I have had a terrible impression of this place since two years ago when my husband and I first moved to Austin. He was looking to get a half sleeve done in remembrance of his recently passed mother and asked a guy working here what that would entail. Not only did the guy not look my husband in the eyes AT ALL, but he said they wouldn't draw up anything without a hefty deposit and the guarantee that he would be getting the tat there when he saw the work. No thanks, bro.
Fast forward to my birthday this year...I was looking to get my nose pierced and Platinum Ink was closed because it was Monday. So we headed to Atomic, and the piercer really changed my opinion of the place. He was super nice, professional, and did an amazing job on my nose ring and changing the jewelry in an ear piercing. I will definitely be back for piercings, but will stick to Platinum and Steadfast for tats!
I'm probably done with piercings but if I change my mind I'll find Andy where ever he is. Muwahaha!.
My latest body modification was an intricate piercing of my ear cartilage done elsewhere but Andy was happy to help. It had been almost two weeks and the cartilage piercing finally started to ooze a bit. I knew I messed it up. All of my money and pain down the pisser, right? Not quite according to Andy. When I arrived just after 11 (which is an hour before closing) he was busy with some clients, but when I heard him talking to them through the procedure and giving them very thorough aftercare instructions I though I might have found the right place. He tells me what he would have done differently and what other jewelry options I could have had with my piercing so it would heal faster, say 8 weeks instead of 8 months faster. He even tells me of previous mishaps with his own piercings like we were exchanging war stories. Talking with me made feel reassured about my self-care regime.
Last week I ended up going to another place within a few miles and the person who helped me was very nice to me, but he was very young and he rushed our meeting quite a bit. He seemed to want to help, but Andy knows his stuff and takes his time explaining things.
As for the facility, Atomic, the cleanliness seemed on par, but I didn't inspect much. They had a large piercing selection; I really liked the couple of wooden pieces they have. They have a boutique section that sells expensive but beautiful purses. There wasn't much room for sitting but there was so much to look at you're up and about anyway. The general atmosphere was warm and vibrant much like the coats of paint on the wall and the neon signs outside.
Long story short, my Flipside camp leaders made a joke that if our camp made it 5 years, they would get a tattoo. Well, 5 years came and went successfully this year of 2013, so that Leader was held to her word. Another camp leader joined in and after much deliberation, I decided to commit as well.
I have always liked the idea of tattoos, permanently marking something on my body, but I never could think of anything that seemed significant or meaningful enough for me. I have found friends and comfort in my Flipside camp and from my very first year, I finally feel like I belong! They seemed more than significant to me!
We went to this place on the recommendation of a friend with several tattoos, since she's been seeing Brandi for all her tattoos for the last several years. Since I know nothing about tattoos except the high quality of her work that I've seen on her body, I agreed.
We made an appt so that the three of us could all get done together on a day that worked for all of us. 7 pm on a Sunday. We arrived 15 min early and since Brandi was finishing up a walk-in, we looked around the store for a bit. There was tons of 50's-style purses, hats, doodads, etc. Very cute.
When it was our turn, we each presented what we wanted to Brandi and she went and copied it on trace paper with little additions of her own. She was very accommodating to what we specifically wanted. She told one of my friends that she couldn't have the font she wanted because it was too fat and the letters would bleed together, and asked for a different one. This did not bode over well with this friend who, like me, had spent Hours and Days grueling over the task of deciding on a font. When my friend insisted that there was no other font she wanted, Brandi offered to see if there was something she could come up with. When she returned, she had thinned the font out, so the letters wouldn't bleed together and it actually even looked WAY better than the original!
We each took our turns being tattooed in her space, which super clean. She was very professional, but also really fun. She made jokes with us, gave us a ton of education about the whole thing, and was genuinely really nice.
Though I have a high tolerance for pain, my body doesn't react well to continuous, sharp, stabbing pain. So at one point, I started going into a cold sweat. She immediately stopped and asked if I was okay. Only after my insistence that this reaction just happens and that I was fine, did she continue to finish the tattoo, after telling me several times to just let her know if I wasn't doing okay and she would stop or take a break. But yeah, it did freakin hurt. A lot.
She did an amazing job. Her shading skills are unparalleled. I got a simple word, as did my friend, but the one who has been seeing her for years got a blue-shaded bunny with a phrase next to it and it looked SO GOOD! Like she had juts colored in with colored pencils. Amazing.
The end cost only ended up being $60 for my tattoo, which was way cheaper than I thought it would be. My sister has had several tattoos, each of them being only a small symbol or word and they cost around $100, in a tiny town in Illinois, so I was figuring that getting one in Austin would be more expensive. I know that different tattoo artists charge their own prices, so maybe she just doesn't charge as much? Either way, it was a GREAT deal for a GREAT tattoo!
The parking lot is small, and *right* off Burnet, so be careful.
Don't know if I'll be getting another one, at least not anytime soon, but I totally don't regret the one I got and I'm SO glad I went to Brandi on the recommendation of my friend. Go see her, she's fantastic.
I'm very torn with how to rate atomic. I have gotten two tattoos here, and both experiences have been completely different. The first one I had done was a cross on my wrist done by mike pain, when it was first done, it looked awesome, but after the healing, I discovered that the lines weren't even, and some of the ink looked non-existent. I am now considering getting it touched up or even covered up. The appointment itself was rather uncomfortable, he didn't try to make conversation, and I ended up sitting there quietly by myself. The tattoo ended up hurting more than my tattoo on my ribs. I was extremely disappointed
However, on my second tattoo, done by ally, I was more than pleased. I had a quote that I wanted on my ribs, but wasn't sure how exactly to get it done. She was awesome, she drew it up, and it ended up being exactly what I wanted. She was really gentle when do my tattoo, and did a stellar job. I would definitely go back and have her do my next tattoos in a heart beat!
I've been torn for a long time on whether I should write this review or not. See, I love Atomic Tattoo and my artist. He's great, but I don't want his schedule to be so clogged he won't have time to see me anymore! But, alas, an artist's resume is based on his work and his work is too good to keep all to myself.
The first time I went into Atomic, I happened to get Mike Pain as my artist. I knew exactly what I wanted and he gladly did the work for me. I've heard that tattoo artists don't like tattooing on feet. When asked about it, Mike just smiled, shrugged and said it was his job to give me what I wanted and was a happy to do the tattoo. Wow, a happy tattoo artist. One that isn't too damned cool to just come out and say he loves his job and the opportunity to do it! Mike chatted me up during the whole process and made me feel as comfortable as I could feel while a complete stranger had my fugly foot in hand. He often asked if I was feeling ok and if I needed a break. It was nice to know he was concerned and not just trying to do the work as quickly as possible to push me out the door and onto the next paying customer.
When I decided to get my next tattoo (cause, really, who has just one), I easily knew who I was going to. This time, I knew what I wanted but wasn't sure on placement, coloring, and quite a few other factors that Mike brought to my attention. We sat and discussed the piece in depth and by the time he laid needle to skin, I was reassured I had chosen the right guy for the job, yet again! Now with the other foot in hand, Mike began asking me questions pertaining to the last time I was getting tattooed (SIX MONTHS AGO). Whoa! This guy actually remembers me! What is this? The Andy Griffith Show? Am I in the barber shop in Mayberry? It felt like me and a friend catching up on our lives!
The next tattoo I got, I battled and struggled with. I knew exactly what I wanted, but when I took it to Mike, he shot me down. "It just won't look right. And I won't do a bad tattoo". Ouch. Ok, I had to look at it from his perspective. And he was right. Mike and I went back and forth on how to get exactly what I wanted, and something he would be proud that he had inked. It took no less than one month, 5 visits, and 8 drawings and we finally had the right piece. And the only thing Mike got paid for was the actual tattoo session. All the hard work (dealing with me) leading up to it was all on his dime. Now that, my friends, is someone devoted to his work! As with before, he remembered me and we had nice conversations mixed with him making sure I was comfortable and didn't need a break. Ahhh, customer service!
I really can't wait till the next chance I get to work with Mike Pain on something spectacular and truly unique for myself. I've found the one for me, at least as far as tattoo artists are concerned. And, I guess, I grudgingly don't mind sharing him...
My first experience with this place was great. I came in with an idea of a tattoo and Brandi got it done. I loved the colors she chose and have had numerous people ask me where I got my tattoo done. The place is clean and you are paying for what you get. If you're making the commitment to get something permanent put on your skin - then do it right and come here. You will not regret it. I didn't have an appointment and they had the time for me - in total about three hours. I thought that was pretty neat and I plan on coming back at the end of summer for my third tattoo. I have also come here for a piercing and again, it was clean and done right. Bottom line, if you need a place for a tattoo or piercing come here.
Review Source:Ok, so once again, I have gotten tattooed by Nate Hebert! And once again, I am completely satisfied! Â He has been tattooing me since 2010. Â I have gotten many compliments on some of the art he has done on me. Â If you are looking for a black and white portrait of a loved one...or anything lifelike....he is your man! If I could post a photo of some of his work he's done on me, I would. Â Call Nate!
Review Source:I was recommended to get my tattoo done through Nathan Hebert at Atomic Tattoo off Burnet in Austin, TX and I am extremely satisfied with his artwork. I have seen it on others and now on myself. I walked in telling him what I want to do and he drew up the design very quickly and got right to work. Has an awesome layout in his office, and is very quick at what he does. Great personality and pricing. I would definitely go through Nate if you are a black and white tattoo fan as he has won first place awards in contests for his work at different conventions. I will be back to get my half sleeve finished, and more to come in the future for sure! Check out his Facebook for a bunch of his artwork.
Review Source:Been in twice to Atomic Tattoo on Burnet and have been super pleased both times! Mike Pain is an awesome guy with a great sense of humor and did a great job on both my tattoos and my wife's forearm tatt, also. I love the store, and I go peruse the Atomic Cherry Boutique while I'm waiting for the artist to get ready.
Review Source:"High Quality products with a quick result"
This place is great! Came in on a whim with a friend of mine and decided to get my belly button pierced and she got her nose pierced.
Every item used for piercing at Atomic is surgical steel- 100% nickel free. They are a little pricier than some places, but you're getting good quality here.
Sign a waiver, show ID, get pierced, and pay.
The thing I loved most is so many places only offer a very basic piercing stud but Atomic actually offers gems for the nose and belly button piercings. Ian is one of the owners, he did my piercing. There is a lady...her name escapes me right now since she didn't do my piercing... that is also an owner there . They are both very nice and knowledgeable with what their doing.
Quickest and most painless piercing I've ever had done!
My son wanted his ears pierced for Christmas, so we decided to go ahead and get it done while he was home for Thanksgiving since we knew what he wanted.
He had his ears pierced over the summer at some mall in Colorado and needless to say, it didn't end well. Crooked piercing, constant infection- ugh. So he took them out and let them grow back and had the wisdom to understand that this time round, he needed a professional. So after reading Yelp, we decided on Atomic.
Alex (I believe that was his name) was his piercer. He just wanted small gauge earrings in his lobes but like me, his skin is sensitive and he has scar tissue from his first piercing. We walked in Saturday morning and after a short wait, were ready to go. Alex VERY thoroughly explained to Gabe what he was doing, the after care, and the cost before getting started. Once they got going, Alex was meticulous in the detail in getting the ears marked perfectly- he used sight, calipers, and had him sit and stand at varying angles. After three tries at marking, he was happy with the placement and did the piercing.
The recommendation of earrings and the placement are absolutely *flawless*. Perfect. His attention to detail is great. The studio is very clean, very professional and relaxed. He really took his time to get the piercing just right and explain the aftercare.
Bravo! The cost of the earrings/piercing seemed a bit high, but I have absolutely nothing to compare it to. After it was done, I definitely feel it was worth every penny. Paid a few dollars more for nickel-free earrings, as he does seem to be allergic to nickel metals.
I got my first tattoo at Atomic and it was an awesome experience! I got something very simple (a peace sign) so I can't really attest to the artistic skill of the artists here. I was VERY nervous going into this experience and multiple staff members were really good about calming me down before I got the tattoo. When I get my next tattoo it will certainly be here! :)
Review Source:This place is great. I came in a couple of weeks ago because I lost my rose ring (#drunkproblems) The guy that does the piercings was so nice, and even took me back and bent my nosering so it would fit my piercing better and not fall out for no extra charge.
On Sunday, I walked in wanting a tattoo because I was feeling nostalgic about my dear Maryland. I walked in, showed them a picture of what I want, and Ronny Veritas immediately got to work. He pulled up a picture of each element of my tattoo and drew it in his own style. It took a little while, but I would rather have the artist take his time and do a really good job. There was a tv in the waiting room, and we got to watch Talladega Nights, which was a really good way to calm down those pre-tattoo jitters. All of the people that worked at the shop were really down to earth and were cracking me up. I like a tattoo shop where it feels like everyone's just hanging out, and this is that place. Â
When we sat down, Ronny allowed my friend to come back with me for moral support. . Ronny had a great sense of humor and was very easy to talk to. He took his time working on my tattoo and gave each area the individual attention it deserved. The colors turned out bright, the lines are nice and crisp, and the shading is awesome. The price was fair and in line with what I would normally expect. This was my fourth tattoo and so far my best experience.
My only complaint is that the parking lot is terrifying and you have to back out directly onto Burnet. There was a giant truck that was so kind as to park next to me, so I had to take my life into my hands to get out of the lot.
Brian Kirkland, you're awesome. I'm glad I had the opportunity to get my first tattoo from you.
But seriously, I'm not a tat snob and really you shouldn't be either. I can only comment on Brian's work and his personality. The guy is pretty awesome. He let my friend and I be total weirdos while I was getting my tattoo done. He did a beautiful job and I can't wait to go back to him and get it filled in. He let me ask all the weird questions I wanted and ramble about absolutely nothing to keep my mind off the pain. My friend took a million pictures since my mom lives in Florida and she'd probably murder me if she didn't get to see the whole process.
Good guy, good work, and there is no hidden penis in my tattoo.
This place is awesome. Excellent customer service, super friendly. I went here on a Monday because Platinum (down the street, where I recently got my tragus pierced) was closed and I needed a new tragus ring because I had lost one of the balls on mine and it had fallen out the night before. The guy who helped me quickly found a new one and he immediately asked me if I wanted him to put it in for me, free of charge. I hesitated because I thought I could just do it myself, but he said it was more difficult than it seemed. So I said sure, and I'm so glad I did. It took a while to get the ring in because even though my ring had only been out for 12 hours, the hole had closed up a bit and he ended up having to use a smaller ring. He basically had to re-pierce my ear for me, and ended up using two different rings and a bunch of sterile tools and only charged me for the ring. Long story short, the people at Atomic will go out of their way to help customers and I highly recommend going there! They know their stuff.
Review Source:I came in to buy new earrings and the people here were super friendly. The guy (I don't remember his name) told me that since I had my ears at a 12 for a long enough time, I could stretch to an 8 without a problem. He did a good job stretching my ears for me and he made sure everything was clean and I would definitely recommend this place to a friend.
I've had my 8s in for a few months now, and I haven't had any problems with them, and I still love the pincers I got. This place is great!
I might need a touch up but MIKE PAIN was great. Â I can't believe his last name is PAIN. Â if i had known my scaredy cat-ness would have gone up times 10. Â Â It hurt a little and that is it. Â So I will go back for my next one/two.
Glad to know that I was the first one to get the Man in the Maze tatt at Atomic. Â Â :)
I went to this place to try and get a couple piercings but after being quoted around $80.00 for one piercing on my ear I almost had a heart attack. The guy at the front was nice but it seemed like he was on something it was weird. Anyways I thank him and said goodbye to this place $80.00 for a piercing they are out of there freaking minds.
Review Source:Love this place for ear skin and cartilage piercings. Â The male and female owners have both done both types of piercings for me, ALMOST painlessly. Â And I am a big weanie. Â The other woman piercer has also switched earrings for me in my cartilage with excellent results. Â And, she strikes me as totally badass. Â Someday, I'll get a tattoo, here. Â Of what and where? Â I also plan to someday get my belly button pierced here, too.
Review Source:I went in to get my third tattoo here. I was looking to just have a consultation and make an appointment for later but I ended up getting it on the spot. I really wanted the artist to reference some different scripts and draw something up but instead he just photocopied from a standard script on a word document. I do like the font so it was okay but if you're looking for original script, Atomic Tattoo may not be the place for you. The place itself looks really nice and colorful, but the people weren't as personable as I am used to back in Boston. I have visited three shops in Austin and haven't been impressed by the service in any. The tattoo itself turned out great but he (Nate) didn't talk to me at all during the process and I felt a bit intimidated. I guess I'm just used to the shops in Boston! If you just want a tattoo and nothing more, fine, but if you want service, it might not the place for you.
Review Source:One time I called their Burnett Road location and I asked if for piercings if they use a gun or a needle, and the man that answered cut me off after I said 'piercing gun' and rudely told me that "respected tattoo places use needles". I just thought the guy was rude so I decided to go elsewhere.
Review Source:I was here on a Friday night recently around 9pm, for a friend to get her first tattoo. Â I myself have several so I feel that I can write an honest review and know what to look for/expect when entering a tattoo shop. Â We were greeted immediately which was nice. Â She showed the artist, James, several pictures ideas of what she wanted done. Â Then after glancing through his portfolio, she pointed out some of the style that she liked. Â We gave him about 45 minutes to draw something up. Â What he came back with was awesome! Â She loved it and even started crying! Â So as far as the artist goes, we were very pleased.
The shop was nice, clean, well lit, and each artist had their own space. Â That was nice. Â I've never been to a shop like that that provides a more private atmosphere. Â Attached to the shop is a boutique which is kind of nice to glance around in while waiting. Â
Overall, it was a great experience and I am itching for another and will certainly be considering this shop for one. Â I've heard less than stellar things about a different Atomic, but that was not our experience here at all. Â Kudos to you Atomic Tattoo!
About a year ago, I decided to get a navel piercing (probably inspired by a slew of Bollywood films that came out that season). After browsing sites and reviews online, I decided to try Atomic Tattoo.
On the drive there, I conjured up images of scary needles, scary staple guns, dark rooms, and the pig-face from Saw. When I finally stepped into Atomic Tattoo joined with Atomic Cherry Boutique, however, I was greeted by sparkling jewelry, fashionable purses, hot pink wall art, vintage dresses, collectible Vogue editions, and Marilyn Monroe-inspired EVERYTHING. Talk about a relief for the first-time piercing client.
The people at Atomic were very thorough and informative when explaining the piercing process. They walked me through every step and patiently answered every question I had. The room for piercings was clean and humorously decorated (they put magazine-clippings of vintage pin-up girls on the ceiling so you're staring into happiness when they do the piercing) and the process was practically painless. For around 60 dollars, I got a jeweled navel ring and a beautiful piercing on my tummy (if I do say so myself) with no post-piercing complications.
I've been here twice, once for a stretching and once for a small tattoo. It wasn't bad, but I wasn't really impressed either. Both times I left happy with the work I had done and both times were celebratory, so I was happy overall. I wish the non-front counter people there were a little more upbeat or in a better mood, and I wish they had a better selection of jewelry. IMHO, I believe getting pierced or tattooed is kind of a big deal (whether it's your first or 100th time), and you should have a good relationship with the person doing this for you, even if you've just met them. That's a little hard when they're apathetic or feel like they need to get on to the next thing after you. What I had done was tiny, so it wasn't enough for me to not go there again for other stuff just as small, because for that kind of thing (hard to fuck up), the price is right. But I would never go here for an actual piercing or larger tattoo.
My first visit was for the first stretching of my regular traditional, tiny ear piercings. I ended up not sticking with it, but only because I decided I liked my existing earring collection too much, and some day I'll get a 2nd set of ear piercings to stretch, and leave my originals small for regular earrings. But anyway. I came with a good friend who is not afraid of anything and likes to push my buttons because I like to take time with things like this (example: cliff jumping, rope swings, etc, I take my time, and he likes to rush me). I think the girl helping me fed more off of his energy than mine, as I was hesitant and scared it would hurt (I can get tattooed all day long and be fine, but piercings scare me for some reason). It didn't hurt at ALL, of course, as we were only going up to a 12g from, say, a 20g. There wasn't much jewelry to choose from but the girl at the front counter was helpful in suggesting something heavier than my tentative first choice if I wanted the stretching to go faster. I had picked out some dainty thing, and she suggested one that was heavier and had balls on both ends. I ended up going with those and was happy. In the room getting ready to do the deed, the piercer answered all my questions, but it fely more like she was waiting for the questions to be done before she could begin, and not like she was helping me feel comfortable. She also joked with and had great conversation with my friend (I know he's good looking but *I* am your customer!), and afterword they both (gently) teased me for being scared that it would hurt. It was alright, but not what I expected, and I'm sure it would have royally pissed off someone with a different personality.
Second visit was a couple of years later, last February 17th. My fiance took me to the top of Mt. Bonnell for our anniversary with a picnic dinner of sushi and creme brulee, then he proposed at sunset, and then suggested we go get the matching tattoos we had (I thought jokingly) talked about the last year or so. Talk about the prefect proposal!! I was super stoked about the tattoo, just surprised that he was willing to do it since it was his first. What we got was this:
=^.^= on our right upper arm. About 2.5" long & 1/2" high. We didn't have a proof with us but we knew what font we wanted, and the girl at the front desk was really nice about printing it up a few times to get the size/spacing/font exactly right. The artist kind of acted like we had interrupted him or something, but after a few minutes I started to think maybe it was just his personality. He wasn't bad or anything, but I could tell he thought it was the dumbest fucking thing he had ever seen and he could barely keep himself from rolling his eyes ("What is that supposed to be? A cat or something? Oh...") I had a hard time giving a shit that night since I was on top of the world, and in retrospect, the fact that his attitude didn't bother me tells me that it probably really wasn't that bad. But I still felt like I could tell he thought it was stupid. Oh well. He played good music that my man liked, did his best to strike up a conversation while setting up and in between needle-to-skin moments, and was patient with us when we wanted to re-adjust the placement and look in the mirror awhile to make sure. He got it done really quickly- maybe 10 minutes each, let us take pictures and went over after-care with us. It was something like $65 each, basically whatever the minimum is, and that seemed like a good price. I paid about the same for my inner-lip tattoo at a place in San Antonio (Atomic, when I called, outright refused to do an inner-lip tattoo, even though I was willing to sign waivers about the quality and longevity of it- but so did the other 23 places I called in Austin).
So essentially, -1 star for having artists with less-than-great bedside manners, and -1 star for lack of outstanding jewelry and lack of willingness to do an inner lip tattoo and making me drive 150 miles to get it done.
I've gotten both piercings and tattoos at Atomic, and I absolutely love this place! Â Justin did my navel piercing, and because I've had some abdominal work done, he gave me very realistic expectations about the possibility of rejection of the piercing (2 months and so far so good!) Â My boyfriend had his ears stretched and has worked with Justin, Sarah and Deuce on his ears. Â All are extremely professional.
I absolutely LOVE the Atomic Cherry shop. Â Justin's wife Sarah runs the shop and she has some amazing stuff, at great prices.
After "visitng" the tattoo side about 5 times, I finally decided on a tattoo. Â Dylan was the artist I used. Â I had spoken with him several times about different ideas I had, and he always gave me his honest opinion. Â When I finally decide on what to get tattooed, he did a great, original drawing that I was very happy with. Â He took his time, did it right, and I'm very pleased. Â
I love going into this shop. Â It is clean, professional and I've got nothing but great things to say about them. Â I highly recommend them for piercings, tattoos and gifts.
I have a LOT of tattoos - at least enough that I'm not new to the experience - and the overall customer service and level of professionalism at Atomic leaves a lot to be desired. In my opinion, I was overcharged, and the artist had his laptop up with a movie running the entire time. Needless to say, I will NOT be going back to Atomic. Ever.
Review Source:Justin helped me find the right jewelry to fit a lip piercing I got at another place a few years back. Â The man has an excellent bedside manner and a gentle touch. Fantastic service from start to finish. Â
I went in today to buy some jewelry - GREAT selection and totally stocked, which is a huge gripe I have with most other piercing studios who, I've found, generally have a small selection and/or nothing in stock. Â
He also helped me get started stretching my ear lobe piercings.
Really, I wish he had been my original piercer - highly recommended. If you need a piercing, go here, see him, walk out happy.
I have used Atomic for both tattoo and piercing work. Both have been exceptional experiences. Everything at Atomic is very clean and the staff is friendly. Mike tattooed a custom piece on my shoulder. The result is a beautiful tattoo that I am extremely proud to show off. On the piercing side, I have had my nose re-pierced and I visit regularly for earlobe stretching. They have a nice assortment of jewelry and I love to browse the other accessories that they stock.
Review Source:Being that I can find something bad to say in regards to just about everything in/about Austin, Atomic Tattoo on Burnet Road is not one of them.
About three years ago I was instructed by a long time friend to sit down with Mike Pain to work on a tattoo for me to represent a change in my life and pay homage to my home. I pitched my idea, Mike shot it down and I was ready to walk. He fired back immediately with his reason "If it means that much to you, make a statement, go big" I had ZERO intention of  going "big", but decided to waste some of his time as I felt he had wasted mine. The following evening I received a call from Mr. Pain asking me to swing by and check it out, for pure fun I agreed.
The sketch was oh, about 9 times the size of what I thought it would be and I INSTANTLY said "when do we start?" After 5 sessions on my back over some 14 hours, Mike Pain had not only become the greatest tattoo artist ever in my mind, but damn near the coolest person I have ever had the chance to meet. Six tattoos later, I will not use anyone but Mike Pain, I will not recommend anyone but Mike Pain (if he is not the best artist for the piece, he will openly admit that and set my referral up with the right artist for the job).
The entire staff at Atomic Tattoo is head and shoulders above anyone else in the central Texas area, bar none. Being in the management field my entire professional career, this speaks volumes to an over the top stickler such as myself. Kudos time and time again to the family there at Atomic Tattoo.
I'm actually pretty shocked to see so many bad reviews for Atomic.
The people here have always been nothing but nice and talkative to me and my boyfriend every time we go.
I've gotten my lip pierced here and the girl did a fantastic job and was very patient with me when i kept freaking out every time she pulled the needle up close to my face. She may not be the friendliest chick out there , but then again, who cares? She did the job right and in a professional manner.
My Bf and i went in a second time to get matching tattoos together and we were both treated like old time friends. The guy at the front is nice and talkative (not in a bad way) and the artist was good and didn't have a "heavy hand"
I love that this place is half tattoo shop and half boutique (piercings) i just LOVE their jewelry and everything about the set-up! I can always find really cute gifts here and at affordable prices...
(also, I've called quite a bit of time to ask them questions about price, Monroe jewelry sizes and gages and they are always wiling to help)
If I could give this place NEGATIVE ratings, I would. I'm sorry but you'd have to be an idiot to think this place is remotely decent for piercings. I'm not talking about the tattooing....i have no idea about that. I'm strictly speaking about the piercing here.
I walked in, the guy at the front was nice, it's the piercer I have issues with. Now, I'm a serious Womanist. I LOVE female piercers and tattoo artists. I actually flew to Black and Blue Tattoo in Cali just for this reason. So, I was actually excited about getting pierced by a female. Too bad she had a shit attitude. She had a line of people to pierce and seemed really flustered and in fact when we came in, said: "I feel like when there's a line, I need to speed things up." Um....no, please. Take your time when poking holes in my body...thanks.
Anyway, I had wanted to get my anti tragus pierced, as well as my nose re-pierced. (I've had my rt. nostril pierced about 7 different times over the past decade. I picked out my jewelry (btw, SHITTY selection of TRASHY jewelry.) I'm so used to going to places that ONLY pierce with internally threaded jewelry that I totally forgot to ask if the jewelry was such. I got marked up and she was getting ready to pierce, when I remembered to ask about the jewelry, and was told it was externally threaded. I KNOW that especially on my body, I will not heal if I'm pierced in my ears with externally threaded jewelry. So, I said, "I'm so so sorry, but I can't get my anti tragus pierced with that jewelry." Which is when she got the MOST sarcastic look on her face, huffed and said: pfft...why not? I wanted to flip her off and say, "You idiot. This is how you make your living and you know jack about piercing??" Ok....here, read this for more info:
Externally threaded body jewelry has the thread on the end of the barbell, and it is placed inside a threaded hole in the ball. This means that when the jewelry is being passed through the piercing, the threads also pass through it, and then the ball is screwed into place.
Internally threaded body jewelry has a threaded hole inside the barbell, and then an external thread protruding from the ball. A smooth barbell passes through the piercing, and then the ball is inserted and screwed into place.
"The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) sets the standards to be followed by professional body piercers, and they make their position very clear in regards to threaded jewelry: "Threaded jewelry for initial piercings must have internal tapping (no threads on posts) starting from 16 gauge."
The APP specifies initial piercings because they are the most susceptible to irritation and infection. Bacteria can reside in the nooks of the threading and come in contact with the raw flesh inside a new piercing hole, causing a whole host of problems. If you have externally threaded body jewelry, it should only be used on well-healed piercings."
f you know ANYTHING about piercing, then you should know that NO piercing establishment should even carry externally threaded jewelry. And the fact that they piercer didn't know why internally threaded jewelry is superior should have sent me packing. But I'll be the first to admit that I have confrontation issues at times.
If you value how your body heals, do your research, DO NOT frequent an establishment that uses externally threaded jewelry.
So, I ended up getting my nose pierced, because I felt like shit about saying no to my anti tragus. This Wench, punctured my nose so badly that I started SPEWING blood. It was everywhere and running down my face and onto my clothes. She then said, "Wow, I haven't had a bleeder like this in a REALLY long time.----last time was 3 months ago." THREE MONTHS AGO??? She considers not having a bleeder like me in THREE MONTHS a rarity?? What an horrendous piercer.
IT is my opinion that this idiot was pissed about not being able to cash in on my other piercer and was ticked and took it out on my nose. Like I said, I've had my nose pierced 7 different times. NEVER has it hurt like this or EVEN bled like this. I should also mention that i have had 17 different piercings on my body so I know quite a bit about piercing and what it should and should not feel like.
She was TERRIBLE. Do not get pierced here. Go somewhere else, do your research and find a place that uses internally threaded jewelry. The only reason I came here was because I was new in town and a good friend said that they had heard REALLY great things about this place.
I got my ears pierced for the fourth time today. Â It's not that I have four different holes, it's just that I've always let my piercing close up (as well as my nose and eyebrow piercings). Â
I just wanted the regular two holes in my ears, and that's exactly what happened without much ado. Â Sarah was very professional and took her time. Â I appreciated seeing the sterilized utensils come out of clean packages. Â I didn't feel uncool at all asking for about the lamest piercing you can get at a trendy tattoo shop.
The only thing to balk at was the price for me. Â When I got my nose pierced in 1998 it was approximately $35-$40. Â I wrongly figured that the price couldn't be much higher than that for a normal ear piercing. Â I was wrong. Â It was about 100% higher. Â The piercing fee is $80, but I had a $5.00 "coupon" from their website. Â
If you go, mention their website and you'll get $5.00 off your piercing or tattoo.
had to shave my back, but i got a new tattoo tonight (ha ha). The whole crew rocks, everyone is super cool and Spike did a great job on my body art. We chatted the entire time and the process seemed to fly by. Cool peeps, good work and a laid back vibe at this joint. They don't take AMEX but take everything else - can't fault them for that.
Review Source:I never thought I'd want a tattoo in my lifetime. Eventually I made the decision right before I moved away from Austin, and once I was sure what I wanted I headed to Atomic as it had been recommended to me several times by friends.
I had no appointment; simply walked in and was greeted at the counter by one of their artists named Harold and was asked how I may be helped. I gave him a printed copy of a design I wanted on my calf and he worked with me until we agreed on the size of the tattoo. I then sat in a chair and he explained to me how things would work every step of the way. Very informative so I could be sure I wanted to go through with the process. After ~45 minutes Harold had finished and gave me instructions for caring for it the next couple of weeks. Overall, I was extremely impressed and thought the price for the design was very reasonable. No complications arose and I'm glad I went through with it. Would recommend Harold and Atomic to anyone in Austin wanting ink.
After researching a number of shops (mostly on Yelp), I decided to pop into Atomic and see what's what. Â I was greeted by Harold who was open to my design idea and immediately assisted me in refining some aspects. Â There was never any pressure or hard sell. Â Very cool. Â Ended up agreeing to a final design and within an hour, had an excellent tattoo that I am proud of. Â Aside from his steady hand, Harold proved to be calm, reassuring and quite interesting (we had a hobby in common).
To conclude, a relaxed, almost fun experience at a very clean shop with excellent personnel. Â Will return again, I'm sure.
If you are a complete square who wants to get a tattoo because you are coming up on a certain landmark birthday and you want to prove you are still wild and crazy, this review is for you. Â
Atomic Tattoo is a great place to go for the complete newbie. Â Before I went, I called and talked with one of the staff who was very nice and patient with all my questions - cost (depends), can you do an image I bring in (yes), how long does it take (depends), can I bring people to watch (yes), etc. Â
A few days later, I showed up as a walk-in (with three others with me for moral support) and gave them the Chinese character I wanted tattooed on my hip. Â An artist worked with me and the copier to resize the image several times to get it exactly the right size, and gave me good suggestions on placement. Â Then when all was decided upon, he made a stencil of the image, filled out the state-required form, checked my ID, took my money ($70), and we were off to the tattoo room where the artist showed me all the equipment (in sterile packs) and explained what he would do. Â He rubbed the stenciled image on me and then it was off to the races.
So, was it painful? Â Yes. Â It was actually far more painful than I had expected. Â It isn't that the process hurts so much every second, it's that you have to endure it for a long time - 15 minutes in the case of my one little Chinese character. That's a really long time when you are getting a tattoo.
The end result was really quite nice. Â The image's edges were crisp, there was no distortion in the image, and it was uniformly filled in. Â I'm glad I did it, but I'm NEVER doing it again. Â Ouch.
The session ended with thorough instructions on how to care for the tattoo over the next few weeks (wash with soap and water, use lotion to keep it from drying out, etc). Â All in all, a professional, informative visit from start to finish.
I'm sure that there are other good newbie-friendly tattoo places in town, but Atomic worked for me. Â
Oh, and by the way, don't take any pain medication before you go - many drugs thin the blood and I was told you'll bleed more during the process if you do.
Wow, after hearing good reviews from friends, i couldn't so much as raise a "hi" or "we'll be right with you", even after spending around 30 minutes there. Being that none of my tats show, should i have removed my shirt to prove worthy of selling/speaking too? Sorry all, bad taste left in my mouth here... my business will go elsewhere.
Review Source:I am abit confused by the buisness model of this place. Â In fact I am a lot confused by the buisness model of this place.
Me and six of my closest friends show up one Sunday afternoon all excited about at least 5 of us getting tattoos. Â One of my party proudly displays her tattoos on her arms as we walk in.
We shout hello and are acknowledged asthough they plan to get to us soon.
So after about 30 + minutes waiting in an empty store we decide to head down the street to another tattoo place.
I assume they want customers here, but maybe not.
I assume that if they were closed, that the door would be closed or that they would tell us.
Do I assume too much?
Almost every tattoo I have is from Atomic.  First thing's first, it is clean.  Always.  The people are nice, too.  They will really work with you on your design.  Sometimes actually getting the piece done can be  awkward, but not so here.  They make you comfortable.  I have some grapes on my arm from Brandi and I am very pleased with them.  People ask me who did them all the time.  My latest piece, a 3 session one, started with David at the Burnet location.  He finished it at the Pflugerville shop, which is really nice, too.  I could not be happier with it.  I took in a rough sketch of what I wanted and he really turned it into something awesome.
Pretty much any day when my tattoos are visible people ask me where I got my work done. Â That is a good testament to the quality of the work coming out of Atomic.
Added to my body art on Tuesday. Â
After getting together with the lovely Cameo and a friend visiting from Belgium, two bottles of champagne and some sesame sticks, we all decided a lovely time of female bonding would be to go get tattoos together (my kind of ladies!).
We headed over to Atomic Tattoo where David listened to us gab and go on for about 3 1/2 hours and we ended up with exactly what we wanted and it was done fabulously.
Thanks David!
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