Visiting family so we did a walk in, small piece was done quickly and done well. It was also reasonably priced.

Not the owner or the store, just came in with my boyfriend who has been attempting to book with Alex for over a month and a half. Just officially book 4 days ago. ( he went went in on a day try to get to get a hold of him with no luck ) Today rolls around, tattoo anxiety hot; we get in Goose Creek from Mount Pleasant an hour early to drive around to calm down, we pull in at 11:02, we see alex at the front door, we walking into the building at 11:05 and being told we are late. no text. no nothing. we both thought this was a joke. then continued to tell us he's now sick. after a while of trying to explain that we didn't just show up and we have been there wait long he said he doesn't think the he could do the style at all. then claims he can redesign And schedule to next day tbh this mad unprofessional! read more

I've been here three times- once to get tattooed by Jacob (JJ Quick) and two tattoos from Bre. All three experiences were fantastic. From contacting the artists, setting up an appointment (front desk staff Noah & his counterpart are also amazing), to the actual day of and being tattooed itself was just great. The vibe was incredible- relaxing and chill. Professional and clean. The other artists are great too- I've seen their work and family members have worked with the others here in Goose Creek. The whole shop is just full of amazing artists & staff with equally amazing personalities. GREAT PLACE. read more

Went a month ago to get a tattoo and they were able to squeeze me in last minute :) very professional and they were understanding of the fact that this was my first tat. the guy who tattooed me was very nice and made the experience very pleasant. 10/10 coming back for more tattoos! read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - my sisters birthday in roman numerals - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

My first tattoo experience and I was on vacation visiting my sister. I felt a little out of place but the staff was nice. It was someone's birthday and they had cake that they offered us and my son had some. Amber did a great job on my first tattoo ever ! She wasn't very talkative but I was blabbing from nerves. She was very helpful of what to do for aftercare. Looking forward to getting more in the future. read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Jacob Reiss is amazing! My friend Liv and I went for her birthday and he was so kind and did an incredible job on both of our tattoos. He helped design my font, too, which was a huge help. Thank you! We will be back read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Dan was our artist, we want some cheesy sister tattoos as walk-ins. He was clean, nice, professional and his work is CLEAN. 1000% recommend this place, staff is awesome. And actually- we will be back when I visit again. read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Brent did my horror tattoo. Place was super clean and they took great covid precautions. Everyone was super friendly. Looking forward to coming back for another one! read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Went to get a flash tattoo done. First red flag is when the tattoo artists TELLS YOU he gives FREE touch ups. NO NO NO AND F NOOOOO ! He cut me while tattooing and the whole thing was a scar once healed! I went to North Carolina to fix it with an artist who also mentioned how f-d up it was and how the artist "must not have had much experience." The guy who fixed it in NC had over 20 years experience and it turned out amazing. I DO NOT give a single recommendation for this shop. Free touch ups shouldn't be a thing. Hire better artists or close up shop don't cut and scar people because you didn't want to take the time and learn properly before messing up on someone's body. I never went back after blu gorilla f-d up. read more

I can not say enough about the staff at Blu Gorilla! Everyone there is so friendly and helpful but most of all there is Jose. He is AMAZING! I was having a bad day and in need of Tattoo Therapy. He squeezed me in between appointments even though that meant he would have to work late. He came up with the greatest cover up on the spot and it turned out Perfect! Please give him a call, you wont regret it. Jose now has a customer for life! read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - This is the wonderful cover up done by Jose - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

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Love this shop!!! All the artists do superb work. My husband and myself each got tattooed by Chad on a walk-in weekend. Our son has been tattooed twice by Paul. I'm getting a rework of an old tattoo by David tonight! Chris the front desk guy is awesome, very personable! The shop is clean and all the artists have clean stations! I would recommend any of these artists. They are all very skilled and are as good as any artist you would find in any big city! read more

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First shop we've ever been to in SC and it made us never want to visit a tattoo shop here ever again. The moment we walked in, it was just very awkward and we felt like we weren't welcome. I looked past the awkwardness and decided to stay and get tattooed anyway. We ended up getting stuck with Amber who proceeded to take her sweet time chatting about random crap with the receptionist, which was fine at first, whatever, but then she took her sweet time printing out very basic outline stencils for us, then she took her sweet time prepping her station, then she came back to the lobby and basically announced to the whole store that she's incompetent when it comes to tattooing darker skin tones and asks the older male tattoo artist his opinion (the "darker" being something she unnecessarily emphasizes multiple times). Also, let it be noted that at this point, the other guy has banged out 4 tattoos since we've been there, she hasn't even started her first. So on top of me already being irritated with her slowness, now I'm pissed because she's decided to go out of her way to make my companion feel self conscious about his skintone over a very simple outline tattoo that even a novice artist should be able to handle. There was also quite a few condescending/slick comments, and side eyes/dirty looks being tossed around the whole 2 hours of us being there. The wasted time, plus the things that were being said eventually just made me walk out without even being tattooed. Update: went up the street to Yokai, where the receptionist and artists were all very pleasant and welcoming, they gave us an estimate as to when an artist would be free so we could come back. We went back after getting some food, and were in and out of there in 30 mins with a new tattoo and a pleasant experience. The difference in customer service is quite the contrast. I recommend taking your business to Yokai Tattoo Club instead. read more

(I know there is a completely separate yelp for Paul Zapico at Blu Gorilla, but this review is about my experience as a whole) I had been wanting a botanical tattoo for quite some time, so after doing my research I found what I wanted and I read up on artists. I have been to a couple other artists at another shop and was never really fully pleased with their work or customer service. I found Paul through word of mouth and then started looking up his work. I was extremely impressed. I called to make a consultation but he was booked up really far out, however, he has specific days that he does walk-ins only. I went on his next walk-in only day (which I believe are usually saturday and sundays, but don't hold me to it). There was someone ahead of me when I showed up at 11:30 (shop opens at 11). He asked I give him an hour and then I was next. No problem, I ran a couple errands and came back just around 12:30. He came out shortly after and asked for my ideas and designs. He asked if I was interested in getting tattooed that day. I said absolutely, but was NOT expecting that (score!) He drew up a design based off of the renderings I gave him and let me tell you I was blown away. I was honestly so extremely excited. I liked his drawing a million times better than anything I had found on the internet. True skill. It took him 2.5 hours to tattoo me. Sure it hurt, it was the back of my arm and it hit some tender spots, but he was so nice and allowed me to take a break if I needed it. He also had great music playing the whole time and was in his own room with no disturbances. It was clean and well kept and decorated very well. I have to tell you guys, I was almost in tears when I saw the work he did. He has more talent than I could ever describe. I am so incredibly pleased I have been telling everyone I know about Paul. The shop itself is minimalist. Clean, well decorated and a good size. The staff was very polite and friendly. The receptionist in the morning was new and was training, which i'm sure we all have been there at some time, so I can't judge based off of that, but even with her not knowing the ropes yet, she was so sweet and friendly. Chris helped her with her questions and he seemed really great as well. I would recommend this shop if you want a great, talented group of people in a comfortable, well-maintained atmosphere. I would HIGHLY recommend Paul if you want the most detailed, elaborate, beautiful tattoo of your life! read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Just finished. Beautiful peonies done by Paul - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

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Review Edit: I really felt like I needed to update my review. Before, my ***** rating was directed completely towards the artist and not the business itself. Because the artist is no longer affiliated with BG, my previous rating no longer applies. Prior to my initial review I was torn. On one hand, I liked the artist, demeanor, artistic ability, and execution of those abilities. On the other hand I was extremely unhappy with BG as business. After doing my homework, I narrowed it down to 2 artist. I called BG 1st to set up a consultation. I was told to "just stop in" Mmmkay.. I asked if there was a certain day or time that would be best, for the following week to "just stop in". I was told "these days @ any time". After hanging up, OW did I mention it took 4x's/2 days before someone actually answered the phone? Anyways after hanging up, my confidence in moving forward was a little disassembled. I explained I was wanting 1/2 sleeve, possibly a sleeve and felt like I was being blown off!!! Like I wanted a name or a fuc&*g heart or something. 10min walk in $hit!! Idk abt you, but I want 10min of somebody's time before I sink $3000-5000 into ink!! I also feel like if I'm about pay $3000-5000, maybe I should be treated like, ow idk, like you want my fucing business!?!? Anyways, I shook it off and just chalked it up to poor front desk help. I can totally relate and have had to deal with that myself. The following week I "just stopped in" and was a little turned off. For being voted "best in Charleston" and having been in business for a while, I just expect, idk better. It's a tattoo shop I know, but I have been in shops and I have been in back of the building biker shops. This was just a step above that. Just run down. I stood there for about 10min before I was even noticed. Then some dude walks up and ask "who are you here for". I told him and he starts looking at a computer. 1. I have no idea why he was looking for my name considering the artist I was there for was at convention. YEP had been and was scheduled to be oot the entire week!!! 2. I told him I was "just stopping in" to discuss what I wanted. After 5min of looking at the computer, confused, he says "I don't see you on here". REALLY!! WELL NO $HIT! I left with absolutely 0 intentions of going back! There were other artist I was interested in and lack of organization or maybe it was a "holier than thou" attitude I was just completely turned off!!! Ultimately the artist replied to an email I sent around the time all the his was going on. Because his personal response was professional and apologetic, I did go back. Not every experience or place is like this. I just didn't want people who are new to tattoo's or are interested in getting a large piece, like me, to be disappointed by the initial struggle and frustration you'll probably encounter here. The reviews are based on the artist, not the business. The business itself leaves much to be desired. Sorry BG, but you did not make it easy for me to give you my money. You even made me question weather or not I should go forward with getting the work. Not cool read more

Unfortunately, I called at around 12pm about their availability for a walk-in for a small lettering tattoo (literally 5 letters) and was told to come in at 5:30. I said that was perfect and hung up. I drove 30 minutes, got there at 5:15 and decided to walk in early, only to be told that they were closed and all the artists had left... I told the woman at front that I called ahead and was told to be there, and she said, "Who told you that?" Super confusing, I feel like they should have written it down or even asked for my contact in general so I didn't schedule my entire day around this and completely waste time and gas. I visited the other Blu Gorilla for another tattoo and it was fine, minus having to come back in and get a touch up because the artist missed an entire section (where I assume the stencil rubbed off). All in all, I think I'll be going somewhere else for my tattoos. read more

My review is not for the artist, but the business itself. My artist was fantastic and comforting, but not the woman on the phone. I had a few questions and tried to schedule an appointment and she was short and rude, I almost cancelled my services here because of her. Her exact words were "what the he** do you want" and "okay then leave". I was quite dissatisfied and will most likely not return here for another tattoo even though my artist and the work was amazing work. read more

Simple: Dave Riley. Thats about all you need to know. The man is great at what he does and is pleasant in the process. Ive sat with him over 15 hours now and have a few left to go. He does not disappoint! read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

I had a great experience here as it was my first tattoo. I was able to walk in and with in an hour I was getting my tattoo. Paul was very professional and is a good guy as well. It took about an hour and gave me instructions to care for it. I would recommend this place for anyone! Thanks Paul!! read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - 3 weeks after - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Artist was late and unprofessional. He said rude things about other clients as well as the Subway workers next door. Will not ever be going back to this location. read more

A month or so ago, my husband and I called in to book an appointment. The gentlemen took our names, gave us the emails to send our designs to and took our deposit over the phone. We emailed Brent our artist and he confirmed that our designs would be ready on the date we had scheduled. We show up on the day of our appointment and we were told we didn't have an appointment set up. The women at the front desk who is the manager becomes very rude and starts trying to blame us for the mix up. We explain that we spoke to a gentlemen who took our info and said he had scheduled our appointment for this date. She brings over Brent and starts saying that he never sets up an appointment with out a consultation. He then tries to say he never received our email with the designs. After we show him the email, he magically remembers our tattoos but he had already had another appointment set up. At that point we were very annoyed and disappointed because they are supposed to be the best in Charleston. We then start talking about rescheduling our appointment and again the manager at the desk is very rude. Brent then states that normally we don't set up appointments on Saturday but I guess we can. We ask if Sunday would be better and promptly get told no by the manager. So we go with Saturday because we had no option. Brent then without an apology says that it won't happen again. We left the shop and after talking, we decided to cancel our appointment. When we called to cancel, the manager again very rude and snarky about the situation stated we would not get a refund. We then ask to speck with the owner. She stated she would give our info to him and he would call us in the next week or so. To date, he hasn't called us. Overall, they need customer service training. When you mess up, as a business, you need to try and make up for the error. You should never make someone feel like they do not matter or that they are bothering you by being in your shop. read more

Best tattoo experience I have ever had! My mom and brother got their first tattoos, my aunt and I got one as well. Tony was super nice and professional with all of us. He was so patient with the whole family! (We are a loud clan) I will definitely come to him next time I am in town!! He was amazing! read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Jose is insane! Best work I have ever seen. If you get the chance you have to hit this guy up! No one better in the state!

Short wait. Seen on time. Very clean. Tony did a great job. Nice crisp edges. Its on my right fore arm. It translate in English to "Proud Father". Not my 1st tattoo. I have a total now of 9. I got a few in New Hampshire and Florida. It was a bit more expensive then thought it would be. read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Not the best experience, I have to say. Maybe if you want to get a tattoo from the options on the wall, this is the place to go, but anything beyond that seems above their current staff (or at least the staff I spoke to) I was sent to this shop by the location on King St. in the hopes that I could get my tattoo done that day and the design was (what I thought, relatively simple). The office itself seemed fine, but the employee I spoke to simply couldn't/wouldn't work with me in order to understand what I wanted. I decided not to pursue work with this studio and called the King St. location back and scheduled a consultation with Brad that day. Drove back to the King St. location where the staff was very apologetic and I had a quick consultation with Brad who scheduled an appointment for me a couple days later. I have since had the appointment with Brad at the King St. location and have been thrilled with the results. read more

Had a half sleeve done by Tony Mingacci, biggest mistake of my life! Lady Liberty is inverted and over all quality is horrible. If your looking for someone that can trace a stencil, here you go, but if your looking for an artist look elsewhere. read more

Sir/ ma'am let me tell you this guy chris can put in work. I sat with Chris after a phone call to the shop and discussed what i wanted for finishing my sleeve did 3 sessions from my elbow up.1 5.5 hour 2 4.5 hours The man works great with awesome machines and passion for tattooing. One of the best experices ive ever had working with a talented artist. Easy to contact when needing to. Staff was friendly for a tattoo shop. From what i understand chris is newer to the Charleston area and is a tattoo artist of 25 years or so and his work shows it. From the wings to the clouds on me i would got back to him if I was 1000 miles away. Very satisfied with his work and hope to be seeing him soon. Good job and good luck read more

This place is awesome! So friendly and helpful. The paperwork process was quick and efficient. Brent was an amazing artist. I showed him what I wanted. He was quick to draw it out and help me find the perfect placement for the stencil. He was very thorough and sanitary. There was no awkward silence or conversation and everyone at the shop is so personable and nice. I will be going back very soon! read more

Beyond excited about this place, even more excited about David Riley. I am from the Pittsburgh area, and my tattoo artist, will, of the past five years recently passed away. So I was not only very skeptical but also emotional about my first tattoo from someone else. This location is of course busy, I definitely suggest an appt. I have done some serious investigation throughout chs for tattoo artists and he was my fav, he was polite, and extremely professional. I sat for three hours for the most amazing, realistic, and detail oriented piece of art that I have ever put on my body. He was clean, light handed, and his lines are flawless, as is his shading. As an artsy person, I am no expert, but obviously a little more aware than the average person, and he out did my expectation. There is so much meaning for me behind this tattoo and even more because it was my first tattoo without will. My aunt, who this is a memorial to would be proud, and I like to think that will would also be proud. This is my go-to place and I will be returning before I move. read more

Blu Gorilla Goose Creek - Tattoo Near Me - Goose Creek, South Carolina

Professional, safe, and clean. True artists. I recommend them highly and will go back again. Friendly staff.

I have had 2 tattoos done here, as well as brought 3 other people here, and it's always high quality work at reasonable prices. The place is also very clean, which is a huge factor for tattoo parlors. I will definitely be back for my next one and might possibly talk my husband into his first soon! read more

I won a free tattoo of a black and grey portrait of maleficent from José and am beyond impressed with his work! He is a master at what he does and his art speaks for itself. It was almost a 7 hour process but he knew how to work the needle to where I was never to the point of tapping out. Everyone in the shop was super friendly and José is really down to earth and confident in his craft which made me feel comfortable from the start. I feel so lucky to have been chosen to get tattooed by him because now I can confidently say I've found an artist that kills it at realism and black and grey that I can trust with many more tattoos to come! I'll be returning very soon for more work and give my whole experience a 10 out of 10! read more

place is great, bunch of fun people, went off of a recommendation and couldn't be happier. worked with Paul and he listened to everything I said making sure I had not only a great tattoo but great experience read more

I will never go to this place again. We phoned at 2 and was told we couldn't make an appointment but to show up at 5. We get there at 4:30, still had to wait an hour. Then after waiting an hour, the reception moved someone else up ahead of us. She tried to say it was a misunderstanding and that the person had an appointment with someone else. And because that person was not done, she moved the customer to someone else which bumped us. But earlier on the phone she stated you couldn't make appointments. Which still made ZERO SENSE!!! Poor customer service!! We tried to address it but clearly poor management as well. They lost more than 3 of us getting tats tonight. Poor business management & customer service!! Business 101!!! Will not recommend them to anyone!! read more

I can not say enough about Jose at Blu Gorilla! As I am writing this.. I have the biggest smile on my face and my eyes are watery! Jose literally saved me! Two years ago I got a huge piece on my arm that was supposed to be the most meaningful tattoo since its for my dad and it turned into to be my biggest nightmare. I didn't show my arm at all for two years. I would wear baggy sweaters/long sleeve shirts even in the heat. I refused to show my arm because it was GOD AWFUL. Not to mention I got completely screwed over with the price I paid. Now, you get what you pay for. But, what i paid for was ridiculous.. everyone would even ask whats wrong with me. After being insecure and some days I would even cry about it my husband eventually told me to give one more chance. I refused to see anyone or even get another tattoo since I was terrified of the outcome. My husband started looking up blu gorilla and the different artists.. for a few weeks he kept begging me to see Jose and I kept putting it off. I was thinking for what?! I lived two years with this nightmare I minus well continue since "nobody" would want to work on the mess that was already created. One day I woke up and realized maybe its time. I looked up Jose's work on facebook and instagram. I finally gave in and messaged him. While I was nervous and scared of what he would think and think he would push me away since its terrible work... He asked me to give him a call and send him a picture of my tattoo. When I spoke to him on the phone.. I was thinking either he will say yes or no. The worse could be he says no.. I mean I lived already 2 years with the garbage work. He was super sweet and understanding. Honestly, I never met an artist so sweet and understanding but yet thorough. He was straight up with me and told me he prefers not to do cover up or work on someones else piece. Which is 100% UNDERSTANDING. But he also didn't think twice about helping me out. He heard in my voice how upset and miserable I was about this piece. He literally even understood how I am a lady and what kind of lady wants to have bad work? He told me to come in person (Blu gorilla in Goose Creek). When I went in to speak to him.. it felt like I knew him for years because of how welcoming and sweet he was. As soon as he saw my arm his exact words were " I need to help you out. I can't have you continue being ashamed of your arm". Within a few minutes he already had in his mind how he was going to help me and I knew I could count on him and trust him. I didn't second guess my self for a second. I let him use his imagination and figure out what he wanted to do. I didn't even tell him what I want. I just wanted him to fix my arm. We set up an appointment for 2 days after and a few hours into my session I was all emotional and nervous to be at a tattoo salon again.. since I never thought i'd be in one again. After a few hours.. All I could say is.. I started getting so emotional. I had happy tears in my eyes.. I could not stop thanking Jose and hugging him.He literally saved me! Now I can show my arm without a hesitation. My Tattoos look amazing. It's like I never ever had a bad work in the first place. I love Jose so much. I would recommend him a million of times without an hesitation. I will travel days/months just to have him do all of my work from now on. WITHOUT A DOUBT.. YOU WILL NOT EVER REGRET IT! JOSE IS AMAZING AND SO SPECIAL TO ME! My husband has an appointment with him in less than 24 hours and we are super excited. My husband who never shows any emotions at all.. could not stop repeating himself a million of times about my amazing work from Jose. His jaw dropped when he saw my tattoos. He is awesome. I had the best experience ever. Thank you Jose!! read more

HORRIBLE experience starting with thee WORST receptionist Asia and the shop Manager Chris EVER!!!After waiting an hour for a tattoo the receptionist decided to schedule someone ahead of us and proceeded to tell us that she misunderstood and thought we were waiting for someone else (which that was a complete lie and she knew we were next and was waiting for chandler). When confronting the horrible shop manager Chris about it in hopes that he would recognize her fault and try to resolve the problem and make things right - all he had to say was "ummmm I'll talk to her about it and we can't stop to do a tattoo". Which by the way is the WORST response ever that a good manager can give to a customer ESPECIALLY if the employee was in the wrong. This was such a waste of time and by far the worst customer service experience I've had in a very long time. Asia has a bad attitude and does not know how to schedule clients and maintain simple tasks. She should be fired on the spot and Chris should attend management 101 training!!! read more