Winners For

Best Tattoo Parlor

It's tough to give a blanket recommendation on a tattoo studio. The success of the whole process hangs so heavily on the work of the individual artist, and this is a word-of-mouth-recommendation business. That said, cleanliness, front-of-the-house professionalism and a rich portfolio of past work are good indicators of a positive tattooing exper...

(This is a play on an intro to the Twilight Zone because this tattoo parlor's logo and décor are inspired by the legendary show. The owner has a giant Rod Serling tattoo on his arm—as well as a couple of scenes from the show. And . . . action!) There is a local tattooery beyond that which is known to man. It is a tattooery as talented as it is i...

Any tattoo artist worth their ink knows that tattooing is just that: an art. The best among them take their craft as deadly seriously as a surgeon takes medicine. Which brings us to the Boston Tattoo Company. The artists at this clean, spacious Davis Square parlor are friendly, knowledgeable, and (most important) professional. Nobody wants to be...

Artistry, professionalism, and good hygiene intersect at this popular Ohio City tattoo parlor, where links to the Cleveland culinary scene have helped forge a following. Fans of Melt Bar & Grilled can get a discount on their grilled cheese tattoos here, thereby earning a 25 percent sammie discount for life. But even ink-thinkers without culinary...

We appreciate family-owned and operated businesses, but when it’s a tattoo business, we really appreciate them. That’s the case here where Charlie and Becki Spencer run things. They met in an art class and passed the trade on down. Keeping the “art” in tattoo artists, there’s also a gallery here that displays works as beautiful as the decorated ...

Ian White worked at Black 13 for nearly three years before opening his own sleek shop with his wife as business partner. (She, incidentally, is tattoo-free.) And while he's inked everyone from Paramore's Hayley Williams to members of Sigur Rós, White approaches each piece with the same creative eye and style he dubs "implied realism." The place ...

Getting a tattoo can be a big step for some people, while others just collect them all over. Either way, the quality of artwork is fundamental, and Leviticus has that in spades. A veritable Lake Street institution, Leviticus Tattoo won us over again this year with its gorgeous designs, precise execution, and awesome decor. The soothing koi pond ...

Sure, Chris Nuñez, of Miami Ink and Ink Master fame, is the man behind HandCrafted Tattoo and Art Gallery. But that's only one reason why this place should be your new favorite spot to get tatted up. The place hardly feels like a tattoo shop. You won't find drunken spring breakers here asking for a butterfly tramp stamp. If it feels more like an...

Amateurs get their tattoos at touristy shops on the beach. Pros get them from Michael "Pooch" Pucciarelli. The dude has been drawing twisted sci-fi and monster-inspired art since he was a wee lad whiling away his after-school hours with thrash-metal records and H.P. Lovecraft novels and continued filling of sketchbooks through his days as guitar...