This place is clean, and they offered water when I was feeling a little weak, which I greatly appreciate. It's been a few years since I last came here, yet I still somewhat regret it. The tattoo artist I wanted was busy with another customer (and I'm under the impression that that specific artist has now left this shop?), but there was another artist that they said was just as good. This guy (unfortunately, I don't remember his name, only that he was big) was not very friendly and practically rolled his eyes when I told him what I wanted. I'm sorry that your idea of art or 'cool' isn't the same as mine, but I would expect that a tattoo artist should be open minded in this regard. Call it artistic differences, I call it subpar customer service. At the very least, I know I was a little offended.
Anyway, the entire ordeal lasted under an hour, and they gave me proper directions for care and also gave me more than enough ointment. However, after everything healed up, I noticed that this guy didn't even stay within the lines completely. I'm not happy with the results, but I don't completely blame the artist - most of the blame lies with me for not researching different tattoo parlors more thoroughly and making sure that the artist understood exactly what I wanted. Still, I'm giving this place 2 stars because of the condescending attitude of the artist and because a little color spilled across the outline.
Moo Tattoo is a clean, well-managed shop with knowledgeable and talented artists.
Some reviewers are giving this shop 1-star because the owner, Noah, expects people to have some sort of idea about how the world works before coming into the shop.
If you're the type of person who wants to know how much a tattoo costs before you decide on the design, size, or number of colors in the tattoo, you'll probably want to go to another shop.
Are you the type of person who goes to Home Depot to pick out a color of house paint, and expect a high-five from every employee in the store when you settle on "ecru" rather than "eggshell"? Â You'll probably want to go to another shop.
Do you go expect people to know what you're thinking, despite the fact that you can't put a coherent sentence together without "like" or "knawmean" being every third word that comes out of your mouth? Â Write your thoughts down, and read them out loud before coming into the shop. Â Practice makes perfect.
Are  you the type of person who gives small, independently-owned businesses one-star Yelp! reviews because you're used to getting your way and aren't accustomed to people looking at you like you're an idiot, when you are, in fact, an idiot?  Find another shop, and after you leave that other shop, throw yourself in front of a bus.
Are you a rational, intelligent individual, who wants a nice tattoo done by talented artists in a clean shop that is within walking distance to several bars and restaurants in the heart of Philadelphia? Â Then this is the shop for you.
Pros.
The shop is clean.
Decently priced , but you're gonna get what you pay for (more on that later).
Cons.
The guy working there didn't seem like he gave a rats a** and it was the owner.
Very off putting attitude.
Didn't want to talk about what I wanted or help me make it mine.
Told me to get a font off of <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FDafont.com&s=a92be2c4f2af148bdf9f9a6b1adc3d9dd2abd47e5402445276b8405c941254d7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Dafont.com</a>.
So here's what happened.
I decided after 2 years to finally get some new ink. I knew what I wanted and where on my body I wanted it. I also knew my design needed some work. So I had two shops in mind after doing research and having gone to 7 or eight shops on south street with my friend to get hers. Since I walked up from broad street. The first place I stopped at was Moo tattoo. I'd seen it around, I read decent reviews on it and figured what the hey it's first I'll stop in.
NOW, I WAS READY TO GET INKED, I am aware look like a yuppy white girl who doesn't know jack about jack but I was a paying customer. I walked in, talked to Noah who was sitting in a chair across the room. I walked in, told him I had some questions and he seemed really disinterested in helping me.
AFTET, HE FINALLY GOT UP... and I showed him my idea. He took one look at it and said it wouldn't work. Instead of trying to make it work or telling me how to make it work he told me to pick a font out of the big book of fonts in front of me. I didn't want one of those fonts... when I found a font that was sort of like what I was thinking about but i wanted it rounder, he said to me, that he wouldn't alter any fonts because "it's designed to look like that, I can't alter it because it wont work that way" *I have ni creatuvity outside of flash designs and what ither people do*
Then he told me
"Why don't you try on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdafont.com&s=edc81e6c7abf832edec57e7a0cf8e0b6691ca6cff459a02a67fb1c52dcc35c8e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://dafont.com</a>."
So, I found a font I kinda sorta was a bit happy with, and he went back to his desk to download it and then... I wasn't exactly sure what the next step was because it's really hard to understand someone when they aren't looking at you and mumbling at a computer screen.
So, I'm sorry to have wasted Noah's time (not that it was at all busy or that he seemed to be doing something that was live or die on his computer) but after that experience. I walked out with out a word and went to No Ka Oi Tikki where it was a lot more expensive, but they took the time to actually deal with me.
At Moo he wanted to charge about $65 which is the only reason I gave it any stars. But, I really feel it was worth it to spend a bit more money and get something that wasn't cookie cutter, with no opinion of mine off <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdafont.com&s=edc81e6c7abf832edec57e7a0cf8e0b6691ca6cff459a02a67fb1c52dcc35c8e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://dafont.com</a>.
AND No Ka Oi did exactly what i wanted and it's readable, which Moo said it wouldn't be...
I've gone in twice for tattoos with an artist that doesn't work there anymore (I think his name is Sean). Â Both tattoos still look really good, his suggestions were helpful and not judgmental or forceful, and he was calm and made me feel really comfortable even during my first tattoo. Â The place is clean and well-kept.
My friend has gone in more recently and got a tattoo by a guy with red hair (I don't know his name). Â Quite frankly, it doesn't look as good as my tattoos do. Â The lines look like they were drawn by a shaky hand.
The guy who owns the place can be kind of intimidating and I think is probably jaded from all of the South Street insanity he's had to deal with over the years, but the whole place just has a no-nonsense attitude that I really like and I have a handful of friends that we've cycled through Moo and they all have great looking tattoos.
Pee before you go to avoid the bathroom bullshit. Â It's kind of irritating but worth it to get a really good tattoo. Â Standard prices and no coddling. Â I dig it.
UPDATE 2/5/2013: The owner of this shop, Noah, has not only deleted his response and written a new one to my review three times, but most recently, he decided to write this little gem:
"This woman stuck a hand up her dress and pulled out a used tampon. Â She began dancing around the room yelling, "No bathroom? Where should I put this?!?!" She then slapped it onto our mirror and stormed out while doing a chicken dance. Additionally, the customer claims to have read laws about our bathroom requirements, when they have failed to recognize Philadelphia code that requires separate and adequate facilities for the artists/employees."
Clearly, this could not be more from the truth. Clearly, this man is out of his mind. Clearly, this man needs to be committed to a mental institution. Clearly, I am SO THANKFUL I did not let this complete tool tattoo me.
Way to go Noah, you have completely affirmed my thoughts and beliefs about your tattoo shop. You deserve an award for your absurdity.
Now if you'll excuse me, while I go chicken dance my way to a different tattoo shop to have a more sane, customer friendly artist tattoo me.
(And further, not only did Noah not point me to any applicable law, he is admittedly in violation of the code he pointed out (if there even is one), because he only has one, and not separate facilities.)
My husband had both of his tattoos done at Moo, so I chose it on his recommendation. I was tattooed by Noah, and I was very pleased with the experience. The shop is small, bright and clean. I was witness to each step Noah took to keep the area he was working in clean and sterile. He was able to take the drawing that I had done and adjust it slightly to fit better in the location I wanted, and he easily handled the minor change I requested on the fly (pre-inking). I also felt the price was very reasonable.
The only reasons I don't give five stars is when I called for an appointment I was made to feel a little silly for calling -- the guy I spoke to said they pretty much do everything via their website, and I needed to fill out the online form to make an appointment. I just wish it was more clear on the website that this was their preferred way to make appointments, as I had already visited it and would have happily done that without calling at all if I had known. The other reason is that Noah and the other guy in the shop spent the entire time I was being tattooed talking to a woman who had come in to visit. It was fine, but a little off-putting. My tattoo was small, so I wasn't there for all that long, maybe 45 minutes. It wasn't a big deal, but when someone is that close to you physically and they are talking and joking with someone behind you and you can't move, it's kind of weird. But, I love my tattoo, and I'd go back any time.
I had a great experience at Moo. I got my first tattoo here right after the holidays in December. The place is clean and the artists are very talented. The owner was helpful and answered my questions honestly. Listening to my interests, Noah was able to create a beautiful butterfly tattoo that is unique. The price was reasonable knowing the work and talent that went into creating it. Thanks again for a great evening and fantastic experience.
Review Source:these five stars are not for moo itself but for shawn dubin, who is a god among men. unfortunately, he is no longer at moo, which means i have no reason to go there.
if anyone can recommend an artist or shop that does work comparable to shawn's, i'd be much obliged.
EDIT: the owner of this shop messaged me about my "libelous" review. because of the tone of his messages, i will never go back here, nor would i recommend it to a friend. BUT i will state that i have never seen the other artists' work and have no opinion on them. it could be beautiful or terrible, i honestly have no idea, so check it out for yourself. it wasn't my intention to comment on other people's work, only the very talented shawn dubin's, so my apologizes if my review insinuated that the other artists here are sub-par, because i very honestly do not know.
I've gotten three very simple black tattoos here over the past several years and have always had a pleasant and comfortable experience. The artists are incredibly helpful, polite and talented - plus the place is clean and comfortable enough to bring your mom there.
The shop itself is a walk-up on South Street and in the same building as Warrior Piercing, which looks slightly intimidating from below. No worries - once you climb the narrow stairs and head into Moo, you're greeted with a clean, brightly-lit shop covered in kitschy cow art.
Prices are reasonable and you should discuss beforehand. Each time I got tattooed I brought a drawing, discussed with the artist and he made suggestions and changes as needed.
Don't be an idiot and show up with no planning, no phone call and no solid idea or reference material. It's a small place. There are usually just two artists there. Think ahead! You'll benefit from e-mailing or stopping by for a consultation to get some initial questions out of the way.
I'm not going to write about the quality of the tattoos here because I decided not to get mine done at Moo. I'm going to write about manners, work ethic, and professionalism.
I got recommended to Moo by a few friends and thought to give them a shot. I went online and liked what I saw so obviously Moo has some talent. I was really excited to get my tattoo done here but I decided that before I schedule anything I need to visit the shop.
I walk in and there's a man sitting on the other side of the shop. I say hello and explain that I had been speaking over email with somebody about scheduling a tattoo and wanted to see the shop, pick an artist, and schedule a date/time. Now. I have a hearing problem. I was deaf as a child. It's very difficult for me to hear what somebody is saying when they're across a room so I asked him if I could come closer. He tells me no. Then he begrudgingly gets up and walks over after I ASK him to come closer so we could have a conversation not across the room.
Now he seems annoyed. I ask if he's having an ok day, made a joke about does he need a hug and he gets even ruder being all "I was hugging a woman all last night" I wanted to exclaim disbelief that a woman would want to spend a night with him but I'm a lady and so just say ok! Next. I ask who is capable of doing the tattoo I want and he says himself or another artist. Fine, fine. Good to know.
THEN. I ask if he's alright doing this tattoo on me because it seems like I'm annoying him and he's making me uncomfortable. He tells me that I'm the weird one and he doesn't know what niceties I expect. Maybe next time I come in he'll make me a gift basket.
Excuse me? This is your business. You're a professional trying to earn money, how could you talk down to a potential customer like that? This wasn't my first tattoo, I'm getting my ribs done, and I don't want an artist who thinks I'm some WEIRD idiot touching me in what I consider an intimate spot for 3 hours. What's WEIRD is that Moo can be in business with crappy personalities like this hanging around.
If you don't care about somebody treating you like a human being then come to Moo. If you'd like somebody more professional who obviously loves what they do look elsewhere.
I had a tattoo done by Shawn this week, and am VERY happy with his work. He took a very terrible sketch that i gave him, and created something amazing. He was patient and stayed in constant contact throughout the whole process. He made me feel comfortable, and for a while I forgot that there was a needle poking into my ribs. I couldn't be happier with his work, and will continue to go back to him.
The establishment was clean and the prices were very reasonable. All around great experience.
I got my tattoo when I was on vacation, and luckily, I was able to get a walk-in appt on a Friday night no less. It didn't at all worry me that the place was empty because the staff was pretty awesome and the artist that I sat with (Shawn Dubin) came highly recommended by my brother & sister-in-law. The facility was immaculate & there were ready-to-view portfolios right as you walked in. I did have to pay extra because the tattoo was on my foot, but that didn't really sway my opinion negatively. The tattoo although small (as I requested) was virtually painless, and healed perfectly. If you're in Philly, hit these guys up on South street. Well worth it in every sense!
Review Source:The only reason Moo did not get 5 stars is because it was borderline difficult to get an appointment, it took a few weeks to get in there to get the work done after the initial consultation.
I do believe that these guys are true artists, not "trained chimps." Yes, they can tattoo something from a book very easily, but they can also create a tattoo from their own artistic talents. I went in to get an existing tattoo worked on, revamped and embellished, so I basically gave Shawn artistic license to create something that would compliment and save my shitty tattoo. He did not disappoint. He took into consideration the style of the image and produced an addition for it that I would have never thought of myself, while fixing the ugly that was already there.
This was not my first tattoo, it was my seventh, so I'm saying all of this out of experience and knowledge. I recommend Moo Tattoo and will definitely be going there again. Hopefully soon, as I already have another in mind.
This has to be one of the worst tattoo places I've been to. Â It's clean and all, but most places are nowadays. When I first climbed the stairs, there was absolutely no one there--no patrons, no desk person, nothing. Â I looked around, behind a pole/column on the other side of the room and saw a guy sitting there looking extremely bored. Â I made a couple of shuffling noises and he eventually woke up with a sleep hey what do you need?
I showed him what I wanted and this tattoo "artist" stayed silent, completely confused. Â This is when it all went downhill.
I am sort of an illustrator, not the best, but much better than the average patron. Â I have an existing tattoo that I wanted to add to. Â I traced my body shape and the existing tattoo in Adobe Illustrator. Â I then spent several days looking at reference images and drawing the addition in the position I wanted. Â I handed the "artist" a very clean line drawing of this, and explained what I was trying to do. Â Without even looking at my existing tattoo, he said he couldn't work with this. Â He told me I needed to look online for an image. Â I told him that this drawing was the result of that, but he insisted that he needed a finished internet image.
I drew the conclusion that he was only capable of tracing an image from one of the 100 tattoo books they had. Â What happened to you being an "artist"? Â You can't tell me that most people come in there with the exact image of what they want. Â I gave what was pretty much a finished piece that needed cleaning up, but he still couldn't do it. Â Perhaps I should've had a real artist draw it on me and shade it so he could simply go over it in ink.
The major problem I have is with their (and many other places') extremely loose usage of the word "artist." For some reason I always thought a tattoo artist was primarily an illustrator who knew how to use a tattoo gun, but now I realize that they are actually trained chimps skilled at inserting permanent ink into your skin. Â
What a joke.  Good luck finding a tattoo chimp anywhere in center city who actually has basic drawing skills and creativity.  If you want some stock art from a book or some text, maybe this place is just fine for you, but it'd still be no different than any other place.  If you want something original though, you definitely won't find it here.  (I ended up at Tattoo Odyssey instead, where, miraculously, a real artist works and said that what I gave him could not be more clear and perfect [<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/tattoo-odyssey-inc-philadelphia#hrid:y4_9rSRqXF2477SbHJdxjw%5D">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>)
Fantastic tattoo shop. Clean and bright with friendly artists. I came with a design in hand already but they had books of ideas on the counter for anyone that wants to walk in and check them out.
John answered all my questions being a first timer and made sure I was good and comfortable during the entire process. I would have no hesitation going back again or recommending them to others.
Jeremiah at the Alley recommended Moo Tattoo to me. Â He recommended them, when he's only been in for a consultation. Â And I'm so gad he did.
So I go in to ask some mindless, first time tattoo questions, and the man standing behind the counter is so nice, and deals with my mindless, first time tattoo questions like a pro. Then, he hands me some books to show the artists' work. Â I did not have to get two pages into his book to know that he was the artist for me. Â Shawn's work is so amazing. Â
He also did a great job on my tattoo. Â He made sure to check on me, a lot (even though I think I took it like a champ), which I appreciated. He truly looked concerned as he repeated jabbed me with tiny, mechanized needles.
I'm really surprised that this place doesn't have any presence on Yelp. Â They've been there over a decade. And I certainly had a friendly experience. Â Maybe their place on South Street has deterred many people from going here? I don't know.
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