People love to ask on the Internet what is the best of something. What restaurant has the best fish fry? Where’s the best place for happy hour? “Best” is a tricky word because it’s very subjective. For every person who thinks Botana’s has the best Mexican food there are two others who disagree.
As a heavily tattooed person, I often get asked who is the “best” tattoo artist or shop in Milwaukee. I always tell people it depends on what you are looking for. Lots of stark black lines? Lush vegetation? Lifelike portraits? Every tattoo artist has a specialty – some have multiple – but the best advice I can give is to ask around and look for yourself.
And my biggest piece of advice: Follow artists on Instagram. This is the best way to see a large sampling of their past work and the kind of work they are currently doing.
Tattoos are a forever choice, so choose wisely. Here are 20 tattoo shops/artists to follow on Instagram to ensure you are getting the "best" person for your ink needs:
Adambomb Gallerie
2028 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Adam Werther
adambombgallerie
Atomic Tattoo
5700 W. North Ave.
attomic.milwaukee
Black Dawn Tattoo
424 E. Locust St.
Matt “Banjo” Sears
banjotattoo
Body Ritual
1459 N. Farwell Ave.
bodyritualmke
Cornerstone Tattoo
4030 S. Howell Ave.
cornerstonetattoo
Featured artist: Eric Brown
ericbtattoos
Devotion Tattoo
2898 S. Delaware Ave.
devotiontattoomke
Featured artist: J. Quirk
j.quirk
Emerald Eye Tattoos
1035 S. 5th St.
emeraldeyetattoos
Featured artist: John Tierney
johntierneyart
Fates Aligned Tattoo
1001 S. 5th St.
fatesalignedtattoo
Featured artist: Chacho Lopez
chacholopeztattoo
Ghost Light
2462 N. Murray Ave.
ghostlighttattooparlor
Featured artist: Chris Burke
chris_burke-tattoos
Honey Wraith Tattoo
211 W. Florida St.
honeywraithtattoo
Featured artist: Jen Love
scallywaggins
Ink Stories
2074 S. Muskego Ave.
inkstoriestattoo
Mostly Harmless Tattoos
8632 S. Market Pl., Oak Creek
mostlyharmlesstattoos
Featured: Julia Ragalie
juliaragalietattoos
Old Salt Tattooers
2665 S. Howell Ave.
Featured artist: Laurent Martin
old_salt_tattoo
Rockstar Tattoo & Co.
2707 S. 108th St., West Allis
rockstartattoocompany
Serenity Ink
5029 W. Howard Ave.
serenity.ink.tattoos
Shock Treatment Electric Tattoo
2657 S. Howell Ave.
shocktreatmenttattoos
Featured artist: Richie Murry
richiemurry
Solid State Tattoo
2660 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
solidtstatetattoo
Featured artist: John Reiter
jreiter22
Studio 84 Tattoo Co.
524 W. National Ave.
studio84tattoocompany
Featured artist: Sharleene Rivera
sharleene_rivera
Walkers Point Tattoo Company
712 S. 2nd St.
walkerspointtattoos
Featured artist: John Bartels
bartstattoos
Yellow House Tattoo Collective
1613 N. Van Buren St.
yellowhousetattoomke
Featured artist: Raven Juliet
ravenjuliet_art
Zoe’s Vicious Circle
5152 S. 108th St., Hales Corners
zoestattoostudio
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
