Reviews of Skin Kitchen Tattoo (Tattoo Shop)

Jason Grove

Best out there.......Highly recommend!

jeromy lunde

Jack is the best, very professional, eazy going, friendly shop atmosphere. If you want the best, look no further.

Matthew Ceaser

Kade is an amazing tattoo artist! Had an infinity sign drawn by my brother tattooed on my leg for my mom. Would recommend Kade and Skin Kitchen, very friendly people.

yessica paucar

I got my tattoo from kade tonight and it's really beautiful just like his eyes , he's really funny and entertained me the whole time , I recommend this place to everyone !!

lauren zenti

I need to get a medical id on my wrist that says "type 1 diabetic" and I hear nothing but good things about them

Lisa Love-Wins

I had two typical teenagers chomping at the bit to get their first tats when they turned 18. I tried to explain to them it's not about getting a tattoo, it's about keeping a tattoo you will love. Knowing they would go ahead and get them the first chance they could if I didn't do something to stop them, I offered to pay for any tattoo they wanted, no matter what the cost, the only condition was they had to go see Jack at Skin Kitchen. My kids are 28 and 30 now and they still love their ink, but they also thank me for not letting them get them anywhere else... 10+ years later, they still go there and so do all their friends.

i'll help

I had the pleasure of speaking with Westley and asked advice on burn scar tattoos. He gave me all the info I needed and some recommendations about cover ups. When I get the cash I cant wait to go visit and get my first tattoo with him. Very down to earth guy and looking at his profile of tattoos on the website, I'm sure I won't be disappointed when I get my first one! Looking forward to it

tanesha thompson

Wesley did an awesome job!

Kenny McCoy

Best friggen place to go to get high class work. All my pieses i have gotten from them gets compliments to this day! Thanx SK!!!

Deverette Magee

Loved it. Good atmosphere good artist.

Nina Schmidt

Jack did a great addition to an already existing tattoo that I had. It's really nice. I wanted to get another piece done here, but the customer service so poor. Felt like I was inconviniencing them just by asking a few questions about their opinion on design. I didn't feel like they wanted my business.

Brianna Woods

I went into skin kitchen with my friend today to see if an artist would be able to do a tattoo for me. I wanted my SMMMAAALLLL forearm to have a few roses tattooed on it as an OUTLINE. I spoke witb Josh and he began saying it will be $300 and tried lecturing me like i am a little kid. ALONG WITH THAT he tried telling me i cant get a good tattoo for cheap as in $150. Josh had an attitude and was very cocky and acted like he had no interest in helping me find a good tattoo artist to do this work for me. My mother and step father used to go here for their tattoos after hearing what happened today I do not believe they will every step foot in here again. They would ask my parents if they would like them to draw up the tattoo for them but Josh never bothered asking me if i would like him to draw up my tattoo. He decided to take the road of nagging and being disrespectful..... Why? Maybe because i turn 18 tomorrow and i am young or maybe because hes just a rude perspn in general. I would never recommend coming here they are not worth your money or time.

Kaylee Jackson

"Was a very welcoming environment and he did an amazing job on my tattoo and made me feel very comfortable

Leevi Wilson

Did an amazing job, super friendly

emily dennis

Syd does amazing work! I just had my 9th tattoo done by her and I love it! The whole shop has an amazing vibe and makes it enjoyable.

Ingrid Messersmith Holth

I rated this one star, but it deserves a 0/5 stars. This place was awful. Pretty sure they tricked me into paying money up front, even though i didn't get the tattoo, and then refused to give me a refund, and then another tattoo parlor I went to insisted that I was robbed of my money. The people were extremely unprofessional, whenever I tried asking a question they would either be talking to each other or playing games on their phone. When I told them what I wanted, they denied giving it to me and would be very pushy into giving me something I didn't want. Also when I was there, I could here them making fun of other tattoos that they had given to people that day. Overall, it was a terrible experience, and I highly recommend finding a different place.

Tasty Shit With Kira

Amazing experience for my first tattoo. A great atmosphere and my artist Josh was a great conversation and I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to tattoo me!

Stephanie Grim

Awesome clean friendly!! No regrets ever

Rhonda McNeill

This is the ONLY place to go when it comes to tattoos. Josh did an awesome job! He is extremely talented and has a real passion for his work. I've had 4 tattoos at Skin Kitchen and I'm already thinking about # 5. Never disappointed!

Tasha Patt

I loved it there! Josh did a fantastic job with my tattoo. I would definitely go back for another!

Gregory Watson

Unbelievable work, great staff!, super professional, this the only place I'm going and it's a 2.5 hour drive from me. One recommendation: Heed your tattooist advice ...I mean it is what they do for a living yea,

Karla Klunder

Great experience! Clean shop. Friendly & talented artists. I recommend Skin Kitchen Tattoo to everyone looking for an exceptional tattoo.

Kathy Paucar

Josh did an amazing job I really liked how he did my tattoo , he's really nice and funny the whole staff is friendly !! I totally recommend this place to my family and friends !

Kat

I've gotten two tattoos from Lono now, and I couldn't be happier. He's very patient and helpful through both the design and inking process. He gave me excellent advice, and now I have two tattoos I absolutely love! I'll be a regular, for sure.

Ebony Love

Dave is one of a kind. Geniune people here!

Carla Lynn

Best Experience Ever!!! Josh was totally amazing and did a fantastic job!!!!

Chase Leavell

Everyone is nice. They made me feel comfortable the moment I got in. Josh is nice and funny, even though Im not a talkative person, he still managed to get me to talk. I recommend it

Ronald Price

They did quality work on my tattoo. They were easy to deal with and had good attitudes about letting me do the tattoo the way I wanted it done. My tattoo was done by a guy I believe his name was Kade. I went in and got a quote before I decided to get it done. The only issue I had is that he required a cash deposit. I thought it was strange but I had the cash on hand so it wasn't a big deal. Just an issue if you don't have that kind of money on you at the time because he won't book your appointment without it. Either way it was a good decision and he had a great attitude even about the last minute adjustments I wanted made. The studio was clean and very sterile. I watched him unwrap everything and blot out new ink. All in all a good experience. My wife has also gotten one here and she plans on getting one more next spring. I will be back for more and will again make sure I have cash just in case.

Colyn Fay

I went into skin kitchen looking for my first tattoos. I chose Lono for his black and gray work. I went in with a really rough game plan but had different text and designs picked out that Lono was able to turn into really clean pieces that looked amazing. I may have seemed disappointed since I didn't comment to much or get to overwhelmed but I booked it out of there to show everyone I could how great my tattoos turned out. I will definitely be returning to Lono for more work!

David Hogan

Professional, courteous, hilarious, contagious. Jack, Michelle, and every staff member are an individual, artistic expression of our thriving culture! From vibrant colors, to lifelike portraits, any size or style, Skin Kitchen is the only choice in Des Moines! Schedule an appointment, it's worth the wait! -David Hogan

Sarah Mcvey

I went in to skin kitchen with my friend who was getting her first tattoo. She was wanting an OUTLINE on her SMALL WRIST of a couple roses. They told her it would be 300 dollars. I believe it was josh that talked to us. He ended up lecturing us like we were children and preaching that you can't get a good tattoo for under $100 dollars. Well I had a jacket on but little did he know I have 3 tattoos on my arms that were all 100 or less (one with color) that are very detailed and amazing and professionally done. Josh was also very cocky and rude, acted like he knew everything about tattoos, which I get it dude, you're a tattoo artist, that's your job, and you have to make your money. But make your money in a fair way, and don't act rude while trying to tell someone how much you charge. He treated us very poorly, almost like he was better than us or something. He also tried saying it would be horribly unfair if he charged her anything under $300 and he wasn't willing to work with her budget. This place is absolutely ridiculous and treated us, new possible customers terribly. They lost 4 customers today, my friend and I, and her parents who have been going there. I highly advise anyone who goes to skin kitchen to just expect being treated poorly. The lady at the front desk had a bad attitude, but the main issue was Josh.

Ryan Reece

Awesome employees, and great workmanship.

Kathy Morgan

Skin Kitchen gave me my first tattoo 13 years ago and it still looks amazing! I've gone back to the SKT (Danny) for my last five tattoos and would definitely recommend him. My best friend had tattoo regret for 10 years and Danny gave her two amazing cover up pieces that she is totally in love with! I will definitely be back to SKT for more work! Everyone that I've had the pleasure of dealing with (from over the phone, front desk, tattoo artists) have been amazing and down-to-earth, fun folks! They are true artists!

bbkindy17

AMAZING SERVICE!!! Josh has such soft hands and warm touch! It’s LOVELY!! Nick has lushios locks! It’s beautiful! Cade has the most lovely eyes you have ever stared into! You will get lost!! Bailey did an amazing job on my tattoo!! Go see her she is GREAT!!!!! Def recommend them!! They are prof as F%#K!!!

Scott Frederick

Jack and Wes are top notch.

Michael McManigal

I had recently gotten a few tattoos in Nebraska when I was 17 with my father to create a father son bonding. Later, I started to put more into emphasizing getting tattoos with my mother and brother. Well, my old tattoo parlor shut down, didn't know anywhere to go. I stumbled upon Skin Kitchen from a few friends. Time was coming the big old "18", I was wanting to create a bond with my brother as he and I have both been through so much as kids. Skin Kitchen gave us the Bond of Brother Hood by giving us each tattoos we both loved mine being"Every Saint has a Past" and my brothers being "Every Sinner has a Future." They have created a relationship with me and my brother through there art and Idea. Plan on driving back up to get a Shoulder tattoo started after taxes come, Skin Kitchen is worth the 3 hr drive (:

Bizzy Nasty

I got my first tattoo here and it was fun and lona did mine and he was cool he talk s to you I would go back to this place which I am think about getting a new tattoo and also reasonable prices

Shasta Rogers

My boyfriend and I came in to both get (different) tattoos. We had Kade and he was awesome. He had great customer service and made the experience really easy and comfortable. Would definitely recommend to a friend or family member. But be careful not to look into his eyes. (He knows what it means!

Sadik Sabic

Love it! Every tattoo I've done has been too notch.

Joe Hoium

After a ton of research and asking around, I decided to see Jack about doing a cover up tattoo. After setting up an appointment a couple months out, the day finally came to get the new ink. From start to finish, the entire process was nothing short of fantastic and my new ink better than I could have ever imagined! I would highly recommend him and personally believe he is one of the best in the metro! His lines are neat, lots of detail and you couldn't ask for a better guy to chat with!

David Neel

Did a really good tatto on my girlfriend. A couple little nicks here and there

Victoria Lillo

The customer service was very friendly and inviting. The artists there were great at giving each other advice and feedback, so the end result was done nicely. And, I love love love the tattoo I received from them.

Rachel Klingston

It was awesome... For a first timer I am hooked and will be back for sure!!

Kollin Kirby

Got my memorial tattoo done by Matt. He did a great job and my tattoo looks Great. Skin Kitchen is the only place I will tell anyone to go for a tattoo. Everyone there was nice and helpful. IF you want a tattoo Skin kitchen is the place to go.

Zach Corwin

Kade is a great artist and always does good work. Everyone is always friendly, and helpful when designing art specific to you.

Rob Ballantyne

Kade McMillen rocks it at Skin Kitchen. He has done 3 tattoos for my wife and each one is amazing. I recommend him to everyone who asks for tattoo work. I had a tattoo by Lono and his work rocks as well. Skin Kitchen nails it! Great work!

Bria Colyer

Syd did an amazing job on my forearm tattoo and am planning on coming back in May to her for my next one!

bfnurgf 1

Jack is the coolest!

Emily Morgan

Great experience! My mom, sister, and I got tattoos for my mom's birthday. The artist (Kade) was really patient and helped us decide exactly the designs we wanted. Fully recommend!

Kenzi Drummond

This is a place I would go for my second tattoo. Absolutely loved it. Everyone was nice and, Josh, my artist was really talented. Definitely recommend this shop for anyone thinking about getting body ink.

Jess Nguyen

I love each time I step into this shop! Tina at the front desk is super nice and Wes is awesome! He ALWAYS does the best on my tattoos each time. And while I’ve never had Jack work on a tattoo, he’s also a pretty cool dude!

Emily Dittmer

I just got my first tattoo here and I felt comfortable. The staff are easy to talk to, informative with their experience and knowledge and I'm glad with the results

ashley stephenson

Awesome, frienldy artists that make the time go by fast when getting tattooed. Clean shop with a fun and unique layout. Go say hi to Syd for me!

Karrie McDermott

Left a message at 12 pm. Showed up at 5:30 pm and my message was never received and then after calling regarding walking in they only had time for a name and nothing else. Bad customer service.

Tyler Durden

I got my first tattoo ever at Skin Kitchen thirteen years ago. I now have over 100 hours of work and I have never gone anywhere else. 99% of my work has been done by Jack, but over the years I've come to know all of the artists there very well. People consistently stop me to ask where I got my work done. On multiple occasions people have told me how they hate tattoos and think they're trashy or unprofessional, but the work I have is extremely impressive and they "never see tattoos like this"! If you're looking to get work done, I absolutely recommend without any hesitation. Whether it's a highly detailed piece with intricate line work, old school traditional work, portraits, flash, etc., etc., they have you covered - they even have great piercers on staff. *PLEASE* look at any artist's portfolio before getting tattooed anywhere. You should be able to see many pictures of their work, as opposed to just a few, so that you can see that they are consistently turning out great tattoos. Additionally, *please* remember that you will have this for the rest of your life! Spend the money to get it done right the first time! There's nothing wrong with always looking for a deal, but getting tattooed is not one of the situations in which to do that. You don't want to be the person that is always laughed at while people point to your train wreck of a cheap tattoo. You also don't want to wind up on a website like Ugliest Tattoos. Now head into Skin Kitchen and setup and appointment! Amazing artists and piercers in a very large and very clean shop. You absolutely cannot go wrong.

Megan Brancheau

My best friend and I wanted to get matching tattoos. We decided to go to Syd at skin kitchen and we are so glad that we did! She was incredibly professional and even more friendly. Will definitely be returning to Syd and Skin Kitchen in the future!

Catherine Davis

Got my first tattoo by Josh came out really great. Love it. They're really nice people.

Aaron Colyer

Syd did a great job with me and my wife's tattoos. We will definitely use her for our next tattoos.

Katelyn Myers

Im not impressed by their lack of forth coming helpful ness

Joseph DeLateur

Love these guys just got my 3rd tattoo and it's great. Fun ppl to be around and very good customer service would recommend to all my friends. I'm also the 4th member of my family to go there and we all love jack. And westley is amazing as well love his personality very easy to get along with

Jenna Hall

I have had 8 tattoos from skin kitchen. I also have had them reconstruct older tattoos and make them into true art pieces.Both locations are full of amazing ARTISTS that do incredible tattoos. This place is a class act!

Josie Jacobs

For my first tattoo I had a great first experience with Josh!

Jessica Wayer

Josh Did such an awesome job on my tattoo! It was small and I didn't think it could be improved much, but he did so much more than I could have asked for. I'm in LOVE!!! It also only cost $60 which I thought was a great deal. He was also very professional and helped me make the final decision. He made me feel comfortable. His other work is phenomenal and very detailed.

Origami Ninja

Jacks the man!

Coach Jones

Got a walk in time quickly. Artist drew a great tattoo for a good price!

Tim O'Leary

Great staff. Jack is amazing. Would'nt go anywhere else.

Tyler Roberts

What an amazing experience at Skin Kitchen!! From the warm greeting at the front door by Melanie to the tour of the shop. Such a great crew, Jimmy St John is did an excellent job on my forearm! I would give these guys and gal more than 5 stars if I could! Also great to see the artists complimenting each other’s work. Thanks again, I’ll be back for sure.

Randy Parker

Went in for a rose on my hand came out looking for a place to remove this ugly hamburger lookin thing b carfull who u go to there I no theres good tattoo artist jack and lono are good. I got a dude named Matt I will not b returning there!!!!

Angie Breese

Duh, great tattoos are the best!

Chris May

I really wanted to Love Skin Kitchen tattoo after moving to Des Moines from Minneapolis. However, we didn't even get to make it to the tattoo phase. My husband (tattooed at skin kitchen) and I dropped in the other night to discuss what I had in mind. The second I mentioned a white ink tattoo and that I was looking for an artist that has photos of their ability with a solid white ink tattoo I was told: 1. Any tattoo artist can do a white ink tattoo. However they can turn out badly and that they disappear. 2. tattoo artists don't photograph them because people always (emphasis on always) bring in photos from online... the same three he said. As a graphic designer, I found the customer service skills/people skills to be quite lacking. If they hadn't mad the assumption that I was a cookie cutter copycat Hannah Montana wannabee, I might have considered their feedback. However I know as an artist, who works with different mediums, that some people cannot oil paint just because they are painters. I was looking for a professional to do a sleeve piece that could guarantee me quality work with white ink exclusively. As a result, I know that I will not have any tattoos done here white ink or not. Maybe if I had a tattoo clearly inked on my face they would have treated me more like one of them. But artist to artist... you cannot ever judge a book by its cover.

Katherine Redmon

Despite hearing that Skin Kitchen was the place to go in Des Moines if I ever water a tattoo, I would have to sorely disagree. I walked into Skin Kitchen on one of their “Walk-In Sunday” days. I wanted to get a feel of the environment, the artists, and to see about getting my first tattoo. The woman at the front desk-in which I later learned is one of the artists there-did not greet me at all-did not even crack a slight grin. She heard what I had to say, but did not want to bounce ideas back and forth a little bit. This was my first tattoo, and I was treated like my questions were an inconvenience. She remained slumped over with a scowl on her face the entire time I tried talking to her. I am not going to let my tattooing experience be filled with people who don’t give an ounce of respect or kindness to me. I was trying to be kind to her, granted I was shy, but I did not deserve to be treated in that way. On top of that, she ended quoting me 3x the actual amount I paid at another shop…and trust me, I didn’t “get what I paid for” My tattoo is very artistically done and very colorful! I wasn’t the only one who was treated this way. There were a couple other people that had come in, and she treated everyone that way as well. This shop has lost on a few hundred dollars with me. I have already gotten a second session of a leg sleeve completed, and I plan on going back in the next month or two to finish my leg piece. The place I went with was Colorworks Tattoo in the Valley West Mall, and I would highly recommend checking them out instead. My experience with them was completely the opposite of Skin Kitchen, and I think Colorworks should receive more recognition for their customer service as well as their artistry! I would not recommend this place whatsoever.

Max Garcia

Bailey did an AMAZING job on two tattoos for me! 100% recommend her

Karla Frieling

So disappointed. I went back after my tatoo healed for some touch in some colors My light blue now has some dark blue in it from the color used before. Overall colors didn't match. I won't be going back.

Racheal Guadron

I got tattooed by Kade. He was awesome and will diffinity be back for more pieces done by him!!

Chani Bauer

Outstanding!!

Brittany Gray

First, I wish I could give more than 5 stars because it is well deserved!! Secondly, I have gotten 6 out of my 8 tattoos from Skin Kitchen and I will never go anywhere else! Josh has done most of my tattoos and they are awesome! He is an AMAZING artist! One of the best I have ever seen!! I would like to point out that my line work to my half sleeve is PHENOMENAL. I am so impressed with how well it turned out and we aren't even done yet! I will always encourage anyone to go to Skin kitchen. Josh is so talented and amazing to work with, as well as Kade! Skin Kitchen has such a welcoming environmemt and the artists listen to your ideas and give constructive feedback and they will go out of their way to make their customer's happy with their tattoos! Truly an amazing experience every time I walk through the doors. I would recommend that anyone who is looking to get a tattoo, to please come here! You will not be disappointed!!

Tammy Gowdy

I was referred to SKT by a friend, and have had 2 tattoos there. I HIGHLY recommend SKT- the staff is personable, professional, and both the Des Moines shop and Oceola shop are inviting and clean. Danny is a very talented artist- he transformed a 18 year old tattoo into a brand new tattoo that I can't even tell is a cover up! His lines are spot on, and I can't even begin to describe his work with color.

Steve Hammer

My mother and nephew got great work by Jack! Now for my cover up next week.

Jaime Fenton

Took my daughter to the new shop to get a nose piercing. Appreciate the time that Davo took explaining care for the piercing. The new shop looks amazing.