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Before ever actually getting a tattoo, I would walk past this place daily since it's on the way to my apartment, and the thought of going through the tattoo process was nothing short of intimidating in my eyes. I'd glace inside the windows and see all the amazing works of art, then the artists preparing their ink and wielding their mighty needle, awaiting their next customer. I'd say 'no thanks' in my head, and move along. After getting my first tattoo earlier this year, I decided that I wanted more work done on my arm. My first tat was simply an outline of an eagle (the one shown on the Mexican flag), so one night after work I walked in Tattoo Candy and told them that I wanted my tattoo colored in. Immediately an artist I worked with, Carrie, got her space set up and the coloring process began. She was an amazing artist to work with. Very focused in her craft, yet incredibly social at the same time, conversing with me just talking about whatever. Before I knew it, my tat was completed! Looked amazing, and a couple weeks later, I got another one done by Carrie that is equally as stunning. Truly a wonderful shop filled with friendly people. Walk ins are acceptable as are appointments. Each artist seems to have a unique style so whatever type of piece you're looking to do, just talk one of the guys (or gal) and see who can help ya! Don't worry, none of em bite, they just tend to stab you a lot ;)
Jake did a fabulous job on my tattoo! While other artists quoted the time it would take at 5 hours (and double the rate) he did this beautiful weeping willow in under 3!!! He's very professional, talented and easy to talk too. The other artists seemed cool as well. This is my fourth tattoo and hands down he's the best.
My wife and I came in for tattoos. Not matching but themed. I have a few but it was my wife's first. We had a good vibe from the shop and our artist, Tanner, did a great job of explaining everything. The work came out great and was fairly priced
Tanner designed this incredible switchblade tattoo for me on the spot as a walk in. He somehow intuited what I wanted based off of (or perhaps despite haha) my ramblings about how I had saved so many concept images I found on Google (like close to 100 photos of art and tattoos and vintage daggers) that I couldn't even remember what I liked in the first place! And he was genuinely excited designing and tattooing this as well. Pretty sure he might be superhuman... I am so happy with my tattoo, and with the overall wonderful experience I had with Tanner and with Tattoo Candy. Thank you so much!
I've had Speck do some more work on my forearm tattoo and I absolutely love her work! I am working on the full sleeve and already have future designs in mind so I will be a frequent client! I look forward to being a walking canvas created by Speck!
I've been going here for years unfortunately all of the good artists seem to leave, up until my last visit even when I wasn't with my preferred artist my tattoos came out good. This last visit I walked in and saw victor, while he was very nice the tattoos are shitty and I definitely feel like I overpaid for what looks like apprentice work. I paid $260 for three tiny little tattoos that didn't even come out well, yes I was told a price before hand but i've had so much work done here I just expected him to put in quality for the price. If you look at the bears the eyes are totally different sizes, he should have used the dot from the mountain as the eye but instead put a second smaller dot above it, the ear on the second bear isn't filled in, the M shaped eyebrows are awful, the second little bear has no shading, the feet... these are about an inch in size I have an 8in long leg piece I got done here with Carrie V (moved to midwest classic) that was $300 and took 3 hours, these tattoos took 45 minutes, the price was ridiculous but for the quality as well i feel incredibly ripped off. I know he offers free touch ups within the year but I had a friend get a tattoo from him with cruddy line work as well so I honestly don't believe he can do any better I'm just gonna have someone else fix it. Disappointed to say the least, going to be my last time coming here till they find some better artists again.
I have gone here twice now for tattoos. Let me start out by saying that I live in Denver. I make sure to come here when I'm visiting Chicago. The first time I got tattooed by Allie and she did an AMAZING job with bring my idea to life and then giving me such a great tattoo that I will appreciate forever. The second time I got tattooed by Speck! She did such an amazing job with my ice cream cone and I love love love it! I am so happy that I finally got tattooed by Speck because she does fantastic work. I can't wait until I am in Chicago again so I can get another one from her. :) The shop is great, clean, and everyone there is so helpful with any questions or anything else you might need.
GO HERE. I got a tattoo from Jake a few weeks ago. He was AMAAAZING. First of all, I got a Star Wars tattoo, and when I was telling one of the women at the desk what I wanted, she said, "Hold on, let me go get Jake, he's our Star Wars guy." They have a Star Wars Guy, guys. Second, they quoted me at less than half of what Revolution had quoted me for the same design. It wound up being a little more in the end because I wanted it a little bigger than we'd originally talked about, but it was like a $50 add-on to accommodate for that. No big deal. Third, it has healed BEAUTIFULLY. It looks fantastic. I'll have to see how it looks in a few months, but as far as I know right now, I don't think I'll need any touch-ups. Fourth, I have never been in a tattoo shop before in which there's so much beautiful original artwork. Or, in other words, I've never been in a tattoo shop before in which I looked at the artwork on the walls and actually got inspired. Jake's stuff is beautiful (I think I miiiiight have to have him do a No Face tattoo for me someday), but Speck's is what really caught my eye - I have to have her do some work for me. I'm already plotting it out in my head. Fifth, I originally came here because I had had less than stellar experiences with other shops, where tattoo artists were pushy, stubborn, or closet bigots (the things you find out when you friend your artist on Facebook...). A friend of mine had had similar experiences and was referred to Tattoo Candy because their staff is friendly, inclusive, and chill. They employ SO many women! (That's always a good sign to me.) It was really a dream experience - Tattoo Candy 4everrrrrrrrrr. Seriously, go here, go here, go here. UPDATE 12/15/2015: I have had consistently amazing experiences here. I did wind up getting a tattoo from Speck and it is just gorgeous, definitely my favorite art so far. I loved her so much I interviewed her for the publication where I work. Go here, go here, go here.
Love this shop! Went here for my first tattoo and Tanner was very helpful! He made sure I was comfortable and helped me with the placement of the piece since I had no idea what would look best. Loved the place so much I came back two months later for their October sale. Ended up getting two flash pieces done with Tanner again and Norm! Norm was so excited about the piece; very thorough and attentive to detail. Overall they are both great, and easy and fun to talk to.
So it was my 18th birthday and my first instinct was to get my first tattoo. I stumbled upon Tattoo Candy when i was doing my research and went for it! I called ahead of time to make sure the artist wasn't busy and was able to come in a couple hours later! Jake was my tattoo artist and he created exactly what i wanted! I brought in a couple images and outlines as a reference for what i wanted. The drawing and set up took longer than the tattoo itself which was very surprising! I ended up paying $120 for this tattoo which o thought was super reasonable. I am so pleased with the result (as you can see by my huge smile) and I am definitely coming back for more!
7 years ago
Been going to Tattoo Candy for a few years now. I've been to several shops over the years, and sat in the chair with several artists, (I have close to 30 tattoos at this point) but this place is my favorite! Clean shop / friendly staff and Jake, the artist I've been working with since I stepped foot in the place has been AMAZING. He originally took me as a walk-in for my first piece with him, but since then I've done 4 additional pieces with him. Each time I reached out to him he was immediate to respond, and even sent draft(s) of what I had asked him for, in detail, fast - sometimes the same day. (I've worked with artist who are either too busy or too lazy to respond or provide drafts, or only hit you up when they need money, and it's not a good vibe) Jake is the opposite of that - every time I've sat in his chair he's given me precisely what I asked for and when I asked for a revision on one of the drafts he didn't make me feel like I was bothering him (again, if you've been getting tattoos for awhile you know this is so rare!) My most recent piece was a cover up tattoo of an older tattoo from a different artist I wasn't quite happy with... it turned out SO good that my own wife forgets that I even had a different tattoo there originally. I wish I had found Jake sooner, honestly. Highly recommend this shop and props to Jake for delivering Every. Single. Time. I plan on going back to him again and again. read more
2 years ago
DO NOT COME HERE.. My girlfriend and I have been getting tattooed here for YEARS. And unfortunately that's done now. We will not come back here. It's very apparent that all the good artists leave. Ryan and Tanner were the only ones we'd get tattooed by.. always so kind and actually made original authentic work. Must be a reason why such a large shop has no one working there anymore. No one here anymore seems to talk to you like a person. Or have any stylistic flair. Last tattoo I got there, they just traced it from google with very shoddy linework. They talk to the clients like we have no idea what we are talking about. Why would I give you several hundred dollars to be condescended towards? I'll be going to Rocket Tattoo to get tattooed by Tanner from now on. All these reviews are replied with "we offer free touch ups" lol touchups in my experience are when there is a blemish in some shading that doesn't heal right... not when the lines are wobbly and off the stencil.. there is NO fixing that. Do not come here. read more
2 years ago
we came in on a whim and it was such a nice place. if you're looking for a chill parlor, this is the one. the workers and artists were so sweet and easy to talk too. the shop minimum was the lowest we could find at $80. the work did not disappoint. we came in with references and they did the exact same image we requested, and did it beautifully. least painful tattoo as well! thank you brandon!! i got the 8ball done here! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Business owner information
Joe L.
Hello. We offer touch ups on tattoos when they are fully healed.…
8 years ago
Before ever actually getting a tattoo, I would walk past this place daily since it's on the way to my apartment, and the thought of going through the tattoo process was nothing short of intimidating in my eyes. I'd glace inside the windows and see all the amazing works of art, then the artists preparing their ink and wielding their mighty needle, awaiting their next customer. I'd say 'no thanks' in my head, and move along. After getting my first tattoo earlier this year, I decided that I wanted more work done on my arm. My first tat was simply an outline of an eagle (the one shown on the Mexican flag), so one night after work I walked in Tattoo Candy and told them that I wanted my tattoo colored in. Immediately an artist I worked with, Carrie, got her space set up and the coloring process began. She was an amazing artist to work with. Very focused in her craft, yet incredibly social at the same time, conversing with me just talking about whatever. Before I knew it, my tat was completed! Looked amazing, and a couple weeks later, I got another one done by Carrie that is equally as stunning. Truly a wonderful shop filled with friendly people. Walk ins are acceptable as are appointments. Each artist seems to have a unique style so whatever type of piece you're looking to do, just talk one of the guys (or gal) and see who can help ya! Don't worry, none of em bite, they just tend to stab you a lot ;) read more
8 years ago
Jake did a fabulous job on my tattoo! While other artists quoted the time it would take at 5 hours (and double the rate) he did this beautiful weeping willow in under 3!!! He's very professional, talented and easy to talk too. The other artists seemed cool as well. This is my fourth tattoo and hands down he's the best. read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
7 years ago
Business owner information
Joe L.
I'm going to address this publicly, because people need to know how…
My wife and I came in for tattoos. Not matching but themed. I have a few but it was my wife's first. We had a good vibe from the shop and our artist, Tanner, did a great job of explaining everything. The work came out great and was fairly priced read more
9 years ago
Tanner designed this incredible switchblade tattoo for me on the spot as a walk in. He somehow intuited what I wanted based off of (or perhaps despite haha) my ramblings about how I had saved so many concept images I found on Google (like close to 100 photos of art and tattoos and vintage daggers) that I couldn't even remember what I liked in the first place! And he was genuinely excited designing and tattooing this as well. Pretty sure he might be superhuman... I am so happy with my tattoo, and with the overall wonderful experience I had with Tanner and with Tattoo Candy. Thank you so much! read more
9 years ago
I've had Speck do some more work on my forearm tattoo and I absolutely love her work! I am working on the full sleeve and already have future designs in mind so I will be a frequent client! I look forward to being a walking canvas created by Speck! read more
3 years ago
I've been going here for years unfortunately all of the good artists seem to leave, up until my last visit even when I wasn't with my preferred artist my tattoos came out good. This last visit I walked in and saw victor, while he was very nice the tattoos are shitty and I definitely feel like I overpaid for what looks like apprentice work. I paid $260 for three tiny little tattoos that didn't even come out well, yes I was told a price before hand but i've had so much work done here I just expected him to put in quality for the price. If you look at the bears the eyes are totally different sizes, he should have used the dot from the mountain as the eye but instead put a second smaller dot above it, the ear on the second bear isn't filled in, the M shaped eyebrows are awful, the second little bear has no shading, the feet... these are about an inch in size I have an 8in long leg piece I got done here with Carrie V (moved to midwest classic) that was $300 and took 3 hours, these tattoos took 45 minutes, the price was ridiculous but for the quality as well i feel incredibly ripped off. I know he offers free touch ups within the year but I had a friend get a tattoo from him with cruddy line work as well so I honestly don't believe he can do any better I'm just gonna have someone else fix it. Disappointed to say the least, going to be my last time coming here till they find some better artists again. read more
4 years ago
11 years ago
I have gone here twice now for tattoos. Let me start out by saying that I live in Denver. I make sure to come here when I'm visiting Chicago. The first time I got tattooed by Allie and she did an AMAZING job with bring my idea to life and then giving me such a great tattoo that I will appreciate forever. The second time I got tattooed by Speck! She did such an amazing job with my ice cream cone and I love love love it! I am so happy that I finally got tattooed by Speck because she does fantastic work. I can't wait until I am in Chicago again so I can get another one from her. :) The shop is great, clean, and everyone there is so helpful with any questions or anything else you might need. read more
12 years ago
GO HERE. I got a tattoo from Jake a few weeks ago. He was AMAAAZING. First of all, I got a Star Wars tattoo, and when I was telling one of the women at the desk what I wanted, she said, "Hold on, let me go get Jake, he's our Star Wars guy." They have a Star Wars Guy, guys. Second, they quoted me at less than half of what Revolution had quoted me for the same design. It wound up being a little more in the end because I wanted it a little bigger than we'd originally talked about, but it was like a $50 add-on to accommodate for that. No big deal. Third, it has healed BEAUTIFULLY. It looks fantastic. I'll have to see how it looks in a few months, but as far as I know right now, I don't think I'll need any touch-ups. Fourth, I have never been in a tattoo shop before in which there's so much beautiful original artwork. Or, in other words, I've never been in a tattoo shop before in which I looked at the artwork on the walls and actually got inspired. Jake's stuff is beautiful (I think I miiiiight have to have him do a No Face tattoo for me someday), but Speck's is what really caught my eye - I have to have her do some work for me. I'm already plotting it out in my head. Fifth, I originally came here because I had had less than stellar experiences with other shops, where tattoo artists were pushy, stubborn, or closet bigots (the things you find out when you friend your artist on Facebook...). A friend of mine had had similar experiences and was referred to Tattoo Candy because their staff is friendly, inclusive, and chill. They employ SO many women! (That's always a good sign to me.) It was really a dream experience - Tattoo Candy 4everrrrrrrrrr. Seriously, go here, go here, go here. UPDATE 12/15/2015: I have had consistently amazing experiences here. I did wind up getting a tattoo from Speck and it is just gorgeous, definitely my favorite art so far. I loved her so much I interviewed her for the publication where I work. Go here, go here, go here. read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
8 years ago
Love this shop! Went here for my first tattoo and Tanner was very helpful! He made sure I was comfortable and helped me with the placement of the piece since I had no idea what would look best. Loved the place so much I came back two months later for their October sale. Ended up getting two flash pieces done with Tanner again and Norm! Norm was so excited about the piece; very thorough and attentive to detail. Overall they are both great, and easy and fun to talk to. read more
8 years ago
So it was my 18th birthday and my first instinct was to get my first tattoo. I stumbled upon Tattoo Candy when i was doing my research and went for it! I called ahead of time to make sure the artist wasn't busy and was able to come in a couple hours later! Jake was my tattoo artist and he created exactly what i wanted! I brought in a couple images and outlines as a reference for what i wanted. The drawing and set up took longer than the tattoo itself which was very surprising! I ended up paying $120 for this tattoo which o thought was super reasonable. I am so pleased with the result (as you can see by my huge smile) and I am definitely coming back for more! read more
Business owner information
Joe L.
Thanks again for trusting me with your first one, Abby!…
7 years ago
Tattooed by Tanner who was very respectable! I trusted him to give me a beautiful neck piece and he delivered! I just left from making an appointment for my next tattoo from him!! Thank you so much! My sister and I get so many compliments! read more
11 years ago
I've now been to Tattoo Candy twice in 35 days for tattoos. I can't speak highly enough of this shop or the people who work there. It had been quite some time since I'd had work done so I did a lot of research before choosing Tattoo Candy--and I couldn't be happier. Both of my new pieces were done by Ryan--and he's fantastic. He worked closely with me on both pieces, listening carefully to what I wanted, talking about options, and taking the time to get things just right. The shop is clean--impeccably so. (Heck--the bathroom is spotless.) The pricing here is fair and competitive. Above all, I've seen how the staff interact with one another and with customers. In my experience, they're a bunch of fun, laid back folks who care about the work they do and their customers. And they seem to care about each other. These things make for a great experience. In the Chicago area, customers have lots of choices for tattoos. All I can say is: you can't go wrong with Tattoo Candy (or with Ryan). I'll certainly be back (soon). read more
7 years ago
Never regret anything so much in my life... don't remember what the name of the "artist" whom sits closest to the window was named but just look at the hands... pathetic and unfixable read more
Business owner information
Joe L.
Hey Gianna,…
8 years ago
I got 3 tattoos from this shop and have absolutely nothing but love for this shop. It's clean, friendly, and unique. I feel like most other shops trying to find a traditional artist is already hard but finding a shop almost dedicated to traditional is most convenient. Keep up the good job! read more
12 years ago
I got my very first tattoo from Jake in November and honestly I am not happy with it. I understand that it was all line work, but it just looks so poorly done. The lines are inconsistent, already blown out, and shakey. Even when he was doing the tattoo, it looked like the lines were too thick, but it was my first tattoo so I wasn't sure if that was how it was supposed to look. I wish that he had told me he couldn't handle the tattoo and gave it to another artist. I'm not sure what the issue was because his other work looks so much better... Did he just not feel like trying with mine? I added a picture as well. read more
Business owner information
Joe L.
Hey Becca!…
8 years ago
I got my first tattoo in Chicago at Tattoo Candy and I haven't been to another one since! I've gotten 4 tattoos done here and have been tattooed by Tanner and Jake. They are both great artists! Since I made my first trip there have been some artists that have come and gone, but the atmosphere of the shop will always be the same easy-going environment. The people are friendly and put out some great work. Check them out!! read more
9 years ago
I originally went in for a peony tattoo but was told that the space I wanted wasn't big enough so I chose a galaxy tattoo instead. Norm listened to how I wanted the tattoo to look and where I prefer it. He was overall very helpful and knowledgeable, and I love my new tattoo. read more
12 years ago
I highly recommend Tattoo Candy. Within a months time, I had my first 2 tattoos done here by Speck. I came in with inspiration pictures and she created beautiful pieces of artwork that I get compliments on every single day. With my first tattoo, she was so awesome explaining every step of the process and talked to me the whole time making me feel so much more relaxed. The second time I came in with my BFF and we both got tatted by Speck and left very happy with our new tats. The shop has a very friendly vibe, the artists are extremely talented and the shop is super clean. I'm extremely happy with my tattoos and high recommend Speck. read more
10 years ago
Love this place, saw Speck over this past summer who was recommended to me, and she did an awesome job on my upper arm tattoo. She came up with the best design based off of my random ideas. I definitely plan to get more done soon! If you're looking for a place to get work done go here, the shop is full of talent who can knock out anything you dream up. I've been asked by complete strangers where I got my work done (which speaks for itself) and I am always happy to spread the word and point them here. Get that tat you've been wanting! Also they're are really competitively priced based on other Chicago shops I've been to in the past and such a solid range of artists, I'm coming here exclusively for any future work that's for sure. read more
12 years ago
I've gotten two tattoos from Allie Marie, one of being a Friday the 13th flash sheet tattoo! Allie does amazing work for a very fair price and she is an amazing, sweet lady. The shop has a great environment and everyone there is welcoming and not intimidating like some shops. Keep in mind the wait for Friday the 13th tattoos was 7+ hours! If you're going for the event, be warned you will wait a while. Communication with them in incredibly easy and they're all attentive and polite. Nothing but great things for Tattoo Candy! read more
14 years ago
Speck tattooed me last summer and I am really impressed with her work. I went in with just an idea of what I wanted and she drew up a beautiful drawing in no time. She was very fast and her line work is perfect. My tattoo healed fine and still looks great. I am very happy! read more
6 years ago
11 years ago
My teenaged daughter bugged me for four years to get her nose pierced and I finally relented. We live right down the street from this place, and the reviews were good so we stopped in. Upfront: Cash only, $40 for regular nose-piercing, parent must be present with ID, teenager needs ID (state or student), sign paperwork, and parent needs to witness the procedure. Now for the fun stuff: Our guy was Topher, and I have to say his demeanor was SO CALM, that I think it really put us both at ease. He was very knowledgeable, careful, methodical, talked my daughter through it. It all went so smoothly, I was really impressed. In fact, I sort of wanted to get pierced myself after that, but I refrained. Anyway, I recommend Tattoo Candy. Topher did a great job. read more
I was here a couple months back a HK tattoo. I walked right in and was promptly helped and waited about 15 minutes to get set up and get to work. Everyone in the shop was extremely nice. I didn't feel out of place or unwelcome. They were funny, polite, friendly, and professional. I'd definitely stop in again. They're also affordable which is awesome. They have a guide that they base prices off of which I found awesome! Some shops they tell you whatever price they want depending on their mood that day. That's what really set them apart. I saw the guide behind the counter. I was like I want it this ( ) big ok perfect it'll be this $$ much! Awesome! Let's get to it then! I was in and out within an hour. My artist even offered to fill in one of my other tattoos for a few more dollars since its severely faded bc of where it's at on my wrist. I kind of wish I had, but I wasn't feeling it that day. read more
7 years ago
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More info about Tattoo Candy
3460 N Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60641
Irving Park
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(773) 283-8880
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Do they do ear piercings? How much does a regular lobe piercing cost?
Hi! we currently don't do piercings at the moment, but keep an eye out!
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