Dre is amazing!!! I'm so glad I found him!…read more I first saw him in December 2022. He was doing a $30 Thursday, and I figured that was a great way to meet him and see how his work is. He was phenomenal! Super funny, normal, and inviting. His shop is clean, spacious, and conveniently located. I just went back in December 2023 and got a bigger piece this time. He's talented AND affordable! Highly recommend Dre to anyone in western Washington. He's worth the drive if you're not in the immediate Olympia area.

Met Dre through work. Saw his own ink, and thought this might be the guy. Ive wanted my tribal…read moreturtle for well over a year, searching designs over the course of 14 months. Several misses at local tattoo shops delayed me from getting the work done. The motivation was there, but something was missing. I guess i don't need a large shop, a chain, or folks that cant be at their shop when their hours say they'll be, yes, that happened, TWICE. Dre was not only willing to do the work, but JUST AS his IG page says you can message him and hell get back to you. He did, and gave me the confidence he'd be the right guy for the job. I was scheduled, for just a day later! The shop is SUPER clean and isn't cliched. Dre is a SoCal man, but has local art on his walls as well as stuff highlighting his CA heritage, which I admire because I'm a NY transplant myself, which showed me he honors his past, but isn't tied to it. Just enough free spirit to ALSO make him the right guy. Dre has a few apprentice artists working with him right now, one male, one female. This is Super important because some ladies want work in more intimate places, and i think having a choice for the client is smart. Additionally, i think this shows his expectation of growth, which im sure is bound to happen. Oh, and by the way, Dre served this country in a previous career in the military. Theres a humble but strong nod to his service, by way-of his retirement flag and a humble display of his service medals, which I genuinely appreciated. Dre has real technique, noticeable by how he speaks to his apprentice team, giving them direction on how the line work can be done, by tuning out music and listening to the art tools. Real zen stuff which reminded me tattooing is first and foremost ART, and a union of creator and created. None of what I saw was disappointing, every aspect of his shop is elevated, and worthy of much more future business. By the way, my wife and i go back today for her newest ink, and im getting another small one as well. You can see his work @threebirdstattooco on IG. 5 stars? I only wish i could go higher.

Overall, great experience. I've been tattooed from Cody multiple times. I personally love the…read moreaesthetic and environment of the shop he has created. Cody is quick and efficient, with no bullshit in between. I've always hated going to a shop and waiting an hour while the artist talks amongst his coworkers and then decides to start prepping after their 7th smoke break. Dark Letter offers more than just a nice tattoo, it's a great experience. Just my 2 cents.

First off, I just want to state that Cody and Chelsea are so kind, inviting and easy to talk to!…read moreThe whole process from start to finish was ridiculously easy, clean and comfortable. The Dark Letter Tattoo Shop is so dope inside, the decor is unique and I can say that I haven't been into a shop so well laid out before. The tattoo that I got was a pre-drawn flash of a grim reaper with a red sun in the background. I was able to pay the whole price upfront using their website and check in was easy once I arrived as well. My tattoo is AMAZING; clean lines, well packed color, and it was done in well under 2 hours! I will continue to recommend this shop to everyone I know! Keep up the great work :)

Great people and talented! Got a cool crow tattoo from Nickhole! Would recommend them to anyone…read morelooking to get a tattoo.

This is such a cool shop! I have known the shop owner for over 12 years and she is an expert in her…read morecraft. If you trust the process you will be happy with the results for the rest of your life. I have two large pieces by Nickhole and I love them both, she really cares about your comfort and the long lasting result and quality of her work.

Myong did a great job on my mom's hair. I live out of state and she took my payment over the phone…read moreso I could treat my mom to a professional hair cut. She was really happy with the service and Myong treated her like the Queen she is. Thank you so much! I look forward to sending her again this month.

She responded to my message and booked me in even though I messaged late at night she was so nice…read moreso sweet she's a real artist you gotta just trust her process I walked out of that salon dancing I swear, if you want a boring haircut do not go here I've neverrrr had my haircut with such finesse and talent and speed. She knew what I wanted without any pictures and I have super thick coarse long hair, Thank you girl bless you I'll be back

This shop is conveniently located in downtown Olympia across from a park and with plenty of street…read moreparking that is free after 5pm. Look for the Sasquatch on the door and you'll know you're in the right spot. Currently they are not open for walk-ins for obvious reasons but if you send them a message with a project they will get back to you within a couple of days and schedule you in. Their Yelp page doesn't do them justice but if you go to their website you can see tons of the work done by the artists who work here. I was lucky enough to get a session with Devon, who was able to turn my vision into something better than I could have imagined. He was super friendly and did not have his own agenda regarding the project so I never felt like he was leading me down a path that wasn't my own. The shop was super clean and bright (even with windows boarded up) and the music playing kept up a positive mood throughout. If the artist is humming along while working that's a good sign the task is going well. Devon is truly talented and has a way of making you feel at ease throughout the process. Time flies when you're in his capable hands. I highly recommend!

Their tattoo work is adequate, but working with the artist wasn't a great experience. From the get…read morego, he was openly and unapologetically judging my two female friends and I. He outright judged our character from our appearance and made sexist comments toward us during the entire experience. I wanted to speak up, but I couldn't because he was about to tattoo my friend and I didn't want risk upsetting him before permanently marking her. As well, throughout the entirety of tattooing he made her feel uncomfortable. Our experience was so negative with this artist, that my extremely polite and non-confrontational friend decided to not tip for the first time in her life (that's a big deal for her). Anyways, moral of the story: we won't be going back.

Went with my mom as a walk-in and they were super helpful and friendly. She loves her tattoo! Thank…read moreyou so much.

Tex was amazing. Did my full sleeve and my son's half sleeve and my wife tattoo. Amazing vibe that…read moreis relaxing, extremely clean and price and designs are excellent.

I just got my Hello Kitty tattoo done there this weekend and WOW! Amazing service and excellent…read morestaff! It's a tiny shop, but I love that the artists interact with the customers and give quick appointments! The artist readjusted the position of my tattoo and talked to me during the session as well as compliment the work as he was doing it! Even if the tattoo seems silly, it was very thoughtful of them to make me feel great about a decision to put it on my body FOREVER :) I will definitely be back without a doubt! So worth the 100 mile drive!

The Electric Rose has a lot of history for me. It was the first tattoo shop I ever went to, when I…read morewas 21. So when I moved back to Olympia at 47, even though the shop was under new ownership, I felt a certain loyalty to it simply because of that nostalgia. My first experience with the current owner/artist was mostly positive. I sometimes like to have my kids' artwork tattooed on me, and he fit me in, treated me respectfully, and did a decent job reproducing the exact drawing I brought him. The shading came out a little lighter than I would have preferred, but nothing that couldn't have been fixed with a touch-up. I tip over 20% for tattoos. Because of that experience, I trusted him enough to book a Valentine's couples tattoo for my husband and me. My husband put down a $100 deposit in good faith. What makes the experience particularly frustrating is that the artist had previously told me about people drinking next door, putting down deposits, and then forgetting about them -- essentially leaving him money for work that never happened. I remember thinking that was unfortunate, but I still trusted him with ours. My husband spent the weekend before our appointment trying to create the small piece of artwork we wanted to use, but by the evening before the appointment, we still didn't have something we were happy with. I called the shop, left a voicemail, and emailed asking if we could reschedule. I received no response. Later that day, my husband and I stopped by the shop. I had been drinking and was admittedly tipsy. I don't believe I was loud or disruptive, although I probably lingered for a minute or two talking about rescheduling and made a couple of jokes to the people who happened to be there. The owner verbally agreed that we could reschedule. Afterward, I emailed to set up an entirely new appointment. No response. I sent a follow-up. Again, no response. Eventually, when my dog died and I wanted a memorial tattoo, I went somewhere else. Washington Street Tattoo Collective helped me actually develop a finished design from the elements I brought them, charged me less, and did beautiful work. I'm still out the $100 deposit at Electric Rose, though, and that's what leaves such a bad feeling. I had loyalty to this shop because of what it represented to me and because it had been part of my life since I was 21. I understand that nostalgia doesn't create an obligation on the part of a new owner. But I do think taking a customer's cash deposit, agreeing in person to reschedule, and then simply not responding to repeated attempts to book another appointment is a poor way to treat a returning customer. I can acknowledge that the artist did decent work for me previously. I can also acknowledge my own imperfect moment in showing up tipsy that afternoon. But I wish the same basic good faith I extended when handing over $100 had been returned with either a rescheduled appointment, a refund, or at minimum, a response.

I have been going to this shop for 20 years. They are professional, they confirm appointments and…read morekeep track, custom pieces are followed through with each artist, and every artist makes you feel like family and friends when your around in the shop. Highly recommend them and I will not go anywhere else, and I have no problem paying for that assurance.

Well here we are! (And there you are and there over there he is. Lol) Now you may have gotten…read moretattooed from other shops (and no I'm not talking about your cousins attic with a razor blade.) but there is one shop in the top of Olympus that towers over the northwest section of Merika. (*looks up into the mountain with the sun burning your eyes.* "ah! My eyes they burn!!!.... FROM AWESOMENESS!") So get comfy, shaved and ready for the stencil of this review! Atmosphere: Well it feels like a squirrel took a wrong turn and ended up in the Willy Wonka section where they inspected nuts because this place is amazingly nut! (Places Spider monkeys on the nut scale.. *processing...ding!*... it's... aaaaaa... good nut. Lol [Now a days that means something completely different. These kids and their analogies! *Shakes cane to the sky only to be blinded by the sun again* "Gosh darn it!!" Lol]) There is so much Art and trinkets on the walls, that I almost 83.4% go crossed eye from trying to take in all of the art. (Now I'm starting to wonder why my tattoos end up in different parts of my body... O.O) The place is immaculate and the only litter ever created was when I accidentally dropped a wrapper on the ground and that's actually the only time I saw the mess that it really was. (Due to my wrapper. Don't worry I picked it right away.) Each artist section is covered by their art creations and a spin to it. (Kinda like a college dorm room but instead of poster it's amazing art.) Let's talk about the restroom because just like everyone (which I read in a wise book a long time ago and I live by it daily) they poop. *tear falls done* she's... breathtaking, the seat is wiped and the sink is clean, there's art on the wall and my backside cinnamon rolls thank you for caring for my donkey. Customer Service/Product: Now you may have seen a lot of 80s through 90s movies where they depict the tattoo artist as tattooed, pierced and mean! Well let me tell you it's nothing like that. These people are tattooed, pierced and.. friendly! O.O I've personally been working with Skrappy for 94.7% of my tattoos and he has not disappointed me! (YET!.... I'm just joking. I don't think he will. No pressure.. [ALL PRESSURE!!... I'm just joshing you.. *cough* O.O!!!]) They have a professional outlook and making sure you have what you want and taking the correct steps to set up their station and make it a safe environment to be tatted in. (Plus Skrappy has the softest hands there. Well that's what he told me and I'm sticking to it. Lol.) The tattoos produced here are worth every cent and they actually care what you want, what's doable, and what's not. They won't curve the truth and honestly I love seeing that in a business. Plus the majority of the time while I'm getting tattooed were mostly telling jokes, catching up or just staring deep each other's eyes. Lol. Conclusion: You ever just get so frustrated to not getting what you want? Ever want quality work that's worth your money? Ever needed a clean safe environment where professional who have done this for years know what they're doing? Ever ask Samantha Boiser from cubicle 36-B and get rejected so now you take the stairs instead of the elevator just in case of the off chance you get stuck with her in it like last Tuesday and she brings it out and tells you why she said no so you end up crying in front of her so she just awkwardly gets off a floor earlier!?!... if you checked yes in one of these things *thinks..* yes.. if you have checked one in any of these. This place is your place to go. With an amazing selection of tattoo artist, immaculate environment filled with fascinating art and professional but awesome background it's hard not waste every pay check here! (Why am I so broke!?! *shakes to the sky--* ah my eyes again!!)

Seriously this was one of the best experiences at a tattoo shop that I have ever had. Travis is…read moregreat artist. He listened to what I wanted, and then produced a quality piece of work that was more than I anticipated. My wife and I both have been tattooed by him, and hope to go back in the near future. Extremely detailed orientated. Great line work. Awesome shading. Vibrant colors. The shop was more than willing to work with us when a situation arose.

I hadn't had a tattoo in 6 years, after my soul dog passed away I knew I wanted a tattoo in her…read morememory. Natalee was recommended to me from someone on Facebook about a year ago, so found her social pages, looked at her work & hit her up, waited 6 months & had thee best experience! She gives the best quality work. Natalee is super friendly & knowledgeable. I can't wait to see her again. The shop was clean. Everyone was friendly. Definitely go here for your tattoo needs.

This is where I got my first tattoo 25 years ago and as soon as we move back next year, I will be…read morevisiting them again! My tattoo is still vibrant, clean, and saturate with color, so that to me is the highest of quality of work!

I got a tattoo from The Sarge in September 2021 and was so happy and impressed. Today (September…read more2023) I got a tattoo from Curtis and was equally happy and impressed. Cannot say enough nice things about this place