The Best Tattoo Parlors
We graded 19 companies on seven things customers actually report: satisfaction, reliability, workmanship, value, momentum, track record and how owners handle complaints.
From 4,230 Google reviews of 19 top-rated tattoo parlors nationwide. Updated October 28, 2026.
Find the right company for your job
Pick the job — we re-rank companies by how customers rated that exact job.
Best tattoo parlors for color ink tattoos
Clear ✕Job match = this company’s ★ on reviews Google tagged “Color ink tattoos” (shrunk toward the category average when there are few), how many such jobs it has done, and its overall Experts Score.
What customers said about color ink tattoos
Super Dope Artist and Atmosphere, with Great Customer Service! I've been there for three sessions already, I told them that they're stuck with me now! Lol! George got me all the way right!!
Inkadelphia is absolutely the best tattoo studio ever. I had the most amazing experience from the consultation to my actual tattoo. Fax_Tats is truly a gifted artist. His energy and the energy of the studio in general is unmatched. He listened to what i wanted and executed it perfectly. He is out here changing…
Service was really nice , the area was clean and the workers were really professional, my tattoo lining was also really good. I enjoyed my experience
Joseph did a truly brilliant cover up tattoo. His color tattoo skills are something to gawk at. He was communicative, delicate in pressure and flow, and created a calm environment. He cares deeply about his craft and gave me a wicked tat that I’m proud to show off.
Have gotten multiple tattoos from Bird and they always knock it out of the park. Most recent pieces were done at Frequency and the shop is very well maintained and in a very cute part of the city. Highly recommend checking it out.
Love this guy! Kevin your tattooing is amazing. 5+++ stars for sure. Thank you for being so great and patient creating my perfect design. Will be back very soon.
Overall ratings
Experts Score 0–100Experts Score (0–100)Absolute quality first: recency-weighted star average (≈54%), share of 1–2★ reviews (≈24%), customers’ price verdicts (≈14%), owner replies to critical reviews (≈7%); minus up to 10 points each for complaints flagged in Google review highlights and for a real slide in recent ratings. Hover a company’s score on its page for the full breakdown. and a letter grade per factor (A = top 20% of tattoo parlors).
| # | Company | ScoreExperts Score (0–100)Absolute quality first: recency-weighted star average (≈54%), share of 1–2★ reviews (≈24%), customers’ price verdicts (≈14%), owner replies to critical reviews (≈7%); minus up to 10 points each for complaints flagged in Google review highlights and for a real slide in recent ratings. Hover a company’s score on its page for the full breakdown. | FactorsFactor grades, in orderSatisfaction (54%): Recency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.Reliability (24%): How rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.Craft & service (0%): Google review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.Value (14%): Customers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.Momentum (0%): Penalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.Replies to reviews (7%): How often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.One letter per factor score: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39, F = below 20. | ★Google star rating as shown on Google Maps. | Typical billMedian bill customers of this company reported in their reviews (needs 3+ priced reviews). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A 98How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 69%99+68.5Reliability 31%97+29.8Experts Score= 98Not enough data for value, replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––A– | 5.00 | $262 | |
| 2 | Black Thorn TattooKimberly, WI | A 98How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 69%99+68.5Reliability 31%96+29.5Experts Score= 98Not enough data for value, replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––A– | 5.00 | $462 |
| 3 | A 98How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 69%99+68.5Reliability 31%96+29.5Experts Score= 98Not enough data for value, replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––A– | 5.00 | $153 | |
| 4 | A 98How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 64%99+62.9Reliability 28%99+28Replies to reviews 8%88+7.2Experts Score= 98Not enough data for value; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––AA | 4.99 | $96 | |
| 5 | A 93How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 69%94+65.1Reliability 31%91+28Experts Score= 93Not enough data for value, replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––A– | 4.95 | $84 | |
| 6 | A 92How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%93+50.7Reliability 24%90+21.8Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%86+6.1Craft & service penalty97−0.3Experts Score= 92Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAAA | 4.92 | $158 | |
| 7 | A 91How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%96+52.4Reliability 24%94+22.8Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%21+1.5Experts Score= 91Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAAD | 4.95 | $443 | |
| 8 | A 90How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 64%95+60.4Reliability 28%92+26Replies to reviews 8%41+3.4Experts Score= 90Not enough data for value; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––AC | 4.95 | $164 | |
| 9 | A 89How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%92+50.2Reliability 24%93+22.5Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%30+2.1Craft & service penalty99−0.1Experts Score= 89Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAAD | 4.86 | $196 | |
| 10 | A 88How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%88+48Reliability 24%84+20.4Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%92+6.5Craft & service penalty89−1.1Experts Score= 88Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAAA | 4.82 | $290 | |
| 11 | A 84How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 64%90+57.2Reliability 28%87+24.6Replies to reviews 8%51+4.2Momentum penalty81−1.9Experts Score= 84Not enough data for value; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA––AC | 4.90 | $290 | |
| 12 | B 79How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%81+44.2Reliability 24%90+21.8Value 14%87+12.3Replies to reviews 7%38+2.7Craft & service penalty81−1.9Experts Score= 79Grade B: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAAD | 4.81 | — |
What jobs cost
What customers paid, from the price Google asks reviewers to report.
| Job | Low25th percentile: 1 in 4 customers paid less than this. | TypicalMedian of the bill customers reported in their Google review (Google asks reviewers for a price range; we use the middle of each range). | High75th percentile: 1 in 4 customers paid more than this. | FairOf customers who rated the price, the share who chose “Great price” or “Reasonable” rather than “Overpriced”. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tattoos | $114 | $183 | $340 | 0% |
| Tattoo design | $74 | $132 | $233 | 0% |
| Fine line tattoos | $132 | $203 | $359 | 0% |
| Color ink tattoos | $144 | $236 | $536 | 0% |
| Piercings | $20 | $60 | $81 | 0% |
| Tattoo cover-ups & reworkings | $183 | $374 | $485 | 0% |
| Ear piercing | $72 | $108 | $132 | 100% |
| Solid black work tattoos | $169 | $236 | $410 | 0% |
| Abstract tattoos | $139 | $224 | $614 | 0% |
| Custom tattoo lettering | $131 | $225 | $360 | 0% |
Tattoo Parlors at a glance
How the 19 tattoo parlors we rated compare, and what customers praise most.
Experts Score grades
A = score 80+, F = below 20.
- Grade A1158%
- Grade B632%
- Grade C15%
- Grade D15%
- Grade F00%
Google ratings
Average stars per company.
- 4.90★ and up947%
- 4.80–4.89★737%
- 4.60–4.79★15%
- Below 4.60★211%
What customers praise
Share of Google review highlights.
- Quality15530%
- Professionalism15730%
- Responsiveness00%
- Punctuality10520%
- Value10720%
Was the price fair?
All price verdicts left with reviews.
Not enough data yet.
Price verdicts by year
Share calling it great / reasonable / overpriced.
How we grade
Satisfaction (54%) — Recency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.
Reliability (24%) — How rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.
Craft & service (penalty, up to −10) — Google review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.
Value (14%) — Customers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.
Momentum (penalty, up to −10) — Penalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.
Replies to reviews (7%) — How often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.