Homer's Barbershop Quartet praised the "four-part harmony of hilarity [that] gets a flawless mop top modeling", complimenting the references to pop culture icons as being "right on the money". TV DVD Reviews commented on how the episode "hit all the right notes", and was pleased with Harrison's cameo. Despite the episode being a "leftover from last season", "The Washington Post" still applauded the episode's humor, saying, "Who cares? It's funny." "The Courier-Mail" found "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" an entertaining episode. Asserting that the series hit its peak with season five episodes such as "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", the "Sunday Tasmanian" called the episode a "first-class
How Many Licks? song as an example of how Sisqó pushed the envelope of sexuality in popular culture. Brittany Vincent of "Billboard" noted it as an example of how the rapper was unafraid of exploring sex in her music. An editor for Apple Music included the song on its "Lil' Kim Essentials" playlist, writing that Lil Kim' "more than held her own as an agile and self-possessed MC who pushed hip-hop toward its unalloyed id". However, African-American studies professor Mark Anthony Neal criticized the single for perpetuating the sexual objectification of women. Comparing "How Many Licks?" with American singer Tweet's 2002 song "Oops