Stopped in to get a new nose ring tonight. They have a great selection to choose from and Clayton changed it out for me right away. He was clean and gentle. We were in and out in five minutes. We have been customers since 1996 and still very happy with them! read more

Inkwell Tattoos - New nose ring and I love it. - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

I went to get my nose pierced for my birthday and was very nervous but it didn't hurt at all! They were very helpful and nice and funny. They helped me and explained me through it all. If you're planning on getting something pierced reach out to Clayton who works here because he truly was the best. My nose pericing didn't hurt in the moment and didn't hurt when healing at all. Very much reccomend this place! Clayton is great. read more

Amazing service, first time getting a tattoo was very nervous just turned 18, very great people helped me adjust my design what i wanted, helped me size it didn't take long i got tattooed within 20 minutes of being there. Talked me through it calmed me down and told me that it's gonna great, talk to me through seeing how I felt how I was doing in between the tattoo definitely will be going back again the artist brad was amazing and friendly, love this place highly recommend ! read more

Inkwell Tattoos - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

20/10 recommend inkwell tattoo. The shop is very clean and all the staff is super nice. I highly recommend Darren who did both of my tattoos. He was really thoughtful and willing to give me breaks if needed. He also seemed really knowledgeable provided a lot of information behind his rationale for certain design choices and positioning. I absolutely will go back and have him do all my tattoos in the future. read more

Inkwell Tattoos - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

I have given this shop 2 opportunities for my continued business. The 2 tattoos I've gotten from this place are good as far as quality. The shop is clean and professional in appearance. There are 2 major problems with this shop will prevent me from ever returning. 1) most of the staff I've spoken with at this shop are generally just kind of rude. I've heard them make fun of tattoo ideas directly to customers faces. More than just "hey, this idea probably won't work or look good" like directly just being mean. 2) They are the most inflexible shop I've ever walked in to. If you don't have a picture of what it is exactly you want that they can copy paste, you're SOL. I brought ideas and pictures to reference for a design I wanted, but they were short and just requested a picture of what I wanted. Generally, I am happy with the two tattoos I have that came from this shop. But I will not be returning for the rest of my ink projects. Would NOT recommend if you'd like a good experience. If you have a pic of what you want and appreciate piss poor attitudes, by all means, this place will do. read more

I have gotten all my tattoos done at Inkwell, and am very pleased with their artist. I have 14 tattoos now, and all are great works of art. I would recommend Inkwell to anyone getting a first tattoo, or to a veteran of tattoos. The staff is very friendly with a good sense of humor and always enjoy seeing them. read more

Inkwell Tattoos - This was just done by Brad. I love the work the artists do. - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

stay away! I took my daughter 13 here for her birthday she was so excited to get her nose pierced well she got a crappy piercing job no reaction this is a crap piercing job her friend went to these pool as well for same piercing both girls now has a big bump on the piercing area when my daughter took her nose ring off you can tell it's a crappy piercing job ! stay away!! out of $80 and my daughters nose is messed up now ! read more

I had the BEST experience. From the moment I walked in, the guy at the counter was so cool and friendly. Then Rob did my tattoo and he's just so awesome, made me laugh and feel comfortable. Definitely a kick ass group of people there!! Already planning my next tattoo :) Manda Marie read more

Inkwell Tattoos - Love my new tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

See all

Me and my wife wanted a simple cross Tattoo on our hand, and they were rude and just wouldn't do it for us. very weird atmosphere, so we left. read more

Great artists, super easy you just walk in and it's first come first serve! Loved the atmosphere and the conversation and my tattoo still looks brand new! read more

Awesome Awesome Awesome ! Very clean facility, follows COVID guidelines, great work, very professional, quick! read more

See all

Wow, WHAT a great place! Huge and easily the most clean shop that I've ever been in. Came in with cousins and in total we got two tattoos and two piercings between us. I only got a piercing, so this review will focus on that. Clayton was amazing. He maintains a very sterile environment and has a very welcoming, friendly air. He brought jewelry out to us and was very helpful in selection. I originally intended to do my right forward helix, but when we were discussing jewelry and i fell in love with a purple cluster, he convinced me to do my left conch instead. I was worried about the pain, but he assured that it wouldn't be worse than any of my other piercings. The piercing room is spacious. He let all 4 of us in- most shops only let you bring back one person! It was nice to have all the support in the room. I've already mentioned this, but he and his equipment were very clean. Overall, amazing experience. If I lived in this area (i'm on vacation), I would make this my go-to piercing place. read more

Inkwell Tattoos - Conch hidden in there - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

Great place to get a prison tat without having to go to prison. Clean shop, funny staff, and bad tats. I will never go back.

Rachelle did my tat's. Inkwell is a real laid-back environment. The artists seem so cool. She don't give much input when you asked if they this it look right when asked if I should add more or less work. Just kept saying it's not my tattoo. I like encouragement or if it's not right make it better. That what my first guy did. I might not go see her again. She very heavy handed. So if it's your first tat don't go to her it hurts vs my first tat 5 years ago made me want more but my guy moved. Don't get me wrong she's a cool girl but just heavy handed. Easy up a little bit. read more

Inkwell Tattoos - Miss Rachelle did this. - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

I have gone to these guys a couple times for different things. HORRIBLE!! The first time was for a tattoo....people in there were just not very nice. This was before remodel. Second time was several months ago....gave them another chance....to get my nose done on both sides. Told guy that was doing it about experience that i had a long time ago...thats how i know that the other guy was not there anymore. Seemed ok.....had a little trouble with them...called to let them know....didnt seem interested in even taking a look at them at all. Had to take one of them out, just seemed like my only option that i had with no imput from them. After other one was good to change....it is horrible to get in and out of due to the angle that it goes threw my nose! Have not had any luck with this place at all. DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM AT ALL! read more

Professional, clean, stylish, very customer-oriented, great prices. I've had work done here multiple times, before I moved away from Illinois. This latest time, I waited until I was visiting Illinois again to get new work done here. I was a walk-in and was amazed by the "we can do that now!" attitude, versus the "we can do that next month" attitude of every other place I asked back in my town. read more

My wife and I called to see if we could get tattoos. The guy on the phone asked questions about what we wanted and told us to come in in 2 hours and they could get us right in. We showed up with some people walking in the door right in front of us who were walkins. When we told them who we were the guy said it didn't matter if we called we were at the back of the list and would have to wait. That is horrible customer service and if this is the kind of service they perform then I don't want to give them any of my money. Don't waste your time. read more

Excellent artists professional and clean. They have done al my work. Looking forward to having more done

Let me start off by saying I have been going to this shop for at least 10 years from getting tattoos to piercings when they were just a small shop by the African hair braiders. I've taken multiple people to this shop for tattoos as well but now I would not recommend this place to anyone. I went in for a tattoo 11/29 & was tatted by a guy name Duren. While he was tatting he was extremely nice telling me how he even does free touch ups within the first 6 months. What he failed to tell me was he only comes in the shop Thurs-Sunday & they don't do touch ups on the weekend. This man has scarred my skin. WORSE TATTOO EVER & you would think the shop would take responsibility in fixing the issue but they continue to give me the run around! I've called & stopped by multiple times for months now & NOTHING. I will be filing a complaint with the BBB!!!! read more

I love this place!!! Great customer service, great prices, clean environment, awesome playlist, and skilled versatile tattoo artists!! You can't get any better than that! If you want it done right, you have to go to the best! read more

Walked in to get a tattoo and the guy who greeted me and my friend was an asshole. He said my placement wasn't symmetrical and that if it was it'd be better and insulted my friend's bunny shirt. Never coming back, no wonder no one was in the shop when we got there. Very rude. read more

How has no one reviewed this place yet? Oh right, I think it's because no one in Illinois in this area really knows about Yelp... poop. Anyway, I love the Inkwell. I'm almost 27, but when i was 18 I went there to get my belly button pierced and the dudes were really nice. Last summer, my friends and I tried to go in on a Saturday but they were so packed that we decided not to get any tattoos. The dudes were still really nice even though they were slammed. Then I went back there a while ago and got an anchor tattoo and the dudes were really nice again. Oh, not to mention they did great work. Several people were getting tattoos while I was there and they all turned out great. A friend of mine got a huge full-back tattoo at the Inkwell and it's absolutely gorgeous. I also just like it when tattoo artists aren't huge douchebags. As for the cost, isn't any place considered "pricey" if they do great work? I would even say this place is on the lower pricey side. Oh, and one last thing, don't let the look of the place from the outside deter you. It's kind of a hole, but it's clean and they are very professional. I will definitely go back for future tattoos. read more

i got 2 piercings done by them and havent had one problem. Very clean and good prices. Nice people easy to talk to. You have a wide variety to choose from. They wont dissapoint you. read more

This place is way over priced and the man at the desk is very rude. He was making fun of peoples tattoos. Save your money and go somewhere else. I will never go back to this place again. read more

horrible place. i went in for a simple shading background on my arm and they COMPLETELY messed it up, looks nothing like the picture I wanted. I got grey blotchy lines down my arm, looks like a 3yo drew on my arm, everyone that knows me can't believe how garbage this looks, that's when I herd other horrible stories from ink well. So I went back after it healed and the artist instead of admitting its all messed up tried to say it looks similar? than said it would cost more money to fix? I couldn't believe it. Then the owner told me to get the F out with no refund. They made me pay before I even got the tattoo. So use cation if you go their. If they mess it up they will steal your money and won't be responsible. way better tattoo shops than this basic one. I'm completely furious every time I look at my arm. I am going to pay a REAL tattoo Artist to fix it now. Oh they charged me $325 for 35min of work. read more

Here is my credentials for giving a tattoo shop review - My entire back is done and I've got 3 other large tattoos that I sat for at least 4.5 hours or more. I'm kind of a snob about where I get my work done and this snob gives Inkwell 5 stars. I happen to be in town visiting a friend of mine and we had been planning on getting sister tattoos for a few years. We went to some other shops in the area that will remain nameless and I was not impressed with the people and even less impressed with the shops. Then we got to Inkwell. When we walked in it had a better vibe and then we got talking with Jay, who ended up giving us our tattoos, and I really liked his attitude. Definitely cool dudes here. I hate finding a new tattoo shop because I've seen some shit work and I continue to use the same tattoo artist until I have to move. This makes me really sad that I don't live here and can't use this place in the near future. As for price - you get what you pay for in life. The prices here are comparable to the other places I've been tattooed. You could pay less somewhere else but you run the risk of getting a low quality tattoo. read more

They earned their star rating. The shop is clean, bright, and organized. The staff is friendly (which seems to be a huge rarity among the tattoo parlors I have visited). So far, I've only had my nostril pierced. I selected my own top for the jewelry and waited approximately 45 minutes for it to be autoclave sterilized. The piercer opened every sealed packed with me in the room with gloves on. They even gave instructions for at-home saline solution instead of the store bought stuff. My piercing healed lightning fast - probably because Lucas knew what he was doing and because they use top quality jewelry. Could you get it done cheaper elsewhere? Maybe, but I will happily pay to shop at Target instead of Walmart. I am planning to get 2-3 tattoos, once I save up the money, and a few more piercings. I will definitely update once those are done! Can't wait to go back! read more

I'm from the Chicagoland area and I was in the area visiting family when my beloved pup of 9.5 years had to be put down. Party of my mourning process, I decided to get a tattoo closest to my heart of him. Darren was my artist and he did an excellent job immortalizing my best friend, and I would recommend Inkwell and especially Darren's work. read more

Inkwell Tattoos - Tattoo by Darren - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

See all

Asked to get a touch up, which they said they would do for free. It was a small touch up and would have only taken about 10 minutes. After having me wait about 3 1/2 hours for somebody in front of me, they informed me that they wouldn't do it and would have to charge me another $80. The tattoo originally cost 50$. Bogus. Don't waste your time. read more

This is the last place I would go to if I were wanting to get a tattoo. I went in a couple of weeks ago to meet with somebody about getting a small tattoo done. The artists lack people skills. They looked at me like I was crazy when I asked them if they could help me with a design. They blew me off, and weren't even busy. The place looks like you could get aids from sitting in their chars. Cigarette butts littered the outside of their hole in the wall shop inside looked terribly dirty. Management needs to up their customer service if they are serious about their business. read more

Front counter staff somewhat surly and dismissive; acted as if they were doing me a favor even talking with me. The shop seemed clean enough. The tattoo itself is a complete disappointment. Symmetric shapes weren't even. Blotchy solid color laydown. Overall image skewed off centerline. Went in for a free (as they stated when I got the tattoo) touch-up to correct the blotchy parts only to be told it would cost additional money. I have absolutely no desire to come back to Inkwell for another tattoo and will not do so. Caveat Emptor. read more

Very clean facility. The staff is always so nice and professional. JESSICA did my tattoo and did such a great job. Definitely will go back!

I always liked this place and spent hundreds of dollars on tattoos and piercings and always tipped generously as they performed quality work. I have now got 5 tattoos total and I had 3 of them done at Inkwell. The first two were done very awesome. I always wanted a cherry blossom tattoo on my wrist and made the terrible mistake of getting it. JESSICA did this tattoo, and it is horrible. Ray Charles could have done a better job. See the pic attached. In 2 days, I have had this poorly done tattoo for only a year!! Like I said, this is my THIRD tattoo from this establishment and my 5th overall, and when I went in to get it fixed (oh hey people, it has to be within 6 months, something they neglected to mention to me, as I work full time plus at my job and I am only off on Tuesday's and don't have all the time in the world) they insinuated my aftercare caused this, which there is no way and it's not like this was my first tattoo, so I know about tattoo aftercare. I wanted this crap ass job fixed and for free, but they refused and tried to compare it to contractor work where I cut them off mid sentence and told them I'd go somewhere else, because the scratcher who did this was working anyway and would have been the one to "fix" it. I tipped this half ass scratcher $10 and she charged me $100 for a horrible tattoo I'm stuck with until I can get it covered up. If you like low quality tattoos, ask for Jessica! I'll wait and have the renowned Eric Catalano fix it or I will try Integrity! Thanks Inkwell! Thank you too Jessica! I feel pretty good when I wake up in the morning until I see your shoddy work! Reminds of of that nasty tattoo parlor named Dagos in Houston, TX that Jeffree Star brought to the public's attention! You lost my business forever Inkwell! But hopefully I save someone from the mistake I made! read more

Inkwell Tattoos - Amazing work, don't you agree? - Tattoo Near Me - Fairview Heights, Illinois

I am extremely upset I spent soo much money for earrings that 1 are permanent and I didn't ask for that! 2 got infected because I was told just to wash with soap and water for 8 weeks my ear is fully swollen and it's so painful! NEVER GET YOUR EARS PIERCED HERE! $130 down the drain! The guy was so rough when he took out the earring I cried and I hardly ever cry from physical pain. read more

My tattoo healed very quickly and there was no bleeding during or after. It did leak a bit of ink the next day, but that's normal. Everything (tat & 2 new piercings) already looks great and feel healed. I don't have enough great things to say about these guys. Check 'em out! read more

I've gotten multiple piercings here, such as my rook, forward helix, nose, and tongue. They put you at ease and make sure every piercing is just where you want it before they pierce you. I wouldn't trust anyone else with a needle. These guys do a great job. read more

Great shop and professional crew! Just got my first tattoo and Brad was the bees knees! Will go back to him for sure.

cleanest on the IL side good price good consistent work cheap apprentice prices cool guys but not very personal though i have had 2 eyebrow,one septum,2 lip, one labret, and one upper back tattoo done there. TY guys-just dont get too full of your Badd selves. read more

Great place to get piercings!!! I absolutely love Luke (one of the piercers). He is very professional and explains everything. He also has no problem recommending or giving his opinion, based on his extensive experience. Don't bother going across the bridge :). read more

My husband and I waisted 3 hours on a trip in this shop, only to be told that our matching tattoos couldn't be done in the same day. We live 12 hours away and can't just stop by tomorrow to finish them. The whole point was to get matching tattoos the same day which they said they could do. Save your money and time and go somewhere else. read more