Steves Tattoo & Body Piercing

If you’ve been craving the needle like myself, this is your shop!I know the whole crew is great, I ran out of ideas for body art years ago. Steve’s has the cure! Little gumball machine, “get what you get” is now one of my favorite weekend activities! I’m usually a one artist guy, but I’ve probably had work done by every artist at Steve’s now!I’ve now brought in 3 friends for these random “get what you get” tattoos, which I must admit does sound scary. Good news though, all of the art in this gumball machine are made by the artists in shop! These are all well crafted drawings that look even better on skin. Hard to believe you can draw a super detailed stencil and only pay $100!Everyone here is super talented and skillful, half of the fun about going here is the surrounding neighborhood! If you have a little bit before your appointment, stop down the road for a sandwich and bring your artist back a cup of tea!Tip your artist, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!

I highly recommend taking your kiddo here for a first time piercing with Jessica!Shes highly accommodating, professional and knowledgeable. From the moment we walked in, she takes her time to walk us through each step. She communicates directly with the person getting their ears pierced and respectful about body autonomy.She took her time to get the placement just right. She explained each step to my 6yo before and as they happened so there were no surprises. She kept her calm throughout the entire process. Jessica was upbeat and a supportive cheerleader. Gave my kiddo extra time between each ear.We left with after care instructions.Her ears are healing wonderfully well not even two weeks later.

Went for a walk in and had a terrible experience with Justin. This man pretentious, curt, minimum eye contact, not even a greeting, rolled his eyes at me multiple times, muttered under his breath some (I presume not nice) commentary to see my email name was from Dr...Despite pretty simple ask and an example to start (a word, I wanted to add an ampersand next to or around it) he would not actually make any of the edits I suggested or collaborate with me. He printed essentially the same sketch 4 times then sent me away because in his experience I would not be satisfied. I asked him to do just the word as I sent it to him with no extra sketching, he refused.When I asked him to touch up my other tattoo, he curtly said no, and we have a minimum. When I offered to pay said minimum ($100) recognizing the value of his time doing 40+ minutes of sketchwork he said its going to fade anyway and thats now how we work.It was very clear he did not want to serve me, which I would have much more preferred he just said from the get go. I have never been treated so rudely by somebody whom Im offering money to.For what its worth, the female artist in the store was working on someone and very delightful for the few minutes we interacted at the end.I had a wonderful collaborative experience with my first/only tattoo 8 years ago on a walk-in basis at another shop in town, I kind of assumed thats what it would be like at all tattoo parlors. Lesson learned.

Hannah is my artist. She is very talented. Hannah has a light and steady hand. Her lines are very clean and you can tell she just cares about what she does. I love her style and i cannot wait to get more artwork done by her.

If you’re looking to get pierced, I can’t recommend Jes enough! So kind and personable, has a clear knowledge of anatomy, talks you through the process very well and is clearly passionate about what she does. Uses implant grade titanium jewelry and is clear about pricing of the piercings and the jewelry. I got my second and third lobe piercings and will definitely be back!

Everyone we know recommended Jessica for a first ear piercing and everyone was right. Jessica is not only careful and professional, but she is warm, kind, supportive and an incredible communicator.

Phenomenal experience with Jes. Super responsive to texts during the booking process. She was also really kind and educational during the appointment. She was transparent in price when helping me pick out jewelry and which piercings to get during our appointment. We were able to get some jewelry in some piercings I hadnt had jewelry in for a long time, and I got two new ones. Im glad I decided to go with Jes and will be back!

I got the cutest flash from Hannah, such a sweet and thoughtful artist!! Super clean work, definitely recommend. EXCELLENT, hygienic shop 🤍

Corey was absolutely amazing. I had an addition to an existing flower done (purple rose in attached photo-stars on the pic is a filter!) and he did an amazing job at weaving in new elements! The whole process of consultation, drafting, and the actual tattooing was pretty painless (literally). He worked very quick, but with great detail and could not be more pleased with the outcome. Will definitely be back for future pieces!

The woman who usually works during the day, has dark hair and glasses if I remember correctly.. Saras the name? Anyway... the first time she did work on my bf, the (very tiny) amount of color she put on it faded away in less than 3 weeks.The first man who did my work was absolutely wonderful, unfortunately I dont remember his name or face (bald? black square-rimmed glasses)... the second man: older guy, skinny long hair, has been tattooing for 20 years.... rushed me through my entire hour appointment. He kept saying She (sara?) said this was just gonna be a quick and simple tattoo which it was, and he talked the entire time about how he has a 5pm he cant be late for (even tho he was 15min late to receive me). Talked the entire time about his divorce and what a b*tch his ex is.. as if I want to listen to non-stop negativity, yet every time I tried to say something he would constantly correct me and interrupt/talk over me. A few very important lines in my tattoo are very noticeably wavy, he added things I didnt ask for and got mad when I asked what happened to what i did ask for... saying again there wasnt enough time even though what he did was WAY more tat than i wanted...Back to the woman, The very first time my bf got work done with her, he gave her a picture of his cover-up back tat, she said she never got it. He sent the email again shortly after, of which she received. By the 2nd time we went, maybe 2 or 3 months after the first, she still didnt even look at the picture of his back. Theyre talking about what he wants done and now hes given her MONTHS to do ANYTHING and she hasnt. Not one thing. He goes back, she has no email from him with the picture so he has her take a picture of it herself... its been at least 2 weeks and hes supposed to see her today to work on it. She has NOTHING drawn up for him STILL.. ALSO, the ink isnt great, their styles are weird and very singular; you wont get any variation from what you see online or in their portfolio. At least not from these 2 people... Be careful and choose wisely coming here

I was told to email David pictures and details of what I wanted so he could be prepared or ask questions. I emailed twice to make sure he got it. I walk in and said hi are you David… he said yes with an attitude. I said did you get my email. He said no and said that happens. I then tried to find picture all the while thinking I can’t have this guy putting such a meaningful tattoo on me. My nephew at 20 just passed away and as I told him I could tell I couldn’t spend my time with this weirdo getting such an important tattoo. Even on my worst days I don’t act like this. He said I had an attitude … it was because of you… no one should treat a customer like he did. It is sad because I have had 3 of my 4 tattoos there.

Great staff that make you feel super comfortable during your appointment. If youre looking to get your first tattoo I think Steves would be a great option. They dont gatekeep or make their clients feel dumb for asking questions about the tattoo process, aftercare, etc. They also take walk-ins on certain days of the week which is rare for tattoo shops these days.

Great experience, got my nose pierced with Jessica, she is so skilled, so easy going and very knowledgable. Would definitely recommend and go back for more

I got a cartilage piercing from jessica last week. It was great! Fair price, extremely professional. She was positive and educational while advising me on placement for future piercings.

Jessica was absolutely amazing! My daughter (age 9) got her first ear piercings done with her. Jessica was so kind and patient. She made the process smooth and deescalated all my daughter’s anxiety. I cannot recommend her enough!

Wow! Looking through here at all the glowing reviews of Jessica, and I need to add another. My daughter was extremely nervous about getting her ears pierced, and Jessica was just wonderful. She really made it easy and fun. And the part that I liked best is that she didnt talk down to my daughter. She didnt try to act like it was nothing. She reinforced that it was a big decision. She also didnt downplay the process or care afterward. She told her that she just got two puncture wounds and so had to take care of them appropriately. That balance of affirmation, legit information, and easy going-ness and genuine care is really something special. I cannot say enough good things about how Jessica does her job. Thank you!

The lovely people here werent actually able to help me, but were so kind and professional in directing me to a shop that could. Very nice people, and their work looks incredible.

Jessica was an absolute dream to work with. She knew exactly what to say and do with my 6yr old, who was getting her first piercings. We left with big smiles.

Took my 17 y/o in for an eyebrow piercing. This is our third time working with Jessica and she is the best! So professional and hygienic, an absolute pleasure to work with! Love this place.

Billy was excellent and professional with my tattoos. Jes was equally so with my wifes piercings. We will definitely be back!

Toni Flynn @clownpit is simply the best tattoo artist I have visited as a person who has lots of tattoos. I have made her my regular artist as she is not only a fast and awesome artist but an awesome person as well who listens to the client and puts them at ease.

My 6 year old daughter got her ears pierced for the first time at Steve’s Tatoo and body piercing, by Jess. Jess was the perfect combination of professional and fun for my 6 year old. From setting up the appointment, correspondence was prompt. The price was well worth it! Jess opened up the shop early on Saturday so we were the only clients in the studio which made a less stressful environment. Jess did an excellent job of explaining everything well. Jess really took her time marking and measuring to make sure the dots were lined up and had me look as well to be sure we were all happy before piercing. She provided breathing exercises for my daughter during the piercings to ease the pain away. This was a no tears piercing experience! I trusted Jess with my own daughter and would do it again. I would and have recommended Jess to our closest friends for their kids to get their ears pierced.

Had David bless me with my first tattoo in my 59+ years on this earth. Could not be happier with the end result. David is obviously a very talented artist that just gets it! Great job David, could not be happier with my first tattoo!Joe R.Oregon, Wi

I was really happy with my tattoo by Hannah. It was my first tattoo. Turned out great.

Toni was super awesome to work with and thrilled with how it all turned out!

The female Toni cancelled 2 hours before appointment for my stepdaughter who turns 18 today and has been looking forward to this tattoo for a LONG time. She went to numerous tattoo parlors and decided on Toni. There was no apology. She knew shes been sick for awhile and could have informed us that shes been sick or cancelled appointment sooner than 2 hours before appointment. Now we have a girl crying because shes not getting what she wants and been looking forward to for a very long time. In top of all that the female, who refuses to give her name, AND the owner Steve, both had extremely bad attitudes and Steve actually called me back and threatened me. This is the WORST place in the area and i HIGHLY recommend never going there

Jessica was phenomenal. I don’t usually write reviews but felt the need to because she made my piercing experience comfortable and fun. She’s a sweetheart and did an amazing job. Very pleased.

I highly recommend Piercings by Jessica. She’s pierced my kids’ and my earlobes, as well as my nose. She takes her time to thoroughly clean and prepare everything, find the perfect placement, and explain proper care - all while putting you at ease and being just an all around delightful person.

I have gone to Corey at Steve’s Tattoo for years now including getting my half-sleeve. Corey does amazing work and is attentive and personable. My fiancé also got his full sleeve done with Corey and we’re both very happy with his work!

I got dopamine and seratonin on my triceps back in like 2014. Despite the thin lines they haven’t really faded at all. Quick and painless from what I remember. One is technically Chiral but it was my choice to flip so it would be more symmetrical with the other arm.

Jessica did a great job piercing, and repiercing my ears. She was kind and talked me through the whole process. As an adult with anxiety it helped a lot to have her be so thorough.

Amazing tattoo I got. Each butterfly is a family member. My mother was born 4/22/33 she passed away 5/5/19 add those numbers together it is 88. 88 is in the wings of bottom butterfly..

I love this place, Cory is an excellent tattoo artist! He is both kind and respectful, I have never felt as comfortable as I do with him doing my tattoos! I also have seen Jess for a piercing, shes WONDERFUL, extremely upbeat and so knowledgeable. All of the artists are always so kind and welcoming. Go to Steves, you cannot go wrong there!

Excellent work done here, always a great experience.

Justin has given me Two fantastic Great Dane tattoos. I am very satisfied with Steves Tattoo ☺️

Jessica is marvelous! So friendly, personable, and an overall delight to work with. Made my 10-year-old daughter at ease during her ear piercing. Definitely recommend to anyone with ears! Or anything else you want pierced.

I love Steves! My tattoo artist is Holly. She is wonderful and so talented! She is also understanding and always accommodating. Everyone who works there is inviting and kind. The shop is always clean and well kept. All the work I see that comes out of Steves is well done. I highly recommend! Ive been many times before and will be back again soon Im sure.

Jes was great to work with for my piercings. She was quick and very helpful!

Jessica is knowledgeable, professional, and super cool! Got my first facial piercing (nostril) and it went so well. Had a consult about jewelery and best spot for my piercing. You can trust Jessica will make you look awesome.

Steves is just an all around great place with great workers. I got my nose pierced here by Jess in 2018 and a tattoo recently by Holly. Jess was really nice and helped me with some follow-up questions days later. Holly is super nice and also helped me with some aftercare questions after getting my tattoo. This will always be the place I go to in Madison for tats and piercings!

Been there twice now, both times they were very nice, friendly, and funny. It was a great experience. They take sanitation seriously, they take their art seriously. If youre going to get a tattoo in the area, here is the place. Didnt get pierced, but from what I saw the piercer was also incredibly friendly

Jessica is amazing! I was super nervous about my piercing and she was amazing she explained every step of the process and took her time in marking the spot so it was in the best possible position. I will be definitely be going back for all my piercing needs! I absolutely love my piercings

I’ve gotten 3 different piercings here and I highly recommend them. Jessica, the piercer, is so knowledgeable, personable and has great ideas and recommendations. I recently went in not know what to get and she had great ideas for me! I was told a forward facing helix would not work on me but Jessica proved that wrong! Everything went so quick and smoothly. Highly recommend!!

I had my nostril pierced elsewhere but was looking for upgraded jewelry and Jessica was super helpful! It was a very quick appointment and she was very personable. Will definitely be coming back here when I get a craving for another piercing!

Got my tattoo here 4 days ago. It looks great and is healing well. This shop was recommended to me by a friend, and though I didnt work with everyone there, I got the sense they all know what theyre doing. David did my tattoo to honor my Appalachian Trail thru hike. It was a great design, and his work with the colors and shading was amazing. Look at bios/artists Instagram to find the artist and style that best fit what youre looking for - between all of them there are diverse personalities and quite the breadth of talent.

Thank you so much Justin for the adorable owl tattoo you gave me! I absolutely love it and it healed amazingly! If I ever come back to Wisconsin Ill want another tattoo from you!

I brought my daughter here for a piercing. I love Steves because its been around since I was young and its the only place I would bring my daughter for her piercing and later a tattoo. The piercing professional was very nice, she was knowledgeable and practical. She wasnt trying to sell us something that would not last or that wouldnt be a good fit for my daughter. She has had her piercing for a few months now, and has never had even the slightest hint of infection or redness. I definitely highly recommend Steves tattoo for piercing, unfortunately I do not remember the young ladys name but she is the only one that does piercings. She is wonderful.

Great experience getting ears pierced by Jess. Very nice to work with - solid recommendations and pleasant chatting! Thank you!! I would definitely recommend, and Ill be back!

Jessica was super professional and very nice! She took her time to make sure where she pierced my nose on my left side, it matched on my right side what I already had pierced. I recommend her to anyone who wants a great piercing. Thanks Jessica!

Have been debating about getting a new tattoo for quite a while and went ahead. First sent an email to Steve with some questions, got a very fast and good reply. Went in to the store and met Seneca who was going to do the work and discussed the design. Had the work done today, beautiful result, very quickly done and simply love the work. I have had tattoos done at several other stores in the last 20+ years, but this place is very outstanding. Friendly folks, good pricing and great work!

This is a fantastic, old-school shop! Great atmosphere and awesome people. Holly was so helpful with my design and very knowledgeable. She was super professional too, which I have found to be a problem at other shops. She was right on time, explained everything well, was mindful of my comfort and charged me fairly. She was also super cool and fun to talk to.Thanks for everything!

Billy was my brothers tattoo artist today. It was my brothers first tattoo at 18 and he was a quite nervous, but talk about professionalism. Billy was so kind, patient, and Respectful to my brother.The shop was clean and very well run. If I could give more stars I would

I got my tragus pierced by Jessica, and it was awesome! It was much less painful than I expected. Jessica was super caring, made me feel very comfortable and secure. She commented her every step, so I didnt have a reason to be scared or anxious at all. Thank you, Jessica!

Today I went to Steves Tattoo to get my nose pierced. Jessica was the one who did and she was extremely helpful. She walked me through every step and was very patient with me. I am usually not one to write reviews but I really thought that the 3.8 stars out of 5 does not relate to piercings. I will probably be going to Jessica for all of my next piercings. Would highly recommend to anyone!!

Jessica is my go-to person for any piercings or body jewelry. She is always booked and there is a reason for that! Her customer service is exactly what I strive for with my people.I see someone recently said something negative about Hollys consultation abilities.Today I asked Holly about doing some veryyy saturated work and she said it wasnt her area of expertise, explaining how long the process takes as well. That is SO much better than her TAKING the job and not meeting expectations.

...Need A stellar tattoo?! .... GO HERE!!! I worked with Josh on a friendship tattoo for me and my bestie. He was very diligent about keeping in touch and working hard to figure out what we wanted ahead of time. When the day came to get our tattoo I was blown away. Not only was the tattoo a perfect size, style and correct; the design was above and beyond what we expected. Our tattoos turned out great, and Josh even did a touch up on one of my older tattoos and made it look even better than it did the day I got it.this tattoo shop is clean, the people are friendly, and I will definitely going back for all my future tattoos. I recommend this place to everyone who is serious about their art and wants a good price.Steve- you run one hell of a tattoo shop!

Ive gotten 3 piercings so far from Jessica, and Ive been super happy with the service and cleanliness of the shop every time. Shes always super friendly and gives very detailed follow up instructions.

The piercers here are wonderful! Ive gotten work done by Jessica, who really took her time and made sure I was happy with everything every step of the way. Ive also seen Meredith when I couldnt reinsert my piercings. I just called and came it, and she helped me out then and there! Great place for piercings.

Went to Jessica to get my ears repierced. She was very professional and friendly. She first checked on my existing holes (which I was convinced were closed) and confirmed that they were open. We talked about options and decided to go with fresh jewelry to help the holes open and heal, which she put in for me. Great work by a really positive and professional piercer.

On June 7th Me and my daughter went in to be pierced by Jessica. I got a Labret and right nostril done. My daughter had her earlobes done. We enjoyed having Jessica work on us. Healing well and with no issues. Highly recommend Jessica her work is awesome an she has such a friendly warm personality. I would love to have her do more piercings on me in the future. Going to Steves Tattoo was well worth the trip. (4 hours round trip) We love our new additions and look forward to enjoying them for years to come. Jessica your wonderful! thanks a million for the great job! -hugs-

Really friendly and skilled staff. Special shout-out to Corey for some awesome work!

Great experience from booking appointment to the excellent service we received from Corey. Highly recommend!

I worked with Hannah for my recent tattoo, she was great! Made me feel very comfortable. She is talented and professional!

Really professional and patient and very sanitary. Jessica walked me through every step through the piercings and made sure the positioning was good 100x over. Its now healing very well after following her instructions

Exceptional tattoo my favorite tattoo was done here. If you want quality tattoos this is the place

Fastest piercing I’ve ever had!! Jess is sweet! She helped me decide which earring to start with (strongly encouraging me against the fancier, more expensive one right away, even though it would’ve been a higher sale for her), and after deciding exactly where I wanted it, she did it within a minute.

I was recommended to go to Steves the moment I moved onto Willy Street! Ive gotten four smaller tattoos and am scheduling a larger piece to be done. Love it here! Steve is super friendly and talkative, my favorite artists are Corey and Holly (the fan favorites)

Jessica replied promptly, gave me helpful information, set an appointment, and quickly and nicely helped me. Highly recommend.

My 12 year old, who is terrified of shots really wanted to have her ears pierced. Jessica did such a fantastic job of walking us through the process and my daughter had a great experience!

I got my tongue pierced there (A venom piercing) exactly a week ago. I called ahead and they told me to just come in any time before close and their piercer could do it. I went in a couple hours later and was greeted with amazing customer service, and all the professionalism you would except out of a high esteemed tattoo place. Meridith wasted no time after filling out the paper work, opened fresh needles told me how to take care of it and went right ahead and pierced me. She was a wonderful and bright person and kept me calm even though Im petrified of needles. The piercing is healing nicely and I cannot wait to go back and get more work done!

Great place, A-1 QUALITY WORK. Love the place !

Had great experience with Jessica (piercing)—she was super professional, knowledgeable, respectful and easy to work with. A+

Jessica was absolutely amazing with my 5 year old daughter! I would recommend her to anyone and everyone who is looking for an alternative to mall piercings for children. She was patient, kind, fun and extremely informative.

Would highly recommend. Very professional and helpful. I did the Saturday walk-in and it was fast and efficient while also seeming like they spent an appropriate amount of time on what I was looking for. My artist was Gary and he was great! Would 100% go back if (when?) I decide to get another one!!

Thank you Steve for the quick response to our inquiry about piercing our daughters ears. Jessica was great very good sterile technique, no infection for us. Our daughter could not be more proud of her piercings and the fact she got them at the tattoo parlor and not the mall.

I came here for my first tattoo and I honestly couldn’t have hoped for a better experience. They were extremely welcoming and friendly plus the quality of work was great. The tattoo is now fully healed and looks super good.

They gave me a great first tattoo at a great price! My artist was nothing but friendly and helpful, despite me being very nervous and under prepared. Cannot recommend these guys enough!

I have been to a few other tattoo places for my other tattoos and Steve’s was, by far, way more expensive and, overall, a worse experience than the others. They charged me $90 for a tattoo that’s about the size of a quarter, all black and took at most 10 minutes to do. One artist that I don’t remember the name of made many inappropriate jokes, some of which to my friend and made us feel very uncomfortable. Happy with the tattoo, but not happy with the rest of the experience.

Very friendly and professional workers. They are taking Coronavirus seriously, enforcing mask wearing and hand sanitizing along with necessary cleaning procedures. My ear piercings with Jessica went extremely smoothly and they look fantastic.

I got my eyebrow pierced several months ago in a different state. Any time Ive had a question about it since then, Ive come to Steves. Even though I didnt get it pierced here, the staff have always been extremely helpful. Answering my questions, checking out the piercing when I was worried, even helping when I couldnt get the jewelry back in. Everything Ive experienced here has been extremely sanitary, very professional, and all over wonderful. I would recommend them wholeheartedly!

Jessica is THE GREATEST! Shes so sweet, professional, thorough and easy to talk to! She made me feel so comfortable and make piercing so easy! 10/10!

I had a very good Vibe going with Artist Billy today.just about everyone there was chill, and i was taken care of start to finish by my artist, and him alone. Oldest Tattoo biz in Mad Town... Highly recommended.. And im a first timer to Steves as a customer...used to go somewhere else....wont anymore.

Holly Drifke is amazing and a very talented artist. Steve’s is also a very clean friendly and professional shop. If you are looking for a great tattoo check out Holly and you will not be disappointed.

I just got my nose pierced at Steves Tatoo and Body Piercing and I can honestly say that it was the best experience I have had at any parlor. Jessica did my nose piercing and she was fantastic. She was so descriptive when it came to the aftercare plan and gave me her personal email if I had any complications. As for the piercing, she was so fast and it was a very painless. She was very clean and everything else was super clean. I will definetly be returning for future piercings and in 2 months when I am getting my nose ring in. They definetly deserve a 5 star rating.

Jessica does a fantastic job! Never feel funny or uncomfortable with any questions you might have. She has the expertise and client relation to be trusted.

Steve last email towards me was defamation of character and stereotyping me as aggressive and abusive women. He also claimed I was scamming him of money even though he is the person who offered me a refund, I never asked for a refund only to share my negative experience at the tattoo shop by Gary and the other co workers poor customer services. I had a 3 word quote it was a poorly done rose cover up a that took up my whole wrist it was done in 45min, Simply wanted it fixed but since the person no longer worked was told by one of steve employee if I got a tattoo that costed $85 then he could also give me a free touch up. When coming back was told I’d have to pay $150 for the touch or leave by rude employed named Gary. Overall I would not recommend Steve’s tattoo to anyone.

Went in for a walk in consultation and had my mind blown. Dude I talked to was incredibly pretentious about everything. I just wanted to get a couple bands wrapping around my arm with a symbol on top of them. He didnt bother to ask any questions about what I wanted to do with the tattoo just suggested that I do the full forearm, when I only wanted to do half. I preceded to ask the cost and he said $150 an hour. Then I asked him for an estimate on how long it would take and he scoffed and said probably an entire day. Are you kidding? I have had work like this done before for less than $200 in an hour, and went to another shop with this same idea and they told me that it would not take that long and would only charge $100 an hour. He only gave me his opinions about my tattoo rather than ask me what I wanted which offended me. That place is a joke.

I am the type of person that is VERY cautious when it comes to the things I want, especially permanent tattoos. I did not get a tattoo here, but I was heavily considering it. So much that I was emailing with a tattoo artist whose work I really loved. I told him I would likely not get the tattoo right away, as I would have to make sure I loved the design enough to get it. For me, that means getting it drawn up, and then thinking and looking at it for some time before committing. He said he would probably charge me per hour he spent on the drawing, and to drop in any day between Sat-Tues. I was excited and came in on Saturday, and he was not available. I expected that if he told me to come in on those days he could work in some time to speak with me, but apparently not. I made an appointment for later, then when I came in for that appointment and reiterated that I may not get it immediately after he designs it, but I really do want this tattoo sometime in the near future, he told me that he did not want to design it if I was unwilling to commit and make an appointment for getting the tattoo. At any point before this it should have been clear that I was not getting it immediately, and he did not say until then that he was unwilling to do it. I wasted my time and was very upset at how he handled it. I would think as a tattoo artist he should understand people wanting to take their time.

Was looking to purchase a nose ring and was told I needed an appointment to purchase jewelry. Not even a piercing, just for the jewelry. The women I talked to was condescending and pretentious about the situation. I understand Covid has made things weird in Madison but she was unprofessional about how she addressed it. Would not recommend this establishment unless you like being talked to like youre dumb. Two thumbs down 👎👎

I went to Steves for my first and so far only tattoo simply because I knew a girl who had gone there. Before anything else, I checked out the artists portfolios on their website. Since what I wanted was based on a photo of a live animal, I asked for Dave Nielsen since his had a lot of nature-related images.First appointment was for a brief consultation where I showed him the photos and explained what I wanted, then we arranged a time for the actual tattoo. He told me to eat something before the appointment. When I arrived, he had drawn the image and put it on transfer paper to transfer to my skin. We had to erase the transfer and resize and move it a couple of times to get a good position. He reminded me to be very sure it looked the way I wanted it.The tattooing experience wasnt bad, I guess it varies but it felt like the sting of a small bee - albeit lasting 2 hours - to me. I asked Dave some questions about the procedure at the beginning but since I dont like small talk, after a while switched to listening to a radio play on my mp3 player.While most of the shop is an open area with several chairs for clients, it looks very clean and organized. The equipment was all put away neatly in cabinets before Dave took it out to work on my tattoo. My appointment was on a weekday evening so it was pretty quiet. I was the only customer in the shop when we started, then later a guy came in to get more work done on his backpiece.

Toni is a great artist and she’s super personable. She has done all of my tattoos and I plan on continuing to go to her!

Got a moon & star tattoo and Corey did amazing work! Even added white ink in the stars to make them brighter 😍

Got my 8-year-old daughters ears pierced by Jessica, who couldnt have been more professional or kind. She spent about 10 min perfecting the dots on her earlobes, making sure they were completely even on each side. She explained everything she was going to do and instructed my daughter how to breathe through the needle stick. In all, each ear took about 1 min (My daughter sort of completely missed that she had had needles stuck through her earlobes--she had to ask in the car, and when I showed her how long the needles were, she started cracking up because she couldnt believe it!). Zero tears; hardly a flinch. After the piercing was done, Jessica went through in detail how to care for the piercings to ensure they didnt become infected and that we had a good result. Now, only 2 days later and her ears are not red/inflamed at all and are healing great. All in all, a great experience and I would highly recommend. Maybe Ill get something pierced next!

Great service, clean, good pricing. Corey was very professional and definitely knows what hes doing. I love my new addition. Will definitely be going back to them for more work on my forearm sleeve! Thank you

The piercer, Jessica, is awesome: patient, empathetic, and funny. They dont have a piercer everyday, though.& I was disappointed in their lack of jewelry options, all stainless & classic looking. I picked some ugly rings to change out for yellow gold later.Ive never gotten a tattoo here but I will say the first day I walked in, I waited for a significant amount of time for 2 men to come out from the back, clearly stoned out of their minds to tell me the piercer was out. Lets be real, its Willy st., but still, I sure as hell wouldnt have let them tattoo me whilst high.

Jessica pierced both sides of my nose and she was the absolute best. Everything was so clean and she took her time making sure they were even. They’re perfect!

I took my daughter to get a navel piercing and Jessica was fantastic! She was very friendly and knowledgeable on piercings. I highly recommend her! We had a great experience!

Highly recommend Mr Chuk! He did the memorial piece on my hand for my babies I lost. Been a few years now, and it had held up amazingly!! He worked with me to get my custom design exactly how I wanted. Very happy with him!

Got a tattoo about 2 weeks ago and the shading was done so poorly that one part is shaded and the other isnt. Called to see about getting it corrected and they said it would cost $65. What is the point of them doing things right the first time if they can charge you twice for the same thing!?! Do not go here. I have had 2 other tattoos done and have not had issues like I had here.

Great people, great work. Ive been coming here for the last couple years and have had nothing but excellent experiences. Been tattooed by 3 separate artists here (Billy, Holly, and Gary) multiple times and have nothing but good things to say about all of them.

My two friends and I walked in to Steves with exactly what we wanted to have tattooed on us. We got approached by a bearded gentlemen who then began to talk us out of it. None of us are tattoo virgins i have a full sleeve and my other buddies have 10 tats. I will never ever go there ever and $150 an hour is INSANE! If you want some great tats you need to go to reedsburg there is a GREAT place there !!!

Got my first one here I was told by my girlfriend to go here and i have 0 complaints! The name of the guy who did it was Alex, he did an amazing job! I got a bible verse on my calf and again did amazing! I will be back to get more! I highly recommended, go here and get it from Alex!

Amazing place, I’ve been Tattooed by two artists here and both are very skilled.Holly and Corey are great and I look forward to consulting with their other artists as well.Five star clean facility with cool vibes.

I got a tattoo in October below my ankle by Gary. The entire experience was horrible. He was rude, unprofessional, and refusing to accommodate what I wanted (I wanted my tattoo smaller but he told me it was not possible). It began to smear and I was told it was part of the healing process. Two months went by and it was still smeared. I went back in to talk to Gary about what I should do. He was extremely condescending and told me it was still healing because I had just gotten it done. When I corrected him saying it was two months ago he told me there was nothing he could do and to leave it alone. He was patronizing and rude and I would not reccomend getting a tattoo by Gary. When working in customer service especially with something as permanent as a tattoo the artist should be welcoming and listen to what you want because it is going on your body!

I’m sure it’s a great shop if you know an artist, however they don’t follow the ‘list’. My friend and I were told that it would be an hour wait when we put her name down. We left for an hour and came back to wait another hour and a half! It was then too late and we had to leave we had other things todo. So you if have half a day to kill I’m sure this place is great!

I have been working with Corey to finish up my superhero sleeve. Corey has great artistic design and does exceptional work!

Jessica is amazing she pierced my five year olds ears. Shes great with kids and great at piercing. So if you want a piercing or if youre a little kid one go to Jessica

IM SO UPSET...I JUST NOTICED THEY PUT THE WRONG YEAR OF MY SONS DEATH ON MY TATTOO...WOW...well ill go to a different tat. Place to have it fixed.tat.Artist told me 300..then said he said 350 no he didnt..he took more off my credit card then i told him to.whuch is fraud.when i mentioned this to owner he didnt care.and said if i took it to court i wouldnt win..hes coverinng it up that his employee broke the law.and its fraud to take more off a credit..they snapped on me and told me they never wanna see me again..no one cared that billy commited fraud...seriously??be careful if u use a ctedit card.

I just called to get advise on a tattoo cover up. I have three bands around my forearm and want them to be covered in one single thick band around my arm. I thought it would be nice to give an apprentice the opportunity to work on my arm so inquired about that. I was met with a lot of resistance and the guy I talked to on the phone was not only rude but demeaning. He said you really need a professional to work on that. I asked if he could explain why and he gave no reason just restated that a professional needed to do it. I immediately called another tattoo shop to ask for their opinion in which they replied that guy was clearly out to get your money and your coverup would be PERFECT practice for an apprentice. I left the phone conversation feeling utterly disappointed in their professionalism and respectfulness.

Phoned Saturday morning to inquire about a single hole, conventional ear piercing for my 9 yr. old daughter shortly after the store opened at 11am....Me: Good morning. Do you perform piercings for children? I have a 9yr. old daughter who would like to have her ears pierced today.Staff member at the store replied: We sure do! Me: Great, can I make an appointment for today? Staff:Absolutely, we have time on the schedule around 1pm.Me: Awesome. Anything else? Staff: Nope Me: Great, we will see you then!Upon arrival at 1pm I was met by the piercing staff member: Ya, Hi... Did you bring a birth certificate for you daughter? Me: Um, No! Was I supposed to? Staff:Well, we tried to call you using our caller ID but couldnt. We cant do the piercing w/o a birth certificate. Me:You, wanted a birth certificate but, didnt manage to take down my name, or number?It was 11:00 oclock when I phoned. My bank closes at 12:00 on Saturday. I certainly could have aquired the birth certificate, or a passport from our safety deposit box before coming had a staff member... A) Initially told me to bring the documents. B) Before you come please review our website for piercing rules and guidelines C) Phoned me back, and said opps we forgot to ask you to bring .... But, instead Steves failed to do either. Leaving me with a 9yr old little girl who has been working up the courage to get her ears pierced for months, and now because of no fault of hers, or mine she feels completely rejected. Thanks so much Steves.I completely understand rules, and liabilities. But, I feel as though it is the responsibility of the staff to convey them in advance before booking an appointment. Giving the consumer the opportunity to meet the requirements.Update: Upon leaving Steves I was able to contact Claires boutique in the mall, and had the piercing completed within the hour. The staff members used safe/clean precautions, and were courteous, polite, and attentive to my daughters needs! Thank you Claires. No thank you Steves.

I have an interesting relationship with Steves. I got my first tattoo with a girl named Stephanie I do not think she is there anymore but if she is DO NOT get a tattoo with her. The one she did for me is raised scared and the lettering way too thick to even read. I am bummed because 1. she should have told me the font and size were not tattooable because I had no tattoo experience 2. She should have used a wayyyy thinner needle 3. She should have never touched it up when I came in and asked if thats what it would need to be more readable. Ridiculous. Anyways I do not know why buuuuut I went back there because it is suppose to be one of the better places in madison and I got a lovely tattoo from Senica ( I think that was his name) he did everything that Stephanie should have. I would get a tattoo again from him. I also went back there to show them more horrible tattoo done by Stephanie and I was surprised they did not really offer me anything or advice on what could make it look better or something of that nature.

You want the best service and tattoo ask for Corey! Youll never be disappointed! Plus Jess the piercer is always hilarious and makes the shop have an enjoyable atmosphere!

Corey created a beautiful tattoo to honor my mothers memory...he took his time and it was very detailed and beautiful and vibrant, Just like her ❤️A beautiful work of art that Im proud to have with me forever❤️

The tattoo artist did really good job with my tattoo I was very happy it and he was Batman fan too enjoy our conversation together

I was lucky to have billy as my artist for my first tattoo, he did it correctly, and the rest of the staff was very friendly. 10/10 would recommend this place.

Just got my nose pierced there today. Jessica was great! Very professional and kind. My piercing looks great, and I couldnt be more happy.

I had a Japanese Dragon done a couple years ago by Dave and he did an amazing job. Ill be going back soon for a new piece. Great work and fair prices.

Excellent tattoo!! My whole experience was professional and awesome!! Toni was great!!

Jessica was awesome! She made me feel comfortable and explained everything I needed to know for my piercings.

Ronnie James. (Has moved to Lost Lakes Tattoo) ASK FOR HIM. Best work Ive seen. Solid artist, respectable and extremely focused. I will keep getting work from him until I run out of space.

Really helpful and friendly staff. I appreciated being filled in on my piercing and hearing info on the jewelry.Thank you!

Been using Steves for almost a decade now. Great place and great artists. Corey has done some amazing work for me and I highly recommend him.

Jessica was friendly and nice. She made me feel comfortable so I wasnt nervous abt the piercing. 🥰🥰🥰

:(... had high hopes...made appointment, yes, on a whim basically, an hour before arrival. Really happy to get in on short notice. Mind you Im from Chicago and motorcycling lake Michigan, so this place was 3 1/2 hours out of my way. So I call and make appointment, for specific tattoo, small, ankle tattoo. Call taken, awesomeness,..get there at agreed time to chat with other staff, which are great. My almost artist did not show up until half hour later. Then said he cant tattoo my idea, so I change it to something extremely simple, and then was told now that he cant tattoo an ankle, which i specifically asked on the phone before arrival, it would have to be above sock line?? .. this is where I was done! Cash in hand, walk out?!?? Needless to say, went an hour south, and got my lil skull duder tattooed on my ankle, what I wanted, where I wanted it!..guess Cory or whatever his name was either didnt want to do his job at that time, or was attempting to get more $ for opening his tools, and the bluff was called.Epic reply...I...

Stopped in to have a few questions answered regarding my future tattoo. The dude on duty didnt seem interested in helping me out at all. I felt like I was nothing but an inconvenience to him. Needless to say, I will not be getting my tatts (or anything else) done at Steves -- ever. Very disappointed.

Great place! Got a ear piercing for my wife. Jessica is amazing, she can and will answer anything piercing related. True expert

Worked with Jes. She is amazing at her job and a very sweet person. Visit her for all your piercing needs!

Love this place. Great atmosphere and everyone is super cool. Very clean and professional. Loved every tattoo I’ve had done here.

Been going to Steves 4 almost 40 yrs now...from the old shack to across from Jolly Bobs...im doing both sleeves now...my artist is Jack...just one of the excellent tattooist working there....always friendly and work with you on ideas about ur tattoo...i go no where else~~~~

David absolutely nailed my tattoo. Wanted something very personal and it turned out perfect. Great artist with even better tattooing skills.

Got my ears pierced by Jessica, shes super friendly and patient, definetly knows what shes doing. Was a nice experience, I recommend this place!

Corey was very knowledgeable and patient with a beginner like me. Fair price for such great work!

Corey always does a great job! Very pleased with tat.

Great location. Clean shop. Talented artists. Only complaint is they should be able to sell jewelry even if a piercer isnt there. Seems silly not to

I had a great experience with Hannah! Straight lines and captured exactly what I wanted. 10/10 recommend

Amazing place. Here on vacation and got an addition to my ear piercings. Great people. Clean. Friendly. Helpful. Knowledgable. Will be back each year to add to my ear. 👍

Justin did a great job on my tattoo!

I went to Steves to have a microdermal removed. The guy who removed it did a stellar job. He kept me calm and talked me through the whole process. I was very impressed.

I have 3 amazing tats from artist Don E , nice people, clean facility, Great deals, great atmosphere. Love this place!

Jessica pierced my daughters ears and she was awesome! Would definitely recommend.

Who leaves their open sign on after hours? I actually wanted to buy a barbell, but after the treatment I just received I will never stop there again. Bad apple tattoo here I come

The service was wonderful. Ive been both tattooed and pierced there and would definitely recommend

Very clean and friendly. Jessica did a great job on my helix piercings.

Great customer service. Friendly staff, professional service. Welcomed a newbie and provided a quality customized tattoo.

Can’t wait to get my sleeve!!

So happy with my first tattoo experience! Corey did an incredible job!

I Recently got my first tattoo here the guy that did it was hitting on me the entire time if your looking for professionalism I wouldnt go here.

For my first tattoo, Colton made me extremely comfortable, and the experience was everything I could have asked for.

Talented people and outstanding work. My first tattoo and David did a great job

Day after I turned 18 I came straight here for my quarter sleeve. I was so happy and 3 years later I’m still very happy with it.

Jessica did a great job piercing our kiddos ears!

💘 LOVE this place... Cant get enough of it. HIGHLY recommend!!! Tell them Jenn sent you...

Dave did phenomenal on my neck/throat tattoo!! ❤️❤️❤️

I personally found they do a really good job with their ink but prices are a little high for simpler stuff. Overall good shop

Awesome work done here. Quality artist with experience and creativity. Shop embraces technology and best practices.

Jessica made our piercing experience awesome. We will go again.

I have three pieces from them, which Ive had for decades and they all still look great

Good quality, friendly and very helpful piercer.

Hannah did a great, great, great job! Made what I asked for even better.

Friendly staff and fun environment. Holly did a great job on the drawing of what I wanted

Awesome experience, and professional staff and service. Great first tattoo!

This is the people and the place. Just know this man.

Jessica pierced my cartilage (double piercing) - super happy with how it turned out!

They were very quick with my double piercings.

I love my rolex symbol tattoo, don e did a good job on my tattoo. Good service!!!!!!!

Awesome shop! only people i trust to do my tattoos.

Wonderful people. Been there for three tattoos and a piercing.

Gary is the best artist i have dealt with. Great location, great artists, and great work.

Jessica is an excellent piercer. Cant imagine a better experience!!

The guys were awesomeeee!! Pricing was good Im definitely coming back!

Very professional guys. Great work. Clean. Will be back for more.

Not the old Steves Tatoo.Might be time for a career change DaveNot happy

Amazing artists and great environment!

Good artists here. I have only 2 tats and they were both done here

Ive had a handful of piercings done by Jessica, I wont go anywhere else!

Great tattoo from Billy and awesome music to keep my mind occupied .

Professional, experienced and tallented experts will help make your design idea a reality.

Everyone in the shop does fabulous work! Very highly recommended!

Jessica pierced my daughters ear. It was a great experience.

Great work by Corey and good place to get Ink.

Great place, super friendly, and love the atmosphere.

Great artists. Everyones super chill and does great work

Polite, professional staff..did a great job on mt tattoo

Gary did a great job on my tattoo.

Great place to get ink

Definitely will be back! Fantastic service!

Another great tat by Corey! Thanks bro!

Nice professional cool chill place to get a tat!!

Great service, great artwork and very friendly.

Clean, fun atmosphere, great people, fantastic talented artists.

Overall rude on the phone I understand people are busy, but dont have an attitude

Great atmosphere and even better people.

Always amazing work at a fair price!

Very professional! Great customer service!

Great work. Good prices

Super fast and painless piercing by Jessica!

I didnt go in. I dropped someone off there.

Got a great tattoo by David. 👍🏾👍🏾

Jessica is the best piercer in Madison