rising phoenix is is definately the place in illinois to get a tat. they have a huge selection on hand, and if you have the patience to look through them all, there is bound to be something for everybody. i saw every age and every type come in, and i was only there a few hours. or if you have something in mind, they will happily do custom tattoos at no extra charge. dave drew my husband's and nothing was too complicated for him, and he was determined to get it exactly as my husband wanted it. he's an extremely talented artist, and i would recommend him to anyone, although i hear the rest of the artists on staff are just as awesome. if you have heard rumors about rudeness, they're not true. the owner can be a little surly at times, but was always helpful and polite. they are very in-demand and busy at times, so there are a few things you can do to avoid being on the recieving end of any frustrations. come prepared: if you have a custom tat in mind, drop it off before and be prepared to maybe have to come back later. the artists will give your drawing one hundred percent of their attention and give you exactly what you want, but that takes time. be patient and wait your turn. you may think they are ignoring you, but you'll be happy when their focus and single-mindedness is turned on you. they are extremely clean and the shop is very well-kept, and a couple of reapeat customers for peircing came in within the space of a couple hours, so i assume the piercing is excellent. the pricing is great- you can get twice the quality of jade dragon at almost half the price, even though they use only high-quality inks and equipment. so if you are looking for a great permanent piece of art, not butt-kissing and an alright tattoo, i wouldn't go anywhere else.
Pros: quality, price, atomosphere
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