Best of Boston

2008 Best Barbershop

Fast Phil’s

The nickname is not without justification: Charging a scant $10 a head, the proprietor of this eponymous two-seat North Cambridge barbershop buzzes through cuts in roughly 15 minutes. The only thing moving faster than the manic barber’s clippers is his mouth, as he keeps up an easy, unforced patter that makes even first-timers feel welcome. Since Fast Phil works nights as an usher at the Garden, the shop’s plastered top to bottom with sports memorabilia, but the best bit of decor has to be the three juggling pins he keeps around. The man juggles at work—what more could you want from a barber?

2530 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-4666,