DC Ink

The place isn’t bad at all. I had a very pleasent experience. The venue alone is in need of a bit more work but nothing too scary looking. My tattoo artist was Issac. He was friendly, swift and very cleanly. He did a dragonfly with a daisy on my leg. The price was a tad steep ($ 180) but overall I was very satisfied. The only thing I did not like very much were the extra friends in the back while the artist was at work with a customer.

I got a small finger tattoo here a little over a year ago. A VERY small finger tatt that cost me $ 100. I got it done on a whim. spur of the moment so I was willing to pay the price. They claimed it was so expensive because it included unlimited retouching. Looking back, I definitely got ripped off… the tatt is nothing special. Just a cross. I vowed never to go back once it sunk in that I actually had to pay $ 100 for a tattoo the size of a dime. Do your research before getting a tattoo. My stupidity for paying that price. :(

I went in with a friend to get our nipples pierced. Honestly, it was a terrible experience. Half way through, he mentions the night before he did acid, got on a bike, and got a concussion. But good for us that he came into work, right? My friend is a piercer, but we were on vacation and did it there on a whim. The dc ink guy ended up piercing through my aeriola on both and about an inch back. He used the completely wrong bar too.
The piercing was so bad on my left one that it started to swell over the balls at the end of the bar, and I had to take it out a month later because it still hadn’t healed. Three months later, my friend had to take his out due to pain (he’s had his nipples pierced about seven times prior) that he had never dealt with before in that area. Six months later, I go to get my left one Re done, and the piercer, from a new place, saw my right one, that still hadn’t healed properly, and told me to take it out. He felt so bad for me, he said he’d redo that one for free.
I blame my ignorance for not doing better research before, but this shop was awful. If I could give a worse score, I would, no doubt.

I’d been wanting a tattoo of a small script on my hip for awhile now and have been shoppin around for where to get it done. This was my first tattoo and I was admittedly spooked by the reviews of other shops where I got the feeling I’d be shunned or looked down upon for being a tattoo virgin who just wanted a small tattoo. I found DC Ink’s facebook page and sent them a message with a picture of the tattoo I wanted. Bobby Rotten got back to me and told me he’d love to do the tattoo and told me a number to text him so we could set an appointment. From there we set up a time and on the day I showed up ready to go. I was a little nervous but it was apparent Bobby’d been in the tattoo game for quite some time and I was in good hands. When it came time to put ink to skin Bobby was very patient about making sure the tattoo was in the exact spot I wanted it, showing me the clean needle, and putting me at ease with his excellent bed-​side manner. The tat came out just like I wanted and I felt like I’d been taken care of by someone who knew what they were doing, which given this was my first tattoo experience, was exactly what I was looking for. Did I mention it was only $ 60? Bobby was ready to go right on time and never rushed even though he had another client waiting who was getting a bigger piece that was probably more interesting work for him to do. All in all it was a great experience, and even though I think I’ll stick to just one tattoo for this lifetime, in the event I change my mind I would totally go back to Bobby. He’ll tell you some hilarious stories while you’re in his chair to boot. Oh also, he didn’t mind that I had 3 friends with me who took a bunch of pictures and held my hand while the tat was being inked. Thanks Bobby!

WOOOOHOOOO BELLY PIERCINGS FTW!
After looking long and hard for another piercing place, I settled upon this lovely establishment which is about a block down from the metro (very convenient if I may say so myself). I came for a belly piercing and left as a very happy customer. Bobby is so chill and awesome, we had an interesting conversation about pain that had me cracking up. You gotta love a piercer who makes you feel at ease right before he sticks you with a needle (no sarcasm intended). The overall process was clean and quick. If you ever want a piercing I highly recommend this place. Their prices are affordable and reasonable. I’ll definitely be coming back here soon.
Maybe someday I’ll finally grow some ladyballs and decide on a tattoo but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Thanks DC Ink! :D

I don’t want to speak too soon, as it hasn’t even been 24 hours, but I had a fantastic experience at DC Ink yesterday. I was pretty obviously «that girl» who had never so much as pressed a sharpie too far into her skin, but I went in with a fairly clear picture of what I wanted and the end result turned out looking even better. I was nervous and expecting serious attitude, but that isn’t what I found. Dr. Z did an awesome job and even gave me his personal contact info in case I needed it touched up or something like that.
I’m obviously no expert, but this seems like a great place to go for quick basic work or elaborate artistic work.

This is the shop I got my second of five tattoos. I went in, showed 6 pictures of different types of skulls I liked and asked them to create something for me and gave them full creative liberties. Saw the skull he drew up, liked it, got the ink, then 2 days later, when going through internet pics looking for more ideas, CAME ACROSS THE SAME SKULL. This was about 3 years ago. His name was Charles. I hope he isn’t still there. It took him 4 hours to do this skull. My other tattoos are larger and took much less time. Now that I’m a lot more familiar with tattoos, I can see that the link work isn’t great and it’s a very unevenly shaded piece.
Gotta say, not impressed.
I was pissed. Still am.

When I initially walked into DC Ink, I wasn’t totally sure whether to stay, or walk out. The waiting area is somewhat dingy, and the reception staff is laid back to the point of seeming disinterested.
Then, the receptionist called one of the tattoo artists, Bobby, and from there, the experience changed completely. The tattoo I was getting was relatively simple, but still unusual — it was a phrase in Tajiki, the national language of Tajikistan in Central Asia, which is written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Bobby was extremely friendly and efficient. Within no time he had me in the tattoo room, and was ready to start, but not before showing me the stencil he’d created, and ensuring that I was aware that the needle was clean.
He took special care to discuss the location for the tattoo that I’d chosen, and gave his very helpful advice about how best to place it. His warm demeanor put me completely at ease, as did his periodic check-​ins to make sure that I was not in too much pain, and also to keep me abreast of his progress. About an hour and half later, I had a beautiful, reasonably priced tattoo that looked even better than I had hoped it would.
I will definitely be coming back, and I will definitely be requesting Bobby. I highly recommend that anyone who is looking for friendly, efficient, professional service for a moderate price seek out Bobby here at DC Ink. You won’t be disappointed!

Full disclosure: I did not have a tattoo done here, nor was pierced. I went in today because I needed a new nose stud, as I had lost mine at work. DC Ink was the closest place, and seemed good enough for my needs.
However, the overall lack of professionalism, coupled with the intense sense that I was being judged for my business casual and lack of visible tattoos. The bf mentioned that he felt the same way, and that the employees were treating us differently than other customers. When we walked in, the two people behind the counter basically stared at me like I was interrupting their awesome. I explained that I needed a new nose stud, she said it would be $ 20 (which later was obvious that it was completely arbitrary) «because the guy would have to bend it for me». I was okay with this, because I figured that he would fit it to my piercing– which is what has happened the other 3 times I’ve bought a new nose stud. She said I’d have to wait 20 – 30 minutes which again, I was totally okay with.
So here’s why I can’t give them more than two stars: On top of feeling like I was being discriminated against because I’m not visibly inked (none of my tattoos were visible at the time), and was dressed in my work clothes. The woman never offered to show me their jewelry options, and when i asked, she said they only had plain silver, or a gem stud. This was fine, but it turns out she was wrong.
I should mention, that over the course of the time I was waiting, I witnessed a conversation about another customer who had come, put down a payment, and stepped over to Ben’s for some food while she waited. They had told her they could do her coverup for $ 200. However, it seems that the artist changed his mind, and refused because he «didn’t feel like doing it». This is after they had taken her money and told her it was cool. Another artist stepped up and said he didn’t mind doing it (this guy was the ONLY employee I saw– out of 4– who was polite, involved, and professional).
Finally, the guy comes downstairs, and it turns out they only have the plain silver stud. I say «okay» because at this point I want to go home, He goes back to bend it, hands it to me in the little pouch (as opposed to fitting it to me, or offering to put it in, which is how it’s happened before), and asks the girl what they should charge, because he clearly has no idea, and there’s no set price.
I left feeling like I had been taken advantage of (and after a quick web search, see that I could have bought THE SAME L-​BEND NOSE STUD FOR .99 CENTS. They majorly upcharged me, and treated me with relative disrespect.
I have never left a tattoo/​piercing shop feeling this bad, and I’ve visited numerous establishments around the US and Europe.
The bottom line is that I will NOT be coming here for my next tattoo or piercing.

*****This is 3.5 stars*****
They get 3.5 stars because they lack professionalism (their lack of professionalism has nothing to do with their personality).
Great shop, great talent. I got my nose pierced here over a year ago and it’s still going strong. I recently got a tattoo done by Bobby (he’s great! really listens to what you want, gives great feedback and is personable). He did a great job with my wrist tattoo, quick and minimal pain (I have 2 other tats and this was comparable pain wise-​really not that all painful, maybe 2 grit my teeth moments). He’s very reasonably priced which I find to be an anomaly in DC (most folks want to charge and arm and a leg or tat you out their basement… both of which are no-​gos).
This will definitely be my go to place for tattoos in the future.

I got a fairly large tattoo from Isaac and I was so Happy & Excited to see just how great the tattoo came out! All the reviews about Isaac are 100% true! He is friendly, personable, engaging, and honest! He does great sketch work and then turns sketches to beautiful works of Art. I brought in a picture of Petunia’s and he sketched a replica of it and explained how he planned on doing the shading & coloring! He was very responsive & considerate to make sure the tattoo came out just as I had hoped! Go to Isaac he is Excellent! I have 7 tattoos over the last 10 yrs. and to date this was the best tattooing experience yet! Best conversation w/​a tattoo artist as some can be very mean & unfriendly! Not Isaac!

I was there in November didn’t know they moved up the street, (shows how long it’s been) but customer service has improved and I like this new shop way better.

I’m in love with Dr. Z… He pierced my forward helix, and I totally love it. Can’t wait to go back and have him pierce my snug… Great location in U street as well. Near all of my hang out spots!

This tattoo shop is most definitely underrated. I called around to a couple places last night, and DC Ink was the only place that was a) helpful, b) nice, and c) gave me more info than «you’ll have to come in and see if there is an appointment available.»
I loved working with Dr. Z. I told him what I wanted, and he did some sketching and boom! I loved the design. We went through everything: paperwork, process, and the price was amazing! $ 60 for a small tattoo. He made me feel totally comfortable and was very gentle. He really cares about the customer and wants to make sure you are completely happy with the results.
The tattoo shop is really nice (upstairs withe exposed brick) and very clean. I would wholeheartedly recommend this place. In fact, I plan to go back to fix another tattoo I have.

So I’m a college student in DC and it took me some time to find a tattoo shop with a proven track record compared to the tattoo shops i’ve seen back home in new york. After reading the reviews on Unilocal,I decided to give it a try.
I came into the shop with a solid idea of what I wanted done. After showing it to my tattoo artist Aaron, he completely tweaked my idea. At first I was against it, but after seeing some of his work in the photo albums I decided to see what kind of talent he could bring forth. After about 15 minutes of waiting for him to revamp my idea, he came downstairs with something greater than I could have even imagined. He took the same concept and just made it work for the area I was getting tattooed (my right shoulder blade); needless to say I was thoroughly impressed. I will admit, however, that Aaron did seem a tad arrogant when I showed him my original idea, but I let that slide as soon as I saw the work he had done.
I had brought an entire support team with me to the shop because I’m afraid of needles but Aaron informed me that none of my friends could come up with me to the the actual studio. I was bummed but he said it’s because he didn’t want to get distracted, which I appreciated. After about an hour and a half of squirming I was soo happy with the work he had produced. And all of my friends, coworkers, and family love it, which is surprising because my mom is totally against tats.
I highly recommend this shop to anyone who’s searching for amazing quality. The prices aren’t too bad; just remember it depends on what you want, where you want it, and the individual artist.
Hope this review helped!

I think this is a pretty underrated tattoo shop. The talent here is very good without breaking your pockets. Fernando was my artist and he is great. He takes his time to understand what you want and really perfects the sketch. He also makes sure to talk you through the process and make sure you are aware of everything that’s going on. He also tried to sober me up (by providing snacks) since I was drunk when I came to get my first tattoo. He is very knowledgeable and you can tell that he is passionate about what he does. I would definitely recommend him, his portfolio was sick! I also went to him for my second tattoo and will probably go to him for my next (final) one. My friend also got a tattoo done by Isaac and was very pleased with the results. Unfortunately, I can’t afford Isaac, he is a little out of my price range… but he has also been there the longest and has an extensive clientele.
The shop itself is really nice and clean. The old location was kind of rundown and unappealing but the new location is extremely nice and modern (exposed brick throughout, hardwood floors, beautiful bathroom, nice furniture). The receptionist could use a couple of lessons on customer service though, she is really annoying and I hate talking to her. Other than her, I really like the staff who works here, they are a lot of fun and we always joke around have fun whenever I am there.
I think the shop minimum is only $ 50, so it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re on U St.

I walked in today on a whim to get an ear piercing (rook) and it was quick, easy and I suppose as enjoyable as someone piercing a needle through your cartilage can be. Took less than 10 minutes from the time I walked in until I walked out, the guy who did the piercing was very nice, gave me all the info I needed and told me to come back any time if I was having issues with it or had questions. Sorry I don’t remember his name!
It was a bit hard to find — I walked past it the first time without even seeing the entrance — so make sure you know the address.

Tried to go to see the Nats the other day but the stupid game was sold out because of a Strasburg start… Not to have the evening totally ruined, my GF and i decided to get dinner on U Street where we ran into DC Ink. I had been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while now and on a whim we decided to check it out.
We both were inquiring about easy and relatively straightforward tattoos and they quoted us at slightly over the $ 50 minimum ($ 80 each) which they said was a 2’fer special. They were not busy so we went for it and they did the whole thing right then and there, which took only 25 – 30 minutes, no appointment needed.
I think they did a great job, but upon review mine is def twice if not 3 times bigger than hers, so i think we got screwed on their ‘deal’. Mine should have been around the $ 80 while hers should have hit the minimum $ 50 as it only took her guy 10 minutes to do.
Regardless, the staff was friendly, the total price wasnt outrageous, they were able to do the job right away, and i feel good about the quality of work on both our tattoos (thanks Martin!). It ended up being a fantastic night because we found out that Strasburg got bumped from his start and didnt even pitch at the sold out game, haha!

First post, and most deserving.
I came from California, where I got all my tats, but this shop tops them all. Isaac is an amazing artist. Got my first one from him and I don’t think I’ve gotten more complements on it then any of my others. I love the response so much I’m going back for more.
I strongly suggest you visit and get your work done here.

I’ve had two tattoos done at their Eastern Market location. The first one came out awesome.
The second one… looks like shit. The same artist did both tattoos. For the second tattoo he used a numbing solution (I’ve since learned that it kills tattoos) that completely bleached out any of the work he did. I’ve to go back and get some major work done on it.
I’ve learned that the artist who did my tattoos (in June 2009) is no longer employed at the shop, so I’m hoping I can manage to get them to fix it at minimal or no cost.