I am updating this due to the response below - As I mentioned, I wrote this because it is still relevant to ME considering I have the work displayed on my body and in case she is still working there. I do not want others to be duped as I was on my second tattoo and to warn them to just be a bit more mindful when choosing an artist. I am not saying everyone that works there is not truth worthy but I do believe I was cheated. Also mind you this was years ago, so $400 back then is a lot different than $400 now. I am now covered in wonderful artwork and working on getting the piece covered. I have had full shaded, detailed pieces that have cost me similar. Since you did not believe I was being true here is a photo and hand for reference. I would say it is about the size of my palm. read more

Old Town Tatu - $400 outline tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been flying to Chicago from Miami just to be tattooed by Jen Doe. She's done all my work along with a huge cover up. Professional and a beautifully kept shop. All this work has healed very well. I'm very pleased and grateful to have found her. read more

See all

One random winter day about a year and a half ago I had an itch for some ink late night and stumbled across Old town. I decided on a small plane on my wrist bc I love to travel and free bird lyrics "and this bird you cannot change" bc I love the song and well bc no one can change me except me and I'm stubborn. My shoulder tattoo the lyrics looks phenomenal! I get complimented on it all the time. Britani truly did an amazing job! My plane on the other hand looks kind of bad. The color is all faded out and one day I had called about getting it filled in and the guy who answered asked who the artist was and I told him so he put her on the phone and she was short and kind of rude with me. I asked about setting something up to get it in filled in and she's like well I have to look at it and approve it. Like really wtf?!? I've never been told that before. Every shop I've ever been tattooed at has offered me a touch up if I'm not satisfied. I had called within a timely fashion to request it as well I had probably had it for about 6 months or so. Just because of that I will most likely never return to this shop as a result of that 1 minute conversation. Because of that I'm only giving the shop 4 stars. read more

Old Town Tatu - Airplane done by Britani. Needs to be redone. - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I just got my second Jen Doe tattoo. She's wonderful! I love her art, and her shading is exquisite. I just got a black orchid (still in process) and the B&W shading is amazing. She's so fun to work with, and her work is stellar. Old Town is a great shop, and I'm already planning my next piece. read more

Old Town Tatu - Phoenix tattoo by Jen Doe - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been getting tattooed here for many years the artist here are very respectable and highly talented.

Review for Jen Doe: I chose Old Town Tatu since it was the highest rated, ESTABLISHED, shop closest to my house. I wanted a cover up over a 20 year old Dragon with a heavy outline. Two artists looked at it and Jen took the job with enthusiasm. I felt bad asking her to go over this deep ink because I feel that good artists deserve fresh skin but Jen was really into the challenge and got me psyched about finally tackling this. I didn't really have a solid plan so she helped to open up my mind and I trusted in her opinions on what would be feasible or not. I'm very happy that I trusted her. She is extremely clean and efficient and I'd recommend her to anyone. The shop: This is a clean, professional, established shop. This is the 8th shop I've been tattooed in (4th in Chicagoland) and it is now my go to shop. The other artists support each other are very friendly. This area has been flooded with pop up shops over the last 7/8 years and I don't recommend shopping around for discounts. I'm happy to support this established local business. read more

I just got my third tattoo here from Mo, who's new to the shop and it was great! Mo was super laidback, friendly, and helped me make an informed and thoughtful decision when I was undecided on where I wanted to get my piece. The shop is also really beautiful and has some truly kooky history and great energy from the staff there. I'm already so looking forward to my next experience at Old Town Tatu, whenever that is! read more

Old Town Tatu - Tattoo done by Mo (@smallbirdsbutalsolargerbirds on Instagram) - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Shawn "Hollywood" Hughes is a master of his trade....when I walked in I wasn't sure who to go to....I had been dissapointed with the professionalism of a tattoo artist who no longer work there (showbiz).....When I showed Hollywood Hughs my tattoo his confidence on the piece was exciting....as well as his ideas to enhance the piece with out making me feel like what I chose wasn't good enough.....I left a deposit and came in a week later where he was READY WITH FOR ME WITH A DRAWING!!! I was so excited! I don't like to take breaks and he was so open to just pushing threw and getting the tattoo executed. No awkward conversations no....weird vibes just talent and an upbeat attitude at work....For some reason I KEEP FORGETTING ABOUT THE ANTENNA'S OF MY BUTTERFLY'S (SHOWBIZ ) forgot to put on my butterfly's I will make a point to try and remember as per shop owner he said it could be added. I hope to be back within the next few weeks for my newest creation before summer. Thank you "Hollywood" Hughes I KNOW Old Town has Talent....but you reminded me that it also has professionalism. read more

Old Town Tatu - Shawn "Hollywood" Hughes. - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you are looking for someone who is extremely aware of the field and all things tattoos, Angela Koscal. If you are looking for an artist who can take all of your ideas out of your head and draw it out for you and make it look even better than you imagined, Angela Koscal. There is nobody better. Every time I tattoo with her I learn something. She never ceases to amaze me with her talent. I believe she has been doing this for about 15 years and it's truly her calling. I will for sure be getting much more work done with her. She has a great energy and vibe as well. read more

Old Town Tatu - Done by Angela Koscal! A professional and an amazing artist! - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This is my 3rd review. I've actually been tattooed here on 3 seperate occassions. Each time I left with a dope tattoo. The only negative I can think of is that it does take a little longer than usual for these guys to get set up but who wants a rushed tattoo. Turns out this place is haunted as it used to be a funeral home and crematorium (it was featured on Ghost lab, saw it on Netflix). Old Town tattoo also features traditional artwork for sale by their artists. This place is really clean as well and each artist is borderline obsessive compulsive with making sure their station is clean. To me, a good tattoo artist should be able to take different concepts and ideas and artfully blend them into something spectacular, something worth putting on your body. On all three occassions I had "The Artist" known as Chango do my body art. Since its tax time I will most definitely be heading back in the next few wks, if you're considering a tattoo I'd definitely recommend this place. read more

Old Town Tatu - Done by Chango on 10/12/11 - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Come here and ask for Jen. Jen knows what she's doing and is hella friendly. I've been tattooed by Jen several times and she is brilliant. Jen is also a clean freak and a waiver enforced. She won't tattoo you without a signed waiver and a crazy clean station - leaves you with a good peace of mind. This tattoo shop is an old funeral home, or so I'm told. It has a lot of character with the stained glass and a few other eclectic pieces of furniture. read more

I just wanted to write a quick review of my experience getting my first -and second!- tattoo with the great Miguel Mercado, one of the artists at Old Town Tatu. Miguel is a very nice and patient artist. He listens to what you want and proceeds accordingly. For my first tattoo, he redesigned his original stamp and included what I wanted, which is the Picasso sculpture located at the Daley Plaza. This was my first tattoo. I was not nervous or anything, and if I have to describe the pain for starters, I'd say something like 2 or 3 in a scale of 10. When you are getting the tattoo, it feels like they are slicing bread with a knife. The day after, it felt like a sun burn, a very bad one. Again, the pain never went beyond 3 in a scale of 10. I understand pain is a very subjective feeling, so for every individual it is different. I was very happy with my first tattoo. It healed in 10 days following the given instructions, and it looks great! A month later I went back to see Miguel again for my second tattoo. This time, I wanted a stamp of Barcelona, the city I was born in. So I have the couple of cities I love: the city I was born in, and the city that adopted me. For Barcelona, it was very clear to me I wanted the Sagrada Familia temple on it. I kind of wanted the Catalan flag as a background also, but I did not know where to place it. Miguel went the extra mile and spent whatever time necessary to find the best fit. Incredibly, he came with a design that resembled the Antoni Tàpies art, which is a Catalan artist I am very fond of. So there you go, as you can see in the picture I uploaded, I have the two cities I love "stamped" on my back. Miguel Mercado has quickly earned all my respect as a tattoo artist, thus I recommend you see him to get a tattoo. His main/preferred style would be American traditional, but he is comfortable doing other things. My experience went great, and I am very happy with my tattoos! Thanks for reading! read more

Old Town Tatu - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am in love with my new ink!!!!! I did have to wait quite a long time, but I did not have an appointment & I found out later that they were short staffed because of someone having a birthday. Hey I get that - that is why I came the day I did (my birthday!!) A regular had an appointment and arrived about the same time I did. As I was going to "pay to park" at those damn boxes all over chicago, she rolled down her window to let me know that after 9pm we did not have to pay!!! HOW AWESOME! Cute, funky atmosphere in an awesome "old chicago" style building. The architecture is something inside and they have appointed it well. read more

Had a great experience with Rodolfo. He fit me in as I was going on vacation in a month and wanted to have enough time to heal so I could swim. He helped with the design, was really diligent and gave me great advise for aftercare. The place is clean, unassuming and has a great vibe. I'm not a tattoo guy and can see how people may get intimidate, but everyone is nice and just a real nice place. Highly recommen! read more

I went for Friday the 13th a few weeks ago to get a grateful dead bear that they offered on my arm. After two days the redness would not go away and the bib on the bear began bubbling up. After much concern, I ended up at the emergency room. I have an entire sleeve and for a Friday the 13th special, ended up paying hundreds of dollars. Even the nurses were grossed out. Very upsetting. It's almost healed, finally but it needs to get covered immediately. read more

Old Town Tatu - This is post emergency room after the infection started going down. I won't even post the before pictures. - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was referred to Shawn to get a tattoo fixed that was done by one of his coworkers. I was expecting it to look decent after the error his coworker did, no names of that person for he is No longer with the tattoo shop, but instead I got an extraordinary, fantastic piece of art which I will cherish a lifetime. It's truly the best piece I have on my entire body. Will deff be doing back to retouch all the mishaps of my past mistakes. Friendly, extremely clean and sanitary, down to earth tattoo shop. Very talented artist, and helpful with ideas when asked what would look best. read more

See all

I am writing this review in response to the wonderful experience my husband had at Old Town with Memo. His artwork is absolutely amazing and far surpassed the expectations and hopes my husband had for his long-awaited sleeve (which was a gift from me for his 30th b-day). As a spectator to this whole tattoo process, I have to say that though I admit that I am slightly biased, it is one of the best tattoos I have ever seen. It healed quickly with no complications and looks amazing. read more

NEAL IS AMAZING! I made an appointment and came in the shop about a week and a half ago for a 4 word quote on my rib cage and I could not be more thrilled with the results! It's so beautiful and even better than I ever could have imagined. Neal is extremely professional, VERY talented and patient. He walked me through all the steps and made sure I was comfortable along the way. His art is incredible - I highly suggest working with him! The shop is really cool and has a ton of history. Oh! And it's haunted! So when you go to get tattooed by Neal, make sure he tells you some ghost stories! read more

Love this place!! Came to see Polly for a koi thigh tattoo. Even pre-appointment Polly was awesome with keeping in touch and listening to what I was thinking design wise. When I got there she was all ready with a few different designs for me to pick from. The building is super cool especially with its history and has a totally cool vibe. My ink turned out amazing and I would come here again in an instant and have been referring Polly and Old Town Tatu to anyone who will listen!! read more

Old Town Tatu - Tattoo done by Polly Williams April 2013 - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have driven past this place almost everyday for the last eight years (since it used to be called Odin), and I decided to go in this week and check it out. I usually go to Deluxe, but they have gotten too cool for school recently, so I am looking for a new shop. I love getting work done, but hate having to wait 5 months for an appointment and know I can't walk into the place without spending $1000. Old Town Tatu is awesome. I just wanted to see what it was like so I went in on Wednesday as a walk-in and Stephanie took care of me right away. She was friendly and professional and just really cool. The work was great, so I think I'm hooked. I liked it so much that I went back today for their Friday the 13th special and had Britaini do my 13. She was great too, and super friendly and cool. I have to say that this is my new favorite tattoo shop in the city. They are great artists and the building is full of character. It just has a good vibe to it. Also, they don't have that "I'm cooler than you" mentality that alot of the good shops seem to be developing... I'm not saying they aren't cooler than me, because they probably are, but at least they don't shove it in my face. lol. Great Place!!!! I will be back and will be telling my friends and bar patrons about this shop. Thanks to Stephanie and Britaini read more

I sought out ++++ Polly ++++ because I wanted to do a large nature themed back piece. I hear great things about her, so I looked her up online. Her portfolio impressed me, her unique style intrigued me, and her creative professionalism proved to me that I had made the right choice in trusting her to do my work. Polly's insightful suggestions and ability to envision the best design for my forever body art has kept me coming back for more. She has now completed three (two large, one medium) tattoos for me, and I look forward to working with her again. Its obvious to see that Polly really cares about her customer's entire tattoo experience, from her attentiveness, to her high standards of cleanliness, to her engaging and friendly personality. She is a top-notch artist, who I can tell really loves what she does. Book your appointment with her today! read more

A friend of mine was tattooed here and his work is phenomenal! I haven't seen anything better in my life, no joke! The color is amazing, and the skin isn't even that swollen. I mean, I have seen skin swell and look intensely painful, but not here. Artwork on your body isn't something that one should take lightly. It is something you should be proud of and something that means something to you - even if it just makes you smile. I have 26 tattoos and not every one of them has some deep, significant meaning. A few of them are just there because they were cute or funny and make me happier and make me smile. I'm pretty damn sure I'm going to be coming back here for some ink of my own. And haunted? Count me in. read more

I have been coming to Old Town Tatu for years now. They are professional, clean, no attitude type of shop. I usually go to Angela for my tats, she is amazingly talented and you can tell she has been in the tattoo industry for a long time. She is extremely knowledgeable and honest. I love how clean her lines are and i know that isnt easy to achieve. I recently got my tattoo from her, something i have been wanting for 5 years and she nailed it and im obsessing over it lol. I highly, recommend Angela. read more

I feel like they are less well known than other shops, but I definitely recommend this place. I got my first tattoo done here and we spent time going over two designs and I picked one that i hadn't originally wanted, but realized it would look better and not bleed like the other might. There weren't a lot of people there when I went in and it had a really laid back atmosphere. Get your ink done by Sean. I have known him for years and he is one of the sweetest guys ever. He gave me a large tattoo for a great price and really handled it with a lot of care and professionalism. Also, super clean! The staff is very friendly even to someone who had no prior ink, which isn't something I have encountered in the other shops i inquired at. read more

My mom, dad and I went in about a little over two weeks ago to get a tattoo each as walk ins we had a very pleasant experience. We each got a different artists who listened to our ideas in combinations with theirs to give us our amazing tattoos. My dad got a cover up of some dusty anchors he got ages ago and the old baseball really helped them look in place. Mine is the fabulous eye. While I was getting tattooed I could not stop saying how real it looked and was so happy. No one believes it's real. I have nothing but good things to say. The tattoos have also healed beautifully. Thank you so much to everyone in the shop I'll be seeing you guys soon! read more

Old Town Tatu - Tattoo Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Today I came in for a new tattoo, and I must say I was blown away. My tattoo artist recently transferred to this shop from his previous location, and I couldn't be happier. The shop was kept extremely clean, and organized; nothing was left unopened, each station was tidy with no clutter or mess--this is important for me because it gives the reinsurance that I can trust their environment; (he also used brand new equipment and needles). My tattoo artist was incredible as always, and I continue to be stunned by his artwork, patience, and of course, humor. If you're looking for a professional, talented, artist, I most definitely recommend this location! read more

I have 9 tattoos. Angela is responsible for 4 and Shawn is responsible for 1. These are the the most complimented tats I have. They are both talented artists and listen to what you want. Both are willing to work with your ideas, but someone who is getting inked needs be open to suggestions as the artists, these 2 in particular, have many years of experience. read more

Great artists and atmosphere to match. Rustic, historic, haunted building. I've had Jen do two pieces, both times on a whim and with no complaints whatsoever. I highly recommend this spot. read more

I had been planning and designing a tattoo for about 6 years. I am by no means an artist and was a little aprehensive about how it was going to turn out. I met Britaini and immediately felt comfortable and at ease. She thanked me for having a drawing, handed me her portfolio to look through and went to work on refining my sketch. She came back shortly and had created exactly what I had envisioned and MORE. She was really friendly, very accomodating and her work is beautiful. I will definitely be going to her for all of my future work. The shop is really clean, comfortable and has a lot to look at while you wait (which wasn't very long) and it is easily accessible and there is plenty of street parking. I will send everyone I know to Old Town Tatu!!!! read more

It's all about the artist and Polly is a rock star!!! I wanted a big, fun, colorful jellyfish on my back. And it needed to somehow incorporate my existing semi faded tribal peacock. No easy way but a few days after my initial consultation, she had a bad-ass jellyfish drawn and I let her have creative freedom. It's awesome. I love it and it's begging for friends. Detailed, gentle and very chill, Polly is an excellent artist and an equally talented tattooer. Love the vibe at Old Town Tatu and I'm looking forward to going back soon for something new! read more

POLLY IS AMAZING! We went to her for matching tattoo's. This was my wife's sixth and my first. Polly worked with us to come up with the perfect design. Her detail work and color are extraordinary. She inked detail we did not think possible. Her chair side manner made me, a tattoo virgin, feel totally safe and relaxed. We are recommending her work to everyone we know. Polly's pricing was great. From start to finish our experience was perfect. read more

This parlor now goes by the name Old Town Tattoo. I've been here 3 times, once to get a tattoo and twice to witness a friend get inked. My first impression of the shop itself is that it is clean and well-maintained. The staff have always been friendly and very helpful. It's really clear that their main concern is pleasing the customer. I'm happy with my tattoo and I'll be getting some custom work from them very soon. Their pricing is pretty average for Chicago with a $50 minimum, but honestly they could get away with charging more than they do. read more

yes the room is haunted. I've felt and witnessed souls moving about and this before the jameson and tequila chaser. but it adds to the flavor of the joint, artwork by the local inkers. Brother Shawn rocked his prinker and placed some wicked mojo on one of my besties. She sports some new hottage which not hides her skin, but reveals portions of her character. Tattoos are not for everybody. They are actually for nobody, but those who endure the process and live with it each and every minute forward. OTT is a good launching point into a new part of your life. Yes lasers can remove past mistakes, but the scars never completely heal and the lessons learned should remain in your thoughts until you think no more. If you do haz the itches for some revelations, do check this spot out, check out the website, talk with the artists and let your gut tell you if this is the place to discover another part of your life, because after this you will never be the same. read more

So since we were tattoo hoppin'....my girlfriend got her neck inked here. This place was a funeral home back in the day...and although it does look a bit creepy from the outside....the inside really is kind of cozy (eerie cozy) cool. And Debt was not only quite skilled in the art of tatu but also had a fun, friendly personality to back it up. read more

This place is amazing. A haunted tattoo parlor with some of the best ink you will ever find! See my profile pic of the Ouija board? Matt from Oldtown did it. Some of the best line work I have ever seen!! I have done several TV shows here about the ghost but I keep coming back because of the art, the service and the ink. Watch out for Hollywood, he really isn't a doctor but he keeps asking to give me a prostate exam before my tattoo (just kidding). read more

I got my first tattoo done here some time in March of 2010. My brother went with me and I got him a tattoo also. I would like to say that the artists are very friendly. They are very clean and sterile. They play great music in the background. The artist that did my brothers tattoo was awesome, I believe her name was Brittany, she was nice, and joined in on me picking on my brother, she also helped pick out a tattoo and helped understand what it meant. All in all she was great. My brothers tattoo came out phenomenal, it was prefect and the colors were really bold. I was jealous. Now your probably wondering why I gave them 3 stars??? The artist I had, was friendly, cracked a few jokes, very clean and sterile. But...My tattoo was only black, and when I see my brothers I'm very jealous because his color is still bold and it still looks bad-ass, whereas mine is faded... It looks like its 10 or 20 years old, some of the lines aren't matched right and most of the corners aren't connected, and its a wrap around on my fore-arm, and where its messed up is on the underside where I don't see too much of it. Not only is the tattoo in bad shape but my artist was in a hurry. I don't like to put people down, but if you've done this for a while, knew how long it would take, and realized that you had to leave soon, wouldn't you pass it to another artist? I don't live in the city and I really don't think its worth the 40 mile drive to go down there and get a touch-up, especially since my brother didn't have to get his touched-up... read more

Had a great experience for my first tattoo. Very clean and friendly staff. Polly did great work and was very helpful. Will definitely go back for my next. read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!! I got a relatively simple tattoo today (thick initials and a heart) by Lurch aka Michael and he MESSED ME UP!!! The letters that were supposed to be filled in with black were patchy and I can still see my skin in a lot of areas, the lines were crooked and uneven. I couldn't believe he worked in a shop, if I didn't know any better I'd say this was his first tattoo. Waste of money. Will be getting this tattoo covered up, it can't be fixed. read more

I've gotten my last 3 tattoos now from Old Town Tatu. My first was from jade dragon. I am a big fan of Old Town!! They are very friendly, very professional, and very good!! Also their pricing is very fair. I am planning on getting another tattoo and I already plan on going back to Old Town, it's the only place for me now! :0) read more

I got my first tattoo done here by Jen Doe and I'm so happy I did. Jen took time to understand exactly what I wanted, looking at all my reference photos. The sketch she drew was exactly what I had envisioned. I was very appreciative of the fact that she made sure to tell me not to be shy about telling her how she could fix what she was doing wrong. In fact, it took 6 times before we got the stencil on exactly how I wanted it. Everything in here was super clean and sterilized. Jen made sure to wipe down all equipment and she kept her station very clean. I'm so excited about my new tattoo and I absolutely love how it turned out. I would definitely recommend this tattoo shop to any one looking to get a tattoo. read more