Reviews of Great Lakes Tattoo (Tattoo Shop)

Jaira Paine

ITS WHERE LOUIS GOT HIS ASS TAT

Jesse Engelbrecht

One of the best shops around. Got a great tattoo by Mario from his flash that I absolutely love. Healed in perfectly. Tons of great flash and history and friendly, knowledgeable artists.

John Halerz

Fantastic experience! Went in as a walk-in. They helped me hammer out some of the details with my design and Matt executed the design perfectly. Will definitely be back.

Brad Bayes

Mike Dalton did a fantastic job. Great shop definitely recommend!

Gigi ONeel

It has a great vibe. The tattoo artists are all friendly and gave a great tattoo to my son. I also very much appreciated that they helped him up the stairs ( he's in a wheelchair) without us even having to say a word. The artist he had also worked very well with my son's spasms. Outstanding place. We will go back in a couple months!!

Lauren Bernard

One of the best tattoo experiences I've had-- my group of 3 walked in and were immediately accommodated. Staff was friendly, polite, and helpful. Chip was great, his script came out really nicely and he gave me exactly what I wanted! Thank you guys!

D O'Connor

I went to Great Lakes to get my first tattoo done. I was super nervous beforehand but the employees there put me at ease; they were extremely empathetic and professional. I felt comfortable the entire time. I did a walk-in and ended up with Kevin as my artist. He was amazing; very patient regarding the draw-up and placement of my design. I never felt rushed and none of the artists were pushy. I got a complicated piece of line work done (all straight lines which is challenging to do well) and Kevin did an amazing job. I highly recommend this place and will be returning back :)

Chelsea Wiedemann

Such a great experience! They were so nice and made me feel so comfortable.

Zachary Callen

Great shop: the work is incredible, everyone is super friendly, and the shop is very cool.

Alfred Herbst

Great atmosphere and welcoming, talented artists.

Dan Jay

Couldn't ask for friendlier people or a better experience for my first tattoo. The staff here are honestly incredibly and wherever I'm in need of anything new and am back in Chicago, this will be my place.

Sam Webber

This place is great! I walked in and showed the guy behind the counter terrible picture from a movie, he gave the pic to the artist (Erik), and I was amazed at what he came up with. The tattoo turned out awesome! I will be back next time I am in Chicago.

Mira elm

The guy at the front desk is super rude, the lady was rude as well. It's like they have no respect for anyone at this place.

Jeannie Williams

Exceptional tattooers and great guest artists.

Dragos Ivan

Can not go wrong with any of the artists here. Great selection of talent. Shout out to Kevin Leary for rocking both of my half sleeves.

Amber Mueller

Quick, clean, beautiful traditional work. I won't go anywhere else.

Tom Cox

Had the pleasure of visiting this awesome shop last week while in Chicago on business and got killer tattoo from Brandon. Messaged him ahead of time to set up the appointment and throw some ideas around. What he came up with exceeded my expectations! Super friendly and professional. Allison greeted me when I came in, rest of the staff was rad as well, and the place is solid all around. Amazing flash from the front of the shop to the back. I'm sure you could get tattooed at other shops in the area, but why risk it when the best is right here. Thanks again all! Hope to end up in Chicago again to stop by!

Jennifer Greenberg

Really friendly shop. Everyone is so nice and professional! Got tattooed by Brandon and will definitely be back for more work!

Jaime Meyer

I got a tattoo from Nick about 1.5 years ago now, and I am still in love with it. I was living in Minneapolis at the time and flew to Chicago solely to meet with Nick for the tattoo. I had such a great experience here. The whole staff was friendly and all the artists are extremely talented. The shop has a great atmosphere and cool vibe. Whenever anyone asks me about any of my tattoos, I always recommend this shop. I live in Milwaukee now, so I am much closer. I will be back for another!

jordan jackson

Kevin was fantastic!! He made me feel very welcome and gave recommendations for the best possible, longest-lasting tattoo (so often, designs/fonts that are too small will blur and he made me feel secure and reassured). Will return for my next tattoo!

Shaun Moore

Very overpriced. The price does not justify the quality. Artist literally overlooked pieces of the tattoo, I had to return to get it finished. I was charged $180 for 15 minutes of work that wasn't even done properly. I had lettering with straight lines that looked like a drunk guy who was detoxing picked up an ink gun. This is a tourist trap. They likely get a ton of business due to their proximity to the loop.

AJ Naps77

Nick's the man. Thanks

dawson kiser

I walked in late on a Saturday to get my first tattoo. I had no plan on what I wanted at all. I just knew I wanted one. I chose some flash done by Mario Desa. Mike Dalton tattooed me and it was the best first tattoo experience I could have asked for. I was comfortable and everyone was very friendly. It was a decent sized piece on my thigh and Mike did it pretty quickly. It turned out fantastic and the healing process has been very smooth. Since then I have looked through some of Mike's flash on Instagram and I am super excited to go back and get more work done by Mike. From what I have seen and from other people's testimonies of the shop, every artist there is more than capable at what they do and they truly love to tattoo. I highly recommend Great Lakes Tattoo. Also thank you Mike for staying a little after close to finish my tattoo. I truly appreciate it.

Carrie Rawley

Been there 2xs. Happier then imaginable

Hugo Sr Calavera

An amazing collection of tattoo flash sheets over the walls and great artist!

Stephanie Pagnucco

My friend and I were in Chicago for the day and decided to get tattoos kind of on a whim. We saw how great of a reputation this place had online so we decide to make the trek up Grand Ave to see if they would fit us in (we were both getting small pieces). When we walked in the young man at the desk told us that they do take walk ins so we were pretty pleased 'and excited (this was my first tattoo). At the end of the day my artist was amazing (Eric) and he did exactly what I wanted, while listening to my many many comments and questions... so I really think this place deserves a great review... Thank you so much Eric. HOWEVER, the front desk person (receptionist? Office person? I'm not sure) - the young man at the front, whatever his position is... was HORRENDOUS. He made both me and my friend feel so uncomfortable that we were on the verge walking out until Eric, the artist, came to talk to us. He was miserable and had zero customer service skills. He dismissed our ideas when we were talking about our stencils and everything that came out of his mouth was extremely condescending. He took the drawing my friend made to give her artist an loose idea of what she wanted and literally scanned it and made it into the stencil that would be actually tattooed on her. When she asked why he was using that (he had told her before just to draw it and it didn't have to be pretty) he replied "well it should be pretty if it's going to go on your body." Regardless of that individual, we still love our tattoos and thank you to the amazing artists... as for the front desk guy... I want the owner to know that he almost lost two customers and would bet we won't be the last people he offends.

Brandon Florez

Great work and very friendly

Carlos Roman

Awesome tattoo shop, the artist have a great attention to detail, always making amazing suggestions and extremely flexible with payment. If you're looking for a new tattoo or ideas on American traditional- this is the place you want to be. Nick and the whole team make me feel right at home, excited to continue my sleeve through them.

B Evans

I was looking for a place to get a traditional tattoo and stumbled upon Great Lakes Tattoo as a walk in. Originally wanted a dagger on my side burn but was quickly informed that they "dont tattoo faces" by the receptionist. Already being heavily tattooed to include my head, I didn't really get it but oh well. Their policy and I respect that. Still got an awesome little filler on my arm and called it a day. Very clean work from all the tattooers, a bit pricey but hey...it's Chicago.

Lavish Ink Logistics

My wife and I went there during our mini-moon in Chicago, and the customer service was awesome. Top notch establishment...very clean and organized. Mario and Brandon did excellent work; we were very pleased with the results. U guys rock!

Renan Cevallos

Great shop. Eric Gillespie is a great talent.

Tyler MacAvoy

Great place, very available with walk-ins. Quality ink, reasonable pricing, talented artists. Definitely a go-to place to get a spur of the moment tat.

Melinda Riley

These efficient and skilled professionals produce exceptional tattoos!

DARIN ROBERTS

A great Tattoo shop stocked with talented Tattooers. Check them out!

Anthony Brooke

Brilliant experience, professional and forthcoming to ensure receive best tattoo possible. Did a fantastic job, and managed to fit me in as a drop by.

Oliver Newton

The staff was fantastic, very friendly and professional. Matt did a couple peice for my fiance and I and we are very happy with them. The front desk guy was great- we witnessed him working with a few other customers and he was helpful to everyone. Also, ATM there is an awesome art exhibit diet stairs.

Trish K

I have to preface this review by saying we DID NOT GET TATTOOS here. But the gentleman was very polite on the phone call. We drove over an hour to the shop & was welcomed warmly by the host. The startig price of tattoos is $80 and the rates vary based on size, complexity, & location on body. We deemed it overpriced to pay $120 for a quarter size ribbon so we declined their services. We were visting from Houston, Texas. The front desk man was very helpful & polite. I have to say that I really liked the atmosphere & would consider coming here if I lived in Chicago.

KODI HILGENBRINCK

Great atmosphere, very talented artist. I have had Chip do 3 tattoos for me in the last month all medium sized. Price is very reasonable for the quality and detail put into the piece, I will definitely be back for another 3!

maddie bomher

The best tattoo experience I've ever had! Outstanding work and exceptional artists! I'll definately be back!! If you're new to the city and curious where to get your next tat done, go here! 100% recommend!!

Timmy M

Would have loved to come back for more work if the lady at the desk wasn't so nasty and rude about setting up a follow up appointment.

Michael Malatesta

Amazing place and the artists are the best around

Jocelyn Echevarria

The most pleasant tattoo experience I’ve ever had! My friend and I got matching lettering and it turned out better than I could have hoped for. They were all professional, respectful, super friendly, and very talented! Definitely getting my next tattoo here!

Bertha Hunter

Came here for a tattoo. I was nervous as this was the first for me. the artist is so amazing. it was a great experience and I would totally recommend it to anyone.

Jacquelynn Biggs

Very clean and professional.

Jacqueline Corsini

Amazing walk in experience

Kelly Steele

Cool

Ebony E. Chinn

Matt was great, professional, and friendly. If I’m ever in Chicago again, I’ll definitely come back here.

Claudia Lucas

Absolutely love my too! thanks

Jasmine Robertson

This place was awesome. I got my first tattoo from here. Nick & his crew did an astounding job; him for helping me stay calm & relaxed & the entire crew for their welcoming friendliness. Also, Very clean, gentle & friendly atmosphere. Deserves 10 stars

Marek Kedzierski

Miles is the man

Reggie Vega

I did a walk in to get a tattoo and the artist said my tattoo idea was too big for the spot and then he just walked way. Looked like he didn't want to tattoo. He didn't even work with me to try to figure out another spot. I gave them three stars because the person behind the counter was really nice.

Joshua Lee

Beatdown does all my work, great shop

jennifer barthold

i hadn't gotten a tattoo in over 10 years. this place was fantastic. completely professional, and they actually care. walked right in, met with mike to discuss my design, and hour later (it was small this time) i was done. i am so happy with the results i will definitely go back there for the next one.

jorge mendez

Best place in the city. Great and professional artist. Recommend people to go see miles.

Sara Hanson

friendly, sanitary, amazing work

A.Marie

I visited for the 1st time Saturday for an appointment with a guest artist. Beautiful and very clean shop with friendly people. Each artist creates high quality work. I look forward to returning soon!!

Abigail Ohlson

Making Chicago a more beautiful place, one tattoo at a time. GLT is hands down, the BEST shop in town. True artists with a passion for tattoo knowledge and history. GLT doesn’t play. I’ve been multiple times over the years and have had nothing but awesome experiences and received incredible art that I am CONSTANTLY getting complimented on.

Gabrielle Erstad

They were so patient with my friend and I who were very nervous to get our first tattoos. The staff is great and very helpful. 10/10 would recommend.

Amanda Ladd

Very nice shop. It's a clean and comfortable higher end place. Matt did an excellent job on my walk in visit! I receive a lot of compliments when it's noticed.

Jake Villarreal

Beautiful shop, great work, and pricey but you get what you pay for. Well worth the money. Love the Naval history implemented with the style of the shop!

Hope Miller

My friend and I went here on a whim to get our first ever tattoos done. The front desk boy was awesome, plus Erik and Brandon were better than we could hope for! I had Brandon and he was super chatty and friendly the whole time, answered all my questions, and also gave me great insight into the tattooing world. 15/10 would do again, perfect place to get a first tattoo

Sergio Luna

Highly recommend this shop. Very professional and love what they stand for. Nick Colella is a great artist and came up with the perfect design for me. It was better than anything I could have ever asked for or imagined. Nick went up and beyond and completed my whole piece in one sitting without even taking a lunch break. Never stopped working besides when I needed a break and just kept going. That work ethic is hard to find and I can really respect that and he even followed up which shows that he really cares about his work. Thank you once again and I'll be back for more!

Willie d Sanders

The customer service was amazing I was able to give them my Idea and they was able to see me as a walkin, chip was my tatoo artist and he was amazing guy very down to earth and honest, I'm glad I was able to enjoy my visit

Harry Lewis-Barclay

Great bunch of guys - professional, laidback, skilled. What more could you want

Brooklynn Frazier

My best friend and I are here to visit and wanted to get matching tattoos together. Neither of us had any tattoos before this and we had worries. We saw Great Lakes on google and it was close to where we were staying so we walked in we immediately were talked to about what we wanted, they got it drawn up we signed some papers, and they started tattooing us in 20 minutes. Brandon was our guy and he was nothing but patient with because we wanted to make sure it was just right. He did an excellent job and was a very nice guy. 10/10 reccomend this place!

Caitlin Murray

Matt ("Beatdown") is amazing. I got my first (4 hour long) tattoo by him, and went back for another one as soon as I could. He's a great guy, makes you feel really comfortable, and is an amazing artist. You can tell he lives and breathes for this stuff- it's not just a job to him. Both of my tattoos are one of a kind, colorful, and worth every penny. I recommend him hands down...you need to check out the beautiful new store and ask for Matt (or any one of the other amazing tattoo artists there).

Jack Pochop

I got a tattoo this afternoon from Matt Ziolko after walking in only to schedule an appointment. The front desk dude is pretty no BS in only the most efficient and non-offensive way. Matt and another artist overheard my friend and I talking about what we wanted and they pretty much had us in the booth 5 minutes later. I haven't had a tattoo in a number of years and was a little nervous, but the artists there have a pretty solid bedside manner. Great Lakes tattoo was also really welcoming and clean as f***. I spent more than I wanted to, but you get what you pay for and I am extremely happy with the results. I would wholeheartedly recommend Matt Ziolko and would / will go back when the time is ripe.

David Fisk

Love this place! Great art show of Deadly Prey!

Alethia Landis

Awsome work, great shop Artist & owner Nick did amazing work! Great Atmosphere! We will be back!

Laura Rubio

Amazing tattoo studio with very helpful and friendly tattooers.

Dan Dunkle

Absolutely beautiful shop, great staff and talented artists. Nick, the owner, has been doing my tattoos for almost 20 years and you will not find a nicer guy or gifted tattoo artist in Chicago.

Cadi Walsh

10/10 would recommend, i got my second tattoo here and the service was amazing. From walking in to walking out, it was great. They didn't make me feel uncomfortable, had great conversation, just overall great service.

Chris K.

This is a solid tattoo parlor. My tattooist was very experienced, and really conversational. It made the tattoo go buy really fast. Priced are a little steep but not outrageous.

Kim Reinhart

Absolutely love this place! Hubby and I were walk-ins (only half impulsive) and Great Lakes was amazing. We both have a few tattoos already and wanted to add a little something- well, in my case, a bigger something. Erik is super talented and incredibly kind. We will definitely return!

Jorge Flores

2nd year attending their Walk Up Classic Tattoo event Friendly staff and just awesome work from the tattoo artist.

William Newman

Clean shop with very talented staff specializing in American traditional tattoos.

Mary Molina

As a walk in I had a great experience at GLT. Kevin did exactly what I wanted, he's a true artist. I am so happy!

Genevieve Ryan

Lovely shop and super nice staff!

Weronika Bobula

Matt Ziolko, "Beatdown," is the best tattoo artist I know. Much of my body is a dedication to his creativity and skill. He and I have become good friends after spending countless hours getting tattooed by him. For anyone I meet looking to get a tattoo, especially of the traditional style, I send them directly to Matt.

Andrew Morgan

Great artists. Nick drew this up for me and if my favorite tattoo. Expect a great tattoo and Chicago prices

Red21 Lady

"About $350 for 1/2” circle "-tattoo artist says to customer then says ”5 words of a phrase is about $350"- to me..... Just because it's a hour b4 closing doesn't mean u can charge ridiculous prices for 20min session.js

Isabella

Absolutely loved my first experience at Great Lakes. The staff and artists were so kind and accommodating to my needs! I was a walk in and they took care of me in no time. I went to Matt! This is definitely one of the best shops in Chicago. The shop is beautiful, clean, and full of amazing art pieces (if you’re a huge history buff, it’s THAT much cooler!) Cannot wait to come back. Thanks Great Lakes!

sjp stevenjohnsonphotography

These guys are great!

Lydia Cowher

Great experience. Staff was super friendly and Chip the tattoo artist was awesome.

Heather Hopkins

Absolutely loved this place! Kevin was great! Despite just being a walk in, he took the time to work with my design and capture all the detail. I am very happy with his work!

Christian Picciolini

Nick and crew are awesome and friendly. I took my two sons there and we all got tattooed by him! If you love traditional style tattoos, this is the place to go. Most beautiful tattoo shop I have ever seen.

Danielle Pruitt

My husband and I got tattoos here, and it was my first one. Positive experience all around- efficient, clean, and Mario was kind, helpful, and so easy to work with. Highly recommend!!

Shane Mc Quillan

I visited this shop for an art event and was impressed both by the art show and the tattoo art on the walls. The event was set up well, with a good layout and helpful staff. The location is close to some good looking restaurants, so lots of food available nearby. Worth a visit for sure!

Alyssa Pridham

I walked in and got exactly what I wanted. I emailed them the design and got tattooed right away by Matt. Very friendly and professional staff.

Timothe Stites

Went in to get a feel for the shop and it was a little standoffish. The work looked good enough.

Rasik Malhotra

Myles is the best. He is great, very detailed and an amazing artist. Highly recommend him.

Amy L

Eric was super friendly and did an awesome job! Great first tattoo experience. The overall space is also really nice and inviting.

Lalo Monroy

A really good place to get a tatto

Maria Cosio

Super accommodating and helpful throughout the whole process. Matt is an amazing artist. You won't regret coming here.

Rachele Evers

excellent work. efficient and beautiful! they did an excellent job guiding my sister and I in getting our tattoos and accommodating our ridiculous schedule! worth the walk and the cash!

Jason Shaw Jr

the artist here are phenomenal. they are very caring and love their craft. they take care of their clients and it shows in their work.

Adam Hecht

Got my wedding ring tattood on here last week. Mike up front was great and helpful, and Nick who did the ink was professional and friendly. I'd come back here for my next tattoo!

Norma Bauerr

Absolutely beautiful shop and talented artists."