards on newspaper and magazine covers and practicing his barber skills on his three younger brothers. In junior high, classmates would fill his living room and pay $5 to receive a haircut.

Carlos Rubio, owner, cuts Rowen Cervantes’ hair Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Loso’s Barber Shop in Fort Worth.
Carlos Rubio, owner, cuts Rowen Cervantes’ hair Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, at Loso’s Barber Shop in Fort Worth.

Now more than 20 years later, his barbershop at 1549 N. Main St. operates with nine barbers who usually do 12 cuts per day, Rudio said. Many of the barbers were friends from barber school, while others were former clients who entered the business after meeting Rudio.

“I just give people really good haircuts, good conversation and good customer service,” Rudio said. “We have a really nice shop.”

Loso’s Barber Shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays with a variety of services, including haircuts, beard trims and hot towel shaves. Specialty haircut styles include mohawks, afros and comb overs.

Antique hair products on display at Loso’s Barber Shop in Fort Worth.
Antique hair products on display at Loso’s Barber Shop in Fort Worth.

Readers who nominated Loso’s mentioned the shop’s consistency and relevancy in keeping up with popular trends.

“The atmosphere in the barber shop is amazing, all top-notch barbers,” one wrote.

Another said, “Not only do you get the best service/cut for yourself but also your boys! Carlos has been a staple in the River Oaks community since he started cutting hair when he was younger.”

George the Classic Barber Shop

George the Classic Barber, which opened almost three years ago in the Southside Historic District at 2603 8th Ave., received more than 3,500 votes.

The shop’s owner, George Burrola, was raised in the neighborhood and frequently sees clients he grew up with.

George The Classic Barber received third place in the Star-Telegram Reader’s Choice for best barbershop.
George The Classic Barber received third place in the Star-Telegram Reader’s Choice for best barbershop.

Burrola wanted his barbershop to give back to the community. Last weekend, he partnered with local PTA at Daggett Middle School to put on a back-to-school event. After collecting donations for school supplies, Burrola supplied free hair cuts, food and school supplies to school-age children in the Ryan Place neighborhood.

Services at George the Classic Barber include a variety of haircut and shave packages, facials, black masks and straight razor shaves. Students, veterans and senior citizens can receive a $25 cut and fade year round.

A free-hand design from George The Classic Barber stylist Jordan Ortega on Thursday, August 11, 2022, in Fort Worth.
A free-hand design from George The Classic Barber stylist Jordan Ortega on Thursday, August 11, 2022, in Fort Worth.

Burrola refuses to turn away business across all hair types and designs. He estimates his barbers get 15 to 20 cuts per day on weekends. The shop is closed on Sundays.

Many readers mentioned the shop’s quality customer service, clean and friendly atmosphere and skilled barbers.

One reader praised Burrola’s “modern take on old-school barbering with skills to deal with many different types of hair.”

Another said, “They go out of their way to make sure everyone leaves happy.”

More: Here are the 12 other barbers who were top nominees

Check out these 2022 winners of Star-Telegram Readers’ Choice.