Name: Great Lakes Tattoo
Address: 1148 W Grand Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60642, US
Telephone: (312) 870-0458
Rating: 4.8

About Great Lakes Tattoo

Great Lakes Tattoo:

Great Lakes Tattoo is a well-known tattoo shop located in the bustling city of Chicago, Illinois. The shop specializes in traditional American tattoos and has a team of skilled artists who are passionate about their craft. The shop is open seven days a week, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, making it easy for customers to schedule appointments or walk-ins.

The shop's location is easily accessible, and the interior is clean and well-decorated with tattoo memorabilia. The staff is friendly, professional, and accommodating, making customers feel comfortable and at ease during their tattooing experience. The shop offers a wide range of tattoo designs, and the artists work with customers to create custom designs that meet their specific needs and preferences.

Great Lakes Tattoo has received numerous positive reviews from customers who have praised the shop's cleanliness, friendly staff, and quality of work. The shop's artists are highly skilled and pay close attention to detail, ensuring that each tattoo is unique and well-executed. The prices are reasonable, and the shop offers a variety of payment options, making it accessible to customers with different budgets.

If you're looking for a traditional American tattoo or a custom design, Great Lakes Tattoo is definitely worth checking out. The shop's skilled artists, friendly staff, and welcoming atmosphere make it a top choice for tattoo enthusiasts in the Chicago area.

Reviews (100)

Meryl Dery

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Worked with Eric on a walk in line art piece and he did a great job and it was over before I knew it ! Very pleasant conversation and the tattoo came out super well!

Ruth Coyne

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Everyone here is awesome and very professional. They are talented and they are all pretty nice people. The place is clean, and very nicely decorated with tattoo memorabilia. I’ve been coming for several years. They do walk in’s if available but otherwise you should go online to their website to request an appointment. They will work with you and whatever art you are interested in getting. Parking in the area is usually not to hard to find. Plenty of places to eat in the area. Highly recommend for your tattoo needs!

Spencer Robertson

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Extremely happy with choosing this shop, Mike was incredibly quick and the quality was on point especially for the price. As this was my first tattoo he walked me through it, gave me a lot of useful info, and I could not be more pleased with the finished product 💯

Sarah Burke

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Been here 7 times now and always get exactly what I asked for! Cleanly shop, kind artists, and quality work. They also have cute merch and fun decor to browse while waiting!

Ashley Acridge

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Brian was extremely helpful in helping me with my design. The tattoo was of much sentimental value and when I need it darkened and touched up, he was readily available to assist with no questions asked. Everyone was kind and welcoming. 5 star service

Miguel Zambrano

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I recently completed my half sleeve with Mike Dalton and it was an incredible experience. Mike is incredibly talented and invested in his art. The experience was seamless and enjoyable. I will truly never get tattooed anywhere else other than Great Lakes Tattoo. The staff is friendly, professional, and their passion for tattooing is crystal clear. Already looking forward to my next visit.

vlad oprescu

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I have been trying to fill in a spot on my half sleeve for 5 years. I went in and Matt helped me out. I just told him what I wanted. I wanted to do the 2 birth flowers for my nieces and their initials to fill in the large empty space. He came up with the most perfect custom design. It fits in so much better than I had it in my mind. Matt is a very chill and laid back guy and I felt great the entire time. I am so happy with how the tattoo came out and how it looks. Very very happy. He also did a small touch up on an old tattoo and it looks so much better now. Both tattoos give me so much confidence. If you go in I would highly suggest that you ask for him. The guy in the front had a little attitude in my opinion but I guess I understand with so many clients. Again, I can't thank Matt enough for completing my half sleeve in a way I could've never imagined. My next tattoo I am going to him.

Andrea Manning

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

If I could give 100 million stars I would! I had a 20-year-old tattoo that needed a serious upgrade. After calling multiple shops who turned me down, Great Lakes was communicative and led me to my new favorite person... Erik! From start to finish, Erik took on this project with the utmost care and professionalism. The minute I met Erik, I knew I was in good hands and the results were absolutely amazing! I am beyond grateful for this experience and LOVE my tattoo! It went from a faded mess that I covered up with long sleeves to the most gorgeous tattoo I am so excited to show everyone! Erik is the only person who will ever tattoo me again! He is the BEST! Thank you Great Lakes!

Laura Coates

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I came in at 12pm hoping for a walk-in while visiting Chicago on holiday and was being tattooed by 1pm. All the staff seemed friendly and the place was super clean with lots to look at. Felix did my tattoo and he was great- he seemed enthusiastic about the design and was chatty and friendly. I was super happy with my piece, which healed beautifully. Really glad I came!

Madisen Huggard

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Walked in on a busy Sunday and they got me in within an hour! Everyone was super friendly. Chip was super personable and did a great job on my tattoo! Overall great experience and will definitely be back!

A Ingram

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Erik was an excellent artist and made some adjustments to my design to make it even better. Very clean and a relaxing and comfortable experience.

Purple Aquarius

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Extremely kind and understanding, explained process throughly and ensured my brother knew what was going on ♥️

Maddie S

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I went in for a walk-in this past Saturday and had a wonderful experience. The staff was extremely kind, helpful and drew up my idea super quickly and it turned out better than I imagined! Highly recommend for walk-ins if you’re in Chicago!

Kelly E

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Brandon was amazing, he made me feel so comfortable and welcomed to be there and the whole experience was unmatched. I’m so impressed with the end result and I can’t thank him enough! I would definitely recommend coming to Great Lakes Tattoo.

Liz M

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Literally not a bad thing to say about this place! Tattoo artists are all great, prices are reasonable, safe and clean shop. Definitely get your work done here.

Renee Prisble

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

First walk in tattoo experience. Loved it! Work done by guest artist @jessiefora

Anonymous

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

This was my first time in Chicago for a girls trip. I decided out of the blue to get a tattoo that I’ve been wanting for a year. Matt was great! I had got a tattoo of a golf club for my late uncle and he did a really good job!. My family loved it! I was a little nervous ahah after not getting a tattoo for 5 years and still made sure I was okay during the session. Definitely will be back next year when I’m back in Chicago for another piece

Caitlyn Crowe

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I tried out their shop for the first time and it was amazing, the staff is so nice and patient. I live 2 hours away and i’m definitely going back for more tattoos! Matt did mine and his line word is superb!! 10/10 recommend.

Jared Molstead

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

The best of the best, especially if your tattoo interests lean towards the classics and American traditional. That being said, GLT is able to accommodate tattoo designs of all kinds, including this gorgeous dog portrait of my 10-year old Siberian Husky done by Kevin Leary. Kevin not only did incredible work but made for great conversation, helping to quickly pass the nearly 4-hour tattoo time with talks of Chicago food, drinks, and travel. Kevin and I shared a lot of similar interests in common and I can't wait to come back for work again and again. GLT is known all across the country for good reason and Kevin is as good as it gets for this kind of work. I cannot recommend him enough. 7/28/2022 update: I have since returned to Kevin for two more additional tattoos and he continues to beautifully render anything I throw his way. He helped create a stunning & heartfelt memorial tattoo for the passing of a dear friend of mine and an additional dog portrait that once again captures their likeness in stunning detail. I cannot say enough good things about Kevin and I will return to him again and again.

joe f

★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Such a great experience! Got my tattoo by Brandon, he is very light-handed and great at what he does. His tattoos are definitely made to last! Btw- after you get tattooed, go to twisted spoke for free drinks!