In doing my research for a black and grey realism tattoo artist in the Jacksonville area, I found Melissa Ferranto of Elite Tattoo Gallery. She was great to work with, really listened to what I wanted, and delivered on point. It's obvious how passionate she is about her work, as well as the clients she works with and the connection between them and the tattoo artist. Elite Tattoo has an open and welcoming environment. The staff was very friendly during both my consultation visit and the day of my tattoo appointment. Upon walking in, one of the things that impressed me the most was that instead of the walls being covered in tattoo work, it was instead covered in original art works from the tattoo artists. This is a great way to show off their extended creativity. If anyone in the Jacksonville area is looking to get a tattoo, I highly recommend calling Elite and setting up a consultation. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Love my tattoo! (done by Melissa Ferranto) - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

After my nipple piercing and changing my frenulum bar they refused to do any male genital piercing. My appointment was on May 2024

I was told by the word of the tattoo artist I scheduled with (and gave a $100+ deposit to) that I would receive a mock-up of the idea I gave him prior to our appointment date set in approx. three weeks from consultation. They had my email and my Instagram to get it a mock up to. I received nothing, and when I got a call confirming my appointment, I brought this up. Still, I received nothing. I did not attend the appointment because I had not received what was promised. I explained this to the shop owner over the phone, and I quote "how old are you? You should know that it is your responsibility to show up for an appointment. This is the most bogus thing I have ever heard. It is not in our policy to provide a mock up, and because you are not here for your appointment, we would normally take your deposit and you would provide a new one. However, I will hold your deposit and you can reschedule if you would like." She hung up on me after I declined. I don't know about you, but I personally would not risk going to a tattoo shop after that interaction. I have been told in the past not to go to Jacksonville tattoo shops because they take advantage of Marines, and I believe this rings true. I've gotten tattoos in California, Arizona and Wilmington, and not one shop has required a deposit to make an appointment. However, two shops in Jacksonville I've been to (ATS and Forbidden) have required this. I've paid both and been tattoo'd by neither because I've been stunned by their treatment of clients and expectations both. read more

I got my helix pierced and my piercer (Megan) was amazing, her people skills were great and she was very kind. When giving the piercing she made sure to let me know exactly what she was doing and after giving the piercing she made sure to give a very thorough explanation on after care. Not to mention she was very cleanly with her work. My overall experience was great the staff has amazing customer service skills and I will definitely make sure to go here for future piercings. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Piercing after I got it. - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Came back here today to get a nose piercing and Megan was extremely knowledgeable and talked me through the entire process. She showed me that all the needles were in their package and brand new, she showed me the instrument that would go in my nose and catch the needle. I wanted to get pierced with a ring, which I know most reputable piercers will not do, and she of course refused to pierce with a hoop which was fine. She also wouldn't pierce my right side of my nose due to too much scar tissue when other piercers didn't even bother to check for this. Overall she was extremely professional and knowledgeable about the whole thing. This place continues to be the most professional tattoo parlor I've been to. I've had over 30 piercings and over 50 tattoos and I can honestly say this is one of the most amazing tattoo parlors. read more

I walked in for a nose piercing. The front desk woman was polite, informative, and helpful. Megan, my piercer, was the same. Everything was clean and spotless. I'd definitely come here again. read more

Megan gave me a daith piercing and my daughter a helix piercing. She did an amazing job. The place was very clean. Everyone was very polite. Megan explained everything in detail and even offered her Instagram in case we needed to contact her in the future. If we need piercings or tattoos I will definitely return. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Daith piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

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Awesome place to get tattooed! Incredibly talented artists. Buddy does amazing work!

Since some weird situation happened here and almost all the artists left, I left with my artist. I'm not really sure what happened but I won't be back. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE. Minimum is expensive, but it's worth it. I worked with Noah and he is awesome. Will definitely be going back.

If you want one straight nipple piercing and one sideways this is the place to go! The lady that did my piercings touched her sleeves with her gloves beforehand and didn't change them. Red flags read more

I came to this place with a specific tattoo in mind and was told it would be no problem and we scheduled it 6 months after that and when it was almost time to do the tattoo that was when I was told she could not do it and ended up settling for another tattoo that was ok but even when she finished I could tell she didn't like it to the point she didn't even take a picture for her portfolio, this is why I only gave a 3 vise a 5. Other than that this place is a clean environment and the people there are nice and kind. read more

My husband was tattooed by Shane. He wanted to get a piece done for his Dad who passed away a few months prior. My husband had an idea that was funny & captured the humor of his father. Shane told him "I'm not putting that stupid a** tattoo on you." And then convinced him to get a completely different piece. It was honestly a great piece and my husband loved the new idea... but it never got finished. It was an intricate tattoo and had to be done in multiple sessions. After the first session Shane stopped responding to my husband's attempts to reach him. My husband just got out of the military and we moved across the country and are now faced with trying to find an artist who is willing to finish the tattoo. All of this because Shane didn't want to finish a tattoo that he convinced my husband to get after telling him that his original idea was stupid. read more

I was super excited about getting another tattoo. I have several and I have been to many tattoo shops. I know what happens and how to explain what I want. I showed the lady at the front counter the tattoo I wanted (it was a drawing a friend drew that I loved). She recommended a tattoo artist (Chris Swenski). So I went in for a consultation, he was very professional and cool. I showed him the picture I wanted he said okay we will have to move some things around because the lettering could get lost in the face. I understood and thought he was going to edit the original image. So I got an appointment for 2 months later and he msgs me with his design (second photo with my skin as the background) two days before my appointment. This was not what I wanted at all, I couldn't believe he sent it to me. I was like "what happened to the photo I sent"? He said "I don't do replicas" which he did not communicate to me AT ALL. He said "this is a custom tattoo shop, no one here does replicas". ??? Where was this information when I was at the consultation, before I put down a deposit? So yeah I lost $180, don't be me. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - The tattoo I wanted - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

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Very clean and awesome place. Nick did my tattoo and he also has done 2 of my husband's tattoos. This is our new place for future tattoos. Nick is the manager and does a great job and also has a very light hand. My husband got his family crest on the his back shoulder and loves it. Highly recommend this place if you want a clean environment (who wouldn't?) and an awesome tattoo. read more

Basically the worst experience I've ever had in a shop I'll try to keep this short! I had my first consultation with Gabriel Luna and let's just say yes anything but pleasant after an hour of being told how my idea was more or less stupid he declined to even do the tattoo. After about 2 weeks I received a call from the girl at the front desk asking if I'd want to have another artist take on the tattoo, and I regretfully said yes. I ended up scheduling a consultation with Justin and it went well he seemed to know what he was doing and instead of telling me my idea was stupid he in turn worked with me to find a better way to do the design! But unfortunately his customer service skills and his ability to tattoo aren't on the same level or planet for that matter. The end result is not was I was made to think I was getting it's extremely dark and very unrealistic and was supposed to be a realistic design. I don't even think that it's able to be covered Also he made me slightly uncomfortable during the tattoo needless to say I will not be going back read more

This is seriously one of THE BEST tattoo shops I've ever been in! The atmosphere is phenomenal! The staff is beyond friendly and I've never felt uncomfortable chatting with any of them, even if they aren't the artist I'm seeing. I've had my daith pierced there and just today an awesome tattoo by the most impressive Shane! (He's now done 3 pieces for me and 2 for my husband) He's great about making sure you see him go through all the proper sanitizing techniques and always lets us know the best way to care for our art after he's done. As long as I live in Jacksonville this will be my shop! And even if I move away I still think I'd travel back for any work I want done! Can't say enough good things about them! Do yourself a favor and CHECK THEM OUT! read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - I'm a huge Tink fan and I told Shane what I wanted and he executed it perfectly!! - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Bethany did an amazing job with my tattoo. She is a fantastic artist. I absolutely love the work she did and will definitely go back to her next time in Jacksonville. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Awesome place!! Very friendly, welcoming, and talented staff! I am completely happy with my new tattoo and would recommend Elite to anyone looking to get a new tattoo or piercing! I even received a handwritten thank you card from them! read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Hand written thank you card I got in the mail just shows what excellent customer service you get from Elite Tattoo Gallery! - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Bethany did an amazing job on my tattoo and she was able to produce my tattoo very fast (about 3 days to draw up my tattoo). I highly recommend going to Elite Tattoo. The atmosphere was great and the staff was very professional. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Tattoo by Bethany - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Shane Prater has done 3 tattoos for me now over the past month, and 1 for my husband. One of mine was a difficult coverup, that he nailed. The dude has skills. You get what you pay for. Great tattoos are not cheap, and cheap tattoos are not great. The shop is very clean and beautifully designed. It's also nice watching Shane sanitize everything, using unopened sterile products, etc. There's no question about the work done or the health standards. We've experienced nothing but friendliness and professionalism from every employee we've encountered here. You won't regret going to Elite Tattoo Gallery. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Work done by Shane Prater - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

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My best friend and I decided to get tattoos while we were on vacation. It was her first. Researched shops online and decided to go with Elite. It being my friends first tattoo, I wanted to make sure she got the very best tattoo experience. Elite did not disappoint. Communication with Bethany from the very beginning was outstanding. She went out of her way to come in on her day off because that was the only day we could do it while on vacation. The entire staff was so nice and down to earth. The decor in the shop is awesome! Comfy chairs and movies while you wait. Complimentary snacks and drinks. Beautiful artwork books to browse through. Bethany was very knowledgeable and professional. Thank you Elite for living up to your name and giving us an Elite experience. We are honored to be part of the family now. read more

Amazing work amazing experience. Had a piece done by a "butcher" years ago. Girlfriend asked if it was a jail tattoo and that's when I knew I needed to stop being lazy and fix it. Shane at Elite was recommended and wow. Not only did he bring it to life and make it look 100xs better, he didn't change the original idea of the tattoo, was light handed, did perfect color blending, and was one of the fastest artists I've had. My next ink, will with out a doubt, be done by Shane at Elite. read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Awesome job Shane - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Had a great experience! The place looked great "very clean" and staff made you feel welcome. Melissa did a great job on my tattoo, I plan on going back soon! read more

Forbidden Tattoo and Piercing - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

I walked in and was greeted by the front desk lady, she was really nice and I was offered snacks or a drink along with a book to pick fonts for the tattoo I wanted to get, Shane did my tattoo and he was awesome. I highly recommend this shop, I will be going back for more work here read more

While on vacation from NY I went to Elite with my daughter, we both wanted piercings. My first impression was that it was a clean and professional shop! We were immediately greeted and asked to fill out a form. Then we were introduced to Kassi, who would be doing the piercings. She is awesome! Explained everything to us in detail and answered any questions we had. Her station is immaculate and she used utmost care to keep everything sterile. She kept us calm and unafraid of a helix piercing, for me and tragus for my daughter! Wish she lived closer to NY, I'd get more piercings by Kassi! I HIGHLY recommend her for piercings! You would not be disappointed. read more

Went to try and get my tongue pierced yesterday, when I got there the place looked dirty, and smelled nasty. There was a child playing on the computer at the front desk and I was there a few mins and tattoo artists just stared and didn't say a word to me or my friend around about 5 mins no one had come to try and help us or see what we needed don't so we just walked out. I would never recommend this place to anyone for a tattoo or piercing. It did not look like a professional place and I would be sketchy to get any work done there. read more

Bethany did a phenomenal job on mine and my husband's tattoo.

What good is the piercer if she doesn't respond to her clients calls and inquiries? Lack of communication. Receptionist doesn't know the schedule of when the piercer would be physically in the shop. It was pointless to talk to her and pointless to call the piercer neither responded worth anything. Had to take business elsewhere and let another piercer fix what was done here. Smh. Good ol Jacksonville read more

Its hard to find real artists in this area, as opposed to jerks ready to rip off Marines. I highly recommend artist elite. This is definitely my place :) very professional and friendly. I came here the first time to get piercings from Greg, he did great, and he's the apprentice! I've had to come back several times to adjust/change the jewelry, but that's because my cheeks are thick and didn't fit the standard. I also went there for more detail on a tattoo I got in 29 palms, Stew really fixed it up! :) I'm so happy with the work and customer service, i don't plan on going anywhere else in town. I can't forget the beautiful artwork hung in the studio either, it's definitely something to see. read more

Stephen Taylor did a great job on my tattoo. I really didn't know what I wanted but had an idea. Stephen came up with something pretty cool that looks awesome! Your next tattoo should definitely be at Elite Tattoo Gallery. read more

I went to get a piercing done yesterday and Kass was so awesome. She's warming, welcoming and energetic. She has awesome tattoos and it's clear that she loves her job. I was nervous about getting it done but she was majorly comforting and quick about it. I will definitely be returning. read more

Ryan did a great job on my daughters first tattoo today. He really made her feel comfortable. Thank you.

The only tattoo shop I go to in Jacksonville. My wife and I both get our work done here. The staff is very professional and talented.

I went to the elite and saw Lindsey. She did such a phenomenal job on my tattoo. I didn't wanna go to just anyone. I saw her portfolio of tattoos and knew she would do my bunny justice. It came out perfect and super realistic. She's amazing and I would totally go again. read more

Elite Tattoo Gallery is amazing. The people are very friendly and easy to get along with. Gabriel is my tattoo artist and he is so incredible. His work is unmatched and I come here for every single tattoo I get. read more

i live in New Jersey but was on vacation in NC. I thought about adding a new piercing to my cavas so i decided to Yelp some near by places. This place was the best rated one near by so I stopped in. First off, the person at the front desk was extremely sweet, helpful and made all the paperwork super easy. Second, the place is spotless and cozy. It's just the enviroment you want to be in when youre alittle nervous. They have two seprate seating areas, one with a nice flat screen playing netflix. Another convience would be that they do offer complimentary coffee, snacks and drinks. Yay! I was a walk-in, but it only took about 10-15 before i was in a room with a wonderful women named Jessye. She was amazing. I was alittle nervous and she made me feel so comfortable and relaxed. She knew what she was talking about and was just wonderful. I 10/10 recommend her! Shes great! The price of my piercing was defenitey on the cheaper side so i was VERY happy. This place is amazing. I actually talked to the owner who was from Jersey as well and she seemed like a great, humble person. I love this place and wish I could come here for everything. Amazing place with amazing people. read more

Very dope tattoo shop! Very friendly and clean. Went as a walk in and was helped right away. Highly recommend this place. Pricing is good too! read more

I have never had such a wonderful experience at a tattoo shop, and that's saying something, as I've never had any unpleasant experiences in one either. The shop was meticulously clean, the staff was exceptionally friendly and accommodating, and the pricing was fair. I got my conch and rook pierced and Jessye did a phenomenal job. She was incredibly sanitary and did precise work. She was fast, efficient, and did a beautiful job with the placement. I love my new piercings, and I will never go anywhere else! I'm looking forward to going there again to get my future tattoos and piercings. Keep up the awesome work guys! read more

Had an EXTREMELY bad experience coming here, they do NOT explain billing terms, or give you paper receipts/any proof of payments, amount still owed, etc. Had already paid $290 for a cover up done by Shane, I expected to maybe pay a little more, but he wanted $260 more at the time he claimed he was done with the tattoo- I was speechless! The tattoo is in NO way shape or form a $500+ tattoo! And was so not expecting him to want that much more money! My husband and I tried explaining this, in turn we were verbally assaulted by 3 employees-Andy, the bald front desk guy, and the owner Melissa's husband! They treated us like shit to put it lightly, and were insanely unprofessional. Even though we didn't agree with the amount due, my husband asked to pay $60 then and the remaining $200 on the 25th, and they flipped out over that too! I called the police because I was tired of them yelling at us, I explained to the officer what happened, the owners husband tried to press charges on us! for what!? The officer ended up having the owner's husband do a contract so we could pay the $60 and $200 later as we requested, which he could have easily done himself and not acted fuckin psycho/mental about it along with the other two employees. read more