Reviews of Ambrotos Tattoo (Tattoo Shop)

T T

The response from the shop is simply not consistent with the facts and how it developed on 01/12/19. I do not drive in the snow key word snow but when I arrived to this establishment the weather was not bad at all and it was not snowing at all and they were open for business which is consistent with what I was told when I called prior to coming in. the snow flurries had just started to appear while I was in the store talking to the employees. I’m not interested in debating the facts because I am the second person on google that stated they felt a little unwelcome in this establishment given their treatment and it could have been based on their appearance and or race . I have no reason to make any of this up because I am not even from Maryland and I base my opinion off actual facts not any propaganda. I am not interested in going back and forth about this country given the fact I have been a federal government employee for ten years and serving this great country. If two people are claiming they are uncomfy in your establishment and race could have been a factor own that and do better to create a welcoming environment. Two different people stating they wouldn't recommend this business to minority’s is way too many for you to discredit or try to blow off do better!! Again I have no allegiance to any shop or area and I stated I am not even familiar with Maryland I’m just stating facts. If you were scared and invoking your safety as a concern why were you open for business? Prior to coming in i called in. I called this shop yesterday inquiring about a tatoo and was informed walk ins were welcome and they were open to taking people. When I walked in on 01/12/19 to get a tattoo I informed the staff I wanted to get a basic tattoo and I was introduced to one of the artists. The artist refused to do my tattoo despite him being free and then told me he didn’t want to get stuck at the shop if the snow gets bad. The artist tried to schedule me a appointment later in the week which defeated the whole purpose of my visit. I respect the artist concern for his safety but when I entered this establishment the snow was barely falling and the tattoo was very basic and other shops I consulted with told me it would only take one hour at the max to perform this tattoo they just couldn’t perform it because they did not do walk ins or they were filled up with walk in appointments. The most outrageous part of this transaction is the guy tried to quote me a price of $ 300-400 bucks for this same basic tattoo that other shops quoted $150 for to complete. When I left the establishment the artist who claimed he was so scared about his safety being endangered walked to the neighboring store and bought some food and walked back into the shop. I thought this was very tacky and unprofessional. I will add that a few people were in the shop already getting tattoos and nobody seemed in a rush to leave because they were scared. My observation is the guy just didn’t want to be bothered maybe it was because I was the only minority in this place or maybe because the guy was just lazy I’m not sure but I will never step back in this establishment. I didn’t even bother to ask about any military discounts but given the whole situation I will never return. I would like to add that in no way would I ask anyone to put their safety in jeopardy and if it was that bad why were they open and serving customers? Trust me I don’t even drive in the snow so I’m the first person to hibernate if I see any inclement weather given my driving history. My point is he used the weather as a excuse to get out of performing the tatoo. I’m the customer and it’s my money and if you can’t accommodate and work with me I will not support your business. I think I would have been a little more understanding if he would have been a little more transparent about the situation and the price but he definitely tried to insult my intelligence. The snow did not start getting bad and accumulating until around 6-7pm i was in this shop at 3:30pm when the dusting started to first appear.

Catherine Hodge

I can't stress enough how amazing they are. Emily the piercer has been amazing every single time I've gotten new piercings, needed something fixed, or asked a question. They're all very kind & helpful 10/10 will be going again

Adam R Brewer

The staff is pretty nice, I got a tattoo on my calf and it came out really good. I'm happy I choose this place!

Sara Deen

Nose piercing. Emily was great just like I read online. Literally took 30 seconds and not much pain.

tarianna polk

great artwork

Aisha Nsangou

Been there so many times with so many different friends. Piercing is quick easy and they walk you through every step. Shout out to Emily!

Daniela Gonzalez del Castillo

I got a nose and three forward helix piercings from Michael. He was very nice and friendly, and did an awesome job!

Victoria Morgante

Wouldn’t recommend- super dismissive and wouldn’t even have a conversation with me about what I wanted based on the placement- even though I have 12 other tattoos, most fairly large. Seemingly unprofessional and downright rude.

Devon

As soon as I walked into this place I knew I should have left. The staff was rude and they acted like the business I was giving them was an inconvenience. After waiting a while our "tattoo artist" came up to us without even saying hi and told us we'd start after he had a cigarette. So on top of his god awful body odor (I mean he smelled just dirty) he also smelled like cigarettes. Once we started talking tattoos I feel like he pressured me (and my sister) into a design We didn't really want because i think he just wasn't capable of doing what we wanted. But we both tried to have faith in his expertise and ended up very disappointed. This was my little sisters first tattoo so she was very excited at first but she already wants to cover it up (as do I) and it hasn't even been a year. This guy was so incredibly rude to us the entire time and had to stop for a cigarette between our tattoos which are literally the size of a quarter. And again, I really cannot express how bad this guy smelled. I don't know his name, because he didn't even introduce himself to us, but his work space was covered in a bunch of Star Wars stuff. I really don't know how this guy is employed I mean he walked in looking like he just got off a 4 day drug fest. I hate to be the uptight person who writes reviews about stuff but people really should be warned and I should have known better just by the look and smell of this dude.

Allison Ziegler

This past summer I checked Ambrotos out because I wanted a piercing and the reviews here were great for Emily. At the time it was a super convenient location. I was able to walk in without any appt and set up my industrial piercing with her. She was extremely knowledgeable and informative. She explained the process throughout its entirety so there were no surprises. Emily's aftercare instructions were thorough and I knew exactly what to pick up up from the store. Recently, I lost the end ball of my barbell and I went back and told Emily what had happened an also that my piercing healed a touch too tight lengthwise. Not only did she replace it in the correct size but she did it for nothing. Highly recommend Emily as a piercing artist hands down!!!

Avien Lawson

Got my belly button pierced here and it was a great experience! I will be going back for more piercings

Melissa Martinez

Rude personnel!! .... just screaming and cursing at one another ... no sense of customer care whatsoever.. we came in and were not greeted or directed on who to talk to or what to do when we go to the place. One of the workers ripped the portfolios out of our hands... honestly a circus

Tina Simms

Very nice been there several times went today had a cover up done by Eric

Elena L

My friend and I got our navels pierced the other day and they were great! We got a girl named Emily and she was fantastic. We were both very nervous but she wasn't condescending or rude in any way. In between piercings she cleaned and sanitized everything. She explained what she was doing before she did it, and as she did it, so that we didn't freak out. She explained all of the after care procedures and gave her own personal suggestions. I definitely suggest going there for piercings and I plan on going there for when I get a tattoo.

Demz B

if you're going to get piercings ask for Emily, she is awesome! I went to get my belly pierced today and she explained step by step what she was going to do and made the process simple and fast and got me out within 10 minutes! I will definitely be back soon.

Sindy Martinez

I was going to get a piercing with Emily, she was very nice on the phone and has done some of friends, but when I came some guy with a beard greeted me. He didn't even introduce himself. I forgot my ID at home and he was kind of rude about it. As I was walking out, he said "next time you won't forget your ID." His attitude just put me off. I would rather pay the extra $30 at Raw Ink where I know they're more professional than that guy.

Trish R

They're nice enough and inexpensive but don't always give you the colors you ask for. Good designs though.

Gregory Sharp

Place was very clean and the artist who did my tattoo Eric was very nice, funny, and did a great job. Everybody who worked there was funny and outgoing.

Anaida Medina

Piercing only

sophia merino

I've gotten all of work done here by Tim. He is phenomenal at the art work that he does! I will never go to any one else for my tats. Love this place!!

Anna Moiseev

Got a piercing a little while ago with Emily. She was so transparent with the process and very supportive! An amazing piercer and just as amazing person. The experience could not have been any better!

Tania A. Otero Martinez

I had a great experience here! I came in twice today, once to get my stud changed to a hoop and the second time to get a tattoo. The lady who changed out my piercing was nice and made the switch quickly (I didn’t catch her name unfortunately). Eric did my tattoo and I loved it! It was my first tattoo and he did a quick sketch of what I wanted, got to work, and I was out of there in less than 30 minutes with a great tattoo. Definitely recommend this place they’re nice, sanitary, and efficient!

PJ Petkovic

MUST READ. Poor quality, skills and customer service. I went there to get my very 1st tattoo. It looks like some kid from kindergarten drew on my hand very unprofessional and uneven. After tattoo "artist" wrap my hand with the toilet paper, one week later one side of tattoo came off. Please see the attached picture. I called them they told me to come back for free touch up. Then they called me back and told me it will be additional fee. Dont go there learn from me.

Abby Estwick

I've read some of the reviews and felt compelled to write my own. I've been going to Ambrotos for at least five years now if not six. I've had three artists during this time. One has since moved on to another shoppe and the other is soul searching or something so I've been seeing Tim as my artist and Emily as my piercer for a bit now (although I've not seen here lately). I've had neck, chest, wrist , wrist cover-up, ankle, daith piercing and a nose piercing done. I'm pleased with all of the work I've received at Ambrotos. There was a time when the staff seemed a bit disenchanted and the shoppe wasn't up to par in appearance but within the past two years, that turned around completely and the work and prices were so good that it never deterred me anyway. My tattoos range in price from the minimum starting range of about $50/$60 to about $180 depending on location, size and design. I never get colors, I never get very large designs as I have a white collar job and therefore obscure my ink during business hours. I am a Black woman and I've NEVER felt that my treatment was any different from any other customer. I'm a faithful customer, I arrive when I'm told to, I engage my artist and we chat while he works, I tip him well because he works hard and the results are to my satisfaction. I'll also add that I've had tats and piercings done other places and I prefer Ambrotos because it's like getting inked by a buddy you had a beer with or something a few times. We're not texting after hours but we know each other enough to say "how's it going?" , and have genuine interest in the response. My line work is dope, and I get compliments on all my tats because going to the same artist has afforded us the opportunity to know what works on my skin. Tim is like my damn Ink Doctor. On Customer Service: Tattoo artists work long hours and meet a lot of people who want something that just may not work. People get nasty when they hear a price they don't like or that a missing ID means no ink. I've heard it. Sometimes what the customer wants may not work because its beyond the skill set of the artist, (which is why they may suggest an alternative to salvage the sale while still meeting the expectations of the client -- smart business practice is to negotiate, just sayin'), or too small which will eventually heal like a blob, or too colorful when their skin tone won't hold the vibrance of the color, etc. You have to learn your body before you have an artist work on it be it piercing or tats. If you aren't sure, defer to the artist! I mean they've only been doing this for a living for several years. Like I said, I posted this because I've read some reviews that just weren't fair. There's no racism here within my experience and that's a serious accusation. The artists are polite from my experience but everyone does have their days where customer service is lacking. It sucks if you encounter someone on an off day but we all have them. Be a little forgiving sometimes. The only reason why I didn't give five stars is because even after making an appointment you can still wait up to 40 min to be seen. I'm a stickler for punctuality so tardiness is a peeve but guess what? I grit my teeth and wait because I'm not letting anyone else do my ink but Tim. Bottom line? Walk in, ask questions, consult with the piercer or artist, show the design, price the design and shop around. No one is forcing you. You'll have to wear these things for life. There's no crime in going where you're comfortable. As for me? ...comfy and scheduling the next phase of my cuff please and thanks.

Bri Thompson

Mike is super goooood at tattooing he’s the one with the blonde Mohawk and Emily is the sweeetest women ever !

James Mehlman

I have come here for 7 tattoos, all done by Eric. We had a pretty good thing going until it came to coloring some work I had left unfinished. A year or so went by and I txted him about finishing the tattoos ( one is about 5 x 2 and the other is about 6 x 2 ), I had already payed about 250 + 50-75$ tip for the outlines. He proceeds to tell me he could do150$ an hour ( which is something I've never done with him before we always settled with final prices and gave me wiggle room, he even used to ask "what were you looking to pay?" ), I was shocked at this response. I was trying to negotiate somethingore reasonable. Seeing as he is fairly new in the tattoo game and hasn't really played with more intricate and large scale pieces, I didn't feel comfortable paying this premium price. I've read some of the other reviews and had people say the same thing about pricing, now I'm not sure how experienced they are with the tattoo community meta but I'm fairly certain now that it's accurate. This is just an honest review in hopes to see some change for future customers. I will not be coming back to this shop as there are more talented artists with cheaper hourly rates nearby.

Keri Case

They do great work

Candela M

Great professional shop! Good vibes my entire time I was in there. Not to mention the great job Tim did on my tattoo ! Definitely will come back.

Jodi Donlon

I've had 2 tattoos and they are both gorgeous. I got my 1st one about 3 years ago, and I got 1 last night by Eric and I am so happy with the beauty of this, I can't even explain it! Thank you Eric have a couple more I wanna get and I'm only coming to you

Erika Kilgore

Great work. Extremely professional. Please check out Mikey for ink and Emily for piercings. Will return again.

MF Parsons II

Everything went great , Mikey was easy to talk to , no communication problems. And his work is excellent , I will be going back!

Amy Potter

Emily, the piercer, is the best. She is knows her stuff, answers your questions without making you feel stupid, and she's super fun to talk to. I've gone to her for a septum piercing and getting new tops in my dermals and plan to come see her again soon! You're awesome Emily!

Erin Wilson

I go here for piercings. Looks suspect on the outside but inside is clean and comfortable. Emily is the piercer and she knows her stuff. Very friendly and good prices for work. Downside is they're a little understaffed so you may have a long wait

Chimney DotCom

Highly recommend Tim. Great artist and great prices.

Daniela Brigatti

The piercer, Michael, is really nice and knows what he's doing. Got my nose piercing and double helix and he's just the best!!!!!

Adriana Chicas

My tattoo looks bad I told them how I wanted it and they didn't! Now my tattoo looks ugly

Tira Zolanski

My guy was super friendly and the price was very convenient. Only 40 for a cartilage piercing! At first when I looked at the reviews online I was skeptical because of all the good reviews but after my experience I see that it did indeed deserve the good ratings it recieves. Would definitely recommend.

Nadia Arab

I usually get piercings done here, and the girl that does the piercings is awesome. She is very sweet and super professional, and makes you feel very comfortable if you're nervous. All the staff here are very nice and make you feel very welcome!

Katey Nelson

I got my nose pierced here, they are awesome. Emily did my piercing, she was very experienced, clean and friendly. I've always felt the people in Tattoo shops can be a little snotty, and really only give you the time of day if your willing to spend thousands on large tattoos. Not Ambrotos, all though I only had one thing done, I keep coming back to purchase jewelry and I've knocked my nose ring out a few times during the healing process, each time they've treated me like a million dollar customer, they remember my name and they always build rapport! I also had several questions, the man that was working literally answered all my questions in a Lengthy and informative phone call. The moment I do want to spend thousands on a dope tattoo I'm going to Ambrotos!

Spencer Meine

I called them up to see if they could take a walk in and they managed to squeeze me in at that moment. I was there within a half hr. and saw Tim. He gave me an outstanding compass rose tattoo for a reasonable price. The man REALLY knows his stuff. He's got a classic style with clean lines and is great at lining stuff up evenly/spacing and sizing if you have other art to work around. Highly recommend for anyone looking to get work done, Tim was the guy. 10/10, would visit again.

Amira Z

The piercer here is awesome. I'd give Emily five stars any day. She's done so many of my piercings, probably at least a dozen and she extremely friendly, professional and experienced. If you want piercings and you're in the area, go to her! I'm giving this place a three star review over all because the tattoo quality is sub par. A friend of mine just got a very simple tattoo on his forearm and the line work is absolutely terrible, it's shaky and wonky and looks like it was done by a novice or someone intoxicated, he's now going to have to get it covered up elsewhere. All the other tattoos I've seen from there aren't that good either, I'd definitely recommend you make the trip to Frederick or Damascus and get a real good tattoo.

Cherron Jackson

Emily did a good job as in setting up a friendly fun environment as the piercing was concerned and helped me overcome my anxiety

rochel smith

Everything went fine with Emily's piercing, but when the earring back fell out one week after the service Mike wanted to charge us to have it replaced. In what world should a paying customer return for correction to a service already paid for and expect to be charged again. Overall impression, not customer oriented.

Geneva BHD

Mikey is great! ...he's great with prices and always touches up my tats perfectly!i just wish the shop was closer to where I lived!

R De Campos

I came in for a few sessions. I was comfortable and the artist was pretty cool. The tattoo looks pretty good. Their prices were okay. Parking was never a problem

Ajay Lal

Great artists, great customer service, great vibes. Love this shop! Coming back asap

Mayna Lopez

Wonderful place! Friendly atmosphere, and the crew are attentive as soon as walk in! Thank you Micheal for my nose piercing, you were very professional and helpful to explain all details for after care.

Regina Dyson

Ear piercing - nice Guy, thanks!

Francisca Moreno

Emily was sooo nice and comforting. I’ve gotten piercings before on my ears but I was Nervous for my nose and she was fantastic. I walked In on a Friday and was done in almost less than 20 mins. I highly recommend this place!

Hien Le

Worked with Tim on a touch up and a new tattoo. He was so gracious and warm to my friend and I knew I had to come back work with him. He gave me really good advice on everything from placement to even adding some fixes on my touch up. I may have cried a bit during my session, but Tim was reassuring and gracious. However, let me emphasise this: the rest of the store leaves much to be desired. My experience with Ambrotos (both the Silver Spring and Germantown branches) have not always been pleasant. Certain members of staff can be quite harsh and dismissive. A member of staff at the Silver Spring branch has even badly messed up a piercing of mine. But, Tim is the only reason I felt safe and reassured enough that I was confident to come back to the store. He's the only artist I'd recommend.

Jorian Grant

I absolutely love this shop. If you want a clean professional tattoo this shop is for you! Mikey is a great tattoo artist. He puts in hard work to make sure your tattoo is the best!. I highly recommend this shop to any and everyone.

Kevin S

Awesome staff. Great experience with my first tattoo and going back to get another one

Alyssa Brown

The best piercing experience I’ve EVER had.. I got both of my nipples pierced.. Super nervous and was talking a lot.. but the guy I had Michael was an absolute pleasure!! Even gave me his # if I had any type of complications or questions.. If I ever want or need anything else I would most definitely go back..

Jennifer O'Brien

Emily pierced my nose. She was extremely professional and clean, clean, clean: she changed her gloves with every new step of the process. She answered all questions with alacrity, and was very knowledgeable. She was very pleasant as well as super-competent, conversing with me intelligently and interestingly throughout the procedure, while never losing her concentration. As we chatted, she told anecdotes about unsafe requests she would not fulfill--exactly what you want to hear from a piercer. If you're considering a piercing, you'd be lucky to have Emily perform it: if I wanted another I'd follow her to the hinterlands for it.

ONLYONE FATEN

Was a tatto virgin....so impressed & happy with results, came back Th e next day to get another one!!!

Reema Goyal

I went in to get my nose pierced. Emily was my piercer. She is excellent and really knows what she is doing, very experienced. The place was sterile and clean and she was super sweet and made me feel really comfortable and at ease. She talked me through my worries as I was a little nervous and she was so kind and lovely about the whole thing, not making me feel stupid at all. She explains the aftercare really well and is happy to help with any additional questions on the phone too. I highly recommend!

Jocelyn Barwick

Great place!!!

Mark Clements

My wife and I just got back from getting tattoos from Tim. The place was clean and friendly. Tattoos look great. This was my first at 43 yrs old, and I'll be back.

Caitlin Feily

(The only reason I’m giving 3 instead of 2 stars) I got a tattoo and two piercings a while back. I absolutely loved the piercers. My first visit I had my tragus pierced and was super nervous. I have my cartilage and three earlobe piercings, but this was new. The guy who pierced me was very reassuring and did it so quick and painlessly I didn’t even feel it. I came in a second time for my triple forward helix and (I believe) Emily pierced me and she was amazing!! Love her so much! I highly recommend her if you need a piercing! I also got my first tattoo there with my sister. I wish I could say the same about the tattoo artists. Unfortunately, I can’t. I came in to ask the piercer if he would be able to do my triple forward helix. He said I should wait until the next day to have Emily do it and I was fine with that. He was very friendly and apologized. BUT... the tattoo artists made a rude comment as soon as I walked through the door and then said “maybe next time you shouldn’t come at closing” as I was walking out. It was not closing time at all, so I was quite taken aback by the comment. When I got my tattoo done (after getting my tragus piercing) the guy was very unfriendly, cold, and seemed annoyed my sister and I were giving him business. I brushed it off because of the excitement of my first tattoo. I wanted the tattoo on my back and so I had to take my shirt partially off for it. I felt extremely uncomfortable because he just stared as I tried to remove my shirt without anything showing (I wasn’t wearing a very supportive bra because of the type of shirt). On top of that he seemed annoyed I even had to take my shirt off for him to tattoo me. I really wish the tattoo artists were as friendly, understanding, and as customer oriented as the piercers were. It’s a shame because I want another tattoo but I have taken this place off my list because of the rude, unprofessional customer service by the tattoo artists. I am one to give the benefit of the doubt but it’s hard to want to go through that experience again. Maybe I got them on an off day and I hope so.

Zayy Ham

I Put a 100 dollar deposit for a appointment 2 weeks in advance and when i showed up for the appointment i waited for 2 hours and the tattoo artist did not even show up and they had no contact with him.

Sandy Hinden

Ambrottos is my go to shop. Every artist in the place is a true craftsman.

Rachel Torres

Great service and very helpful

Houry Kandoyan

Worked with Tim on two tattoos yesterday. He is gentle, both with his work and his attitude, very attentive, and understanding to needs. His work is priced reasonably. He is a definite artist that knows what he is doing. Tim is the only artist i would recommend at the shop and the only and the only one i would go back to.

Pauline N

Nice people, good service

Ms Kaneh Bosm

Micheal is a great piercer, he tells you everything he is about to do step by step. Very professional

David Doman

Knowledgeable staff...both tattoo artists and piercers. Reasonable prices. Clean shop. Reasonable open hours.

Jake Acosta

Gotten all my work here done by eric, great artist.

ItsKSC

Eric did a great job on my tattoos and made sure I understood everything I needed to do to take care of it