Incredible experience! Booked an appointment with Eli for a rose. I'm an enthusiastic tat noob so I was grateful to have Eli's expert hand on deck for placement/advice/thoughts on future ink plans. The shop and all the artists were super charming, lots of talent under one roof. Loved peeking around at the flash on the walls... So happy with how my piece turned out. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Eli Quinters!! - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Was hoping to grab a piece of flash via a walk in. No patrons were there, so they were eager to help out. Picked out a piece of flash for my lower forearm. Was quoted $400 for a black & grey piece that was roughly palm sized. I thought that was an insane price, given he pulled it straight from the book with no alterations, so I politely declined. I looked around for a bit longer to check out smaller pieces, but I was getting major bad vibes. I decided to leave, & the artist I was working with told me "get your money up & come back." If you like being tattooed by total douchebags, you will love this spot! read more

Won't go anywhere else. Ian is the man. Will be coming back. I walked in with an idea of what I wanted and he drew exactly what I pictured in my head. read more

I couldn't be happier with this piece. First trad tattoo I've ever had and the entire experience was excellent and I love the result. Ian was my artist and I was able to get in for an appointment by calling within the same week that I was visiting. When I asked if this was something that could be done Ian quickly sketched this masterpiece and had it ready to go. He made the experience stress free and was super helpful. I was honestly a bit intimated with knowing the reputation this shop has, but I felt welcomed as someone newer to tattoos. Definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the area. read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Hummingbird Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Blown out tattoo and not friendly staff, place was clean though. Typing more so that yelp stops asking if I want to leave this as a tip vs an actual review read more

This place is awesome!!! Jeremy has amazing attention to detail symmetry and is great with color. Couldn't be happier and can't wait to go back! Check them out ASAP!! read more

See all

I have been going to a specific tattoo shop for a while however they were booked and I was being pretty impulsive. I called and was told walk ins were welcomed and already knew what I wanted. Jeremy took care of me and I couldn't be happier. He added so many great detailed to such a simple picture I had which blew my mind and he did it fairly quickly too. He had great recommendations and ideas which is always a plus to get feedback from a professional, and is so so so personable and down to earth, great vibes! As far as the tattoo itself, I'm beyond in love! He did a phenomenal job and it's safe to say this is now my new go to! Jeremy is amazing I highly recommend him And his work and Kane is super cool too (he did my friends tat and was super nice as well!). Def coming back! read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Jeremy's work - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Tattoos here are completely *pain free*! I am totally kidding. I just figured that someone is putting that in a search engine somewhere. I'm pretty heavily tattooed and I can't get over the first question people inevitably ask: "Did that hurt?" No. It most certainly did *not* hurt to have needles vibrating under my skin. Next... So what you need to know, is that the studio is clean enough that you can probably eat off the floors, the staff is professional, friendly and agreeable to work with you on your ideas and while *not* pain-free, it might help you to know that they are pretty fast, depending on detail, size, of course. And they are good at what they do. I strongly recommend Dan. He whipped up a sweet little owl/moon for the back of my upper arm and put it on me in less than 2 hours. I love it! read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Owl/Moon Tattoo by Dan - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Artists are great but the shop help and the people answering the phones are really some of the rudest people around. If they're gonna make the only way to set up an appointment be via phone, then they should be a bit more helpful. I understand that the artists are very busy but scheduling directly with them via email or Instagram would be so much better. Also, it wasn't always like this. Hunter was the best and very helpful at scheduling appointments. It's the new guys (I think one of them is named Manny) that don't care at all. Sucks because I'd really like to book, but these new schedulers don't even try to work with you. read more

I had to cancel my appointment the day of because I was vomiting all morning with an unexpected illness and didn't think it was right to go in and be around a tattoo artist and I also didn't think I would be able to do it. They said that I couldn't reschedule and it was too bad, I was going to lose the $200 deposit. I was crying on the phone and they again said too bad. I told them I cannot afford to lose the $200 deposit but they did not care. Edit - I emailed the shop and the owner ignored my email and never responded. Really classy business they are running here. Edit 2 - I filed a State Attorney General complaint against this business. I received a letter from the Atty General that states that the business claims "I made no attempt to reschedule, and if I had, I could have." I called the business and was rightly furious. The business doubled down and again started saying that I could not have rescheduled. The person I spoke to barely let me speak, told me that "I didn't hear the policy properly" and that there was no way I was getting my money back unless I take him to court. PLEASE avoid this headache I am dealing with and AVOID this business. At this point, months later, I am pregnant, unemployed, and I need this $200 back that they stole from me after providing me with nothing. I now know that I was likely vomiting all morning (of my appt) due to morning sickness but had no way of knowing that back then. I now have to find a lawyer or take them to small claims court on my dime. I asked him, why are you doing this to me? And basically the answer was, too bad so sad. AVOID AVOID AVOID! I cannot believe this experience I am having, its honestly one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had in my life. read more

Went here for my first tattoo. Great experience! I'll admit I went small and simple for my first tat, but I got really good vibes here and really like how it turned out. The artist checked in multiple times to ensure the sizing and placement was exactly where I wanted it, then continued checking in throughout the inking process. All the staff were very chill, explained the process thoroughly, and told me how to care for my new art. Highly recommend this place! read more

Jeremy rocked on my Grateful Dead terrapin/bolt tat! Healed amazingly! I've been on the prowl for a new artist, as the former girl I was going to: Jess "Valentine", went rogue from her studio in Carroll Gardens (Nice Tattoo), and apparently is by privileged appointment only! Regardless, I think I found my new spot! I live that they do a lot of traditional tats too! Thanks again, Jeremy, and u know I have plenty of other ideas, and I'll set be back!! Also, Jeremy, what's ur IG account, so I can tag ur work? read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

super nice/knowledgable/skilled/professional tattoo artists. v positive experience. love the tattoo. def recommend. read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

I have a perfume bottle (see photo) done by Eli and a pair of antique binoculars done by Dan (also in photo section) and they're some of my favorite tattoos (I have ten as of now). Both were great experiences and I can't recommend the shop more. They're professional, laid back, and are really helpful when it comes to tweaking your tattoo design (if it needs it). The night I got my perfume bottle, a couple came in wanting a piece by Mr. Boltz and it was some elaborate gruesome idea and Steve explained that while he could do it, it's not his style and they should find someone else to do it the justice it deserves. I thought that was awesome. None of that stupid Inkmaster 'Be great at every genre!' bullshit. They're masters at traditional. Pure and simple. The banter around the shop is hilarious and being the last customer in the shop the night I got my tattoo by Dan, they ordered pizza and even shared some with me! Post-tattoo pizza? Yes fucking please. If you want an incredible, clean, traditional tattoo that will be timeless and the eye of your jealous friends, go here. If you're looking for tribal, call up Dave Navarro, i'm sure he could recommend a cute place. read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - My favorite new tattoo for my favorite lady. Thanks Eli! - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

I am satisfied with the art that I acquired; the artist nicely configured around existing tats. The shop was clean and tidy. However, the whole experience was a bit annoying & shady. I arrived in time to hear everyone take a lunch break, I was there for over an hour before I saw the 2 small roses drawn. What's bad about that is I'd had an abundance of time where I could've hiked to the ATM... During the long wait I wasn't told that they were doing cash only, even though they took a credit card deposit over the phone. Overall, the shop had a lot of hype & high pricing... I guess the rent is high in NYC? I've had better experiences in Oakland & Berlin! (Nothing beats the ATL for talent & value!) read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Great roses collaged among other pieces... Nice fit - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

If you are looking for the American traditional tattoo style, like the sign on the shop window says, LOOK. NO. FURTHER. Smith Street is the place. These dudes are experts of the style and the history behind it. Everyone there is a top-quality artist, friendly, helpful, and just downright cool. Kane Gordon hooked me up, and I couldn't be happier with the process from start to finish. I see people complaining about how Smith St. is pricey... To that, I would say, sure, maybe... but good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good. Smith Street is going to be my hometeam shop from here on out. read more

I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to have gotten work done by Smith st. The level of professionalism and beautiful talent done by these guys goes well beyond this review. The hospitality, cleanliness and pure traditional work was far beyond anything I've ever expected. Had a large torso piece that needed a lot of work and a lot of time and frank just absolutely killed it in every way possible. Completely transformed my piece into something so strong and flawless. I've actually only ever fascinated about. Will not go to a different shop ever again. read more

Horrible experience, came in as a walk in looking to get get two small tattoos, workers were really shady and rude and completely ripped me off. Asked for payment upfront which I have never seen before, $300 for two small tatts that took less than 1 hr, then said they needed to charge me $26 extra as a "fee" for paying with card, never again read more

This shop produces high quality American Traditional tattoos, but go in knowing that the shop is ridiculously overpriced (paid $700 for a tattoo that took less than 2 hours) and their shop manager is by far one of the rudest I've dealt with in NY. I've gotten equal quality work and much better service for a fraction of the cost in the tattoo Mecca of the world, Southern California. I will not be coming back, nor recommend this shop to anyone else. read more

I had my first tattoo done here this past weekend. Bert took me as a walk-in appointment and I must say, for a first timer, this was a great experience. The shop is very clean, everyone is friendly and accommodating, and I cannot be happier with my design. I brought in my own design and Bert drew it up and had it executed to perfection. I cannot recommend these guys enough. If you are looking to schedule an appointment, they are booked out a ways so I would do what I did. Walk-in and see if they can do it same day. You will not be disappointed! Thanks Bert! read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Best of the best ! Can't get any better then this.! Traditional at its finest can't wait for more ! read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Gorilla head on foot by Bert krak!! - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Wife had a couple letters done. 15 minutes- $200 bucks. way over priced! Traditional scrap shop.

Been to many shops in the past, and I finally found THE one. I got a traditional girl and a rose by Eli Quinters, and its more than I imagined it to be. The whole experience, and everyones attitude is so PRO, and they're really friendly and VERY knowledgable. Honestly, I peeked at the other customers and their tattoos looked so good too, so... any artist at this shop will kill it! Good to see a shop that works as a unit, will be back soon! read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Done by Eli Quinters - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Walked in in a Sunday morning to ask about 2 small pieces, walked out with them both... even better than I anticipated. Shop is great... super clean with a terrific vibe and great music. Artists were friendly, thoughtful and professional. I'll definitely go back!!! read more

I walked in on an empty Saturday morning. I waited as I saw a guy coming inside from the back yard. I was super polite, complimented him on the store; he seemed indifferent and kind of confused. I told him exactly what I wanted; a circle tattoo, on my shoulder or wrist. (I like both and am open minded to either). I asked his opinion on which spot would be more intelligent for a woman's body and the way it moves and changes over time. His response? "Well it's done by a human, so it's not going to be perfect." Thanks for the vote of confidence... He told me it'd cost between $100-150. I don't really care about the price; the piece, I explained to him, is trite, but has a lot of meaning for me. He literally pulled out his phone and walked away, saying nothing. So a place that I walked into that seemed inviting, and smelled nice - suddenly felt awkward and uncomfortable. I left. What a douche. read more

i have gotten tattooed there a few times by frank and everyone at the shop is super knowledgeable and nice. always a great time. they have no problem providing directional feedback about your ideas, but it's always done with a sense of understanding. they seem to just want you to get the raddest tattoo possible. worth the price, the ink heals up perfectly every time, and there's always good music playing. perfect shop for american traditional work. read more

I haven't stopped by the shop yet, but I've been seeing Eli for tattoos since I was 18. He does bad ass work....my hips, arm, feet, and he covered up this huge dark badly done tattoo I had on my upper back. It's GONE. You can't see it at all, and the cover up tattoo is sick. I send everyone I come across looking to get tattooed to Eli. read more

These dudes don't be playin'. I got tattooed by Steve Boltz a few times. He tha man fo sho! He the best & nice too. All the tattooers here are da best in tha biz! Eli is a nice guy too. The shop itself is real cool to be in. No hipster snob shop. They be tattooin' fast as hell too. 5 STARs!!! East coast style beotches. read more

Best traditional artist around Bert Krak, Steve Boltz, Dan Santoro & Eli Quinters I mean these are some of the best traditional tattooers in the game. I've been tattooed by all of them except Eli.. don't you worry Eli I'm gonna make it back out to get you !! Their tattoos are flawless, amazing, colorful and fast. The line work is always clean and straight. All great guys very nice and helpful I let them do there thing when it comes to coloring. I trust them fully in whatever colors they decide to put into the tattoo. The shop is super clean and Chris the manager is always on top of everything. Getting stations taken down and setup in no time for the next client. place is decorated from the floor to ceiling and their flash work for you to choose from. Check them out and get tattooed.. simple as that read more

I was a lil scared to go in there and ask for a foot tat and not know what i wanted, but santoro was super cool about it and he was very nice to my girlfriend. all the dudes were super cool and that good ol feeling of being welcomed somewhere. little pricey but you get what you pay for hence there the best 4 tattooers in traditional tattooing Great overall experience read more

This is easily the top shop for Traditional work in NYC. I got a piece done by Eli. I had booked the appointment about 3 weeks in advance because the piece I wanted was fairly large, I came in and he drew up what I want from my sketch super fast and it looked awesome. I have heard nothing but positives about all the members of the shop, and I saw some of their work first hand as several people were tattooed around me. It was all awesome stuff. The atmosphere in the shop is great as the guys are constantly joking around and busting balls. I will agree with some previous reviewers that the guy greeting at the door could use some customer service skills, but this place is a "parlor" and that shit just comes with the territory. Besides the work is awesome. If you want a great looking traditional american piece, this shop is for you. read more

A good friend brought me to Bert of Smith Street Tattoo to get a dragonfly tattoo that I had been wanting for months. She highly recommended Bert since he did her tattoos. I told him what I wanted and he took it from there. He gave me the most beautiful and colorful dragonfly tattoo on the top of my left foot. I was beyond thrilled! I was told that getting a tat on ones foot is the most painful. I have little tolerance to pain! LOL But must say that Bert has an extremely gentle and light touch. So much so that I went back to have an old tattoo re-inked and re-designed. Again, Bert did an amazing job!! I am now thinking of a third one... just not sure where and what but I do know that I will definitely go back to Bert. He is THE BEST and I highly recommend him. read more

I went into the Smith Street Tattoo Parlour to inquire about restoring some old tattoos. The shop was clean and the manager was friendly. The shop has wonderful artwork, both old and new, from floor to ceiling. Unfortunately, I was not getting any new tattoos; I had just added some new art next to the old tattoos. I made an appointment with Steve and he tattooed just the right amount of color and the tattoos look great. A wonderful vintage touch-up without changing the details. Thank you Steve! read more

I stopped by Smith St on a lazy Sunday and walked away with my first tattoo which I couldn't be happier with. Just as their other reviews suggested, they are pricey and there was a wait but it was well worth it. I hung out for 2 hours but they happily squeezed me in despite all their other walk-ins and appointments. Once I told Chris what I wanted, he had it drawn up within 5 minutes. Not only did he do a great job but he answered all 3,000 questions of mine with a smile! I'll definitely be back for my second. Thanks again, Chris! read more

Smith Street Tattoo Parlour - Traditional piece done by Chris at Smith Street. Thanks again! - Tattoo Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Amazing work. Awesome shop. Old school atmosphere. Very well priced for the caliber of the work you are getting. These guys are well respected and know their stuff. Trust them and you will come out with a dope tattoo. I feel like I need to add this in response to the people who gave one star: This is a REAL tattoo shop, DO NOT expect to be coddled. Don't be overly sensitive if they don't like your idea or think the tattoo that you want covered should lasered.... Just accept it as their professional opinion and suck it up. read more

I got my *first* tattoo here a few days ago. It was on my ribs, and I wouldn't consider it small by any means. I have been following the guys at SST for at least a year and was excited to get an appointment with Steve Boltz. I rearranged my work schedule and flew across the country to get inked. From a tattoo artist's point of view I understand if there was a bunch of trepidation to tattoo some dude off the plane right on the ribs for the first time, BUT, Steve took me seriously, listened to what I wanted, and, drew up an amazing piece of work inspired by flash that he had on file. Not only was he patient, he was super professional and has focus like a brain surgeon during his sessions. Told my Midwest friends if they go out east, any of the 4 guys at Smith Street will provide tattoos that are high quality. Totally pleased. read more

Can't say enough good things about this place. I was tattooed by Eli and he was welcoming and friendly, had great ideas without being pushy and did a really neat job of the tattoo. He made sure he knew exactly what I wanted, and took his time putting the design together to make sure it was just right. I'm definitely going back for more. If you're a first timer, or thinking of adding more ink (and you're fan of awesome, colorful, port-style tattoos), this is the place to go in Brooklyn. read more

told me to wait 40 mins for a tattoo but it turned into being two hours before i left. they had their friends in the back with them and i could hear them laughing the whole time. i got annoyed and left. happy i left though, got a sick tattoo from down the street. read more

Eli did my shoulder piece that came out awesome! These guys were super amazing and made sure i felt comfortable at all times. It was an awesome experience and i love my ink! I can see where steve can get short tempered but i think you need to be really clear with him and make sure if he does get snippy to remind him that the customer si always right. He is a cool dude and a great artist. read more

By far the BEST shop in NYC!!!!...Dan, Bert, Steve, Eli & Chris are all incredible artists and really cool guys...if you love Traditional bold tattoos then look no further...and who knows you may even get to see the little Pit Bushwick Bill... read more

See all