I miss the little Vietnamese nail salons in SoCal (I sound like I am from there, but no I lived there for 9 weeks one summer). There were a few of them at almost every strip mall and you could get a mani-pedi for under $30! Yep in the land of overpriced! I have concluded long ago that although rent is lower in Pittsburgh compared to other cities, services are not so.
Shadyside Nail does a decent job at a very Pittsburgh affordable price. For $35 you get a mai-pedi. The only problem with them is that the quality can vary. I feel like you have to keep watching what they are doing and be ready to correct them. Also customer service could be better. I totally understand that the estheticians have personal lives just like you and I, but may be not have a conversation on the phone while filing my toe-nails? That gets me a little nervous.
I wanted to give it a 2.5, mostly because of the price. I have been to more expensive nail salons here and heard about a few more and they don't do a better job really. The market here is not as competitive. Also, they get you seated almost right away. I love those massage chairs for pedicures. I once went to get my nails done because my back was hurting. True story!