Ask for Alex if you can, he's awesome. Â He fixed up an old peice I had on my left arm that wasn't looking too good. Â The artist that had started it I realized wasn't great so I got him to finish it and he did an amazing job. Â He also dide the rest of my half sleeve and it came out great, he had really cool ideas and was very open minded about it. Â Really polite really professional, super chill and a good spot to go get some work done. Â So quit bein a little sissy and go get a tattoo!
Review Source:My wife and I decided to get tattoo's to celebrate our wedding. We went in and talked with Alex and had him sketch up some designs for us. We came back a few days later and loved what he came up with. He did a amazing job with the lettering and style on the design and tattoo. The subtle design differences between my wife and my tattoo were amazing. He gave hers a much more delicate look and feel while mine was a little thicker and stronger.
The shop was very clean and feel very good about going there. Would definitely come back again.
Definitely would recommend ECTS and Alex! Amazing Job!
I did my research before going and getting my 1st tattoo. I went and visited another tattoo shop. I was so happy I went to Emerald City Tony did a fantastic job on my tattoo and with being understanding that I was just a little nervous about never having one. I will recommend this place to everyone!
Review Source:I had to make a yelp account just to give this shop 5 stars. This is my first review ever, i felt the need to let people know just how amazing this place is. Alex took the time & made an effort to give me just what i wanted. I couldn't of asked for a better tattoo or artist!! I've found my new home for tattoos!! Thank you Alex..
Review Source:This shop is as good as it gets. A little emerald gemstone right in the heart of Lake City!
A+ for outstanding cleanliness/adhering to proper procedures.
A+ for friendiness, you won't meet friendlier people ANYWHERE.
A+ for great attitiudes, these people are truly genuine and they will treat you with RESPECT.
A+ for the supplies they use (and sell) - top quality ink
I have sat for 20+ hours with Tony over the last 2 years and he is exceptional. He has over 25 years experience and it shows. He's quick and precise and he lives up to his name "painless Tony".
The shop has great hours, they are open from 11am - 11pm 7 days a week.
All I can say is WOW! I just got my tattoo done by Jeannie and she did a superb job. She consulted with me because the placement wouldn't have been ideal and I'm very happy with the results. She has a very good attention to detail and great line work. I highly recommend Jeannie, and I will certainly return to Emerald City Tattoo.
Review Source:The guys here are friendly and to the point. I was told that they do a lot of medically sensitive tattoos for recent patients and the level of cleanliness and professionalism is definitely on par. I get supplies from here regularly and I couldn't ask for better know-how and advice along with the quality tools they provide. A+ guys! Keep it up!
Review Source:I'm really disappointed in these guys. A friend recommended Emerald City to me for my next tattoo, and I went in to see them on a Thursday. The tattoo artist (Micah) was very friendly and gave me his cell number and asked me to text him the rough design I created. Â He said he would work on the design over the weekend and we would do the tattoo the next Tuesday or Wednesday. I texted him the design 10 minutes after I left the shop. I called yesterday (Tuesday) and asked for Micah, but he was busy so I left my name and number and asked for him to call me. It's now 4pm on Wednesday and I haven't received any calls. My tattoo should have been complete by now, but instead I'm ink-less. Â I won't be wasting my time at this place again.
Review Source:This is a very cozy shop. Â From the outside it looks like a hole in the wall type place. Â Once inside, it doesn't get a lot bigger. But it is brightly lit, and very clean. Â You can tell that the owner and artists take pride in the space they operate out of.
 Very authentic.  A lot of the flash art on the wall is done by their artists.  A fair amount of it has a very old school look to it which I like.  The staff here is very knowledgable and imformative.  I find other shops, while they may have a lot of knowledge,..their willingness to share any bit of wisdom is very guarded.  Not so with this shop.  They are willing to speak openly with you about inks, needles, technique and everything in between.  After just a short time in the shop it was readily apparent that these guys have a wealth of imformation on the subject of tattooing, and a desire to share their love of the art form.
 This trip in was not for a tattoo,.. although I wouldn't think twice about getting one here. (If you like them on FaceBook, you'll get photo updates of their latest work,... and they churn out some quality ink). I visited the shop to pick up some ink and transfer paper.  I had some very specific colors I wanted and Aaron helped me out,..mixing the ink from raw pigment powder to just the right color and consistency.  He then informed me of each of the constituent ingredients in both the powder and the liquid of the ink.  It's obvious that he has been doing this for a long time, and knows what he's talking about.  Both he and one of the other artists bantered back and forth in conversation with me about different inks that are available on the market, which they like the best, and how they use other colors for contrast to really bring out the brightness in certain colors.  They were both very helpful and took genuine interest in the conversation.
 Their prices were very fair,.. a few bucks cheaper than most internet retailers, and I didn't have to pay shipping which meant I was able to spend what I would on internet shipping,..on actual supplies.
 When I read on the internet that they sold supplies to the general public,.. I had formed a picture in my mind of some sort of display case that they might have.  They do not.  Because of the small space, they keep the supplies in back.  Aaron made up a list of needed supplies, and went back and retrieved them.  This worked well, and I have no complaints.
 I have no doubt I will be using them for future purchaces.  In summation,.. they were polite, informitive, knowledgable and priced fairly.  I would go here again for supplies,..and I would go here for a tattoo.  And if I had a friend in the market for either, I would recommend they pay them a visit as well.  Most important, they didn't suffer from the tattoo shop snobbery that some shops suffer from.  I like it here, they are very authentic and genuine.
I got my very first tattoo here by Byran (unfortunately he doesn't work here anymore) and the experience was so great! He was very helpful and nice about me being a newbie with tattoos and did an amazing job on my write tattoo.
Pricing at this shop is really affordable and the people are really friendly.
I love these guys! Tony is the one that has been working on my tattoo. When I've been there a couple of the other artists have been there and they're all great to talk to when you're laying there for a couple hours. They are so helpful and professional. If a friend says they're thinking of getting a tattoo I bout scream out that they need to go to Emerald City Tattoo & Supply. I seriously can't praise these guys enough. They're all great. My mom got a tattoo from them recently and she is very happy with the work that Tony has done. One of my mom's coworkers has gotten all of her tattoos there and is planning on going back real soon.
I had talked to several tattoo shops in the area about the one that I wanted and they all said it would take 5 hours at $100 an hour. When I spoke to Tony he said it wouldn't take nearly that long. Still $100 an hour but less time is better. I am so impressed with his work.
I was tattooed by Matt Beacham about a year ago. The piece I got is a silhouette and the black healed nice and solid with crisp edges. He was very clean and professional at every step and made me feel totally comfortable, you can tell he's very passionate about his work. I'd be more than happy to be tattooed by Matt again, especially seeing his other work and how rapidly his portfolio is progressing. I highly recommend him!
Review Source:I really love this tattoo shop. Â I had a pretty negative and expensive experience in another tattoo shop and felt really misunderstood and disrespected by that tattoo artist. Â So I called this shop to ask for help with reworking a very large tattoo on my arm. Â I spoke with one of the owners and I think he could tell I was pretty bummed on the phone. Â He was so helpful and encouraged me to come in and check out the artist's books. Â I did just that and the owner looked at what I had and recommended an artist to do the work based on the other tattoo work I have that I like a lot. Â Jacob has since worked on my arm during 2 different sessions and we still have some hours of work to go. Â While it really sucks to have a giant tattoo redone, I am SO happy with what Jacob is doing. Â He is extremely talented and from the get-go, was focused and detailed. Â I asked him to do some design work to cover part of the old tattoo and wasn't very clear about what I wanted, because I wasn't too sure (I just knew I hated what I had). Â Jacob freehanded a drawing around it and it is BOMB. Â Seriously, this guy is good. Â The shop itself is small, full of activity and with very nice folks. Â I appreciate the friendly atmosphere and really don't mind that the shop is really tiny. Â I'm excited to get more work done here.
Review Source:I have yet to be tattooed here, but Aaron is super nice and sells us supplies. He's happy to share info about learning to tattoo and it's been a great resource. He's also live in the Northend his entire life which is cool. His family owns another small business in the Northend as well. I love local family business. It just feels good to spend money there instead of mail ordering supplies.
Review Source:I didn't get my tattoo done here but my boyfriend did. I was with him throughout most of the process and this place does great work. My b/f had work done here prior and wanted to add more to his previous tattoo. Turtle got an idea of what we wanted and drew our design. He was very patience with us as we asked for several changes to be made to his drawing. He also provided ideas as to what he thinks would look nice and what wouldn't. He is super nice! He also took his time and made sure he had the art pasted correctly and evenly on my b/f's back (which is very important).... a permanent, crooked tattoo is NOT cool. =) The tattoo looked amazing when it was finished! Exactly what he and I wanted!! Unfortunately, Turtle will be moving to New York soon (forgot when he said he would). New York will be lucky to have him.
As I was waiting, I was able to see Ego's work. OMG! He is definitely an amazing artist! I totally understand why a lot of the yelpers are raving on how great Ego is.
When I decide to get another one, I will for sure go to this place!
Keep up the great work guys!
I've had both of my tattoos done here at Emerald. In addition to myself, 4 of my cousins have all had their work done here as well.
Tony is an awesome guy, with a lot of experience behind him. He has been there since the shop opened and always has a smile & a story to tell.
Having not only myself, but a bunch of my family go here, I feel speaks highly of their work and costumer satisfaction.
When it comes to the style and type of tattoo you want, I feel it's always important to find an artist that fits well with that style of work you want. With the guys they have here at the shop, I am more than confident you will have an excellent experience and have your piece(s) surpass your expectations.
My husband and I called them today after walking out on an appointment with another tattoo shop (the owner/artist was rude) we talked to Turtle who said that he would be able to draw our tattoos and do it today. We emailed him our desings, then headed out to he shop on Lake City Way. When we got there Turtle was very nice, talked to us about our designs and got to work on drawing them. We came back in 2 hours and got started. he entire time that we were there we felt very comfortable and welcome in the shop. We both love our tats and have already (and will continue to) refer them to all of our friends. Â Thanks Emerald City and Turtle!
Review Source:This is where I got my first tattoo.
I had just turned 18, I had been dying for a tattoo for quite some time before.
My mom took me and covered up her tattoo with a giant, purple hibiscus-Don't ask, or do ask, I don't care.
I forget who did my ink, but all I know is he had a giant tattoo of Russell Crowe as the Gladiator on his calf. *shrug*
He helped me sharpen up a design I had made and it turned out lovely. I wanted it on my lower (low low) stomach, and he tried to argue me out of it because it would "hurt a lot." I thought, if this thing is gonna be stuck on me fo-eva, then I need to get it where I want it. I got it on my lower stomach anyways, and you know what? It didn't hurt at all.
This experience opened a pandora's box of tattoo addiction for me. And he gave me a sweet deal since it was my birthday! :)
These five stars are entirely for Ego, because he's the only artist here I've ever had work on me, but he deserves each and every one of them.
His work came highly recommended to me by a couple of people he's worked on, so when my previous shop lost my favor I decided to give Emerald City a try. The tattoo I had Ego do is nowhere near as complex or colorful as the bulk of his work, but I'd been sitting on the idea for 5+ years  and being as it's on a constantly-visible part of my body, I wanted to make sure I found someone who could do it right. He was more than happy to talk to me and offer suggestions, which I'm really glad I decided to listen to - his professional input on my concept made for a way cooler finished product  in the end.
It's been a year and I'm still 100% pleased with the work he did. I'll be going back for larger and more complicated pieces in the magical, mystical, hopefully-near future where I have more discretionary income.
Ego did my first tattoo four years ago. Â As of today, the color is still great, the shading hasn't bled or lost pigmentation, and the placement still makes me happy.
Additionally, when I came in for my obligatory touch-up he asked if he could add a couple of things to the tattoo - he wasn't happy with it. Â When he showed me what he meant, I saw why, and he proceeded to make those additions for no charge. Â I like that he's willing to offer his opinion on the work, but was chill enough that I didn't feel like I had to say yes.
These guys are great. The staff is non-threatening, very supportive, and will tell you if you have a stupid idea. Want custom work? Perfect! They love that. Want to get something cheesy that everyone and their dog has... well, they'll tell you you're dumb, but probably do it anyway.
My favorite artist is Ego. He's been working on a back piece of mine for several years a now, and he's always been cool with me. He drew the whole thing out by hand, I think we had 3 or 4 meetings before he even put a needle to me. Very very diligent about his craft.
Careful with scheduling, though, Ego's the best, but has a few other businesses he runs and is hard to pin down. I recommend him for all those interested in shade heavy, perspective heavy, or any piece involving feathers.
I would give them 4.5 if I could because their 'waiting area' for friends or those without appointments blows ass (no chairs and very tight).
I've driven past this small, easy to miss shop hundreds of times. Â Finally the boy and I decided to check 'em out so we wandered down on a Saturday afternoon to see what was what.
After walking in, I was unsure of the place, because I'm used to larger shops (Apocalypse, Laughing  Buddha, etc.).  But the owner Tony immediately made me feel more comfortable.
As luck would have it, Tony had a cancellation that afternoon, so I was  able to get a tattoo right then - which was pretty kick-ass.
He did good work, didn't take too long, and charged me a reasonable rate. Â I'd definitely go back again if I wanted some work done within a sooner time frame than a larger shop.
EDIT:
Since writing the original review, I've gone back to Tony for quite a lot of work. Â He is the most amazing artist EVER. Â I will never, ever go anwhere else.
There is no place else I would want to go and get a tattoo. Both of mine and my husbands, along with a few friends, have been done by Tony. His work is extraordinary as is his artistic ability.
They aren't the most expensive place in the city ($100/hr with a $50 minimum) but the work they do is worth so much more.
I highly recommend them and plan on going back for more as soon as I know what I want!
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
