I have been to Gristle several times to get tattooed and every time I have had a great experience. I was there on Friday the 13th and I had a great experience based on the realistic expectations I had.
If you showed up late in the day (ie: after 6) expecting a short line and/or quick service, that is not what Friday the 13th is. Ever. At any shop I've been to. Since there are only a few shops in the city that do Friday the 13th tattoos and since there are only 2 chances to get one this year, it stands to reason that there would be a lot of people trying to get tattooed. Though it may not be a legal issue to fill out consent forms for each tattoo, that is the way the shop operates. Most shops have that rule.
I got to the shop around 4 expecting to see the long line gathered out front. Since each tattoo on the flash sheet was a good size and many had color, it took a bit for each person to get done (20-25 minutes). I waited for about 2 hours and then got an awesome black rose from Brittany. Yeah it sucked to wait for awhile, but I would rather have to wait because the tattooer takes their time on my tattoo rather than to have an artist rush through something that will be on me forever.
I recommend Gristle to a lot of people and will continue to do so. I think they do great work and care about their clients.
Felix is an awesome piercer. Made me feel comfortable, explained each procedure as it was happening, and was clearly an expert at this. Plus my piercing turned out ~amazing~ so I will 100% be coming back for my next piercing! Not many places have a piercer who is both confident AND friendly, but Gristle most definitely has that in Felix.
Review Source:Mike is an incredibly talented individual, very good at his work whilst also being a genuine and friendly guy. Would highly recommend him to anyone looking for work done. Also, should you be in the market for piercings, definitely go to Felix.
All round great place, great people. I wouldn't want to be stabbed by anyone else!
Reviews are mostly relative- because it depends what you want out of a business that makes your experience positive or otherwise. For me, I simply expect courtesy and it is not a service that they offer at this location.
I wanted to buy a specific, simple, common piece of jewelry. I walked in, I explained and showed exactly what I wanted and pointed it out in a case. The gentleman assured me that he knew nothing about piercing so I am advised to return when a piercer is available... He did not need to assure me that he was incompetent, it was clear. It was especially clear when I told him that I needed 2 of the pieces of jewelry to which he replied, "Do you see two in here?". Of course not, it's the display case.
After complete frustration and 15 minutes of waiting for the only person that seemed to know how to use a cash register, I noticed the gentleman who was originally 'helping' me sketching in the back. At this point, I was frustrated enough to step outside. After a few minutes, I see the whole gang outside smoking and laughing while i'm standing there looking for other places in the area. Because it was the end of my day, I decided I was too exhausted to continue the search and I braved the rudeness. I had to, apologetically, interrupt the young girl's smoke break and escort her back in to the shop, at which point she said, "Sorry, I have to help my clients." And she topped it off with a scoff.
I did not need the item in a hurry, I needed to be treated as someone who is supporting a local business. I was surprised at the lack of professionalism, the lack of courtesy and the inappropriate business they run. It did not improve my opinion of the business when the woman working explained that they don't charge tax for cash payments. A small, local shop should understand the importance and positive impact of supporting the neighborhood with tax dollars.
Disappointed.
I love Gristle, and everybody who works there!
I know them since they opened as I live very close, but I finally got my tatttoo only a few weeks ago. Its a japanese cherry blossom on my shoulder done by Brittany Bauza, and the only thing I can say is that it is absolutely perfect. Its beautiful, soft and as delicate as I had asked for, and now seems to be one with my body like something that has always been there. Not to mention it was a cover up and you would never be able to tell. So an A+ goes definetely to Brittany, but an A+ goes to the owner  of Gristle as well, Dina. She is very well organized and put together a great team of artists - Franco is absolutely amazing too, he did my husband's tattoo last week and it's stunning - , she organizes very interesting art exhibitions quite often and being a huge animal lover she also hosts fund raising for local shelters.
In addition to to all of the above, Gristle Tattoo is a super clean shop which gives them a lot of more points considering that the majority of the tattoo shops around smell bad even from the outiside. Great job!
This is the third tattoo I have gotten at Gristle and each time they have gone out of their way to provide, exceptional service. Â Their staff is friendly, courteous, and extremely clean. Â Amazing artists at work here, and a shop that should definitely not be overlooked when choosing from so many in the area. Â
I was very happy with Franco's work, and will definitely return for my 4th.
I've wanted to get a tattoo for a long time and had an idea to get a compass inspired arrow with an N for North at the top. Brit was my tattoo artist and she did a great job at following the directions I gave while also incorporating her own taste. She came up with a spin on what I wanted that was 10x better than I could've imagined!!
She was very warm and nice and made me feel at ease. I'm really happy she was the one who gave me my first tattoo.
I'm so happy it's free touch ups with no time requirement. I'm from Seattle so I won't be back for another year but it's good to know I have the option.
I was recommended to this place by a friend whose roommate recently went here. Love, love it and I felt very at home here.
I'll follow up with another review if I have any healing issues.
If you ever need a tattoo, I FULLY recommend seeing Mike! I have been getting tattooed by him when he used to work at Black Ink studio and I was bummed to hear he moved a little further downtown from me but getting awesome work by him is worth the commute.
I have 6 tattoos so far and 5 were done by him. And I'm in love with every single one he's done.
Seriously, he's awesome. Plus, he's good for conversation and can keep your mind off the pain :)
I guess I'll have to be the first to give this place a bad review...
I picked Franco (Silenco) as my tattoo artist based on his specialty in "fine line work" and was horribly disappointed when my simple tattoo came out a disaster. I went back a few days later to show them the uneven lines and blatantly disfigured star at the top of the crown and they tried telling me that it was my skins fault and that it would get better. I guess they eventually realized that the tattoo was really done poorly so they gave me back my money. Now I have a tattoo that looks terrible from someone who I guess wasn't paying attention and seemed to have rushed through the process anyway.
You can see a picture of my tattoo, I posted it with the other pictures. Judge for yourself.
Count me among the converted.  I actually sought out  shops that did cruelty free work and contacted Gristle via email.  The response time and customer service was excellent but I had a pretty abstract idea in my head and was pretty nervous about whether it was workable.  I chose Silenco! as the artist as his portfolio is amazing with incredible line work.  He took the random bits and pieces I provided and created exactly what was in my head.
The shop is a peaceful oasis and it feels like you are in someone's home. Â All the artists have a really good vibe, are all true artists in many mediums, and really support each others work.
Silenco! (Franco) was a perfectionist and took allot of time to ensure my arm band was positioned perfectly. Â With some NYC shops charging $200+ an hour, I thought this shop was very reasonable especially considering the flawless work.
Having traveled from DC, the staff was also really helpful in recommending places to eat and other Brooklyn highlights. Â The shop is just off the L in a great neighborhood. Basically, the finest shop I have ever encountered.
5 well earned stars!
gristle tattoo is amazing! my first visit was as a walkin...i was warmly greeted by the shop owner and then introduced to mike. he's great! i brought in original artwork and he was totally into creating the tat that i wanted. the shop is also an art gallery. what more could one ask for in a tat shop...talented artists, an eclectic vibe, nice people and a clean environment.
i highly recommend gristle tattoo! ask for mike! i have been back twice in the past month and am super happy with my tattoos.
To make a long story short..
I L O V E this place and recommend it to anyone wanting to get a tattoo. Just go!
They will take good care of you and your body.
I went in without reading the reviews or knowing anything about the place & artists working here. I wanted to get my new born son's initials with some pretty flowers around it.
The owner was so sweet and welcoming and was holding a rescue dog!
Then I met Brittany! Â Such a talented and creative artist, she drew some sketches & I set an appointment for the week after.
The place is super clean, quiet, small but very cozy.. Everything u want when getting your body inked.
The result is amazing! I absolutely love my new tattoo. After 10 years I was a bit scared but they all made me feel I came to the right place + it is a vegan tattoo which I had no idea about the whole use of animal products inside the ink. Going vegan made the whole experience even greater.
I highly recommend this place.
So after deciding to get very small, matching finger tattoos, my best friend and I headed out to Brooklyn to a tattoo parlor that welcome walk-ins, only to be told they had no available space. Disheartened, he pulled up the Yelp app and found out that the highly-rated Gristle Tattoo was only a few blocks away. The woman who answered the phone (never found out her name) was utterly lovely, told us the minimum and that yes, they did have some walk-in time. So we headed on over to Gristle.
The shop itself is adorable. I find a lot of tattoo and piercing parlor's to be a little intimidating, but Gristle is perfectly homey and eccentric and clean. After some quick paperwork, I was handed over to tattoo artist Leo Kraft. He was so cool and funny and nice, he talked me through the process, helped me relax, and it was over in a heartbeat. A lot of the session was spent showing each other pictures of our dogs and talking about how scary airplanes are - he was just so personable and cool. It was a really great experience. The receptionist came over and showed us endless adorable photos of her pets. The whole experience was just super fun and relaxed and cool.
I would totally recommend Gristle, especially if it's you're first tattoo. The pricing is reasonable, the staff is wonderful, and my tattoo is adorable. Thanks, Gristle!
This is my new favorite tattoo parlor! The interior is nice and cosy and more importantly clean! Before I came to Gristle all of the other tattoo shops I checked out in Williamsburg either really didn't give me the time of day or were too rockstar/diva to talk to me.
Britnay Bauza is an amazing tattoo artist and one of the sweetest girls I have met. Right off the bat of meeting her she walked me through my design and gave me advice on it. When the time came to be tattooed she was very professional whilst being able to casually chat with me during our session.
The final product was fantastic and I am coming back for her to touch up some other tattoos I have. The price is very reasonable and I would recommend Gristle Tattoo to anyone wanting to get tattooed in a laid back and chilled atmosphere :)
Go here. Literally the nicest shop I have been to in new york. Immaculate and clean, something you want in a tattoo shop. the owner is super friendly and nice, and her alone makes me want to only ever get tattooed here. Brittany did an awesome job on me, as well as my friend who got tattooed the same day. The shop also hosts art shows and drink and draws. I'll be sending and recommending all of my friends here. And I'm already set on having my next big piece done here.
Review Source:I went to Gristle the other day by reference from a friend. It's pretty conveniently located as far as Brooklyn goes, right by the L train. The actual shop is cool too, filled with tons of art work, has good music playing, and it is very clean. I got a tattoo done by Brittany, being that this was my second tattoo I was a bit nervous but she did a fantastic job and we had a great session of chatting while she did my tattoo. I actually was a walk in, so she did the sketch and I came back later on but honestly that was fine, I was just glad to get in same day. I saw her do another sketch, very talented artist for sure. Prices are very fair. I would definitely go back for my next one!
Review Source:I stopped into this place on my birthday for a small tattoo with a friend. Â I'd been passing it on my way to work for a few weeks, and was intrigued by the simplicity of the shop window. Â It was clean and calm, and the artist, Brittany, was genuine and easy to talk to. Â I'm not the most inked up person in this borough to say the least, and I really appreciated feeling welcomed regardless. Â I'd definitely recommend giving this place a shot!
Review Source:I went here for a Friday the 13th tattoo special they were having. The flash put together by Ashley showed a variety of great designs; there was a lot of stuff to choose from. I ended up picking a black umbrella with raindrops falling from it. After a four hour wait (the shop is open til 9 but they "sold out" around 6:30; i.e. ran out of time slots for tattoos), it was my turn. No big deal during the wait, by the way; I wandered around and ate some pizza and waited for a phone call. Anyway, my turn. Ashley was friendly and chatty. She advised great placement on my ankle, and got to work. She has a light, steady hand. Despite the tiny details of the umbrella cane and handle, the lines are straight and crisp. The shading looks great, and I know as it heals it'll get more subtle. I grabbed a card on the way out. I wasn't digging the name (Gristle? for a vegan ink shop?) or the Atticus-style crow logo, but Ashley did a bang-up job and is a super nice artist to work with, and I am thoroughly pleased with my 13 tattoo experience.
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