Outstanding Custom Tattoo Work! I had a fantastic experience with Madison at Area 51 Tattoo! I brought in a picture of an old drawing and wanted to turn it into a tattoo that would preserve the original artwork and its sentimental meaning. Madison did an incredible job bringing the design to life. The attention to detail is what really impressed me. She captured the character, expression, and unique elements of the original drawing while making it work beautifully as a tattoo. The finished piece is colorful, detailed, and full of personality. It genuinely feels like my original drawing has come to life! Custom tattoos can be challenging, especially when you want to preserve the look and feel of an existing piece of artwork. Madison absolutely delivered. I'm thrilled with how it turned out and love having something so meaningful permanently captured in art. If you're looking for a talented tattoo artist who can take a personal idea and turn it into something special, I highly recommend Madison at Area 51 Tattoo. This was exactly the kind of experience you hope for when trusting an artist with something meaningful. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone looking for quality custom tattoo work! read more

Area 51 Tattoo - Close up so you can see how AMAZING my tattoo looks!! - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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We had an amazing experience with this shop. Madison was professional and accommodating. The atmosphere was clean and inviting. The whole staff was so friendly. If you are looking to have work done, I would highly recommend this business. Fair pricing. I will definitely be back to work with Madison again. Thank you Area51 tattoo!!! read more

Wanted a memorial piece to honor the two most important men in my life, and was referred here by my GF, who'd gotten more than a few pieces done by these cats. Dakota not only knocked it out of the park, he was the consummate professional, and demonstrated a profound understanding of how important his job is when it comes to deeply personal works of skin art. I've had work done from Germany to Joliet Penitentiary, and more than a few places in between, and this experience by far was the most sublimely pleasant. One of the many reasons I love Crystal Lake and life in the far suburbs, and one of the many reasons I'll have to make the drive back out here when I end up having to move back to the city in a few weeks. read more

Area 51 Tattoo - #cavaliers #dci #drumcorps #splooie - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

I've gotten all of my 8 tattoos from Area 51 and I am very pleased with them. The tattooists are friendly and very good. My daughter's boyfriend just got a tattoo from there and was very happy with it. Planning on going back soon for more. read more

I went to Area 51 on July 15th to get my Harry Potter tattoo. I walked in not knowing if I could even get an appointment, but Nikki said she would take me right away. I had an image I wanted to use, and Nikki graciously resized it for me a bunch of times. A lot of people say that they are perfectionists, and I rarely believe them - but Nikki WAS an absolute perfectionist. A quality that I love in a tattoo artist. She was more concerned than I was about my placement, and changed it many times to make sure it was JUST right. As we were tattooing (it was a short session, my tattoo is no bigger than a Post-It) I caught her up on Harry Potter lore, and she helped keep me distracted. Nikki did an AMAZING job - my lines are clean and crisp and I hope they stay that way. Again, she reviewed her work with a critical eye, and made sure it was flawless before letting me leave. Overall? The shop was clean and neat. They had a friendly vibe and I was greeted and offered help by everyone there. I will definitely return to Area 51 and pass the word along. read more

Area 51 Tattoo - Harry Potter done one 7/15/11 by Nikki - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Saw Nikki for a second tattoo yesterday. Nothing too crazy but deeply sentimental to me She tattooed a replica of my baby girl's paw above my heart. I love it. She's my only child and to have a piece of her with me forever (or "fur"ever) is priceless. Thank you Nikki! read more

Area 51 Tattoo - Tattoo by Nikki on 10/23/2013 - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

I am so glad I found this place and Dakota. He is an amazing artist who captured the very spirit of what I was going for. He is friendly and finished my tattoo in no time. The atmosphere at Area 51 is clean and pleasant. I can't wait to get my next one! read more

Area 51 Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

My SO and I went in to get a small symbol put on our ring fingers, and before I could even explain what we wanted the woman working there rudely cut me off and told me that they don't do hand tattoos on anyone unless the person walking in has more tattoos than THEY do (in a very snotty voice). She then proceeded to lecture me on the negative social stigma of hand tattoos. I am a 39 year old corporate professional making a very good living, I'm pretty sure I can handle my own image decisions. Now, if she would have expressed concern over the difficulty of healing a hand tattoo, or how the quality may not be up to par because of the nature of the skin on hands, or even how it would fade more quickly because of how often hands are used and washed and exposed to sun, that would have been understandable. What I did not need is a snotty attitude and big brother lecture. read more

Everything you could want in a tatoo shop...talented artists, very clean, very professional, very helpful when you call with questions. Overall, very happy I went here for my first tatoo....will definitely be going back for my 2nd one. Desi did mine...she did an excellent job! read more

I've gotten all of my tattoos done here, and I would never even think about going anywhere else. Everyone there is super friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere is great. Being part of the service industry, I've really grown to appreciate the quality of a good guest experience, and Area 51 does exactly that. I had gone to a few other shops for consultations before I decided on an artist, and you could just feel the tension. It's so nice being in a place where you can tell that everyone gets along and all genuinely enjoy what they do. Kam is always super nice and accommodating. Not only are the tattoos absolutely amazing, but being in such a welcoming environment makes the whole experience fun. I've gotten work done by Khalid and Desirea, and I sent my boyfriend in for a piece by Taylor. We both love our tattoos, and they all healed perfectly. We also got Hustle Butter there, and that stuff is awesome. It's definitely worth it if you're planning on getting large tattoos - it made the healing process so much easier for me. I moved pretty far since I got my last tattoo, but I'm more than willing to make the drive back to see them. It's worth every penny. I can't wait until I can make it back for another piece! I can't really say enough about this shop, but the point is it's an awesome place and I wouldn't trust anyone else with my tattoos. There's a reason they've won Best Tattoo Shop in McHenry County for the last 4 years in a row! read more

Love it here. It was my first choice as a tattoo shop. I looked around for a long time, looking at portfolios from different tattoo shops but unfortunately never really found a shop as consistent with quality as from Area 51. I first emailed the shop a few years ago and I remember Khalid responding to me and gave me some pointers on finding a shop for my first tattoo. I was impressed because he was more interested in that instead of selling me. A year ago I got my first tattoo from Desi and was so happy at how comfortable everyone helped me feel. Desi is a great artist just like everyone else there and she really takes her time to make sure you get what you want. Unfortunately I moved to Indiana and for my birthday my boyfriend wanted buy my next tattoo (great guy right?!) I emailed her and somehow she managed to get me in while I was visiting only for a week. I really appreciate that. Thank you so much guys for being #1 in my book. :) read more

called for a last minute appointment today and was taken by dakota. he did an amazing job and was very kind, patient, and helpful. this place goes above and beyond with covid precautions and it made me feel like i was in great hands. i love my new tattoo and will definitely be coming back here! read more

I went to A51 and had no expectations walking into it as this was my first tattoo. I said that I was willing to work with any artist and Desi happened to be available at the time. She informed me that A51 has a free touch-ups for life policy on all of their tattoos except those done on the foot. She told me that they allow 1 touch up as long as it is scheduled within 2 months after the tattoo, so I decided to go for my foot anyway. We discussed what I wanted and scheduled for me to come in the next day. I continued to send Desi pictures of what I wanted through the night and when I came in for my tattoo, her sketch was perfect. We repositioned the outline many times until it was in just the right spot as Desi asked me about my job at the pool for the summer. I told her I never had to get in the pool, so my tattoo would be fine. I asked her about the pain levels, seeing as their is no fat on your foot, and she said that it's not that bad at the beginning but as the tattoo begins to get raw, then it gets a little painful. What she said was 100% true and I was happy that she was so honest. It only took an hour for my tattoo, so I payed $120. I truly had a great experience and I know that I'll be heading back there soon for more. read more

Desirea was outstanding! My daughter has had many tatoos done by both Khalid & Desirea. This was the 2nd one I have gotten and it has been about 11 years since the last one. She was very professional, explaining the entire process and it turned out better than I could have imagined! I would definitely recommend Desirea to everyone and hope to be back for another. read more

Received my first tattoo here from Desirea. She couldn't have been more friendly and genuine. Being that I wanted a script tattoo, they provided me ahead of time with a website that would allow me to type in what word(s) I wanted and view it in various fonts. This was extremely helpful! Everyone there is happy you're there. I never felt anything other than welcomed. They care about what they do and the quality of their work. Desirea explained everything so thoroughly and I felt like they truly cared about not only my satisfaction but my safety with the after care. She insisted I not hesitate to email her directly or call the shop with any follow up questions. Really remarkable!Thanks guys! What a great experience! read more

I've gotten both of my tattoos here! First one 3 years ago by Khalid, and today I got my second done by Nikki. If I wasn't moving out of state soon I would definitely be back again! I love both of my tattoos and would recommend this shop to anyone looking for a clean, friendly environment! So much talent here!! read more

Area 51 Tattoo - Tattoo by Nikki - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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It is not often I leave reviews. This will be my first on Yelp, in fact, but with what I experienced today, I felt it was worth mentioning. The shop was clean, the employees were friendly, and Desirea blew my expectations away with the work she did. I'm not sure I will get another tattoo, but I know if I do, it will be here. read more

Second tattoo completed tonight by Khalid. It's very sentimental and he did an amazing job! He took the time to talk to me about the design, size, and colors to make sure it would be something I was happy with. Fantastic artist and shop. Very clean. Khalid is a very thoughtful artist and owner. Always a great experience. The staff are wonderful af! :) read more

Love Area 51!!!! Very professional & clean!!! TAYLOR ROCKS!!! Can't wait to go back! Make sure you book early! Very popular place!!! Customer service is excellent! Very welcoming! A really great group of people! read more

Area 51 Tattoo - My second & third tats! Love them & Taylor!!! - Tattoo Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Workers are rude af here. I came in with my family members handwriting I wanted tattooed on me. They said they were booked for that day, okay no big deal. They asked for my number and name and they even photo copied my card I had. I NEVER heard back from them. I called and they said they would get back to me. Never did, I ended up getting it somewhere else a month later. waste of time tbh. read more

My daughter & I went together to get our first tattoos. We both wanted quotes inked on our feet. I just simply hand wrote the quote I wanted on the back of a reciept and asked that it be drafted in a fancy script. Khalid worked his magic and gave me a draft. I was amazed that he could free hand the words and turn them into "art'. I have a very low-pain tolerance and was VERY nervous. Khalid made me feel relaxed, made me laugh, and talked me through the pain. Honestly, I was a whimp and he was so patient! Both my daughter & I are VERY happy with our tattoos. This is the 3rd shop I visited before deciding this was the one. I asked several friends who had tattoos for recommendations. However, after reading many reviews on the recommended shops and other shops within 1 hour of where I live I chose A51 as they had the best reviews. It is clean, hip, and not a dark scary gangster looking place. It is also located in a nice area. read more

I have been going to this shop for 11 years now and I can not say enough good things about them! Yes the basic stuff is a plus, very clean, very professional, friendly and welcoming atmosphere but they go way above and beyond that. I have many pieces that are custom, I gave them my idea and ended up with something better than I imagined. If you have a quibble over the price, consider the time spent when you aren't in the chair, set up, clean up, drawing, redrawing, basically making sure your experience and your tattoo are perfect. I had my most recent piece done about a week ago and Khalid took extended time making sure the colors matched the artwork to a tee, making sure the size and placement were exactly as I wanted. I for one an willing to pay for that because as the saying goes "you get what you pay for". Not only is the shop great but the people there are as well. They participate in many events that give back to the community. Seriously just A+ all the way around. read more

Nice place in historic downtown Crystal Lake. I was a total tattoo "newbie" and got a little Om put on my foot to celebrate becoming a yoga teacher last summer. All of the staff were super nice (colorful too!). We took time to agree on what I wanted, exactly what it would look like, and where it would go. Everything was super clean & comfortable. My tattoo artist was very patient with me as I'm a bit squeamish about needles. Great experience. Highly recommended - especially for "newbies" :) read more

Couldn't have asked for a better experience. As a tattoo newbie I was nervous, but Khalid (shop owner) quickly earned my trust with a patient, detailed explanation of the process. He turned my idea for a tattoo into artwork that I'm thrilled with. The shop was really clean, and the vibe was professional but warm. Each artist working on other clients smiled and said hi during my session. They put me at ease, and Khalid delivered a beautiful tattoo. I'll be back, and I will recommend Area 51 to everyone I know. Thanks Khalid! You are the best! read more

Really clean shop, calm, friendly environment. If you are going for a tattoo, you have some artist options. I got my bellybutton pierced there a year ago and they did a really good job on it. I went back to get another piercing this past weekend and called 4 days in advance. They told me to call back the night before, and when I did, they told me to call the next morning because they didn't know if they'd have time. I went in the next day and she couldn't pierce me. So if you're going for a piercing; don't count on it. There's no such thing as scheduling an appointment for a piercing there. read more

Clean shop, nice people. You get to listen to Sirius satellite radio whilst getting a piercing or tattoo. Ask for Joe B. He's been there going on three years and a decent artist. read more

I have 7 tattoos done by the artists at Area 51 and I love everyone of them!! The studio is very clean and the artist are very knowledgable, friendly and professional. They take their time with each client to make sure you are 100% satisfied. This is the place to go if you are looking to get some new ink! read more

I went to Area 51 for my first tattoo based on a recommendation from a friend. My choice was a sizable tattoo for a newbie. I met with Khalid beforehand to make sure he could reproduce it from the picture and we discussed size, placement, color, price, etc. He made me even more certain that it was exactly what I wanted and I made my appt. Khalid was very professional and explained exactly what he was doing every step of the way. He put me at ease, made me laugh and made my first experience a very good one. He made sure I understood the healing process and how to care for it I had no problems whatsoever. I LOVE my tattoo! Khalid does AMAZING work. I receive many compliments and I always recommend Area 51. I thought the price was reasonable given the time and detail. I will definitely return to Area 51 for my next tattoo. read more

First & foremost the shop is super clean! Very welcoming staff as soon as you get in the door. I was in between on where I wanted my tattoo placed, luckily I was able to be consulted by (my opinion) the best artist there, Nikki. She was so informative and totally helped me feel at ease. As soon as she started actually tattooing me she kept making sure I was comfortable, totally went the extra mile. After my two hour tattooing process of awesomeness was over I got to see the final masterpiece! WOW!! I absolutely LOVE it! This will be the only place I go & the only person ill ever let tattoo me (not to mention recommend) If you want a professional tat & great service go see Nikki at Area 51! read more

I walked in with a few friends to check out A51. Everyone was super friendly. My 2 friends new exactly what they want and were able to get to get in that night. I set up an appointment for a few weeks later. I was nervous to get my piece done but Khalid put my mind at ease. Amazing artist and extremely patient. I can not wait to get my next piece here! Khalid and the staff are truly one of a kind! read more

I have had a few tattoos done by Khalid and the experience at A51 is second to none. An ultra clean and friendly atmosphere, huge talents in the booths, and just an overall sense of professionalism is what keeps me coming back. Ultra accessible and Ive even taken the Metra in from Chicago and walked there in a few minutes. Area 51 Tattoo is most definitely worth checking out. read more

I don't typically do reviews but I feel compelled to now. I was looking for a very personal piercing (VCH) and I researched all I could. I am one who will make the final decision based on how my gut responds to the person. That said, TJ made me feel very comfortable. He answered my questions and was very patient with me. In my opinion he went above and beyond what he's "supposed" to do and I got the feeling he truly enjoys what he does. Piercings and tattoos are an art form and "serving" customers can also be a talent. TJ is exceptional in both and I will definitely recommend him to everyone I know. read more

First of all I gave this place 2 chances both times were a complete disasters in running a professional business. The staff is rude & snobby. They would not even look up from their cell phone to make eye contact with me to discuss work and set up an appointment. Finally after what seemed to be "bothering" them they wrote my name and number down and said they would call me later that day to come in .NEVER got that call. I only went back the second time because of word of mouth of the artists work. I will never give my money to this place and I am an excellent tipper. Your loss. Get it together read more

Good tattoo artists. They are always busy. Kinda hard to get an early appt but they try to book you in.

Absolutely love the work Nikki did on my foot tattoo. I'm already planning my next one. One word of advice, call to schedule an appointment as soon as you decide to get a tattoo. They are busy because everyone knows how awesome they are there! It's definitely worth the wait. read more

I've gotten tats in several cities including Chicago, Seattle, LA and Crystal Lake. By Far the best experience was Area 51 in Crystal Lake - I personally use Khalid as my tattooer and his work is amazing and he is quite professional when he is called to be so and relaxed and groovy when called to be so. I believe the pricing is fair and on par with the best tattoo shops around - even around the country - and this shop is easily one of the best. To say that I am a dedicated customer of Area 51 is to put it lightly, Khalid has corrected my other tattoos at my request and made them far better than they were originally, He has designed with me many more and many more to come - as time allows, as money allows. If you live anywhere near Crystal Lake I believe you are really missing out by not going there, I live in Elgin and pass several shops just to go to Khalid. The shop is clean, they use clean equipment, new needles, clean chairs, good music, relaxing waiting area - it really cannot get any better than Area 51. read more

Great artists. You'll get a good tattoo. There is a reason Kalid has a waiting list.

I have had 3 tattoos done there so far with at least two more in the works. I have had work done by 3 different artists and have been extremely happy each time. It had been many decades since my first tattoo that I got in Lake Geneva so I was very surprised how comfortable I was just walking in to ask about another one. Everyone there is great and I would recommend it to anyone thinking of having work done. Actually, I originally decided to go there because it was recommended to me by my boss at the time who had had several things done there, along with her sister. So there are three satisfied customers. read more