Great experience with my first ear lobe piercings! Got time to look at the piercings beforehand while the piercer sanitized the workspace and brought all the tools out. He explained the process very clearly, made markings with a measuring tool to ensure symmetry, and proceeded to explain how to clean them. The whole process was 25 minutes. The price was about $50 + earrings + tip. For my first piercings it exceeded my expectations! Thank you!! read more

Got my cartilage piercing here today along with a friend. Since I was a wee child I've seen this shop on the side of El Camino and always wondered what they do? Well, I made an appointment earlier this week for my first non-Claire's piercing and I'm extremely impressed. Making an appointment was kind of hard, my friend and I tried calling the day before or 2 days before appointments the first time we were trying to schedule and we were told to try another week since Mark was booked. Also, when we tried calling a week early we were told it was too early to accept appointments. Finally I managed to call back 4 days before my appointment and got the time that I wanted. So make sure you call in early, but not too early. Mark, the piercer, is super friendly and made my friend and I feel super comfortable before we got our piercings. Even though we'd had our lobes pierced twice, we were nervous getting the cartilage done but he answered all of our questions and concerns with extreme patience and a big smile on his face. My friend went first and got a stud piercing, and I got a hoop piercing. Mark showed us the equipment he used and how everything was new and sterile, as it should be when you're getting anything pierced. He made the whole process really relaxing for both of us and went over very thorough after care instructions. I enjoyed that even while he was piercing our ears he was very easy to talk to and we made great conversation. We ended up buying the saline solution from him, as mentioned in another review he did not press it and gave us a recipe for if we wanted to make it ourselves. I'm happy I got my ears pierced here, and I'd definitely recommend it to all of my friends looking for someone friendly and professional to do their piercings! On a side note, their smoke shop also looks really well stocked, and there are also lots of choices of earrings/body jewelry available in the shop, so definitely worth taking a look around even if you aren't getting piercings! read more

All the good things you read about Mark are TRUE. My teenage daughter wanted to get her ears pierced and was told it's much better to get it done at a tattoo or piercing establishment. Her friends at school recommended The Fatty Zone and specifically told her to ask for Mark. So we made an appointment the day before, and arrived right on time for her appointment the following day. Upon entering the shop we were approached by a brawny, inked and pierced man who politely asked how he can help. My daughter said she had a 2pm apptmt with Mark -- at which point he said, "I'm Mark". Mark was SUPER professional. He treated my daughter with respect, transparency, and did it with fantastic bed side manner. He'd clearly sensed the nervousness and anxiety, but calmy explained what was going to happen and how he'd talk her through each step of the way. He then turned to me and explained the parent side paperwork, and proceeded to prep the room and equipment. He took very careful measurements, markings and again, continued to talk through the steps and managed to get a dialogue with my daughter about the holidays and school to help her talk focus away from the procedure. Mark explained how people's ear lobes are seldom symmetrical, and as a result, needs to compensate where the piercings are applied to give the illusion of symmetry. Even after the procedure was done, he patiently and thoroughly explained caring and cleaning instructions. I really appreciated the manner in which he conducted business -- educational, professional, courteous and empathetic. Mark showed us how the piercing needles are always new -- never reused. I realize it's "only" an ear piercing, but it can be nerve racking for the child and parent. Mark is REALLY good. REMEMBER to TIP...After paying we began our short drive home. Just a few blocks into the drive, my daughter asked how much I tipped him. I realized at that point that I didn't tip him -- not purposely, but really didn't even think about it. So we turned around and dropped back into the store to TIP and thank Mark again. read more

Took my 8 year old daughter to Mark to get her ears pierced. He was so thorough and professional. In fact he made us come back after Summer break so she wouldn't have to avoid swimming. When we came in to get it done he took his time, was so patient and precise! I couldn't recommend him more!!! read more

The piercer was a straight asshole then talked shit about my belly and how it's not "capable of being pierced" some professional! Lmao. And when I first came in gave me attitude about him calling and me not answering. I don't answer random numbers because they're usually scam calls. If they leave a voicemail then I know to call back. read more

I am new to the area and never been pierced here, but had a last minute MRI appointment so needed my jewellery removed pretty quickly. I called up and the super friendly woman on the phone squeezed me in that afternoon. Despite the piercing guy being really busy, he saw me within a few hours of me calling during a 20 minute gap he had. He removed all 9 of my piercings fast and pain-free. I really appreciate it, and I'll be back when I next want a piercing - thanks so much! read more

I wish I can give 10 stars!! Mark was amazing! I took my 11 year old to get her ears pierced, he was professional, very attentive and took his time to make sure my daughter was comfortable. I greatly appreciate him taking the time to measure, explain the process, and was amazingly patient. Her ears look Beautiful and She's super happy! Thank you!! Highly recommend this place! read more

I got my double lobe piercings done today. Mark was great! He used needles for the piercings and they were fast and painless. He took time to explain the procedure, helped prepare me for the piercing, and made sure to measure so the piercings were even. Would definitely recommend. read more

Our local 'head shop' in Mountain View. They carry a little bit of everything from t shirts to pipes to vaporizers and on and on. Hours are great, prices are ok, selection on 'lower priced' smoking equipment can vary. If you have a car it's worth the 20 minute drive to much bigger places in San Jose. But if you don't drive, or wanna keep it local, this place if clean, open, and safe to park and shop at! read more

Hey FATTY ZONE. While I am impressed with your self-serving review of your manager and your store I would like to let you know that your employee was rude and obnoxious. I honestly could care less about her "credentials" unless that includes a recent training session in customer service. I especially do not appreciate it when somebody tries to JACK THE PRICE UP after I hand them the money. That's called Fraud. Then when I call her on it she finally gives me change in nickels and mutters expletives under her breath. Excuse me, but thats a piss-poor way of treating anybody especially one of your customers and I think you probably know it. Finally I find it particularly hypocritical and ironic that you criticize my judgment of character before you even found out what happened for yourself. As far as you being honored if I don't come back to your store; I doubt that you'll be honored for anything soon unless its a Smart Aleck award. If I could give your store and its employee ZERO STARS I would, you really earned it. read more

My 14-year old daughter just got her ears pierced here today. Everything was flawless. The gentleman did a very good job of explaining the process to her and preparing her so she was not afraid. He measured everything out and was meticulous. The needle did not hurt and it was hygienic. read more

I brought my cousin here for her first cartilage piercing, and shes from Japan so she was surprised she couldn't just buy a piercing gun and do it herself haha. But anyways, they have a room in the back for piercing and tattoos, the rest of the shop looks clean and the smoke shop on the side as well. Parking is in the back. Mark was super friendly and talked to us alot about his band in Japan which was fun. Piercing, Earring and cleaning solution came out to about $60? Wish I came here for my cartilage piercing :( read more

I have some seriously degenerate friends. Well, not so much degenerates as they are hilarious. For example, I have this one friend, who drank a case of beer on "suitcase saturday" and woke up with two shaved legs and in the bed of a not so desirable girl. Crazy guy. Another friend of mine took mushrooms at a party once and started freaking out. So, he hid in a tiny closet and freed the "dolphins" that were stuck in the shoe boxes all night. The next morning apparently there were like 30 pairs of shoes all over the room, balcony, and front yard. What a nut bag. Another buddy of mine decided to ask his doctor about the link between a blood alcohol content of .20 or greater and erectile dysfunction. Apparently there is a link. Who knew? And my last buddy told me about his exploits at The Fatty Zone. He told me that this place has the best supplies and equipment for his smoking needs. And apparently they have a great assortment of vaporizers as well. If I ever decide to start behaving badly, it's good to know I have many "friends" to draw some experience from. Amigos. read more

I avoid this place whenever I get the chance. I'll start with the one thing I like about this place. Out of the smoke shops near me - fatty, my smoke shop, the cave - fatty has the coolest bowl pieces (for BONGS) at the best prices. Now the downsides. The staff at this place (with the exception of one or maybe two employees) just bugs me. They are never welcoming. I don't know how many times I've been asked to show my ID upon walking in the smokables room; just a hassle. Being a glass collector, I like to call my tubes "bongs" because that is what they are; every time you say "bong" inside of Fatty Zone the staff will get mad at you.... BE REAL, FATTY ZONE!! Besides an irking staff, their prices are generally a little high and not worth the mark up. They have some cool pieces but not too much selection. One time i came here with a 17 year old friend to look at stickers and they wouldn't let us look at them inside the room with the smokeables... we had to take the sticker binder outside with us and the whole time the employees were giving us attitude. I've left Fatty zone annoyed far more times than I've left satisfied. Another time I went here and whoever was working was going on and on about how the shop had the "hook-up" with illidelph and zong -- as if Fatty was the only smoke shop around to carry the brands! She was bragging about being one out of the only two smoke shops in all of the bay area to carry a giant Zong... I've already seen four in the bay and I'm sure there is plenty more. She bragged about theirs being the cheapest as well which was also a lie because the giant Zong I saw in SF at the shop, Good Fella's, was FAR cheaper. The attitude at Fatty is just very stuck-up. read more

To say that I trust Mark to do an amazing job piercing would be the understatement of the year! Today my 13-year-old daughter went for her second piercing at Fatty Zone. A few weeks ago I went with my 80-year-old mother to get her ears pierced to fix the terrible job they did 60 plus years ago and she hasn't stopped raving about how happy she is. I think the grand total is 6 piercings with my extended family and every one has been an extremely professional experience with outstanding results. Honestly, What more can you ask for! read more

I had my nose pierced recently in SF and was told I need to soak the piercing in hot/warm salt water. I started doing this religiously because I didn't want my piercing to keloid over - however, my nose didn't appreciate the hot bath. After a week I looked like I was going to morph into rudolph - seriously. The redder my nose got, the more I broke out. The more I broke out, the more I'd apply cream/acne meds to counteract - but it made things worse. My girlfriends said I should stop the soaks but instead use plain saline contact solution. I started this but I started to keloid. Confused and frustrated I went into trader joes looking for dr. bronner's soap. I didn't see any hand happened to talk to an associate - Rachel and told her about my dilemma. She suggested I go to Fatty Zone in Mountain View and ask for Mark - he's great and he'll tell me what to do. I drove straight over and I'm SOOOOOO glad I did. I walked in and even though I didn't have my piercing done here, Mark was attentive and knew exactly what I needed to do. He had me purchase this solution and told me what to do - its been 2 weeks and my piercing looks great! Thanks Mark! I really appreciate your help! I will definitely refer my local friends to Fatty Zone - not only for piercings but for jewelry too, they had an amazing collection of body jewelry. :) read more

I got three cartilage piercings in my ears here, and I love them! Mark pierced them perfectly. The shop is a quiet and calm environment with some excellent music in the background. My mother and sister came along to watch and Mark made us all feel welcome. He was professional and clean and made sure that I was doing fine during my piercing, and he clearly knows what he is doing. Mark provided detailed aftercare instructions and I was able to purchase a saline spray at the shop, although he did not push it and even offered a recipe in case I wanted to make the saline mixture myself. I definitely felt that I was in good hands and I am super pleased with the result- this was my 18th birthday present and my first time signing for something as an adult, and Mark made that experience simple and pleasant as well. read more

The Fatty Zone - Mark did these two cartilage piercings (the two hoops) on this ear and then did one piercing with a hoop on the other ear - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Mountain View, California

Review for Mark, aka the piercer. It's been a few years since I've gotten pierced and the last place I loved is back in Berkeley. Not wanting to make the trip, I Yelp'ed a couple places around the South Bay. Most looked okay, but what really peeved me is their lack of pricing, etc, so I had no idea what I was getting into and I didn't want to go through the trouble of calling to find out, etc. So I find The Fatty Zone. I'm coming late from class, so before I head out to Mountain View from San Jose, I call to see if someone is there to pierce. Lo and behold, there was! Supposedly, I was lucky too as Mark mentioned he usually gets booked up pretty quickly through the weekend. I found Mark to be super amiable and knowledgeable. He was very clear that he did not want to push products and told me that if I wanted, I could make my own saline at home. He was able to show me different helix rings I could use, even ones that had yet to be sterilized. I ended up picking a non-sterilized one, so he was willing to wait with me for the machine to do its thing. I liked that he was friendly and chatty - it made the waiting and the painful process of getting pierced go by a little faster. He even welcomed me back in case I had any issues, etc. While I can't speak on the services of the other half of this shop, I will say that my experience with Mark was quite pleasurable and if I decide to have piercing #6 (technically 7 if you count the one that closed), then I will definitely come back. Thanks! read more

I always go to fatty zone for all my needs! The girl with short blonde hair knows the products, we had a great conversation. I normally always go to the guy with glasses and a hat for all of my vape questions! For the past week my vape has been malfunctioning and I have to bring it in to tweak it. I love the friendly atmosphere, and recommend them all the time! Thank you guys for saving me all the time! Hahaha read more

Honestly, this place was kinda intimidating. As others have said, neon sign, dark inside, big guys with tats... But when it came down to business, Mark was the most professional, gentle, polite person. As everyone else has said, the process is super, super sanitary. I can't imagine going to do this at a Claire's (or some such) after this. Mark was so much more professional and sanitary than someone who works in the mall. Oh.. bring cash. The piercing is cash only but the jewelry and aftercare stuff can be on cc but the piercing fee is cash only. Don't end up swinging by the atm like I had to. Mark is awesome. Believe it. read more

I'm so glad my friend and I came here to get our nose piercings. There's a reason there are so many great reviews on here. Mark is so great. He's professional, personable, and clean. He told me everything I needed to know and answered all my questions. And I had a lot! My piercing is healing as expected and I've not had any problems. Mark was very honest and thorough in telling us what to expect and what not to do. He even helped me with my cartilage piercing that I haven't worn a piercing in for many months! His station was very clean and well set up. He warned us that we might tear up during the process not because it's painful but because the eyes and nose are so connected and it's a sensitive area. He was right, it was not painful. Plus the fact that needles and I don't get along. I tend to pass out or get dizzy. I had no issues whatsoever. I highly recommend Mark to anyone in the area needing a piercing. Even if you're not in the area, he's worth the drive! read more

I got my nose pierced last night, out of a spontaneous decision made just 30 minutes beforehand. Had I gone somewhere else and gotten it done, things could've ended up a lot worse. I hadn't done too much research about it, and only afterwards did my friend tell about her worse/scarier experiences at other places. But instead, I'm sitting at work happily typing this review with an awesome nose stud, lots of compliments because of it and no regrets at all. Mark was awesome-- he answered all of my questions, had awesome stories to tell the whole time we were there, and put my friend and I to ease. He told us exactly what to expect, was super sterile, and very efficient. He was nice enough to stay for our piercings even though we showed up later than his normal appointment hours. And I was expecting some pain, redness or the sort today... but (knock on wood) my nose looks and feels completely fine. Couldn't be happier! read more

I have been coming here for years and I've always loved it! This review is mainly for Mark though! I owe him a ton! If it wasn't for his SUPER last minute help last night, i probably would've been at the El Camino Hospital waiting for a doctor to perform surgery on my ear. Due to a stupid decision of getting my triple inner helix at Body Jewelz in valley fair mall, my piercings (that were done completely wrong; wrong jewelry and all) had gotten infected to a new level..Mark thankfully was able to fix the disgusting mess that the piercer at body jewelz had done! (my ear was beginning to swallow the small jewelry that had been put in) I learned a huge lesson! I will definitely be staying away from body jewelz and coming to Fatty Zone for all my piercings. If you have any piercing trouble or are looking to get pierced, DEFINITELY see Mark! he's awesome! read more

So my daughter was out for the summer and she wanted to get her belly button pierced. I did some research and saw that fatty zone had got some great reviews. We scheduled our appointment and went in and met Mark who talked to her before she had it done and explained it. He was great, very clean, friendly and the after care (my daughter was getting light headed) was amazing. I got my eyebrow done right after. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. I would recommend that anyone thinking of getting a piercing go and see Mark. read more

We went there to get my daughter's ears pierced. She is eight and she has been waiting for this for some time. After some research I decided we should go to a piercing studio and after checking yelp I made an appointment here. Mark was our piercer and he was really sweet and patient. He explained everything very thoroughly and took his time. My daughter was a little bit scared but Mark made some funny comments and was able to distract her. I was really impressed and would go back again. Quick note for parents: this is a tattoo-piercing-smoke-shop, so you should be mentally prepared for the upcoming questions:) However, this was not a problem for us. read more

Every piercing I've ever gotten has been here, and hopefully I'll be able to get any future ones here too. I can't give Mark enough accolades for his professionalism and the seamless experiences I've had so far. When I was 19 I decided to get a lip piercing on a whim; I had always found piercings to be very beautiful accents. I walked in on my own, nervous but resolute, and spoke to the employee at the register. Mark wasn't in at the moment, but I made an appointment to come back the next day. Which of course, only gave me more time to get nervous and start rethinking my decision! Thankfully, Mark was very knowledgeable and clear about the process, especially the involved aftercare (which I hadn't actually considered beforehand). I wasn't sure which side I wanted to get it; he looked at my features, suggested my right side, and put a little dot to indicate where he was going to place it. Perfect. The process of piercing didn't actually hurt that bad, hardly more than getting a shot. Afterwards, it did start to feel sore, but nothing I would actually call painful. I followed his aftercare instructions exactly, and experienced no complications at all. My friends and family were surprised at the sight of me, but I was ecstatic- one of the best decisions I've made. And of course, this was before my Yelp days - I only heard about the Fatty Zone through word of mouth. I've since gotten a few more piercings here and always suggest this location whenever a friend tells me they are considering one as well. So if you're reading this and are feeling indecisive about getting a piercing of your own, I'll tell you what I told and would tell my 19-year old self, "Ooh, Fatty Zone, pull over - I've heard this place is legit, you're gonna look so good, girl!" read more

Mark is great at what he does! He takes his time talks with you and makes you feel at ease. My daughter got her nose pierced and Mark was great. His knowledge and attention to detail separates him from all others. Thank you for a great experience! read more

A friend wanted a bong and was pleased with the selection at Fatty Zone. They have an assortment of piercing equipment, stripper-style clothes, spray paint, etc. I enjoyed checking out the hooker heels. Disclaimer: I've never smoked, so I am reviewing this head shop based on the experiences of my friends and co-workers. This is similar to how as a vegan I review a steakhouse based on the opinions of my dining companions. I just feel I should disclose that I have no firsthand knowledge of the quality of this establishment's wares. read more

My daughter had her belly-button pierced yesterday, as a surprise birthday present from her best friend. I continue to be so impressed with the set-up and Mark's professionalism that I wanted to update my review. We made it in a half hour before closing, and even though my daughter's procedure would take us past their closing time, Mark never seemed rushed, impatient or hurried, and even thanked us for letting him be part of the birthday surprise! Once again, his calm demeanor and incredible professionalism made this a great experience for all of us. He's truly like a medical art technologist with a great bed-side manner! Thanks again, Mark! read more

I got my nose pierced by Mark here about a week ago and it was a great experience! I wanted to wait about week before leaving a review to make sure that everything he told me to expect about the aftercare was true. And so far, so good! My piercing looks great and it is healing beautifully, especially because I have been following Mark's very thorough after care instructions. He was really great about figuring out the best position for my piercing and the actual piercing was so quick, I hardly felt a thing! Mark made sure to give me his card and told me to call or stop in with any questions I have. I am definitely recommending him to everyone I know! read more

This review is for the product sales side. I purchased a vape pen battery after confirming w/the sales person that it was a standard thread / would work with most carts. There was no manual, I had to ask how to turn it on/off, then ask if it was variable and have him explain how to switch modes, then asked if anything else and he explained a 'slow draw' mode. No manual, no offering of information, I had to know to ask the questions or he would have sold it to me like a lighter. Alright so I purchase it as I'm in a bind. Get back to my spot and it's not compatible with the three carts (from different companies) that I had on hand. Researched the mystery blinking mode using the mfgr name to confirm and yeah - it's not compatible with my carts, great. Hard to believe this thing is standard. Next day I go to return it, informed there is a FIRM NO REFUND POLICY. The sales person who I purchased from certainly did not tell me that. She pointed to the sales computer monitor with a printed sign on the back (amongst a ton of death metal stickers, totally NOT visible) as the sign I should have seen, and apparently there was another sign by the door which I did not see when entering. Not clear, and not verbalized when I purchased. I calmly state that this is not standard and it does not fit what I need, it's not dirty, I charged it up and please take it back. Firm no. There are many items in that store which qualify for a no refund policy as they would be used, not the case with the battery. Also, it was not standard and didn't work for me. Now imagine making a large purchase and no one told you the policy.... Bad business. read more

Called in asked if they specifically carried omicron vape tanks for e-juice, they said they had them. Drive down, asked about it and the guy helped me out, put on a kanger protech2 tank on my omicron and it "looked" flush, meaning he showed it to me in his hand and said "fits!". So to his recommendation I purchased the protank2 and some juice. Because I have no previous experience with this, I asked him if he could explain how to use it, he said "i'll show you". Great I thought. So he begins opening the packaging and explaining how to use it while filling up the tank. Then he goes to screw the tank on my omicron and it doesn't fit. WRONG THREAD. He claimed the other one fit perfectly so I said, can't you just replace the bottom? He said no. Essentially spent 40 bucks on this stuff and can't even use it. Another guy came by asked me if it hits. I tried it and it barely hit. He said it's good. I said I worried about it falling off the omicron because it's obviously not secured and screwed in. He says "no it won't fall out." Guess what? It fell out. First couple of hits and then the thing falls off. Great. Out 40 bucks. Not to mention the hundreds of dollars I've already spent previously at this shop. Completely feel ripped off from this transaction. Absolutely no satisfaction. Literally felt like I just been robbed. Better off ordering this stuff online instead of supporting some local shop that doesn't even look out for their customers. read more

This place for a young geezer like me, is scary on the outside -- think flashing neon sign, scary looking guy with big tattoos and intense piercings. I had pierced my ears last May, but in July my right ear got inflamed from a strong reaction to nickel jewellery, and I lost the piercing. So I got it pierced again, and then, after too much playfighting and such, got it infected again, and since then, I have been asymmetrical, with only one piercing on my left ear. I'm a girl, so this looks pretty weird. Despite the scary appearance of this joint, my piercing experience was awesome. Mark, the piercer there, was really great, clean, straightforward, and the actual piercing itself was expert. I only got my ear pierced, but knowing that this guy pierced far more sensitive areas of people's bodies made me feel better. And having gotten my ears pierced at mall shops before, I WOULD ONLY GO TO PIERCING BUSINESSES, NOT MALL STANDS, to get any further piercings. The piercing gun is like a blunt poke through your ear, so that it throbs afterward... the needle that piercers use is a clean cut through, since the needle is razor edged and hollow inside, it's a much better feeling, and definitely hurt less than the mall piercers at Claire's, etc. In fact, it hardly hurt at all. $30 for my piercing, (even though I only wanted to pierce one ear), but totally worth it. There's also an obvious sign that says "Tipping your piercer is much appreciated." I was really happy with how I felt so I tipped and left in symmetrical bliss. read more

I came here this evening to get my eyebrow pierced. (I had it pierced in the past.) It was really important to me that I get it done today, as I was marking a personal event. Mark was excellent; he was friendly, patient when I didn't have ID and had to go fetch it, very clean, polite and kind. He was gentle and did a very good job, very little pain at all, and the piercing is deep enough. (My last one was too close to the surface and I've known others with the same problem.) He gave me contact info to follow up if I had any issues or questions. He was also very clear on the cleaning instructions, including what NOT to use. Despite selling the cleaning supplies himself, he explained sea salt and (purified?) water will do it, he didn't push any products on me at all. (I bought 2 bottles from him as a result.) Paying with a credit card it seemed the only option to tip was cash, which is how I was planning to do it anyway, but I'd encourage others to carry cash to do the same - you'll want to tip after you see what a good job he does. Couldn't recommend more highly. The store itself was also nice, clean, sold a number of cool smoke-related items and vapes, some cool shirts and other bits. (Including full sized hookahs, which I don't see much of these days.) read more

The shop owner is a complete douche... Based of the high Yelp rating I went to check out the shop. I was looking for studs. There wasn't much of a selection of any type of jewelry. His shop was dark, empty and had a unwelcoming energy. Second, he was super hostile, aggressive, and rude responding to a question I had about needle sizes and their correspondence to the size of piercings. I'm new to piercings and this wasn't how I would of desired my first experience to have gone. Makes sense that he HAS 100 negative reviews! Add those in you'll quickly realize he doesn't have 4 1/2 stars read more

I came in looking for a particular earring. Although they didn't have it in-stock at that time, they were really helpful on finding a replacement piece of jewelry in the meantime. They had so much merchandise in the store to look at, I wish I had more time to browse but I was in a rush. Would definitely look here if you're looking for some cute jewelry or other misc items. read more

If you're in the South Bay and looking to get a piercing, definitely go here! I got my ears pierced by Mark three weeks ago, and he did a great job. Nice guy, clean place, fast but not rushed. He spent a reassuringly long amount of time marking and adjusting exactly where he was going to pierce so it would look as symmetrical as possible next to the piercings I already had (these are my second lobe piercings), and made sure to ask me what size earrings I usually wear so he could leave enough space between the two holes. When he finally did the piercing, it barely hurt at all - and really hasn't hurt since! They've been healing up nicely, and I've been following the detailed yet easy cleaning instructions he gave. If (when?) I get a craving for another piercing, I'll definitely go back! read more

I've been coming here for over six years. The workers have all changed but the quality of service and integrity of the store has not. What makes this place the best is the great selection and knowledge and helpfulness that the staff brings the the table. One thing to note is that they support American made and local glass if possible (vs cheap imported shit) and if you ask the staff, they can usually tell you they know the glassblowers and where they are from. Yes this drives up the prices a little, but hey, check in on Yelp you can get a small % off. I've "retired" but I still faithfully bring all my friends here with smoking needs and I'd recommend anyone in the Bay Area to come to Fatty Zone over any other smoke shop. Street parking but it's usually never a problem. read more

This review is for mark the piercer. I read about him refusing to pierce a belly and I can say it's bollox. If he doesn't think something will take he will be honest about it. I don't know about you but I'd rather have some one refuse to do a craptastic job than take my money and run. He does use surgical (implant) grade steel, only for his jewelry(and yes this does cost more than the dollar crap at those mall stores). Why does he use this quality? Because it's the only proven Jewelry that won't cause a reaction. While bioplast is nice and can help hide your piercing, but it should not be used for an initial piece. Piercing is a trauma to your body and causes swelling. A proper (medical) grade piece (which is what mark uses) promotes proper healing and helps your body heal to the proper shape/placement so you don't have discomfort of your piercing. Infact I now live an hour and a half away from mark near SF but it is because of his professionalism that I am making a appointment in the morning just to see him. Years ago he placed my first snug (think anti-conch) and I vowed never to let another person pierce me. Through life decisions etc, I had to remove all facial/ear jewelry and the snug piercing in each ear has become so I can't get but a tiny piercing in now that I want it back. I can tell you that if he advises that my piercing shouldn't be re-done I will accept that because he does know his craft. When you wake up out of a deep sleep and wake your partner saying we are going to my piercer and getting g my jewelry put back in ASAP ...it's then that you know how much you trust your piercer. It is because of mark and knowing that he will be honest and tell me if my piercings are salvageable, that I will make the hour plus drive just for a consult. Fingers crossed my body will allow me to get the piercing done. Never got a negative vibe from him and I've been seeing him on and off for close to 9+ years, and yes I am 33. This is California (aren't we lucky to live in a liberal state)? Sure he's got tattoo's and piercings...but he's one of the kindest people I know in the industry. (Yes we are all human and have good days and bad) I will update once I have my consult and let you all know how it goes. read more

It's Sunday so many places don't open. I called two piercing places which open on Sundays in my neighborhood and they all told me that their piercers are off today. Then I found this wonderful piercing place on Yelp and called to make sure they have piercer working TODAY(no tomorrow no next time coz I want it TODAY). I made a appointment through the phone and showed up on time. The piercer was super nice and gentle. I got two piercings and it didn't hurt much, of course it would hurt coz you're making a hole in your ear. Before I decided to get helix piercing,my friends told me that it would hurt a lot if you get them. Nah that's not true!! I don't know about other piercing places, but if you come here, I would tell you with my own story! It didn't hurt much!!! You will definitely be able to handle the pain!!! *******remember to tip your piercer********** read more