I got my first tattoo here and Dean was so amazing! He made sure that I was satisfied with the lettering and placement of my tattoo and that I was comfortable. I am so in love with my tattoo and definitely will come back here. -Karina M. Read Less

I got my first tattoo here, and I definitely am happy that I did. Even before my appointment Dean took the time to talk to me about my preferences and concerns. He made sure the design was exactly what I wanted before proceeding. His attention to detail is superb. I could not be happier and definitely highly recommend Dean and this tattoo shop. Read Less

Dean was brilliant!I went in for my first tattoo and was super indecisive. He spent over an hour drawing, sizing, and placing the image until I was completely sure and happy with it. He customized the image that I had chosen and made it look so much better, more personal and absolutely beautiful. The process went smoothly and barely hurt. He informed me about how to take care of it and what to expect. I definitely definitely definitely recommend going to him! Thank you so much Dean for my amazing tattoo! Read Less

Dean is, by far, one of the best tattoo artists in Los Angeles. His attention to detail, ability to work with ideas and placement, and the general care and passion he puts into his work is remarkable. His line work is impeccable!He will not let you walk out until your tattoo is perfect, even if it takes an extra 30 mins and he has another client coming in. That's just the kind of artist (and person) he is.I've been going to Dean for ALL of my work for the past 3 years and genuinely consider him a friend. Read Less

Dean is the man. Came in as a walk in and gave him a pretty simple star design I wanted. Some tattoo artists might just take it, do the tattoo, and have you on your way. But Dean made sure everything was exact--the color, the size, and the placement. I ended up changing my initial design when I saw another one he suggested. We also tried a couple of placements to find the best one. Finally the tattoo was done perfectly--extremely precise. Highly recommend. Read Less

if you're looking for a great tattoo, dean is the man to go to!! I'm so happy with the way the tattoo came out & taking his opinion made our tattoo even better!! super cool atmosphere. he was the most chill fun guy! COME HERE IF YOU WANT FUN & GOOD TATTOOS! Read Less

This place is awesome. I was out and about visiting LA and had joked about getting a tattoo earlier that day with my buddies. I saw all the tattoo shops on melrose and spontaneously decided to get one. Red the reviews on Yelp and wanted to check out this shop. They don't usually do walk ins here, but he decided to give me a chance. I ended up getting a bad ass Star Wars tattoo for a great price. I highly recommend this place. It's a small shop that does great work and aims for perfection. Read Less

Dean is incredibly friendly and communicates well with his clients. He's affordable but gives 110% in all his work with over 20 years of tattooing experience to boot  He really makes everyone feel comfortable and has vast amounts of knowledge concerning his craft. Read Less

Got my first ever tattoo here, and I've gotta say I'm beyond impressed at the attention to detail that Dean had when he was applying my tattoo. I'm a tough customer but this guy is definitely the guy to go to if you want miniatures and fine line work. I've never ever seen quality quite like this and my buddies are all extremely tatted... Dean... Thank you!!!!!! Read Less

Dean is the best! This is the second time I came here and told him what design I wanted and made sure it was the way I wanted. I would show him the design and he made sure that it would make sure the placement matches with the location I wanted it. You can tell that he's very careful because he would make sure that everything is properly inked in and check with you to see if you're okay with the outcome. And unlike other tattoo artists, he's SUPER-friendly and quite funny!Thanks! Read Less

Let's just get this out of the way: Dean Berton is the man! That being said, I've been coming here for years and every time it is a great experience. All the staff and Dean are always extremely polite, and the shop itself is clean and cozy. Dean is a great artist, and is always willing to work with you to help your vision come to life, whether it is a specific piece, or just a lofty idea, he can help you get exactly what is in your head onto your skin. I've always gotten the steadiest, tightest lines from Melrose Tattoo, and the pieces always look better than I could have imagined. Dean and company's patience and skill are really what make this place flawless, and the fact that they are all down to earth non-intimidating people are just a great plus. I've never left dissatisfied with any part of an experience here, and I am always recommending it to anyone who is thinking about getting ink done. I have had some of mine in places that see sunlight everyday, and after 6 years of constant sun exposure, they are still as black as the day they settled. I could go on and on about how great this place is, but really the only way to find out is to go down and talk to the folks. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. *TIP: It's a bit hard to find. On the north block between Spaulding and Stanley, it sports a big yellow TATTOO sign. Just walk up the stairs and it's the first door on the right. Try finding some parking on Stanley, but read all the signs carefully, you don't want to get a ticket! Read Less

Let me just start off my saying Dean is a totally awesome dude !Met him back in 09 when i got my first tattoo and just recently came back to him when i moved back to la for my now 5th tattoo contacted him maybe a week before and told him what i wanted, showed him an example and he ran with it making it unique and even more amazingi will definitely be coming back for my future tattoos. p.s his line work is on point ! two thumbs up Read Less

After  age 60 I finally found someone who could take my design and turn into a piece of art.  Dean didn't foist off some prefab job that looked similar.  He painstakingly created the artwork and left me with exactly what I desired.  How rare is that?  After several years I still get complimented by strangers on the design.  I'm in Florida now, but when I am ready for another, this is where I will go.  Thank you, Dean. Read Less

Dean has done all of my work. My work that is 6+ years old still receives compliments on the daily for their clean lines and vibrant colors. Not only is Dean a talented artist. He's one of the sweetest, kindest, funniest persons I have ever known. He's very cultured, intelligent has great stories to share.  No matter how much time goes by between visits or conversation we always pick up right where we left off. The shop feels like home to me. Dean is great at placement and angling your piece to flow your body, or making sure it flows well with your existing work.  I trust his judgement 100%. I don't see myself ever getting work done by anyone else. I love you Dean, and wish you and your shop nothing but success. Read Less

I gave Melrose Tattoo 5 stars because the shop was clean and sterile, Dean was super friendly, and I got an awesome tattoo. :) I found Melrose Tattoo through Facebook and Yelp so I knew I would get a lovely tattoo regardless, but Dean  listened to what I wanted in the tattoo and turned my idea into a reality using his artistic flair. This being my first tattoo I was frightened by how painful it would be, but Dean was gentle and kept asking if I was okay or needed a break, which I really appreciated. Dean himself is a cool and funny guy so he made me feel at ease right off the bat. So if I ever decide to get another tattoo I am definitely coming here again. Read Less

It was a Saturday evening on October 27, and my friends and I were shopping around on Melrose avenue when we came across this tattoo shop. We arrived after closing, but we were greeted with enthusiasm, even without an appointment. Dean showed us some of his work that he has on his phone and was so passionate about the tattoos that he's done and doing. The minimum is $50, which is so reasonable and they will work with you until you get exactly what you want, like it should be. He was so patient with indecisiveness and even gave his honest opinion about what he thought looked best. He will work with you until you arrive at what you want. His humor made us feel more comfortable, which helps when a needle is driving into your arm.  Overall the experience completed our Saturday night adventure. I recommend anyone looking to get a tattoo to come here. What makes this shop different is that they look at what you want to get and recommend the person in the shop that would tattoo it the best, not only that, he's a perfectionist, and who doesn't want that in a tattoo artist?TL;DR:This place values customer service and tattoos over money, unlike a lot of the other places around.MAKE AN APPOINTMENT Read Less

I can not tell you how crazy good Dean Burton at Melrose Tattoo is. Not only is he patient and willing to go back to the drawing board to get you what you want but his attention to detail and accuracy with the tiniest of lines is phenomenal. I highly recommend going to Melrose Tattoo and Dean if you want to make sure your tattoo is more badass than anything else out there. Read Less

Keep an eye out for this location - It's an upstairs unit, look for the yellow "TATTOO" sign that can be seen right from Melrose. Cross streets are Stanley or Spaulding (one is light one is residential)* TIP:  I always have luck parking in a meter spot on Stanley *Melrose Tattoo has been here for nearly 20 years and deserves the utmost levels of recognition and respect. In my experience here, I've worked with the extremely pleasant and professional Dean Berton, the owner himself. Making an appointment with him was no obstacle, as it often happens at other shops. I had my image well planned and requiring some tweaking. Dean was incredibly accommodating and not one sigh was heard from him. He flipped the image to face the other way and completely customized the text, still keeping it accurate to the logo, which I was very stubborn about. He re-drew the piece several times, never making me feel bad for asking or like I was inconveniencing him. It seemed as if he was as passionate as I was about it coming out just right. Dean was very detailed and particular about everything - Getting the drawing to my satisfaction, the placement and most importantly, the line work. The lines in my tattoo are so thin, straight and even, the perfection is admirable. I couldn't be happier with the service I received and the outcome of my tattoo. Delirium Brewery themselves, right out of Belgium, saw the work and said "That looks awesome!! Congrats! Beautiful work!"  That right there is an impressive accolade.See Dean Berton, you won't be sorry. Tell him Kat sent you ;) Read Less

A hidden gem on Melrose Avenue.  I've gotten all of my tattoos done at Melrose Tattoo and I honestly couldn't imagine going anywhere else.  The owner, Dean Berton, is truly the nicest guy you'll ever meet, and his traditional work is among the best in the business.  With flawlessly steady lines, and unbelievably long-lasting color, my very first tattoo still looks every bit as good as the day he put it on me.  He is also, unofficially, the definitive source of information for all things Dodgers or Kings.  If either team is playing at the time, you can be 100% certain that the radio will be tuned to the game during your visit .  Color commentary is complimentary.  The other artist in the shop, Christina Ramos, is amazingly talented and her incredibly realistic tattoos are a perfect complement to Dean's old school style.If you want a ridiculously overpriced tattoo from a bougie Los Angeles tattoo shop, there are several to chose from; I won't name names.  But, if you want a tattoo that you'll absolutely love and be proud to show off, but that doesn't break the bank, then Melrose Tattoo is your answer - low in pretense, high in quality, and fair in price.  Go check them out... you'll be glad you did. Read Less

Coming from a novice of tattooing, I loved my experience here. A buddy of mine took the advice of a trusted mutual friend and got a tattoo of a cross here. He knew I wanted a tattoo for years so he made me find a picture of what I wanted and took me to Melrose Tattoo. I came in with a magazine picture of what I wanted and Dean was nice/cool enough to redraw it into a shape that would work on my skin.  Multiple people told me that getting it on the unexposed side of my bicep would hurt but it didn't. It seemed like to me that Dean did a great job tattooing the design on well. Dean also gave me good advice on how to care for it. I've only got one tattoo, but I'm so glad I got it from here. Read Less

I got my very first tattoo with Dean and have since had him do my other four as well. Dean is awesome and so laidback, he makes you feel at ease and is really easy to talk to. His work is great and the atmosphere you can't beat. I'm due for another and will definately go back to Dean Read Less

This place is awesome!!! I've had both Dean and Joey do work on my arms and I'm in love!!!! I get stopped daily and asked who and where do I get my work done.... okay it gets a little annoying when people ask if my tattoos are "real".  Joey has been working on my arms for almost 2 years now and I couldn't be happier with her work. Every tattoo is my new favorite!!!!  She is a true artist and I hardly have to give any instruction at all I trust her so much!!!  The place is laid back and not pretentious at all... parking in the neighborhoods is the best. Read Less