They will not do their homework and then scam you. Showed up to an appointment, he didn't make a smaller version of the piece I wanted like I requested. I ended up liking the larger design but I only truly realized that it was his fault because he wanted to take up the full 3 hour session. I was naive since I got my first tattoo with him and I put my trust in him for my second. DO NOT schedule an appointment without asking for a price before hand. Quality of the tattoo was mediocre and over double what it should have costed. Also gave me terrible advice for healing process. I was nothing but nice and quiet the whole time but honestly since talking to other people and realizing that I got scammed, i downloaded yelp just for this review. 0/10, don't get scammed. I'm sure some of the artists are capable but mine was cheap and stole my money. $1200 for 3 hours of work (with tip) that could have easily been $500. read more

Fantastic place. I didn't get his name, but the office or front desk guy was super cool. Very relaxed and helpful place. My artist was very polite and professional. The pricing for the tattoos my daughter and I got, two small ones each, was very fair. I even bought the t shirt I'll be back for sure. Happy New Year Broken Lantern Tattoo. read more

I cannot praise this place enough. seamless process from beginning to end. Cameron talked me through my design with patience and expertise. Shane tattooed far beyond my expectations. This man's talent is indescribable and I honestly feel blessed to have a piece of his artwork on me. This spot on portrait of my heart dog will forever make me emotional, it is identical to my sweet Ruger. I can't wait to go back to him again, he's my guy now! read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This is my fifth tattoo but first custom larger piece and I could not recommend Broken Lantern enough! Not only were they one of the only tattoo shops in the area who had open slots within a reasonable time period (I booked about a month before my tattoo) but they were also extremely knowledgeable and patient with me as we got the tattoo just right. I sent inspo along and Cam chose Kat to do my tattoo given her expertise with finer line work. When I got there for my appointment something was just off with the design and Cam sat with me for over an hour making changes and making sure it fit the location I wanted and the vision I had. We rescheduled the tattoo session for 3 days later and when I came back we tweaked the design a little more before sitting down with Kat for the session. The actual session only took about 50 minutes--the tattoo artist was very professional and nice! I'm extremely pleased with the outcome and have gotten lots of compliments so far. I recommend Broken Lantern to anyone! read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Right after the session was over! - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Only reason I'm giving a review is because of the price for the "simple line" tattoo I got and word my boyfriend. Even the artist stated to me it was so simple, but if it was so simple why'd did I end up paying $160 and then my boyfriend paid $100 for a simple ass name. Idk maybe they charge more because we where walk in but we just wanted to get something together while on our trip but the price was ridiculous, yes we expected a charge but almost three hundred for these. And on top of I saw a guy come out who had just finished his piece with a lot more work and detail and he paid around $200. We wouldn't have said anything but it really does actually bug us to have had paid that much. read more

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Have received multiple tattoos from Angelo, always rushed and often screws up despite a supposed 20+yrs exp. Line work is dodgy in places, and downright awful in others. Proportions are incorrect and coloring is completely off, asked for fading... got hardline color switch. Went too deep with the gun a couple times and will probably have to get it touched up as I can see normal skin tone in the healing crevice. Also first tattoo was wayyy overpriced especially with the time it took, (as previously stated he rushes) Bottom line, If you want something very simple and hard to fuck up, they're fine. Otherwise, I'll be taking any intricate or complicated work that I want to look perfect to a more practiced hand. read more

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I can't begin to tell you what an unadulteratedly, incredible experience this tattoo was from booking the appointment to completion. The level of hospitality and professionalism is incomparable in Charleston. Yes, I waited a month but, if you want art on your body done right, a month is a drop in the bucket! From the phenomenal front desk staff (@Cameron Yecke will make you feel like you've been a member of the family for Years! I adore him and his graphic arts abilities! DAYYYUUUMMM!) to my conversations with other artists While I was getting my tattoo (done by the incredibly talented, Kat Mims! AKA: #thewatercolorqueen) this was EVERYTHING you'd expect from a top notch tattoo parlor! Easy to find and get to from anywhere from Summerville to Kiawah! Schedule now (cause they're booked out for months!) and thank me later! read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Awesomeness - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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I called the day before i came in, and was told to come when they open and they would do first come, first serve. I emailed them a photo of a small tattoo that I wanted, and he printed out the idea and made sure I was comfortable with the size. Within 10 minutes, I was meeting my tattoo artist Chris. This man was super nice and made sure I was comfortable. I was getting the tattoo in a personal spot, and he made sure I didn't feel uneasy. He was a perfect gentleman! The tattoo took maybe 15 minutes and came out perfectly! He added some shading and veins to make it more unique and to cover up the dots that were previously there from a stick and poke. He did an amazing job and I couldn't be more thrilled about my first ink! Thank you Chris! If I'm ever in Charleston and wanting another, I will definitely be going to see him! read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Small heart tattoo by Chris - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Does this look like $300 worth of tattoos to you? My boyfriend booked us a early December appointment months in advance as a surprise for our anniversary and sent Angelo the concepts we wanted - the FIDLAR on my leg and the palm tree on my boyfriend's back. Angelo seemed nice enough while prepping our stencils, but once he started tattooing I was immediately worried because it was obvious to me that he was rushing through the process and pushing the needle in too far to speed up filling in the block letters. A month and a half later, my tattoo is blown out like crazy (you can see what looks almost like smudge marks around the letters from ink being pushed too far into the skin) and the line work in my boyfriend's palm tree is mediocre at best and ill-defined. For how much we paid, and considering we traveled two hours to Charleston for this appointment, I would've expected a little more care and consideration to not make basic rookie tattooing mistakes. read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Poorly done palm tree by Angelo - weird shading and fuzzy lines - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Just a follow up....after seeing my original review the manager called me (which shows that their customers are very important to them) apologized for the confusion and was sincerely upset about what happened. As I mentioned in my original post the quality of the work is very well done so if you are looking for a place to go in the future this should not be taken off your list. Just make sure you know what you want. read more

I can't say enough about this tattoo parlor. We have been to the Broken Lantern many times before with my wife , daughter (14 + tattoos) son in law and neighbor. I had one tattoo from long ago from elsewhere. I went personally for the first time, my wife had her second there. I got an intricate tattoo which gave challenges to the artist. I can't say enough about Chris Jones. He took my challenge and did more than I could have hoped for. I got the Necked Turtle Rum emblem tattooed on my back calf. My experience was so easy and comfortable. He talked me through every step. A true professional and a absolute great artist. My wife got a cherry blossom stem under her breast. Her artist was Constance Mins ( kat ) My wife can't stop talking about the good time , wonderful job that Kat did. Also a true artist. I can't leave out Cameron Yecke the assistant to the manage. I watched him take every customer and treat them like they where the most important person around. A sign of a true , brilliant, smart manager. Ok. Now for the rest of the story and why 5 stars are earned. We come in to a well decorated tattoo parlor and exactly what you would expect. Cameron behind the desk treated us like family as he did everyone else that came in that day. We finally get back to the artist. My wife in one room with Kat and myself in the room next to her with Chris. They both sang along with the music joking with all that walked by and between the two rooms. They made us both feel like friends. We left after tipping. ( people always tip your tattoo artist WELL ) We are all ready planning my 3rd and my wife's 9,10,11 and 12th. We will get them all at Tattoo Lantern read more

Highly recommend this place!!! I'm a travel nurse from California so I was only in SC for 6 weeks. I wanted to take home a little souvenir so I decided to get a tattoo. I'm always nervous getting a tattoo solely because I never know how I will be treated in the shop. I'm a very picky and indecisive person and if you are too, come here! I called ahead because it was the evening and I wasn't sure if they would still accept walk-ins. They said they were busy but would fit me in. I arrived and told Cameron that I had called, he asked me what I wanted, had me email him the photo of the tattoo and then just talked to me until it was my time to go back. He definitely made me feel more comfortable with getting a new tattoo because again, you never know if you're going to come across jerks. Cameron was so friendly, gave me food recommendations , etc. just an amazing human. It was finally my turn, didn't even mind the long wait because again, Cameron was just so nice and talkative. The artist that did my work was Shane. He was so friendly and PATIENT! The first time he applied the stencil of my palm tree, I thought I had wanted the leaves to be longer so he extended those. I changed my mind, felt bad, but he made me feel so comfortable with that. Almost all the shops I've been too, the artists huff and puff at me if I want them to change anything. Shane printed it out again for me, but smaller, and it looked good but still wasn't perfect. I had him make another small adjustment and again, he was so supportive about it. He took his time, made sure his work was perfect to him. You can tell the difference between someone who just half asses it for the money and someone who genuinely cares about how the tattoo will turn out, and that's Shane! I am honestly shocked by how friendly this shop was. I don't care if I have to fly coast to coast just to get a tattoo done by Shane again. Thank you guys so much for creating such a welcoming environment and your precise work! I'll be back & I hope this review helps others similar to myself, be excited for their new tattoo instead of apprehensive! Thanks again(: read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Little palm tree as my SC souvenir. Done by Shane! - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I would give zero stars if I could. Horrible experience with Constance/Kat. I discussed in detail what I was looking for during the consult and we seemed to be on the same page. I sent two emails prior to my appointment also explaining the design and colors, and sent several example photos to her. She did not draw a custom image as requested and simply printed one of the example tattoos I emailed her and used that as the stencil. Not a huge deal, but I had to remind her how I wanted the design, which was different than the stencil that was printed. She did not change the stencil and decided to freehand the changes stating it was going to easier that way. The result....multiple outline errors, crooked lines, weird blue line/crack at the bottom, as well as uneven and disproportionate scale pattern. I would have appreciated her being honest and stopping when she made the errors to ask me how we should proceed. Instead, she said nothing and attempted to conceal the errors by blacking out the bottom of the design. Not only did this fail to conceal the errors, but it has made it nearly impossible to get this tattoo reworked without making it extremely dark. The bottom sides of the mermaid tail resemble a pencil sketch drawing with multiple rough outlines....except this is dark and permanently on my skin. I have sent multiple emails to the shop and have discussed this by phone. The shop refuses to take any responsibility for this. The owner has been "out of the country" and the manager, Cam, even stated that the tattoo "looks to be well done." I paid over $400 for this tattoo. I will be paying more than that for laser tattoo removal to lighten the mistakes and area she blacked out so I can get it reworked. This has been such a negative and stressful ordeal for something I looked forward to for quite a long time. I would NOT recommend this shop to anyone. read more

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Nice clean shop with really helpful employees. The bf had a cover-up job that looked amazing! Shane, the artist, was very receptive to his ideas and patient. I also liked how he let us choose the music while he had the tattoo done. I would highly recommend Broken Lantern. read more

I don't even know where to start! Everything about this establishment is stellar! The lobby/waiting area is very welcoming and original! I came in the night before my appointment and Cameron at the front desk was very engaging and quite humorous! He helped me pick out a nice piece and had my appointment set up in no time! Tattooist Chris Jones made the magic happen and I couldn't have been more impressed with his skills. He's a very humble guy with a great sense of humor and eased my nerves away! He did an amazing job and I'm in love with how it turned out! If you're looking to have any ink done, do yourself a solid and go visit Broken Lantern Tattoo! read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Succulent tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Update got my foot done by the same artist and he rocked the coverup. The staff was accommodating and friendly! They were also super fair with the pricing! I will be going back to get the other foot done soon! read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Walked in with my sister to get a fly tattoo in memory of our dad who passed away a few days ago. Don't know our dudes name but he was great. Easy and quick. read more

I was excited at first but now I'm regretful of my tattoo completely. My boyfriend and I came in 2 weeks ago and put down a deposit for a time and day for us to both get tattoos. The guy at the front desk asked us to email him pictures so the artists could have them ahead of time and told us he we would see us a week later when we came to get them. When we got there 10-15 minutes before the appointment we came to check in and weren't able to do so until 15 minutes after our appointment time at 4 pm. We were not spoken to about the designs of our tattoos until 4:45 by either of our artists. We then waited till 5:30 to go back. My artist proceeded to show me the sketch and apologized because she had just found out when we came in she would be doing the tattoo. She showed me the sketch but never once asked about the colors or anything. 2 hours or so later and I have a nice new tattoo. However once I got home, I realized the tattoo looks almost nothing like the image I came in with. The colors aren't even correctly done like the image. I came in asking for Japanese cherry blossoms and the outline was great, however I am very embarrassed to call this a tribute tattoo when these don't even look like Japanese cherry blossoms. Not worth the $360 I payed given the lack of attention, and mediocre experience while there. Not a tribute tattoo I'm proud to show off, and I'm deeply upset with my experience. Wouldn't recommend if you want a truly amazing tattoo. read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - The tattoo I received (dark pink is on the outside of every flower) - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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One of the best tattooing experiences I have ever had! Extremely welcoming, fun to talk to, and very very very good at their craft!

The whole experience from consultation to tattoo was absolutely amazing! Cam greeted me and got my idea. I called back several months later because I saved up the money. He knew exactly who I was and what I wanted to do. We made the appointment. True artistry is on display at Broken Lantern! I will be back! Go see Chris! He took my idea, made it better, and more personal! read more

Stopped in without an appointment for a small tattoo. They fit me in and tattoo came out better than expected. Thank you!

Had a great experience! I was nervous going in for a cover up as I was told I couldn't do what I wanted by other artists. The artists here were professional and listened to the aspirations I had in mind. We came up with an image collaboratively that we both felt would prove to be a successful cover up and an awesome tattoo that I am not afraid to show off! I am super pleased with my tattoo and experience. read more

Rachel was the absolute best! She gave me a wonderful tattoo experience from start to finish. This is now my new favorite tattoo, HANDS DOWN! The facility is clean and interesting, I felt very comfortable in that environment. I'll be coming back to her for my tattoos from now on! read more

Walked in with a friend and we both came out with tattoos we love. I got script work done Kat and I can honestly say that both her work and her personality are amazing. Cameron at the front desk was equally awesome. Great experience will definitely be back once I have a new idea for a tattoo. read more

Emailed to set up a date to come in. He suggested I stop by first to talk about what I wanted so I did and when I came in for the real deal, all was ready and a smooth process. Cameron is the man with the plan and Cat was my artist who made magic happen. They gave me exactly what I wanted and for a reasonable price. I'm so stoked with my new art that I'm ready to go back for another already. read more

Great shop with incredible artists. Old school attitude where quality and great tattooing is more important than making money. I send everyone there... I've been tattooed all over the country and artists everywhere are always asking where I got my work done. read more

This place is PHENOMENAL!! Top in the southeast. The attention to detail on every level is impeccable!! Look no further if your serious about ink!! #glenncollins #brokenlanterntattoo #badassink read more

Broken Lantern Tattoo - Phenomenal work!! Top in the southeast! Look no further if you are serious about ink!!! #glenncollins #brokenlanterntattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Chris is awesome! He's super talented and I constantly get compliments on my tattoo. It took me forever to chose an artist in Charleston and I'm so glad I went with him! read more

After a weekend of no luck with walk-ins, Broken Lantern came in clutch! Fiancé and I were looking to get matching tattoos on our butts. Most shops didn't seem interested, but when I called the desk guy Cam sounded super excited! When we showed up Cam was super down to earth and told us all of the great places to eat/drink at. Also gave us some history about Charleston that we didn't know! Angelo was a great sport for working with out butts, did an awesome job. Super nice and did great work. Thank you, Broken Lantern! read more

Love Glen !!! The shop just relocated down the street . After 10 months or so. So its definitely new , clean and sanitize. I love the little characteristics designs and details Glen put in his shop. Glen love his job. " I love tattooing !! " . He's up for a challenge too. He does awesome Japanese artwork, BUT that's not it. You show him what you want.. He delivers!!! He's a very hard working OG. Give him 12 shots of expresso and he's good to go lmao. My husband, sister in law ,my cousin and I all go to Glen. We're from Charleston., but we moved to FL. We still only go to Glen when we're back in Chucktown. The ink is worth it. What he charged is fair. Not for him!! But it's low to us. He does excellent , detail work . Glen very patience, bubbly and down to earth guy. Won't disappoint. His shop a hidden gem in Charleston !! **** I see some reviews on here toward certain artists. I feel bad for y'all. BUT I don't think it's fair y'all dragging the name " Broken lantern " into it. read more

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I wanted to get a tattoo in memory of my step mom that passed Feb. 1st. I received a tattoo from Nick Rose on April 14th. and it looks absolutely phenomenal! He did such a great job; I cried when I saw the finished piece. He was such a great person. He put me at ease from the moment we started talking. He talked to me through the whole session and was very knowledgeable. He loves what he does and you can most certainly tell. I have NEVER seen a bad tattoo come out of Broken Lantern and I recommend them to absolutely everyone; I've been continuously raving about this tattoo shop! Glen, the owner, knows how to run a tattoo shop and gets awesome artist to join him at the shop! read more

My husband and son stopped by a week ago and wanted to do the "you get what you get " tattoo . The counter guy told them that those were walk In tattoos and wouldn't make an appointment for them, (which was odd, a tattoo is a tattoo, what does it matter what it is?) but to "make sure to get here first on Saturday to make sure you get a spot", and "It shouldn't be a problem because we have the most artists here on Saturdays". So we show up on Saturday, first in line as the doors open , only to be told that they were all booked up for today with appointments. So then we asked if he remembered the whole conversation that he had with us the previous week and asked why , if he knew the shop was completely booked for Saturday, he would have us come out and "be first in line". Ok. Fine. Was the next day completely booked with appointments also or was there room in the schedule for walk ins ? Nope. Completely booked as well. (And the next week) Soooo, bottom line is, they lie and tell you that walk ins are welcome , but what they really mean is "fill ins are welcome,only if a scheduled appointment doesn't show up, and you'll have to wait there ALL DAY LONG just for a shot that someone won't show after giving a deposit. Yeah. That'll happen. Thanks for nothing. There's plenty of great tattoo shops in Charleston that at the very least will be up front and honest with you. read more

Scheduled the appoint in November for the end of December. Two days before the appointment, they call and cancel on me. I called for a week after to reschedule, no one ever called me back. Also tried to email, still No answer. I had to move after the the first of the year. $60 deposit wasted. What a rip off. Would not recommend this place to anyone. Not good business practices. read more

I've gotten two tattoos here both from the amazing artist Nick Rose! He carefully plans and designs everything by hand and checks with you along the way to make sure it's exactly what you want. I've gotten tattoos before but every time he makes me feel comfortable and not nervous at all. Nick is my go to artist!! read more

I just received my first tattoo here! I did a little bit of research before deciding on where to go, and I'm very happy because of it. Being a person of color, I wasn't sure if the color would show on my skin. While there, we looked at the design, created a new masterpiece that was unique and of my own, and added color to it as well. I was skeptical with the out come, but I am a believer now. Great artists, positive atmosphere, and I'm sending all of my friends here. read more

This is a great place for professional custom tattoos. In a place like Charleston there are few places to get tattooed that offer this caliber of service. The artist are professional, knowledgeable and great at what the do. If you live in Charleston or are visiting, go here. You wont regret it, and you wont be treated like a second class citizen like some shops. Ive had several tattoos done here and anytime im in town, i always try and get an appointment. read more

Absolutely incredible. They do great custom work and are super friendly and helpful. Very clean and accommodating. THE place to go in Charleston read more

I got a pretty good tattoo overall despite some minor mess ups but I got ripped off. They knew it was my first tattoo and charged me $300 when it should've been max $200. They didn't even give me a receipt and the receptionist moved onto someone else before I was even done talking to her. My friend also got a tattoo and the receptionist with curly hair told her, in the middle of getting her tattoo, that she would regret it. Not only that but she told her artist she felt like she was going to pass out and he didn't even check up on her or stop tattooing. They said it would be $800 because the artist, Nick, told the receptionist it was 5-6 hours but was actually 2-3 and tried to rip her off. Very unprofessional and I regret even getting a tattoo here, they seem to only care about money and not the work they are doing. read more

My husband and I were on vacation in Charleston and decided we wanted to get a tattoo during our stay. I discovered Broken Lantern on Instagram through hashtags and immediately noticed all their artists were talented and had some great stuff! Another big name tattoo shop I had reached out to multiple times, never returned my inquiries. So I started looking into other spots and thank god I did. This spot just seemed a lot less pretentious and down to earth. As someone who is new to tattoos they made me feel welcome. The whole experience from start to finish was amazing. When we "walked-in" the guy at the front desk and the artist booth next to the desk (Shane) took almost an hour with us helping us decide what we wanted and just generally chatting and building rapport. As someone in the service industry building rapport with people is important and they knocked it out of the park. We ended up booking for the next day. When we came in Shane did my tattoo and Chris did my husband's tattoo. Again, they were so welcoming and inviting. We weren't just a name in their booking calendar they took a lot of time chatting with us and making sure we were happy with the tattoos we were going to be getting. All in all I would say that this place is by far the most professional, down to earth, and talented shop I came across while in Charleston. Thanks guys! read more

I had the worst experience from a business that I have ever had from Broken Lantern. I had scheduled my tattoo to be done 5 days after showing up at The Broken Lantern. Paul, who seemed very pleasant and excited to help me out and draw up my tattoo said that he would be glad to help. I had stressed to him how restricted my schedule was, with kids (who cannot enter the business) and a husband who works long hours, and he scheduled me for five days later at 7:00 pm, assuring me there would be no problems with getting me in. I show up the five days later, feeling pretty good about the idea of getting this tattoo (a Valentines Day gift in fact). I show up 25 minutes early, to be told by the receptionist that Paul is running 45 minutes behind. As i watch him stand around and just talking with someone not work related. So i ask to the receptionist to please give me a call when he is ready, that I would wait in my car. Not a problem. 5 minutes later he is outside smoking a cigarette with the same person, just talking. So then he pulls this customer into the back, and leaves me waiting even longer. After an hour had passed i re-entered the shop from my car, and asked the receptionist if he was finished. She said just a few more minutes. After another half hour he finally came out to the waiting area and let me know that he got double booked and would not be able to do my tattoo this evening. After being held up for an hour and a half after my appointment he now decided to tell me this, and the receptionist had known as well. When I spoke to them about how unprofessional it was how they went about it, without letting me know, wasting my time (not to mention finding the time with kids and a booked schedule). They just let me wait when they both knew the whole time that they couldn't tattoo me. After that Paul tried to turn the blame on the customer and the receptionist, in that she had called (she didn't -and if she knew why didn't she send me home when I first arrived), and that they had gotten double booked. Instead of trying to make time for me in the next following day(s), he decided to just discard the customer by returning my deposit, and turned me away. I have never seen such unprofessionalism in an establishment, and where the shop and the artwork looked great, the professionalism and customer service were awful. I would recommend anyone else at this tattoo shop, except Paul. It seemed like he turned my tattoo away to tattoo a personal friend instead. The worst kind of business that an employee could show. Wasting my time when I specified to him how hard it was to schedule it, a slap in the face if you will. Two thumbs way down read more