i went there the night of my 19th birthday, really excited for my first tattoo that was also semi matching w my friend. i was super nervous since this was my first tattoo, and had a the artist tell me i couldn't go any smaller because their needles only went so small, this was my first red flag because i've seen tattoos in smaller size w thinner lining posted in their shop- weird. secondly since it was a walk in, me and my friends got different artist; my friend go a younger shorter artist who seem v polite and good at his job, by making my friend repeat care instructions after the tattoo was done. Me on the other hand got an older artist, he was incredibly kind so i hate writing a review like this one, but my artist should probably look into retirement as his lines were very uneven and sketched looking. i waited about 3 months to post this hoping what he told me ( the lines that looked off would fade and the ink would heal and fill in spots that weren't filled) was true, but i haven't seen many changes to my tattoo at all. I noticed as he was doing the tattoo that he was messing up a lot, even in the beginning and, when it was finished i asked him to touch up a few things, and was either disregarded or ignored. i was incredibly heart broken over this especially since it's my first tattoo, on my birthday, when my friends came out relatively nice. the weirdest part about this whole thing is that my artist DID NOT MAKE ME TIP HIM. he knew he messed up, charged me $120 no tip. This was not up to me btw i gave him my card and he put nothing in for tip and sent me on my way. i will have to find an artist that's okay with touching up another artists tattoo which will be hard, on top of how i want to fix it because there are so many weird uneven mistakes, such as the squiggles stemming out have two tips instead of one, the inconsistency in the lining is CRAZY. my tattoo has about 4 different thicknesses in one tattoo!?extremely unfortunate experience getting my first tattoo... read more

Tattoo Factory - i believe it's fully healed, but soooo many mistakes! just keep looking it's like spot the difference! - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Just a cool bar. Like tattoos and beer, this is your place. Awesome drink selection and can even watch people getting inked next door. Plus they have video games! Last time I was there players Mario cart with a couple people at the bar, super friendly. How cool is that read more

Got an eyebrow piercing a couple months ago. All equipment used was new. It was my first piercing and my piercer made me feel more comfortable. Great overall experience. read more

This was my very first tattoo and I went to the Tattoo Factory based on the amount of positive reviews on Yelp. They were right! The Tattoo Factory was a very clean and professional environment. Everyone was very nice and welcoming. Most importantly, I love the way the tattoo turned out!! Thank you so much for such a positive experience! read more

Tattoo Factory - Mother Daughter Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here on Saturday to re-pierce my nose. The piercer was patient, had a great sense of humor and overall all a quick and wish I could say pain free experience. This place has been around forever. Got one of my first piercings here 20+ years ago. Ok that's aging me. But anyways they know what they're doing. A+ read more

Tattoo Factory - Fresh piercing! - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chris was absolutely amazing. We spent time finding the perfect placement for my new cartilage piercings, going over a few options to find my favorite. He had a broad variety of jewelry and helped me pick out great pieces and even helped me change some older piercings I had. I'd recommend Chris pierce anyone! read more

As someone who's always been so scared of getting a tattoo, I could not have had a better experience here!! Everyone was beyond fun and outgoing and I felt so comfortable getting my first one done here!! Bobby did a lilac behind my ear and was so helpful and kind during the process, knowing that I was freaking out a bit. While getting the tattoo done, he talked me through it and made me laugh and feel so comfortable! Took about 10 minutes, and was so much less painful than I thought it be. Thank you guys for everything, I will be back for sure!!! read more

Tattoo Factory - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came in on January 14, 2021 to get a piece of writing from my mother on my ribs. The work was done well, however, it looks like my tattoo artist Joe forgot the V in the word "never". I am so disappointed. This is permanently on my body forever. read more

See all

I came in with no expectation of getting a tattoo was with friends I had an eight-year-old tattoo that really needed some love they re-did my tattoo for a great price was better quality than the original tattoo and the artist was super friendly shout out to Mike Junior will be back for my cover ups read more

See all

When I walked in for my appointment, there were two younger women talking to a guy behind the counter. The girls were showing him a photo from their phone. I overheard one of them saying "fine line" a couple times but I didn't hear exactly what the tattoo was. This man rudely told them that he couldn't do it as small as they wanted and that it wouldn't come out like the picture, so the girls left. I don't have a problem with what he said (because honestly, after looking at this artists work online, he probably couldn't pull it off) but HOW he said it. He was so condescending and arrogant. He acted like the tattoo was beneath him... He acted like those women wasted his time, like, how dare they bother him with their basic ass tattoo. He seemed offended they even approached him and asked him questions. I felt like he was on the verge of saying, "do you even know who I am?" The girls were like "oh okay" and left and I could tell they were wondering what the fuck just happened. Then, as I sat waiting for 45 minutes for my artist, I listened to the two men talk shit about the girls and what they were asking for simply because they wanted some "basic ass" shit tattoo. God forbid someone doesn't want a sailor Jerry or koi/dragon/ lotus tattoo. I mean, if you don't have a tribal armband tattoo then you definitely aren't worthy of getting tattooed by these cool guys. So, if you're a younger female, who may have found some tattoo inspiration from IG or Pinterest, don't go here... you're too basic for these guys. And thank you Tattoo Factory, for trying to call out another Yelp reviewer on your Facebook page and reminding me to post this. Also, my tattoo turned out shit. Lines were 't straight at all and I'm already scheduling laser removal. Don't go here. read more

I went there for the first time to get my doubles! They do walk-ins and greet you instantly in a very kind way! Their service is really good and they communicated with me just to reassure my experience is comfortable! Glad I stopped by here :) read more

Read reviews and decided to try it out after being quoted an outrageous price at another place for not a large or very detailed piece. Jody was awesome! He was patient, professional and made sure it was exactly what i wanted and how. The business is super clean and everything is prepped in front of you so you see it's all sterile. Pricing is affordable. I would recommend going to see Jody! UPDATE: so my tattoo healed after two weeks and i noticed a little outline was missing and some shading was inconsistent. It wasn't from heeling and nothing "peeled/scabbed" off. I went back and showed him and he just was like ummmmm yea......didn't want to fix it and was going to charge me again to correct what wasn't properly done. I mentioned getting another tattoo and then he was like well, i could fix the outline. While it may be annoying or small detail, i stare at it everyday and it's something that is there forever. Paul, it's actually C. C you're an asshole. I was never rude nor demanding. I actually called and politely mentioned it and asked about getting another tattoo. I went in to show him and discuss a new tattoo as well. I understand it costs money, but i also paid money. I would expect it to be corrected whether or not i get another tattoo. He's not making any money whether waiting around or fixing it. It's upsetting as a business owner you would be so aggressive rather than explain how it works or resolve it. I would never check into a Hilton anyway. I'm more of a Peninsula type of guy. I'm actually a manager for a luxury retail store downtown. I understand assholes and plain customer service. If you'd like to meet to discuss this, I'd be more than happy to. It must just be a misunderstanding. No one cares about yelp reviews, yet it caught your attention and you cared so much as to attack me. I can change it however many times i want or just delete it. It's comical at this point. read more

Tattoo Factory - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have a few things to say about this place. First, my cousins and I came to get double ear piercings here one night in June 2020. Two days after getting the piercing, I noticed that my ear hurt. It wasn't until a day later that I realized the back of my ear was COMPLETELY swollen. I sent a pic to the piercer and he told me I could come in and he'd put in a bigger bar. He said that this was common (although this never happened to either of my cousins so I'm not sure how). It hurt LIKE HELL. I have the highest pain tolerance ever but I wanted to ball my eyes out. It took him like 10 minutes because he couldn't find the proper length bar. Anyway, he replaced the bar and my piercing became infected shortly after. It is still infected. The front of my piercing also came off sometime in July, so I went in for him to screw it back on. He didn't even sanitize the piece before attempting to stick it in my ear!!!!! His response was "oh I thought this just came off your ear." And even if it did (which it didn't.. it fell on the ground twice!) you should STILL SANITIZE IT BEFORE PUTTING IT IN MY EAR. So now I have a piercing that should probably be half way done healing, but it is still tender and infected and I can't take it out. I attached pics of when it was swollen and what it looks like now. Fast forward to now - - I decided to give this place ONE more try because it's so close to where I live. I went in to get a tattoo. I was a walk in. The wait wasn't too bad honestly. I'd say it was about an hour before they could get me in. I showed the artist what I wanted. He charged me $100 for a small moon behind my ear.... not even the size of a quarter. I asked him why it was so expensive and he said it was due to COVID-19. I get that there is a pandemic going on but... $100.. anyway, I got the tattoo. It wasn't until I got home I realized the lines on this thing SUCK. I get that it is a thinner tattoo but.. you can literally see that the lines are not straight. The tattoo artist was pretty nice, but still. Just please... avoid this place all together. read more

See all

I got my first big piece done here by Frosty & I absolutely love it. I have had him touch up pieces done by other artists. I was just in again the other day & the line work quality is impeccable. If you're nervous about getting a tattoo or are trying to find a reliable artist that you can continue going to, definitely check out Tattoo Factory read more

I'm not going to lie the 5*s are all for Amy Zager. I can't really judge tattoo parlors because this was my first tattoo ever, but it was nice. It looked like your average tattoo parlor (which I've seen like 4 in person.) It was clean. I don't know what more to say about the place, but Amy... Amy was the star. She designed an amazing tattoo for me which I am in love with. She understood when a couple areas were a little more painful and moved onto a different area so I could get use to the pain. There wasn't that much pain, but one area just wanted to be a jerk. She held my hand with the aftercare which I definitely needed. My spouse even messaged her a couple of times because they wanted to make sure that my arm was healing correctly. It's healed nicely so far! :) Amy Zager = the Best read more

Tattoo Factory - My ink mostly healed. - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got a rainbow tattoo on my wrist here last year. I believe the tattoo artist's name was Bob, or Billy but I can't really remember. Anyway the when the scab had healed I discovered the colours looked AWFUL. It looked like it had been filled in by a drunken baby with a crayon. I didn't want to go back and have them fix it as I didn't trust that they'd do a good job. I had it filled in at a different tattoo studio and it looks much better, so it wasn't the fact that the tattoo was in a difficult place to add colour to. The friend I went with got an equality symbol in plain black on his wrist which also came out looking crap. I do not recommend getting a tattoo here, at least not from Billy/Bob. read more

Tattoo Factory - The awful colour job done by Bob or Billy at the tattoo factor - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I was taken in by tommy and was scarred for snoozing in the seat for the last bit of paint. Buddy put pressure and constantly went over in a like to wake me up. I was about to pass out after, I came prepared with food in my system and a bunch of water. The owner was a rude POS who didn't want to do anything to help. I want to go back in for shading and get my moneys worth but don't want to go near this place, lost of trust read more

See all

The Tattoo Factory itself seemed clean, friendly, accommodating, etc. My review is more specifically about Crystal Martinez, who I would give a million stars to if I could. I trusted Crystal to take some abstract ideas that I had about what I wanted for my first tattoo and create something custom. I'm so glad I did. She is extremely talented and produced a finished product that I am really happy with and really proud of. I've already gotten tons of compliments on her color choices and shading! She was also extremely outgoing and friendly, and took her time tattooing, giving me breaks anytime the pain made me a little uncomfortable. My experience with Crystal seriously couldn't have gone any better and I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a tattoo artist. I'm already starting to think about what I want her to give me next. read more

Tattoo Factory - Crystal's great work - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been to Tattoo Factory before, and usually I have a pleasant experience. However the last time I came in, I was far from pleased with my end result. I requested a snake tattoo to go around a different tattoo I had gotten. I showed the artist a few different ideas, and he ended up copying one of the pictures exactly. I was a little skeptical at this point, but the picture I had shown him had good detail, so although not original, I felt it would still be a good tattoo. I was wrong. This artist completely botched it. The shading is awful, and the lines are thick and shaky. Once it healed, I even went to other tattoo artists to see what could be done to fix it, and I have not had any luck. I am completely unsatisfied, and will not be returning to Tattoo Factory due to the gamble of whether the artist will be good or not. On top of that- my artist CONTINUOUSLY made sexist remarks towards my friend and I that made us both extremely uncomfortable. Ladies if you want to have a pleasant experience getting tattooed, don't go to Tattoo Factory. read more

See all

I really don't write reviews on Yelp but felt the need to this time. I got a beautiful piece a day ago by the amazing artist Amy Zager and could not be happier. I actually have two tattoos by her now. She will listen to your ideas and work with you to create a piece that will go beyond your expectations. She knows what she is doing, is talented, but not presumptuous like some other tattoo artists can get. I first got a dreamcatcher during the summer from her, and soon after wrote her to see if we could set something up for an elephant piece. She got back to me right away and was able to get me a spot a few months from then. Her use of color is amazing. The shop is very clean and spacious. Everyone is friendly and have no complains there. I always leaves there wanted to get something new right away. Addicting! read more

Tattoo Factory - Elephant tattoo by Amy Zager. - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

The first time I reviewed this place I gave them 5 stars. Unfortunately the customer service from Hank has been atrocious! I had talked to him multiple times about upgrading my piercing jewelry. He never had the specific jewelry for it, even though he said he ordered it. This went on for months including me speaking to him on the phone and saying he had the piece and I drove all the way up there for him to say that he remembered that he didn't have it! And that doesn't include the time I called and was placed on hold for 8 minutes only to eventually be hung up on!! Done!!!! read more

Tattoo Factory - I was hung up on after being placed on an extremely long hold!!! - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was a little scared after reading the mixed reviews on this page. I came here for my first tattoo ever. Had I read the reviews before hand I'm not sure I would have went through with it. It seems like I must have come on the right day because my tattoo came out exactly like I wanted it to. The studio is clean and the staff is friendly. I came in with my husband and we were greeted right away by Jody. He asked us what we wanted and after explaining to him, he went right away to have it drawn up. 20 mins later (which feels like a lifetime when you're excited, but still relatively impressive for getting two tattoos drawn up) comes back to show us what he has. We loved them and moved on to the beds to start the tattoos. First of all, I have to say that they are so friendly and really set my nerves at ease. Once the tattoo started I hardly remembered why I was scared at all. I was pleased with both mine, and my husband's tattoos. They are healing great and I'm excited to see what the final final result is. We are already thinking of new ideas and will def be coming back. Price was on point as well. Thanks guys! read more

See all

I went in last Saturday to get a tattoo on my forearm and I love it so much! My artist Matthew was great and the experience was short, cheap, and mostly painless. It only took about 25 min for him to tattoo me. And I only paid $100. His drawing and attention to detail was amazing and I've gotten so many compliments on my Nefertiti tattoo. I'll definitely be back for my next project! read more

Tattoo Factory - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My first time at Tattoo Factory. First impression? Awesome! Clean, professional, and friendly. Very convenient hours. I was taken care of as a walk in in a short amount of time, by Dave. I explained what I had in mind, showed him a picture or two, and within 30 minutes he had a sketch done. Dave works quick and efficient but not so fast that he is rushed or sloppy. Some of the best work I've had done so far. He didn't use a heavy hand either, he let the machine do the work as it should be. The price was right, slightly higher than what I pay in the 'burbs, but I expected that. I would go back here in a heartbeat and am already planning to. read more

See Tommy he is great!!!!! Professional, friendly and knows his stuff, going back to him for my next one!

Dave and Alex both added some work to my arms recently and we're planning a piece from my back. It was never my intention to be covered in ink but their work is so good I want to keep going back :) Paid $90 for the "So It Goes" by Alex and $120ish for the "Good Intentions" by Dave. read more

See all

Lylia did a fantastic job with my second ear lobe piercing! She was quick and everything was sterilized and clean!

Fab experience. If you're walking in make sure you get there early in the day so you don't need to wait too long. We had a great time.

This tattoo shop is half full of artists who really do not care about tattooing. They would stamp a tattoo and be done with it if it were their choice. The moment we walked in we were given intolerable attitudes. The tattooing process was a joke in itself. They didn't care about my tattoo he just wanted me to get there and out. Not only that but he was dry wiping the ENTIRE time. I got this piece on the inside of my arm. I'm 5'3 & 110 pounds..not only is that an area with very fragile skin...he slammed the tattoo on me within 40 minutes. I got a professional opinion from a my friend's tattoo artist and he said it was terribly done. My arm is GREEN!! He went too deep and dry wiped so much he left my arm green. This place is great if you want to get screwed over. read more

Tattoo Factory - My green arm. - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went in to get pierced. When I first walked in, they just stared at me and were debating between themselves as to who was gonna greet me. Eventually someone did, and I went in the back got it pierced. When I got rung up, they charged me $63 even though on ig they told me the piercing was $60 and I had a printed coupon from their website. What's the point of the coupon being on there if you're not gonna honor it? The vibe of everyone when I was paying felt like since they were done with my service, they wanted me out of the place asap. Idk if Ill go there again yea of course covid is going around. i wasnt even hanging out. i was clearly paying and leaving, it doesn't give you the right to have an attitude with someone. read more

Don't go here without an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome, sure, welcome to wait and wait and wait. I was originally told that my wait would be between 1 and 1 1/2 hours. After I had waited two hours, I was told that it would be at least another hour or two. This is a good place, based on the feedback that I have received from friends who have gone here and loved their tattoos, just seriously don't go without an appointment.... I changed my review from 1 star to four as the owner's response to my post was valid. I know COVID is having a huge impact on the way that his business needs to be run and everyone is still learning what it means personally and professionally. My suggestion to the owner is to have someone with more experience with customer service talk to customers when a 1 1/2 estimate turns into 4 or more. The person manning the counter was obviously new and very nice and but didn't know how to handle the extension of time very well, especially when all of the artists appeared to go to lunch at the same time. I appreciated that he offered to call me when it was my turn but I live too far away for that to be a realistic solution. So now I know that I need to make an appointment with an artist, which is the original reason I made this post. If you want your tattoo process to not require a long wait, make an appointment! read more

This review is really for Amy :) I found Amy while researching watercolor tattoo artists in Chicago and then fell in love with her work on Instagram. Amy was super patient with me while my tattoo design evolved and was able to squeeze me in much sooner than anticipated. She works really quickly and is extremely talented. The color and detail is perfect and although we're only halfway through, I'm receiving tons of compliments on my beautiful tattoo. Pictures do not do it justice. The shop is large and super clean although you can tell people used to smoke in there. It's been around FOREVER though so even the smell was sort of charming. read more

Tattoo Factory - The morning after :) super sore but totally worth it. - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

i am a 19 year old girl, and walked in with my two friends to get ear piercings. i was told that i needed an id in order to get a piercing (which i totally understand). unfortunately, i only had a photo, and (politely) asked if that would be acceptable. they were incredibly rude in response, stating that i could be held by the police??? if i didn't have an id on me? (very random). all they could have said was "i'm so so sorry, unfortunately we need a physical id in order to proceed because we need to scan it". instead, they were rude and dismissive. i was not at all expecting to be serviced if they needed an id, but i didn't appreciate the way that i was treated. if they were nicer, we would have gladly come back the next day with physical id copies. we will not be returning :/ the way that they respond to negative reviews is very indicative of the nature of their customer service. every location will have dissatisfied customers, and it's basic decency to validate their concerns and POLITELY explain what went wrong. hope that others have more positive experiences. read more

The tattoo itself came out quite perfect, but the artist was extremely rude and had absolutely no bedside manner. He lectured me when I made minuscule mistakes (like smudging the stencil once, or not sitting up straight completely) and made the experience extremely uncomfortable for me. Tatu Tattoo is a great alternative. I went in there for my first tattoo and they were incredibly respectful and helpful and made the environment so fun. Tattoo Factory needs to seriously work on its bedside manner. read more

Awesome professionalism and a perfect tattoo thanks to Mike! Besides getting me in an out on a custom tattoo, they handled an unruly customer promptly, showing awesome respect for their staff. read more

Tattoo Factory - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everyone is absolutely AMAZING! From the second you walk in through the door, to the time you sit in the chair. Nick was amazing and added a feather with an infinity sign around it to a previous tattoo I got done just a few weeks ago by Eger. THANKS TATTOO FACTORY FOR ALWAYS WORKING US IN! Definitely coming back soon! :* read more

I went to have my nose pierced and didn't have to wait, which was great. Everything was fast and easy, but the piercer was so unpleasant I wanted to walk right out; he was so rude. I definitely won't be going back there for piercings. Everybody else was pleasant though, so it's not the whole place, just that dude. read more

Great shop. Only complaint - Called Earlier to make an appointment for a piercing guy said no wait no problem got there and ended up having to wait for 25/ 30 min read more

I got Yelp to make this review. Blake didn't do a great job. I'm pretty bummed, which is especially frustrating as this is my first ever tattoo. He didn't do a terrible job, but he didn't really seem to care. He argued with me throughout the process as I made critiques. I tried to be polite and nice about it, but he also just came across like he thought he was "all that". I'm honestly kind of embarrassed of the final project and will now be spending the next couple months and several hundred dollars getting this touched up and turned into a partial sleeve. By a different artist, elsewhere. I took some close up pics of the problem areas and compared them to the original- the mirroring was by design, btw. I like the shading and stuff on the swirl, but not much else. I was so excited for this tattoo and have wanted one since I was 16. I'm 21 now. My fault for not finding a specific artist, I guess, but come on, man. :/ The tattoo parlor itself was really cool though- saw some great artists and artwork. Just stay away from Blake. Dude just wants the money. read more

See all

I've gotten three tattoos from this place before, and I had really good experiences for the first two times. However, I went again in November for one on my inner bicep, and, well, the artist kept calling me "baby", which was whatever but really annoying, but I ended up getting a blown-out tattoo. I only recognized this in January when another tattoo artist saw it and told me immediately that getting a tattoo in that area was really risky and sometimes blow-outs just happen there, but my Tattoo Factory artist neglected to do so. I might've chosen a different spot had I known, but I'm now left with this monstrosity on my arm that I have to pay to get covered up. read more