Speakeasy has a hidden doorway like the rabbit hole into Wonderland. but here you just fall into a sweet shop full of amazing artists. everyone here is super nice and helpful and the space itself is really cool. it's lofty and open and even when all the artist are in full work mode, it's still really peaceful inside.
having said that, this review is really for Tine. she is the best artist, hands down and I refuse to get tattooed by anyone else. she always knows exactly what I'm picturing when I give her a bunch of random obscure ideas of what I want and she rolls them up into a beautiful work of art. I added a photo of my most recent piece from her, tigerlily, and I am in love with it. I get compliments on it non stop.
I'm even scared to let everyone know how amazing she is cause she is gonna get all booked up and then have no time to tattoo me!
speakeasy is great, tine is great, and that's the bottom line! also if you're lost, look for the door next to the flower shop!!
Came in to celebrate some milestones in my life and a clueless look on my office cuz even after all my research on ideas online I hadnt been able to pick what I wanted tattood on me. I got to speak with a guest artist who was visiting that weekend and together we came up with some pretty cool ideas before we got started. Even as you first walk in you know you're putting yourself in good hands, the place is clean and artsy and has a very cool vibe about it. The artists definitely know what they're doing and everyone getting inked there seemed to be returning customers who trusted themselves in their artists' hands. I ended up getting 2 tattoos a week ago and am totally psyched to see them completely healed and ready to show off. Eventually I need to come back to cover up my first tattoo I got when I was young and stupid, but I know that this is the place I want to come back to help fix that shit. tribal butterflies?? really.. wtf was I thinking?
Review Source:This was my first "real" tattoo and I did a lot of research before choosing the right artist, and finally decided on Heath Rave. Â I'm so glad I did!! Â So far it's been 3 weeks and it's healing perfectly and I've gotten loads of compliments (on what is just an outline so far), especially on the creative design. Â I had a loose idea of what I wanted to have done, but needed someone to put the pieces together in a cool way that fit well on my upper am. Â He got an drawing ready for me to look at ahead of time that I sat on for a few days and ended up going exactly with his initial drawing because it was perfect! Â
I chose Health initially because I really liked his aesthetic style shown in his portfolio, but his personality and professionalism really sealed the deal.  He responded the same day to may initial email, and all of my other correspondences, and seemed genuinely  excited to work on my idea. He's also all around a really cool guy, and  has great taste and music which made the tattooing pain much easier to take.  Ministry and Danzig while being tattooed?  Hell yes! Â
Overall, I'm trilled with my experience and would recommend Heath in a heartbeat. Â Can't wait to go back and get the color filled in!
I just started my Third large tattoo with Tine at SpeakEasy. I have gotten to other pieces totaling a little over 7 sittings. Tine is amazing and the work she does is second to none. She can do great intricate line work and she shading is mind blowing... The space is relaxed and everyone is passionate and professional (all while being goofy and funny)... Tine is my girl for tattoos and i really cant say enough good things about her... Tell her Nick said so...
Review Source:I can make this very short and sweet. I will go no place else for work but Speakeasy and I will wait the months it takes to get the appointment with Patrick. Aside from being an excellent artist that seems to really get the vision you put out there, he's a very nice, very likeable person - pretty important when you are sitting face to face with no place to go for a few hours.
My first piece with him was a very small engagement ring tattoo in the shape of a tree. Twelve years in and there is no bleed, no sag, no weirdness. It still looks great, and this is a spot that can really be touch and go. My second, larger piece was a cover-up of a very hideous tattoo from a schlock shop. I can't even begin to tell you how I felt during the process. He turned something that was a tremendous embarrassment for me into an impressive piece of art. Â My third piece was a very old-fashioned looking glass on my arm. It looks very realistic and has held up well over time. Patrick is now working on my fourth piece. I had this idea, but his execution of it is just perfection. Just amazing.
Every time, he has taken my idea and then made it 10x better.
His new shop is great. I remember the small, hot pink Cherry Bomb  shop from years ago, and then even the second, larger place. This larger space has managed to keep that small shop intimate feel while growing to meet the demand. I'm kind of delighted to see how things have grown over the years, as it is well-deserved recognition of great work.
There are a lot of great artists doing work in Chicago. Patrick is one of them. Highly recommended!
First off, the shop itself has a great atmosphere and is filled with tons of great artists with phenomenal talent. I was amazed at some of the work I saw while I was there. It is no mystery why this is quickly becoming the premier shop in Chicago. Â If anyone is looking for the best place in Chicago to get tattooed it's here.
Now to the specifics. I was tattooed by Heath Rave a few months ago and I cannot fully express how blown away I am with my tattoo. He has been nothing but professional and a lot of fun to get tattooed by. I went in today for my complementary touch-up to tighten all of the details and I could not be happier with the final result.
I went to Heath with a basic idea of what I wanted, a couple pictures, and he turned it into a piece that has caused just about everyone I have shown it to, to ask where I had it done, and say things like "unbelievable," "awesome," "crazy," "legit."
The lines (there are a lot) are clean and straight. And my favorite part, the part that drew me to his work, is that he is not afraid to go heavy on the black when he needs to. Not to mention, he took my idea for a tattoo that I thought could not be meshed with the tattoo I have on the other side of my back, and completely integrated the themes.
I highly recommend Speakeasy and Heath specifically. If you see this Heath, thanks again man, I look forward to the next one.
I just finished getting my second tattoo at Speakeasy. This time it was a medium sized piece on my back. Unfortunately, the artist who did my first piece had moved out of state but I was able to find an equally qualified artist that I felt comfortable with. I chose to go with Scott Fricke for this one and much like my last experience, it was a piece of cake. He's  really nice guy who worked with me to ensure I got the exact tattoo I had in mind. He did great work for a reasonable price and most importantly, he has a killer beard. On top of this, his assistant Jenn was very responsive and helpful in setting up all the appointments.
In summation, I still highly recommend this place to anyone in the area looking to get a tattoo. I will definitely be going back there for #3.
This is not a review for the shop in general as I don't know how the other artists operate, so I must be clear that the one star rating is for Heath Rave.
Short version for those who don't want to read the long winded story: The tattoo I got is so bad, the lines are crooked, I have scarring, I have blowout (which is something I didn't even know existed before this), and I am in the process of searching for a good place to get it removed.
Long version: I had been wanting to get a tattoo in my inner arm for a while. I had gotten another tattoo at Deluxe about a year ago, and while the tattoo is beautiful, I didn't really connect with the artist and didn't feel like waiting 4 months from the time I made the appointment to the time I got ink to skin. So I found Heath after doing some research, I liked his portfolio, and decided to ask him to do my next tattoo. I actually got two at the same time, the main one on my inner arm and a second small one on my wrist.
He was nice and professional during the consultation, so we made an appointment for 2 weeks later. When that day came, I got to the shop on time, and at this time, he went to grab a bite to eat and after 30 minutes proceeded to start with the drawing. Red flag number one: usually the artist has at least a preliminary drawing prepared for you when you arrive for your appointment, in my experience at least. Â I waited for two hours before we finally had a stencil. During which time, he asked me to look at the drawing a few times, and half the suggestions I had, he disagreed with (I generally believe that if the artist is good, to just trust them and they'll give you something great), and in hindsight, it seems like he just couldn't be bothered. Red flag number two: his friends were there while he was doing the drawing and while he was chatting with him, he mentioned that he really didn't want to be there that day and would much rather have the day off. I was in earshot of this, but as I was so excited, I chose to brush it off because I still trusted his abilities. Red flag number three: he kept checking his phone while he was tattooing and seemed really distracted, at this point it was too late go back though
The completed tattoo looked good in the shop's lighting, so I paid, gave a great tip and left. Now, I take great care of my tattoos, I'm completely neurotic because I don't want to mess something up that is going to be on my body forever. It took forever to heal, and hurt worse than any other. I thought it was just due to the fact that it was on a sensitive area, but my other tattoos also cross sensitive areas as well. After a couple of days I noticed that all of the lines that were supposed to be straight are crooked and he shaded outside of the lines in many areas. Then after another day or so, it started bruising and scabbing. Scabbing is something I have also never experienced, as my tattoos always peeled. After a few weeks, I noticed that there still seemed to be bruising, but it didn't look right, so I looked it up online and apparently I have something called blowout which is when an artist digs the needle in so deep that the ink gets into the fat layers underneath the skin, and since fat can't hold ink, it just spreads. The fact that he was so heavy handed also explains why when my scabs came off, I was left with scars all over the tattoo. I am really freaking sad and pissed and the only thing I can do now is find a good place to get it lasered off, and only hope that the scars fade over time.
I could have lived with the fact that he was unprofessional if I still got a good tattoo, but what I have on my skin is (in my humble opinion) a piece of shit. I really try to do my research before getting inked, and in this case, I would say that the caliber of artwork in his portfolio is not indicative of the work he gave me.
Jen Trok did a tattoo for me last week and it was great! I had a very vague idea of what I wanted and she was able to sketch out exactly what I had imagined in my head but was unable to articulate. She was awesome to talk to and an amazing artist. I plan to get the rest of my arm done in the future by Jen! I highly highly recommend her! The shop was very clean, the rest of the staff was friendly and helpful, loved it.
Review Source:This place is awesome. I had a tattoo on the top of my foot that I wanted covered up and Josh Grable did an awesome job. He's new to the area and the shop but his work is amazing! His portfolio is full of awesome portraits, very talented! We consulted first I gave him an idea and he made it rock the casbah. I definitely recommend him.
The shop is clean, very cool, I love the feel. Everything is right about this place. I will be back for my future tats :)
Got a large tattoo on my back from Tiny about 2 years ago and it still looks as beautiful as the day she did it. Â This was my first tat and I was pretty nervous. Â I came into our first meeting with art and Tiny took the art and replicated it perfectly for my tattoo. She cal so created a custom font for me which I thought was really great. Â She talked with me by email for probably about 3 weeks before I actually made the appointment to come in and get the tattoo done. Â The ONLY thing that I didn't absolutely love about my experience was that we never really had a concrete conversation about the size of the tattoo before the day I came in to have it done. Â Probably as much my fault as it was hers, but I was shocked at the size of the stencil when she showed it to me before we started to put it on me. Â I was so shocked that I nearly backed out because I was terrified of the size. Â Had I known the size earlier (and the reasons why she truly thought bigger was better in this instance due to the amount of detail I wanted) I could have prepared myself and not been so worried when I saw the stencil. Â All in all though I really had a great experience. Â Tiny offered to do a second session with me when I got a bit overwhelmed after 2 hours of tattooing and let me take a break whenever I needed it. The art came out beautifully and I'm thrilled with the finished product.
LIke other reviewers said, it's also a cool and very clean space. Â I would say that people should take advantage of the custom nature of all the tattoos they do here. Â You'll get a better experience and a more unique tat.
Havn't got work here but wen with a buddy who started his sleeve. This place is set up really cool and is a great looking shop.
VERY clean, elegant, and some damn good artists. Paul did my buddies tat and we were all blown a way at just the outline. after looking through alot of the pictures of the other artist's work, i can say they definitely have some good talent there, including a really good portrait artist, i think his name is Josh Gimble.
I will definitely hit this place up for my next tat.
keep your eyes open, its kinda easy to miss, but its just past Piece brewing and pizza
Heath Rave is the man. He is a gentleman and a scholar and there are a damn few of us left. He is an utmost professional and a master of his craft. He is fun, talented, and made my experience at Speakeasy awesome. You can tell that he loves what he does. I mean, the man came in on his BIRTHDAY to tattoo me just because he liked the design. Thanks again, Heath. I will be back for more.
Review Source:Amazing experience! I have been contemplating a memorial tattoo for almost six years. Luckily it didn't take that long to find Sean and Speakeasy Custom Tattoo.
After speaking with Sean on the phone, we arranged for me to stop by so he could measure the area. The space was beautiful, not the typical rough around the edges tattoo joint. After measuring, I scheduled an appointment for later that week; I left feeling excited to return not the least bit apprehensive.
The procedure wasn't as painful as I imagined, in fact I pretty much relaxed and listened to Coldplay on my iPod. After Sean finished and I looked at the tattoo, it was as if Sean had read my mind and saw the exact image I wanted. It's worth noting I told him the story and how I came to want the name and a sun. From there he used his creative genius and came up with the perfect tattoo.
Flash forward a few days and the soreness is gone and when I look at it it makes me smile. Thank you Sean, you have an amazing presence and do beautiful work.
Awesome Awesome Awesome.
My cousin and I have been wanting this German Blackletter tattoo for a long time that I designed and when he was coming into town, I knew I didn't have much time to find someone that was good at lettering and who had time to do it.
After calling around and asking a few places, I ended up finding this place on Yelp and shot them an email. No less than 15 mins later I get an email back saying that Heath is the man for the job, and he was!
He got me in and out on a Thursday OVER MY LUNCH BREAK, which was awesome. My cousin went after me and both of our tattoos looked IDENTICAL to the sketch I brought in. It was great. Not to mention, the space itself is really beautiful and really close to my house! I have nothing bad to say about this place and I definitely plan on getting back!
Although I'm sure all of the artists here are top notch, I just had an amazing first tattoo experience with Heath Rave, and will definitely be getting more work done with him. He really listened to me during my consult and came up with a drawing that I immediately loved and couldn't have imagined better myself. He made the process very easy and relaxed, and is definitely someone who you can trust. He did a beautiful job in a relatively short amount of time and charged way less than I was expecting. In addition to being a talented artist, his experience really shows. If you want the feeling of being in good hands, and if you want a tat you'll love forever, GET IN TOUCH WITH THIS GUY.
Review Source:Ok so I just got done Sunday with a shoulder tattoo. Jenn Trok tattooed me and she is absolutely awesome. I wanted to get a piece done that incorporated Grace Kelly and the style of the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, but I also wanted to give her a lot of leeway with what she wanted to do. I love what she came up with and she definitely put a lot of time and effort into thinking about the piece. We had originally planned for one session but it ended up taking two and I'm glad she took her time. I couldn't be happier with it, best experience I've had at any shop I've been to.
Review Source:After doing a lot of online research for the right artist, I connected with Jennifer Trok at Speakeasy. She and I had a really awesome consultation and emailed back and forth in the month period before we scheduled the tattoo.
Yesterday was the big day and this piece meant a lot to me-- a large piece dedicated to my grandparents. Before we started she made sure everything was perfect and was super patient with me as I asked her to tweak a couple last minute things. She was so good that my friend who came with me, who was a little hesitant about the idea of tattoos, pretty much booked her appointment for her first tattoo in May!
The shop is clean, great vibe, and very professional in how they run things. You feel like you're in great hands from start to finish and Jennifer answered all of my questions throughout the process. This was also the first large piece I had done and was nervous about the pain of tattooing my side and ribs. She talked me through the entire thing and made sure I was as comfortable as I could be throughout the process.
Jennifer is an amazing artist and her lines are absolutely flawless. The tattoo is more than I ever imagined it would be and I am extremely proud of it. I highly recommend speakeasy for custom pieces and would tell all of you to go see Jennifer. Just check out her portfolio online and her book in the shop-- she blows my mind!
I had an appt with another artist on the West Coast, but did not want to deal with the waiting period, and had been curious about this shop due to its badass website so I went in after work to check it out. Â Looked though the flash and pictures and trended toward Heath's stuff, so I talked to him and got an appt two weeks from then. Â He was super helpful and excited about the tattoo and I definitely appreciated the time he took to get the drawing together. Â Went in for the outline and he breezed through it, even though it took up a huge section of my rib cage. Â From then on he was super easy to schedule and excited to work on the project and get it completed. Â I've had artists before who drag their feet or make the tattoo take much longer and be more painful than it should, but I got an extremely large and potentially brutal tattoo quickly and affordably and very well done. Â Basically I could have waited a year and paid $3K for my tattoo, but going to Speakeasy I got the same quality work quickly and a much better value.
The shop is badass, in a great spot, super clean, awesome staff all-around. Â I definitely felt comfortable here from the outset and would for sure go back for more work, and go back just to hang out on the couch and bullshit with the artists until they kicked me out. Â
Don't go to Heath if you want to get a butterfly tramp stamp or fairy on your ankle. Â Go to Heath if you want a wolf eating a leprechaun.
Got my tattoo with Heath Rave a few weeks ago; going back soon for a touch-up. I'm new to Chicago so I chose Speakeasy based on these reviews. Heath is super laid back and cool. He has a lot of respect for you, the tattoo experience and his craft. He respects your decision and its permanent nature too much to rush you into anything. Heath went back and forth with me five or six times until we had a design that I liked. He will do whatever it takes to make you happy - at his own expense and time. So maybe he's a bit late. Or takes a second to change the music in the middle of doing the tattoo. Enjoy the break. And yes, he's snarky. But you want and expect your tattoo guy to be. And he's a good guy that will make you laugh during the pain. So enjoy the experience. If you're looking for a "dentist appointment" type experience, this is not the right place for you. But if you are looking for top notch work in a casual place that will help turn a nervous experience into a very chill, relaxing and fun experience, then Speakeasy is the place for you - and Heath is the artist for you. Oh, and one last thing, he's generous as hell and won't rip you off. That's a pretty nice bonus right there. Highly recommended place and artist.
Review Source:Before I met Heath Rave, I didn't think I could ever love again -- at least not getting tattooed. Artists had stood me up for appointments and forced me to wait on the couch -- in one instance for two hours -- while they finished designs and set up their stations. When I finally found an artist I trusted, he promptly relocated to the west coast. Luckily, before he left, my guy set me up with Heath, and I've been happy ever since.
During my initial consultation for a cover-up, I talked to Heath not only about the design I wanted, but also about my previous, disappointing experiences. I left our meeting with a clear understanding of every aspect of the upcoming session, from how long it would take us to start after I arrived, to how much cash I should bring. I even asked Heath to email me a sketch of the design several days beforehand, to make sure we were on the same page, and he happily agreed.
Of course, it's the end product that matters most with tattoos, and Heath came through big. He completely covered the old tattoo with one that I'm incredibly proud of. What's more, he finished the entire half-sleeve, which is line-heavy, in only two sittings. I had thought about different elements of the tattoo for several years, but Heath's ability to bring my ideas to life blew me away.
Because Heath was open to talking with me, I knew exactly what to expect heading into our session. More importantly, his work is absolutely outstanding. This week I'm headed back into Speakeasy for my second -- but certainly not last -- tattoo with Heath.
I'm not going to lie, I came to this place because it had the highest yelp rating (and it's a mile from my house.) Not the most rational decision I've ever made, but god am I glad I did it! I basically walked in and met with Heath right away, who was happy to take my crazy idea and run with it. When I came in terrified for my appointment, he made me laugh, help me relax, and did the most beautiful artwork! Not to mention that he had 0 creep factor, even tattooing my upper thigh with my boyfriend watching. It's been a week and it is already almost healed thanks to his awesome instructions. Already planning my second and third with him. Totally worth it. Go there now!!!!
Review Source:This is a true artists' shop. It is a custom tattoo shop, so if you are hoping to pick a design off the wall, this shop isn't for you. Â If you put some thought into it, and provide the artist with an idea you will not be disappointed. Â In my case, artist Scott Fricke far exceeded my expectations, not only in the design, but with flawless execution of the tattoo itself. Â I would be hard pressed to go any place else to get work done. Â While the artists do take walk-ins I would recommend an appointment as they are busy.
Review Source:While I may not be on the ball writing this review, since I got my tattoo back in July, Speakeasy has their sh*t together! I received a referral to another tattoo shop (in the same neighborhood) and even with the referral they wanted nothing to do with me. I had plans to travel to Chicago from Ohio and had the plane ticket already purchased. When I couldn't get that other company to even return a call I desperately searched for appointments at other Chicago shops.
Based on all the great reviews and amazing portfolio I reached out to Speakeasy. I ended up sending emails to each of the artists whose portfolio really impressed me. Not only did Scott reply but so did Sean and Heath all on the same day I wrote the email! Talk about a great impression! They clearly want the business and want to make the client feel welcome from the get-go. I ended up booking with Sean because he sounded stoked about my design idea and the timing working out with both of our schedules.
He did the most amazing job with my first tattoo. The tattoo is my heart rhythm and needed strong, bold, stick straight lines with perfect points. He nailed it! My tattoo healed amazingly and I can't wait to call up Sean in the near future to book my second one! I would recommend him to anyone and would never see another artist.
This place has it going on! The studio has a great aesthetic and is spotless. Definitely recommend and can't wait to go back!
I had an amazing experience yesterday with Heath Rave. I walked in and was greeted right away by Heath and the shop owner. Heath came right over, sat down, and immediately started planning out my tattoo with me. He made an appointment for me for a couple hours later and was completely professional. I came back later that night and was blown away by the professionalism, the atmosphere, and in general the entire experience. He was thorough, personable, and seemed to actually care about my random little tattoo. This is my 6th tattoo and it was without a doubt the best experience I've ever had. I would rec this shop to anyone and everyone, especially Heath.
Review Source:I cannot say enough about this place. Â It has amazing artists and a great atmosphere. Â This is not your usual tattoo shop. Â These guys listen to you and really work to make your tattoo something you can be proud of. Â They take pride in their work and really give all their effort to making this the best experience you can hope for. Â
I was tattooed by Heath. Â I would recommend him time and time again. Â He has done amazing work with the four portraits I had done. Â It was great to work with someone with as much experience and knowledge as he does. Â He gave great advice and has a great eye for detail and really knows how to make the tattoo exactly what it should be. Â Heath was a great resource during my decision making process and really helped me zone in on design, detail, and coloring/shading. Â If I could choose only 1 tattoo shop in the city of Chicago it would be this place. Â
The shop is awesome. Â Very clean, very sanitary, and very professional. Â It has a great "buzz" every time you walk into the shop. Â There are amazing artists all around completing true pieces of artwork. Â You will not find many places like this one.
I will continually return to this shop as this will be the only place I get my tattoos from now on. Â If my mom was going to get a tattoo I would gladly walk her right in the front doors of this place. Â
Speakeasy Custom Tattoo keep up all the great work!
Get in there now! Â Don't walk, don't run, don't drive... Get an aeroship... Get a jet pack... Whatever it takes... Just get there FAST! Â
Scott Fricke is amazing! Â Initially I sought Scott out for a cover up. Â He did such an amazing job (nobody can tell where the cover up is) that I've gone back for more! Â I'm sure everyone there is just as awesome!
The shop overall is clean and sanitary. Everyone there is friendly and downright awesome! Each artist stopped by to check out my progress and chat for a few minutes during each of my visits (and there have been many!).
The new(er) space is larger (spacious) and pretty damn narly! Â There is art on every wall and window by each of the artists. Â Each space has it's own style. Â You're made to feel comfortable and there is no shortage of good music and hilararity in conversation!
I'm about 5 sessions into a full sleeve tattoo, being done by Tine Defiore. Heres my experience with both Tine and the Speakeasy shop itself.
Can't say enough good things about Tine and her work. I've gotten lots of tattoos from lots of different artists, and she pretty much blows them all away. Honestly, it's been a whole different experience working with her. She took the time to put together and draw the sketch of the whole sleeve, based on a truckload of random ideas on pictures I dumped on her, showed it to me and noted every little idea I threw out, then re-drew it *again* from scratch and nailed every idea/revision I had mentioned. She's super easy to work with and actually pays attention to the project, which is a refreshing change to most of my past experiences with artists. It's also pretty nice that she is always all set-up and ready to go at my appointment time, not the typical "get there on time and then sit around for an hour or two while the artist smokes and chit chats before anything happens" type situation. Â :)
And her actual tattoo work, the most important part, is *amazing*. Super sharp lines, awesome color, awesome detail, awesome depth. Everything looks way better than I had even hoped for. Couldn't be happier with how it looks. And she's got a light hand too, which is always a nice bonus!
As for the Speakeasy shop itself, it's right on par with all the things I've said above. Much different place than almost any other shop I've been in. The whole place is immaculately clean (including the bathroom). Â All the artists are super friendly and it's a really comfortable atmosphere. They're lacking the kind of nose-in-the-air, "i'm cooler than you cause I'm a tattoo artist" type of vibe that is typically thick in the air at most places. Seriously a nice place to get professional work done. I've also looked through all of their artists portfolios and would say that it looks like they've got a pretty killer line-up of artists, too.
Long story short, get tattooed by Tine or anyone at Speakeasy, you'll be happy you did.
PATRICK FOR LIFE!
I am totally on the Speakeasy bandwagon and I have recommended ALL of my friends to come in. I have forsaken all other tattoo artists and will never EVER cheat on Patrick Cornolo again. What a dumbass I was to even think about it. Email them, get an appt, and trust me, it's SO worth the wait. My friend got a piece done by Jen while I was getting one by Patrick and was elated with my recommendation, which is good, because I could probably see big drama if I was recommending bad artists.
My DAD started going to the shop about 7 years ago. He got his first piece from Patrick and I was sold and have never looked back. My dad and I will trade appts if we have to and are on regular rotation. I think Patrick has done all seven of my Dad's tats and I am currently working on a full sleeve of Cinderella, that I absolutely adore.
Anyway, the point of the story is that I have never met more professional or friendly crew at a tattoo shop and really at most places. Patrick doesn't treat you like you are doing him a favor by sitting in his chair. He actually listens to what you want and will draw something amazing that no one else has even if it's something else that everyone has. I already have five more appts booked and no, I am not sharing. Get your own appt today. :)
This review is a year too late. Â Sean Adams is the shiznit. Â He took his time to make sure the piece was perfect- I think I was there for 5 hours. Â It was so awesome to talk to him too. Â Such a cool guy. Â I couldn't be happier with my tattoo- my beloved golden retriever wearing a top hat. Â
The shop itself is super clean and has a laid back feel to it. Â My experience with speakeasy was awesome from start to finish. Â I send all my friends and family to them.
I have been going to Patrick Cornolo for over a decade now for tattoos. He is the guy to go to in Chicago for good color ink. He also has the best stories and great taste in music. Customer service is amazing as he has done touch-ups on pieces he did when he was at other studios. Plus he finally has Kelly setting appointments for him! You won't be disappointed! He may take a bit of a wait to see, but good things are worth waiting for!
Review Source:Yes, yes & yes. Â Just got my first piece with Sean. Â He took so much time to make sure that we talked through everything before we started the piece. Â He was so meticulous & made my first tattoo such a great experience. Â Not rushed at all. Â I really can't say enough nice things about Sean!! Â The piece came out EXACTLY like I wanted it to & I can't wait until it's healed and all perdy-like.
The shop also has such a great vibe. Â Not being one to frequent tattoo shops, I felt super comfortable and not out of place by any means. Â The space is light, open & very welcoming. Â I was so impressed by all the artists and their upbeat attitudes. Â They were also extremely nice to people that came in for walk-in tattoos, which I think shows how inclusive they are (if that makes sense). Â I would recommend this shop to anyone that was thinking about getting a tattoo -- whether it's their first or 80th. Â My friend is even considering getting his 2nd sleeve done there.
As I haven't had the work done yet, I can only comment on the consultation. Â I'll edit this rating if I need to after the work is completed.
To start, I had a peice done by another shop about a year back. Â I won't name the artist, but it was at Deluxe. Â I went back to the same artist with a few new ideas to add to what he already did. Â I was in and out within 5 minutes and an appointment for 2 months out. Â I didnt care about the 2 month wait, I cared that he listened to some of my requests and just booked it. Â I didnt exactly give a ton of information (wanted to have him put his ideas into it) and he just seemed like he could give a $hit less.
I went home, jumped on-line, and saw Sean Adams work. Â His details in flowers got me to call. Â He said he could do a consultation that day or in two weeks. Â I jumped at the opportunity and met Sean for almost two hours. Â We talked about details of the original tattoo, what I wanted, and left a lot of the ideas up to him. Â After talking, we did some searching on-line for similar styles, then he traced the general area and transferred it to paper. Â He made me feel extremely comfortable and I am jacked to go back in two weeks to start the peice.
I got my first tattoo, actually my first 4, by Jennifer Trok. Â I checked Speakeasy out on line, and it looked great, so I contacted Jen for a consultation. Â She was so nice and put me right at ease. Â I had a general concept for what I wanted as well as some pictures. Â When I came back for my first tattoo she had a beautiful drawing for my wrist. Â I soon came back to her to do my other wrist and both feet! Â I couldn't be happier with her and her work!
Now I must talk about Patrick Cornolo. Â I finally got in to see him for a large back piece, and my experience was great. Â Again, I had a general concept of what I wanted. Â When I came back to start the tattoo Patrick had a lovely drawing to show me. Â But when I saw the finished tattoo I was blown away! Â He is such a master with color. Â I feel like I have a watercolor painting on my back. Â And, bonus, It didn't scab or bleed at all and healed beautifully. Â He is really pricey and in high demand, but he is totally worth it. Â Plus he's super nice! Â
The whole shop has a good vibe and is run in a professional manner. Â I recommend you go there!
this was my first and definitely not last tattoo with heath. in addition to being incredibly professional (way faster, way easier, way all around better experience than i anticipated), he was a person i'd probably want to hang out with on my own time. honestly, it felt like i was hanging out with him on my own time. this place was a blast. everyone here exudes a great attitude, and it's obvious they love their jobs.
sorry if i sound kind of zoned; i am writing this on a gin soaked endorphin post first tattoo high. thanks, heath!
If you are looking for some custom ink in the city of Chicago this is the place to go! It's not your run of the mill, generic flash on the wall type of shop!!!! Â These are real artists, with incredible talent.
Both my husband and I have pieces done by Scott Fricke who does world class work and has a world class attitude!
Writing a review for Speakeasy is the reason I set up a Yelp account. Â I don't know if I could praise Patrick enough for making my first tattoo experience an amazing one. Â After a coworker recommended Speakeasy and Patrick, I was also informed that he has quite the waiting list. Â Which is also reaffirmed on the Speakeasy website. Â I sent Patrick an e-mail hoping he could at least recommend another artist for me. Â A few hours later I received word that he had an open spot due to a cancellation. Â I jumped at the opportunity.
I first met Patrick at my consultation on a Tuesday night. Â I brought him a couple images I liked as inspiration and he wrote down a few vague concepts I had. Â After about 10 minutes he told me he'd draw something up and show me on Saturday right before I was scheduled to get the tattoo.
The tattoo he had for me was absolutely beautiful. Â How he turned a few vague ideas into an amazing piece of art is beyond me. Â Patrick is extremely cool. Â He was nice and respectful during the whole process. Â I never felt uncomfortable or ignorant in the least, which is something I was worried about since it was my first tattoo. Â If you are willing to wait and willing to pay more than your average tattoo parlor, I would absolutely recommend Patrick. Â If you can't wait, try to get someone else at Speakeasy. Â I'm sure he surrounds himself with excellent people. Â If you can't pay much, save up. Â You get what you pay for and paying for an excellent artist like Patrick to design something for you is something you won't regret. Â
My tattoo hasn't even totally healed and I'm already about to put myself on the waiting list to go back.
My huband and I have been going to Patrick Cornolo for over 7 years now. His is an amazing artist, as well as professional and does all custom work. The new studio Speakeasy is big, beautiful and clean. He only has the best artists working there... all do awesome work! If you're looking to get a tattoo, this is the place to go. Everyone there is super nice and with the variety of artists working there, you're sure to find the right one whos work suits your tattoo style, and someone that your comfortable working with. Remember, it's all custom work...so don't go in expecting to see flash on the walls ;)
Review Source:I have heard about Patrick's work for many years and have seen it online but until I walked into to Speakeasy Tattoo studio in wicker park and saw his work in person did i understand how truly talented an artist Patrick Cornolo is. He took his time in understanding what it was i was looking for and after going over several design ideas he masterfully sketched out exactly what I was looking for to fit the contours, shape of my arm perfectly. The positioning was right on! The colors and detail within are incredible and in many years of admiring tattoos my own and others I have not come across another artist whose work is so crisp and vibrant! Definitely worth the wait!
Review Source:I reallllllly wanted to like Speakeasy. Really. I wanted to get an opinion on a tattoo I already have. I called on a Saturday and set up an appointment to meet with an artist on Sunday at 11:30. My husband and I followed directions to the location listed on Yelp and Google... only to find ourselves in the middle of the Gold Coast residential area with no tattoo parlor to find.
We caught a cab to the second location we found, in Wicker Park (which made sense since I had seen a review of them from a friend which referenced the neighborhood), and got there at 11:25. Yes, my husband questioned why someone would meet us at 11:30 when they opened at noon, but I said, "I dunno, maybe he's booked totally and needs us to come early." We sat in the waiting area, there was only one artist there working on another customer. At 12:05 the owner called the artist for us and I spoke to him - he didn't even really offer rescheduling, just apologizing. (Which was nice, but still...)
I didn't even have a chance to review the artist himself, as I've never met him and he stood us up. I'm sure he's great and very nice and all but it was SO frustrating to sit there like an idiot. In the end, I found another place to go to get an opinion. But it really frosts my cookies that he completely forgot me. Sads.
jen trok and speakeasy are awesome!!
i had been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while and i'm definitely glad i researched a bunch of places online and got advice from friends. Â i just got my first tattoo a few days ago and my experience at speakeasy was better than i ever imagined and i love my tattoo!
jen was amazing! Â i emailed her the night before to get an appointment and she worked with me to get the design and placement just right. Â jen was super nice and professional and kept me in a good mood and laughing while she worked. Â she offered me gum or candy and btw definitely take the gum it helps!! Â i felt really relaxed and it definitely did not hurt as much as everyone claimed it would. Â it for sure helps to have someone there to hold your hand! Â
all of the artists at speakeasy seem really nice and each definitely have their own style. Â its awesome that they post all of their drawings and paintings around the shop and by their stations. Â im sure that anyone looking for a tattoo will be able to find an artist that matches their style and the type of tattoo they are looking for. Â looking at each of the artist's work on their website really helped me decide that jen was right for me!
the shop is really clean and i like the open environment. Â they have curtains so if you want more privacy it is an option. Â the design of the loft is really relaxing and has a great vibe. Â jen's station looks out over north avenue and the frozen yogurt place across the street keeps your mind off of the needle lol! Â i recommend speakeasy to my friends and anyone looking for a tattoo. if / when i decide to get another tattoo i'm definitely going back to jen and speakeasy!
It is so hard for me to write this review. Patrick finished the work on my arm in December, and I have spent these last couple of months trying to figure out how to show my gratitude (and SHOW OFF MY GORGEOUS TATTOO) without simultaneously increasing the time I have to wait to see him again... However, if you meet Patrick and have the good fortune to take an inky little piece of his talent away with you, you'll know that I'm fighting a losing battle, so, here goes:
A couple of years ago, I got an absolutely prison caliber tattoo from David Allen at Insight. Not the, "I'm-in-for-life-so-take-your-time-on-this" prison quality ink, but rather the, "this-is-my-first-3-month-stint-in-the-joint-I-Âguess-I'll-tattoo-myself-to-pass-the-time" sort of work. It was terrible, highly visible, incredibly poorly executed, covered most of the inside of my left arm, and cost me $550 including the tip I can't believe I left him (I must have just been in shock). I am a barber, so, for an entire year, every one of my customers asked me about that crappy tattoo. I got a lot of suggestions from people about who to see to fix it -- Patrick was among them. I sent pictures of my arm to several artists in town asking them if they'd be willing to work with me on a cover but most of them did not write back. I went in to a few shops where I encountered the stereo-typical tattoo artist bullshit attitude that makes you feel like not only are you lame but your ideas are too -- so lame, in fact, that you couldn't PAY them enough to work on you. I fucking hate that (BTW, I KNOW my ideas are lame, it's part of your job, as a tattoo artist, to take my lame ideas and make them cool, Fuckstick!). Anyway, just when I was giving up hope, and beginning to think of removal, I got an email back from Kelly saying that Patrick would be happy to take a look at my arm and probably just as happy to work on it, however, she said, there is an 8 month wait. WHoa. What? 8 months? Is this some kind of trick? Is this like when you are 9 and your mom tells you you can have your ears pierced on your birthday if you still want it done but you have to prove it's important to you by remembering to ask for it then?! Are you fucking serious?
Yes, Kiddies. You seriously have to wait 8 - 9 months for Patrick. After which, he will poke you for hours with sharp needles and ask you to pay for it... and, I don't know how to say this, but, you should let him do it. BEG HIM TO DO IT! GET YOUR ASS IN LINE! Wait twice as long. Pay three times what he asks. He's worth it.
By the time I finally met with Patrick, my heart was so broken over the tragedy inked from wrist to elbow on my arm. But, my broken heart and terrible art have been healed by the talent, time, and attention to detail of Patrick Cornolo. He took the silly "hot topic" imagery I sought (ie; sacred heart, flames, skull, stars, swallows, etc...), made it cool, MADE IT COVER THE EXTANT AWFULNESS, and, I swear, and I know this is going to sound crazy, kind of made it tell a story about me. Something I think he picked up on that even I wasn't aware of. How did he do it, you ask?
MAGIC.
Rock on, Mr.C.
I met Patrick through Kim years ago back at Cherry Bomb, after Kim left town I decided I needed more ink so I looked him up.  3 years, 2 children, and 3 tattoos later I am so glad that I remembered his name and looked him up.  His vivid use of color and his detail are amazing.  Every person that comments on my ink(and you know no one feels weird about commenting on your tattoos) tells me how awesome they look.  They are all fairly large pieces and people just stare because that is how beautiful they are.  Even people in my family that hate tattoos love them.  You can tell Patrick is a professional  because he is joking most of the time, but when it comes time he is so focused and into it.  Anyone that balks at waiting for an appointment remember that in this instance, patience is rewarded.  Kelly is also great at working around your schedule and making it so the whole process works for everyone, she is indeed a fantastic gatekeeper.
Review Source:Look no further than TIny at Speakeasy! What an amazing artist! Tiny has been the only person tattooing me for the past 3 years now, and my collection is growing to be more and more amazing. I constantly get stopped by people to ask who I go to, and wouldnt recommend them to anyone else besides her! I was saddened when she left Chicago, and am SO glad she is back in the city crushing out more work. Not only does she listen to every detail when youre describing your ideas, she has an uber light hand, and the conversation is also great! I'll recommend every one of my friends to Tiny to get their work done! I am nowhere near done getting tattooed and I cant wait to get my next piece from her!
Tiny is Bigtime!
Five years ago, after loads of research, I came across Patrick Cornolo. He was sharing the old Cherry Bomb space with Kim Saigh and the few reviews I found tagged him as a custom-artwork Einstein. I went in with an idea ("control and chaos") and a few months later, came out with a flowing, organic piece on my back that represented everything I had concocted in my tiny brain.
After last night's session at Speakeasy, I now have five custom pieces by Patrick and I'd have it no other way.
Speakeasy is a place where art and ink come together cohesively and beautifully. The artists are all beyond friendly - always popping by to see what's being worked on, throwing out a joke or two and complimenting each others' work. They're professional, yet easy going and the whole space radiates good vibes and showcases awesome art.
Patrick's work is outstanding. It's cliche and silly to say, but there aren't other words for it, really. He listens to what you want, draws immaculate lines, does things with color that I didn't know could happen on skin, and overall, treats your pieces with respect - after all, they're going to be on your body forever.
In short: Top notch custom art worth every cent (and month waited for) in a clean, relaxing, fun environment with insanely talented people.
Tiny is awesome! She has done 4 pieces on me one being my entire chest. Her drawings are amazing and she has a really great light hand. i hope to get a lot more work done my her in the future and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a great artist. Â Plus the space is awesome which makes the entire experience more enjoyable!
Review Source:Tine is the only person i want tattooing me. Her drawing style is unique, and sets my tattoos apart from other peoples. She makes my tattoo experience comfortable and really understands my visions that i bring to the table. I also give her a ton of creative control and im always satisfied with the end result. I used to go to her at metamorph studios, i believe speakeasy is a great fit for tine and the space is amazing. As far as the shop itself, its clean and chill. All of Tines co workers are really nice and everyone seems to be really supportive of eachother. So that's it! If your looking for a great tattoo...GO TO TINE
Review Source:I have to say all of my experiences at speakeasy have been wonderful. Â The shop is super clean and has a great welcoming energy. All of the artists there are incredibly nice and unbelievably talented. I can speak from first hand experience especially about Tiny and Scott. I have work from both artists and i love them.
Tiny is amazing at what she does i have sent many friends to her for their work. Scott is also incredibly talented and i have referred a lot of work his way as well. I give them both 5 star reviews.
If you're looking to get work done I highly recommend this shop. You are bound to find an artist that will give you your dream tattoo.
Hands down the best tattoo shop in Chicago. Speakeasy is the fourth shop I've been to in Chicago and, a sleeve and a half and a chest piece later, I think it's safe to say I've no desire to ever go anywhere else. While the artists at the first three shops to which I went had no sense of collaboration and acted too cool to care about their work or their customers, the attitude at Speakeasy is the polar opposite. And the work shows it. Patrick Cornolo and his crew are creative, collaborative and have created a cozy, welcoming vibe at Speakeasy. I've only been tattooed by Patrick, but I would go to any of the other artists without hesitation as he would not keep unworthy company. Not only has Patrick executed my ideas flawlessly, he's consistently made them better than I had envisioned. Patrick's wife, Kelly, does all Patrick's booking and is fantastic at making sure you get the appointments you need. I think the other artists handle their own schedules. It's best to book in advance if you want to get in at Speakeasy, but once you go there, you'll never go anywhere else.
Review Source:Jen Trok is AWESOME!!
First let me say that I am fairly conservative and never thought I would get a tattoo (my wife's name on my ankle) and I was a little apprehensive. She did the design and we were able to get everything arranged via email. In addition I HATE NEEDLES, and had some concerns about safety...after all if you are going to catch something, there are more enjoyable ways than by getting stuck with a needle 10,000 times! Anyway, both of my fears subsided when I entered Speakeasy. The place felt as clean, or in fact cleaner, than most labs where one typically goes for blood tests! Put it this way..In the unlikely event that I would remarry, I would return to Speakeasy and have Jen do my other ankle.
Hands down, a class A place. Patrick Cornolo was meticulous, careful and relaxed. He really cares about his work and it shows. Everyone who sees my tattoo can definitely tell that a skilled artist completed it. I'm already making an appointment here again. Never think about going anywhere else!
Review Source:Patrick Cornolo rocks!!!
This review is long overdue as it has been a bit since I last visited Speakeasy Custom Tattoo. Â I first saw Patrick Cornolo a couple of years ago for my very first tattoo. Â I chose Patrick after endlessly searching the internet for reviews, etc. Â I came across some great work that he had done that was up on the Cherry Bomb website and decided he was the one. Â I was at first bummed that I had to wait a few months (I think it was 3), but it gave me time to get used to the idea of having my first tattoo. Â When my day finally arrived, I was nervous, scared, out of my element, and so on and so on. Â Patrick was great...he is very nice, has a calming effect about him, and quickly offers opinions and suggestions. Â I got a large pirate fairy on my upper back in memory of my mom. Â I don't think this tattoo was one of his favorites to do (What tattoo guy wants to do a pirate fairy???), but he didn't make me feel completely dorkified for getting this tattoo. Â I knew that I was going to have it added on to one day, but I had to first wait for the fresh memory of pain to go away!!!
So...the memory of pain passed last year and I decided to have my add-ons done. Â I called and there was now a 6 month wait!!! Â No big deal...just gave me some extra time to fully commit to what I wanted done. Â I got my additions done this past January and had just as great of an experience as the first one...if not better!!! Â I had my husband's face added to my lower back in the form of a sun. Â Patrick did a GREAT job of capturing my husband's expression and the sun truly does look like my husband...so much so that it freaks my husband out to look at it!!! Â The pain, however, was horrific this time. Â I really want to have more added on, but it is going to take more time to forget. Â However, when I do, I will definitely be calling Patrick for an appointment!!!
I hate to even type this as I love great deals, but I truly don't think Patrick charges enough!!! Â His work is amazing and he truly is good at what he does!!! Â I would HIGHLY recommend Patrick to anyone looking to get a special tattoo!!!
Rodney is amazing ! After getting a horrible tat from the Tattoo Factory on my shoulder, Rodney was able to create a wonderful cover up (3 sessions). Everyone at Speakeasy has a great attitude and are personable and professional. Incredible artwork hangs throughout the expansive loft space. The shop is super clean and the standards are higher than any other place I've been (6 different places total). Back to Rodney- he's hilarious and listens. I've decided on extending my cover- up to a half sleeve (going back Tuesday) but I know there will be more after that. Incredible color from a fantastic artist. Highly recommended- get it right the first time.
Review Source:Awesome, awesome, awesome.
This business is clean, appropriately priced and well maintained. Â I went here after making contact with Jen Trok via her website. Â An appointment was made during consultation and we were on our way. Â This place is similar to a loft space, i.e. everything is open, but yet the artist's stations are still private enough. Â Jen's station overlooked North Ave which was nice. Â Jen herself did a phenomenal job. Â She was professional and her art speaks for itself.
I'm on session one of three planned with Patrick Cornolo and am very happy with what I've experienced so far. Â I really dig the relaxed vibe of the store - because my appointment was late night on a Sunday, we had the place to ourselves without much walk-in traffic interrupting the flow of things. Â Patrick did a great job making the tweaks I wanted in his proposed design, after taking the materials I gave him and piecing together something really wonderful.
I can't say the work itself was painless, because that's just kind of part of the whole deal, but I was distracted by the good tunes and good conversation. Â I am looking forward to working further with Patrick as I complete my piece, and would recommend him and the shop to anyone looking to get some work done.
Talk about professional! These guys (and lady) are AWESOME! I contacted Patrick via email to set up a consult; need some touch up work done and looking to sleeve out my arm. Got the auto-reply and left it at that...hoping I would hear from Patrick when he had a moment.
A week or so later, I joined a friend as she continued to add to her back piece (Fricke is doing a top notch job on her Godzilla piece, very nice) at Speakeasy. After finishing his appointment, Patrick came over and chatted with me about the work I am looking to have done.
Super nice guy, I think he knew straight away that the little ladies on my calves are in bad shape. He was totally down with giving them a much needed face lift; bad news was, however, he is currently booking for October. Patience is often a virtue I forget about, but this time I played it smart and took what I could get. Already paid for a big mistake, not looking to repeat that same mistake a third time (yep 3rd time).
The next day I received a super lovely email from Patrick's wife/appointment booker. They had a cancellation and could fit me in in JUNE!! This was so amazing. She was also able to book me out for ten appointments starting in October in, literally, two emails. Kelly - you rule!
Even though I haven't actually been tattoo'd by Patrick, yet, I'm already super impressed by the professionalism and overall niceness of the place. Stay tuned kiddies for the update in June/July when the face lift ommences! I'm sure I'm going to have more amazing things to say about Speakeasy!
Here's the Update!!
Had my last session with Patrick Cornolo at Speak Easy. The "transformation" is complete!!
I imagine that cover up work is never easy...especially if it's well done art work. In my case, this was not the case; my work was pretty nightmarish. What Patrick had to work with was just ugly. He turned my haggard ladies (pin up on the back of my calves) into beautiful, young ladies! It's like an episode of "The Swan" happened on my calves! I will be posting the pictures up very soon for all my family to friends to see...I can finally step out in shorts, skirts and dresses with pride!! Thanks Patrick!!
Can't wait to see what he comes with the for the arm work we're tackling in the fall!!
Scott Fricke has long been my preferred tattoo artist, but this was the first time I'd been to see him since he had move into Speakeasy. He was able to schedule me and two friends for a Friday afternoon without issue and as always, was ready to go as soon as we got there. The Speakeasy space is fantastic, easily the best looking tattoo parlor I've ever been to, and they make it very easy to hang out there while your friends are getting tattooed. Prices are completely reasonable, and of course, Scott did an amazing job on each of our pieces. We all left very satisfied with the experience. Great shop, great artists, very clean, everything you could hope for.
Review Source:I can't say enough good things about this shop and its owner, Patrick Cornolo.
I went to Speakeasy to have the inside of my botched half-sleeve fixed up and, boy, did it need a lot of fixing. Having the initial consultation with Patrick helped to calm me down about the whole thing since I was pretty bent out of shape over it. Patrick told me of lots of techniques and approaches he could use to correct some very jacked-up work done by another artist.
His demeanor was of the highest and most professional quality while still being very approachable. In the consultation, he did not give the impression that I was taking up his time, and he patiently explained everything well and, more importantly, listened very well to what I wanted him to accomplish while giving his own expert suggestions. He had none of the haughty and cooler-than-thou attitude that is, unfortunately, usually a part of the tattooing experience.
The shop in general is a great space and very, very spread out.
Being very skeptical of artists after the inside of my half-sleeve was botched, Patrick has given me a great experience in correcting what was done poorly. Now I just need to contemplate a piece he can do on me from scratch!
Yes.
I've had a particular tattoo in mind, and it has taken me three different attempts to find someone who could pull it off (I'm lookin' at you, Metamorph and Venus). Â I had this ugly, ugly tattoo on my leg from an ill advised "free tattoo" session in a dudes kitchen 8 years ago. Â I wanted it covered up with a pin up girl. Â Some said it couldn't be done, others didn't get what a pin up girl was....I had given up hope. Â Then I found Patrick's website.
All told, from the first email to today, I waited 10 months (partially because of me needing to reschedule at one point). Â I was actually happy to wait, because I took a booked schedule to mean dude is good.
Dude isn't good. Â Dude is AMAZING.
He took my idea, and my inarticulate description, and gave me exactly what I wanted while also adding his own touch  Speaking of touch, his is so light and gentle that I actually fell asleep for a bit during the outlining.  He is a great artist, and I'm so glad I have one of his pieces on me forever.  I am trying to figure out where I can put another one!
And the old ugly kitchen tattoo? Â Totally gone.
The shop itself is gorgeous, spacious and super clean. Â The other guys who were there were also really nice. Â I loved that people weren't walking in off the street and that I wasn't thisclose to another client. Â More than that, I loved that the men who work there are artists and their art was hanging on the walls. Â It was great scenery to take in.
If you are thinking about getting a tattoo, go here. I've got four others, all from different shops - this is the only one I will ever go back to. Â Best place in town, hands down.
I had a tattoo that I had gotten when I was 18. I am now 32. It no longer looked that great and I just found my tastes had changed. So, I started seeking out an artist to do a tattoo makeover. I found Rodney Taylor through a friend of a friend and I also had a few other artists that were recommended by my friends. I called and emailed two of these other artists only to never get any response for either one. Rodney, however, responded right away. He is very accessible, responsive, and pleasant. He created an awesome tattoo incorporating my existing one and I couldn't be happier with the end result. So, not only did I get a tattoo that I really love and enjoy, but Rodney also has some sweet customer service skills. I would highly recommend him to anyone. Â He is a talented artist and if you take a look at the drawings/tattoos in progress in his work area, you can see just what he can do -- his drawings are incredible.
Review Source:I've been with Patrick for about 5 years, so I'm partial to his work. Â I've been with him since he was @ Cherrybomb with Kim Saigh. Â His last shop had a similar feel but wasn't as amped. Â
This time, the atmosphere has been sized down but gussied up, polished, and spiced up with the bright green walls (Patrick's signature drafting/drawing pencil color) and a few more classy touches. Â Don't get me wrong, the shop still keeps its tough edge with the background metal/punk tunage that plays behind the buzzing tattoo guns and conversations.
Luckily, because the shop is appointment only (or at least approaches it, I believe), most of the riff-raff goes to street-level shops for walk-in, smaller/less intricate, or flash pieces, and large-tattoo owners hit up the shops, like Patrick's, for appointment-only pieces (typically large or intricate).
Also, meeting the other guys (Scott and Rodney) has been great. Â They're friendly and amazing artists from the work I've seen. Â
Each of them has his own website (Patrick <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FCornolo--www.patrickcornolo.com&s=fb09077bebc74404a87758653544467f0acb3ed0b22b83b35fa56bb006e71301" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Cornolo--www.patr…</a>, Scott Fricke --http://artworkbyscottfricke.com, and Rodney Taylor--http://www.rodneytaylorart.com).  Patrick and his wife also run mosh baby clothing (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.moshbaby.net&s=0b1c999b34c11670f25fff2df889628a1060f4a0366ed0aa4379b6f9ff207732" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.moshbaby.net</a>), so you can clothe your babies in cute tattoo-fashion gear.
As always, their shop is clean, friendly, inviting, and safe, but call ahead to book appointments--especially Patrick (I'm partial, I know, I know). Â He's gaining popularity, and you might need to book well in advance if you have a difficult schedule (like me!). Â
Look at their stuff online, see if you like the guys' styles, and call or e-mail the shop for appointment. Â Kelly's been helping out with the books (since they're so busy now), and she's pretty good about responding to e-mails within a day or so.
Remember, you pay for cleanliness, quality, and convenience, so expect to pay typical tattoo artist (in the city) pricing.
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