I totally recommend. I got my second tattoo done my Mean Mug Doug! He corrected my first tat as well. As a dark complexion person I needed an expert who understood melaninated skin and undertones. Doug made my original tattoo pop and fixed the mistakes caused by another artist who did not understand how to work with POC. The staff was friendly and professional. My son got his tat by an intern and she did an expert job. They consult with you and give their qualified input before inking you. I felt welcomed I'm going back for my 3rd tat next year if not sooner. read more

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If I could give 0 stars I would. Extremely unprofessional. Cursing at customers in the middle of work hours in front of other customers. They will cancel your appointment last minute leaving you confused. DO NOT go to Matthew Doherty, rude to customers and doesn't check spelling on tattoos. Front desk girl doesn't ever know what she is doing, not sure why she is there. Do not trust this tattoo shop with any service. Shop full of rude workers. Bad Vibe. read more

I can't understand all of the negative reviews. Half of them are from people who did not even get anything done...If you are looking for quality work, I would come here. If you feel like it is too expensive, do not go here, what's the purpose of writing a review stating it was too expensive for you? I don't go to buy a Mercedes and then walk out to leave a review claiming their cars are just too expensive. Go to where you are comfortable purchasing something. With that being said, I would rather pay for the quality of work that is done here that will be a permanent part of my body than get a deal for work that is not as great. My boyfriend just had Gary Kolarik do a sunflower on his bicep in memory of his mom and it came out beyond amazing. He's going back next week for him to shade some previous work from a different person. I'd highly recommend him and Empire Tattoo! read more

By far the best shop ever! I have had a great experience with my tattoo artist Jim Cruz. He was on time, clean space, set the mood with good music and vibes. I love how well my tattoos have healed and cannot wait for more! read more

Empire Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

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Chris Peters is incredibly unprofessional and disgusting. He makes unwanted advances on female clients and if you don't reciprocate, he intentionally screws up your tattoo. After I rejected him he rushed the end of my tattoo, not matching the stencil at all. I plan to have that part lasered and redone by an actual professional. In addition to attempting to force himself on young girls, he wouldn't shut up about how much he hates his ex, did consultations while charging me hourly, and mocked those clients as soon as they left. I'm not sure if he currently works here but when I saw him, he was moving back and forth between Empire and a Florida studio. The shop is fully aware of how he behaves and has no problem giving space to artists that abuse their power. read more

To say I've experienced better would be a lie, only because this was my first piercing. I give 5 stars for customer service, cleanliness, etc but 2 stars because I'm not totally happy with my piercing. Gary was the piercer, and again he was great, but I feel like the placement was way too high. I know I have a little more stomach, but this is why I went to a professional who would have more experience with placement. Another concern, in talking to a local piercer, is that the barbell is too small and that's why I've had such an issue with swelling. It's not really a belly piercing, it's a surface piercing.... Also, I wish I would have gotten more information about aftercare. Overall, I'm scarred for life by piercings lol. (See picture) #firstandlastime read more

I got my nose pierced by Jess at Empire tattoo, and it was a great experience! She was really patient, kind, and knowledgeable! I had stopped in the weekend before I got the piercing to look at the jewelry. Jess showed me what they had and answered all my questions - especially about aftercare. I went back the following weekend and got the piercing (done by Jess) and it was a great experience. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Empire and Jess for a nose piercing. read more

I recently got my navel pierced here and the workers didn't really say much to me I tried making conversation to break the silence but that didn't work. The only thing the guy said to me is to put the after care solution on twice a day and to clean it with antibacterial soap other than that they didn't say anything. If you can go to another place so you can get more information if your getting a piercing it's always good to know how to take care of it. This place just didn't feel welcoming to me read more

Jim c. Did amazing on my walk in tattoo of a jelly fish! Plan on getting more and recommending to friends.

Have never been more happy with a tattoo. The attention to detail to Doug Sparks and Empire Tattoo is remarkable. I have many tattoos and so do many of my family members. I would never consider going anywhere else moving forward. Neither would they. From start to finish my experience was professional and the quality of work could not be matched. The softest touch out of anyone I have been tattooed by in the past with the most clear and well thought concept. Doug is a true professional and an even better artist. Would recommend Doug and Empire to anyone seeking their first tattoo or 500th. read more

Empire Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

For Taylor (Piercer) alone! She was amazing and made me feel super comfortable my entire time I was getting my piercing even though I was super nervous! And I got a lollipop read more

Terrible shop! Took my 16 year old stepdaughter here for her belly button piercing and we get there and they needed to see her school ID. So we left went home got her ID and came back only for the guy to tell us "oh her birthday needs to be on the ID" that would have been great to be told before I had already made two trips there. They shouldn't have people working there if they don't know their policy and procedure. Luckily we were able to log into her school site and get her birthday pulled up. The guy finally pierced her belly button and and said ok your good to go. REALLY?! I said what about aftercare so he tells me oh just antibacterial soap. Like ok thanks ! I was going to come back to empire for the rest of my sleeve to be finished but after this experience I will not come back !! read more

I got a tattoo a few years ago with Gary and fell in love with it so I decided to come back to get my 5th tattoo. I didn't have Gary this time, but Phil. I showed him an image of the tattoo that I wanted, a delicate looking flower - he stenciled it out and it looked fine on the stencil, but when the tattoo was complete I was extremely unhappy with how it turned out. The stem is too dark, there's no highlighting, and it is far from delicate looking. First, he didn't even let me see the tattoo when he was done, he just wrapped it up and let me know IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES, PLEASE COME BACK AND WE WILL TOUCH IT UP AT NO CHARGE. So I waited for it to heal. I made an appointment to come back to get it touched up with white ink to make it look more delicate (how I wanted it too be in the first place). He refused to fix it to what I was asking for, and was going to charge me the minimum fee just to add a tiny bit of white ink in it, which wouldn't have even made a difference. He then has the nerve to say "I think it's a phenomenal tattoo" First of all, if you think it's a "phenomenal" tattoo, what does that matter if I am unhappy with it? It's on MY BODY forever!!!!! He didn't acknowledge that I was unhappy with the tattoo, and was going to charge me for his mistakes. Also, had the nerve to say "you were happy with it when I finished it" when in fact, he didn't even give me the chance to look at it, he just wrapped it up. Horrible customer service, unhappy with my tattoo. And now I'll be paying to go somewhere else so someone who knows what they're doing can fix it. I already called a new place and they said "we will do anything we can to make sure you're happy with it". I should have went here in the first place, how can a tattoo artist not even care if you're happy with the final outcome? To summarize, I would suggest not having Phil as your artist. I have 5 tattoos, and I have never ever been unhappy with them this soon after they are complete. I have also never experienced a tattoo artist who doesn't show you the final tattoo before wrapping it up, and an artist that doesn't care about your happiness of something that is going to be on your body for the rest of your life. read more

I've been to this shop twice to get tattooed by Chris Shockley. Both times I had an awesome experience with Chris but not so much with the rest of the staff. The staff was rude and condescending over the phone when I booked my appointment both times. I can tell that they don't treat their employees with respect, especially after seeing the way they let go one of their best artists then proceeded to hack his Instagram and delete all his work. Shame on you empire. You're losing many customers! read more

Soooo basically the front desk little turd said that to finish my coverup (which is at Max 2hrs worth of work) and is just black shading, it would cost me $400.00 to do... I've never been more insulted in my fucking life. Fucking clowns. read more

Got a tattoo from here about 4 years ago and forgot to leave a great review! It was a walk in appointment so I had to wait a little bit but it wasn't too long at all and was well worth it! I really wish I could remember the artist who did my ink but I got a mountain tattoo on my forearm and couldn't be more pleased. I'm definitely coming back here soon to get another! read more

This has been my go to place for tattoos. I always go to Doug, his IG handle is: @meanmugdoug and he's absolutely phenomenal. He completed a wolf and roses tattoo, that I had started in California from another artist. Its on my ribs in color and I'm still amazed every time I look in the mirror. I don't think another artist would've been able to do a better job. He's not heavy handed, which is very much appreciated when getting a rib tattoo and I just let him do his thing! Your worries can go out the window when sitting in his chair. read more

After yesterday, I will only be coming back if I want work done by Kristel. I will no longer bother with this place. I will stick to Deep Six or Tattoo Odyssey . My first experience here was epic. I booked through Kristel,everything went smoothly. Was my tattoo expensive? Yes. Was it worth the quality of work given? Yes. It was a custom tattoo filled with color, great aftercare instructions along with having such a beautiful person inside and out tattoo me. Great conversation and encouragement. I was getting both of my feet tattooed and was ready to bail before my second one was complete. She told me I was such a bad ass, and she really made me feel it. LOVE LOVE LOVE Kristel. Will def go back for her. Worth every penny. Yesterday I called because I had purchased a living social voucher. The guy at the counter quoted me 250$ for a quote stretched out on the top of my shoulders. I wanted it small but clear enough to see. Think Rhianna roman numeral size letters. Maybe 8 words max and two black vector images (stars and umbrella). Black ink. I believe due to the living social vouchers I was quoted quite highly. The artists charge 100-200$ an hour and this was not something full of detail and would not taken an hour. So I decided to kind of put that on the breaks and get another artist and pick a piece of wall flash that I honestly have been wanting. The price quote for a piece of wall art ambigram which by the way ended up missing a small piece? 120$. So after tax and my voucher? 78$ In my opinion this was not a 78$ tattoo. It took a solid 20 minutes including set up and me walking back to my car. I could have gotten this piece easily anywhere else, without the need to fix it for shop minimum. Chris was nice. He didn't really say anything the whole time and there was a lot of what felt like awkward silence. I didnt notice until I got home that he missed a small part. And honestly I tipped less than what I usually would due to being overcharged. I can't say much about him as an artist other than he used one needle for the whole thing and was quiet. The black seems saturated but I guess we will find out when it heals. I am not sure if the counter guy was having a bad day, just felt like over charging me or if he is like that normally but he really did take away some positivity from the experience and as a result I won't go back unless I want something from Kristel. And I will book through Kristel as well. read more

Empire Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

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This place is pretty rad. Im getting a fairly large leg piece here and everyone is always accomodating and friendly, (even when I'm running late!) My GPS didn't get the address right but I found it real easy the 1st time. I don't anything about the situation below but I find it a little hard to believe, seeing as the artist referenced is pretty well known and the shop is pretty well established and not full of amateurs. You do get what you pay for. I think the prices are comparable to the art. read more

i went with my boyfriend and got face tattoos. i honestly thought mine was overpriced. its the Harley Quinn heart under mear my eye and i just thought (since its so small and its just black, it would've been cheaper.) and yesterday really made me upset. i got a daith piercing (which i might have a reciept actually, but who pays a tattoo parlor with a credit card or debit card? i ALWAYS give tips so i always pay with cash) anyway, my normal tattoo artist even told me he would touch it up, since its on my face and it doesnt look right. and then the other day, i was going into the bathroom and i saw my daitn piercing on my shirt. i was SO UPSET!!! i spent so much money in this place that im actually upset at this place. a tattoo AND a piercing are screwed up. like idk what im supposed to do now?? read more

Empire Tattoo - my ruined daith piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

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Went to Chris Shockley for an extremely detailed custom piece. He was up front with his hourly rate and that it would require a lot of hours (as I expected). I truly enjoyed my experience. We worked together on the piece, I added my ideas and he added some of his. He was easy to work with and above all else his work was unbelievable. I get stopped on the street from people admiring his work. read more

Empire Tattoo - Chris Shockley did this awesome sleeve for me. - Tattoo Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

Do not go here under any circumstances!!!! I got 2 words tattooed on my forearm and the guy spelled one of the words wrong! I can't even remember his name I was so mad. The worst part is, which kind of makes me sound stupid, but still, is that I didn't notice until after I left and when I called to have it fixed, not only did he not apologize he made me wait another week to fix it because he wasn't available. But regardless of me not noticing, when I called back to confirm our appointment that next week, he rescheduled on me again! The people there are rude and have no personality. The guy was dead silent throughout my whole tattoo. And just like the other reviewer said, the guy at the front desk has no clue about anything. read more

Disappointed in the lack of professionalism and mistreatment by the management staff. The artist did not return texts or emails. Appointments were canceled the day of by multiple artists. The art maybe good but the service is less than par. I was a return customer. I will not be returning. It is not worth the hassle and harassment. Went to Explosive in Delaware. Very pleased. read more

I have many tattoos that I've had done at shops and at conventions. This location was clean, I was comfortable and the staff was very friendly. My artist Gary Kolarik went beyond what I had expected and I love my new tattoo! He was very professional. I sent him what I was thinking of and I made an appointment. It came out simply perfect - one of those where your eyes tear up. Every tattoo of mine is special, probably like yours. I would highly recommend this location. I fully understand the pricing of tattoos. They were consistent with other pricing I have paid so I was not over quoted. It drives me nuts when people roll their eyes when they are given an estimate that they think is not reasonable. We the "non-artist" think it's easy, or something simple, it might not be. If you want quality pay for it! It's forever there till death. Something you can be proud of. That is priceless to me. read more

Went here with a friend to get a quote on a piece which is 7 words in cursive with 2 small dog paws on top of one another at the end of the staggered words that was going on her shoulder blade(so you get the jist of the size and it was only black ink)...They quoted $200 to $250. Now I know for a fact that seemed off. Be careful and do your research..I went to another reputable tattoo place and they quoted $100 to $125. It is a shame what greed will do to others. They were helpful and it was a good experience until they made that quote which I belive they knew what they were doing when giving that price. read more

Came to Empire to get my nose pierced. It looks great and it didn't swell up like my daughters did (she got hers done at another place). Def would recommend, it's clean and the staff is friendly. read more

Worst experience I ever had at tattoo shop! Was nothing like I asked for or showed a picture of. Actually covered over a memorial for my mother that had a pink ribbon, angel wings and a halo. How is this ok to someone?!!!! The butterfly that was put on my back (in the wrong spot) was the ugliest butterfly I've seen. Looked like a cartoon. The owner Rich said someone else would try to fix it and replace the ribbon (somewhere else because she left no room) for free. The sad attempt to fix it still left me with a horrible tattoo taking up my entire upper back. And they now want to charge me to do the pink ribbon. Would not recommend this shop to anyone! read more

Came in to add-on to an existing tattoo....Recieved positive feedback from "Stretch"... Gave great ideas on how to finish the tattoo....after doing so, he started immediately on the tattoo....his work area was very clean and organized...He was cool to talk to throughout the time he was drawing the tattoo..His line work and shading is exceptional! The finished tattoo was phenomenol! Made a huge difference! I highly recommend Empire Tattoo and checking out Stretch.... read more

THIS IS THE WORST PIERCING PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO! LET ME JUST TELL YOU, I HAVE A PERMANENT TEAR IN MY EAR!!! I got my rook pierced and the piercer put the hole so close to the edge that over time (two weeks) the skin holding it together became thinner and thinner. I tried to solve the issue by taking the earring out, but it was too late. The ear ripped and I now have a hole in my ear and a hole in my pocket!!!!!!! $50 down the drain! DON'T GO THERE!!!!! read more

I got my knuckles done here. don't get me wrong, a couple of the guys are really nice especially the young piercer but the older guy, I think he runs the whole place, did my knuckle tattoos. he didn't do all the letter's in the right spot, went too deep in some spots and didn't go deep enough in others. so now my knuckles look like shit and I'm out $190 read more

This is my review that I wrote on Google, but I feel like this place deserves more than the rating from the few reviews currently on here. To start off, Empire Tattoo has the friendliest staff ever. I have gone to other shops with the intention of discussing a new tattoo or getting a piercing in the past, and felt like an outsider or that I was bothering the employees because I walked through the door. Apparently not having visible tattoos is frowned upon. Anyways.. every person who has been at the front desk at Empire has been laid back and really helpful to me. If you are early for your appointment, people will always chat and make you feel welcome. I had been following the work of Mike Sedges for months, knowing that I wanted another tattoo, but couldn't decide exactly what I wanted. He will work with you until you absolutely love the design. Mike is truly an artist and proud of all his work. Empire is filled with talented artists, each with their own unique style. I am beyond happy with my experience here and recommend this shop to people all the time. read more

A few years ago my two girlfriends and I went to get matching tattoos. We had this guy name Chris and we all thought he was very talented and did an awesome job. He was only 19 at the time. We were pretty impressed. So about a month ago I wanted to go back and have him do another tattoo for me. We went the week before to see about making an appointment. We were told he does not take appointments on Saturday that it's first come first serve. So my husband asked if there was a time that usually isn't so busy and the guy at the front said to come in at 2...oh wait he has an appointment at 2. My husband was a little upset because he just said no appointments on Saturday. He then said to come in at 5. So went in at 5 and Chris was at the door. I told them I wanted him to do a tattoo and they told me he was pretty much booked the entire day. Thinking to myself I thought there were no appointments. They told us to come in another day by appointment. I was so irritated because not only was the front desk guy rude so was Chris. Didn't say two words to us continued to tell the guy at the front desk he was unavailable. I think this guy became a big douchebag since we last saw them. My husband took me to a place that he had his tattoo done a long time ago called Hydravolve Studios in Somerdale, NJ. We went in to see this guy named Mickey Ratt and he was booked that night but came in early the following Saturday to do my tattoo. Not only was he trying to work with us but he was awesome. I love my tattoo! I would never go back to Emire or that douchebag Chris. I think if you want customers you can't treat them like crap. I understand being busy and all but I kept getting the run around and it was pissing me off but everything happens for a reason because I've been hearing bad stuff about Emire lately and I am glad that Mickey ended up doing my tattoo. IF YOU WANT A NICE GUY WHO'S BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR YEARS AND APPRECIATES YOUR BUSINESS GO SEE MICKEY RATT AT HYDRAVOLVE STUDIOS IN SOMERDALE YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!! EMPIRE SUCKS ASS!!! read more