I had a great experience here. I walked in off the street, with an idea and a quote. The gentlemen at the front desk named Owen helped me. I told him what I was looking for. I felt a little awkward trying to explain my idea and my concerns about the piece. He was very kind and made me feel at ease. He was VERY patient with me. I wasn't feeling the placement of the wording and the positioning of the piece on my leg. He did 6 maybe 7 different variations (again very patient). All the while saying he wanted me to be happy with my decision. After we finally found the right fitting. He finished in about 2 hours. All and All I really liked the shop, the artists there seemed interested in helping everyone out. I would Highly recommend this place. I thought Owen was fantastic. He really made the whole experience feel professional. I will be going back for more. Read Less

This review is long over due, I've known Joel Bacca for a long time from my Jiu-Jitsu community. He is an awesome guy and even better tattoo artist. He has been working on my full sleeve tattoo for a while now. Almost 90% done. I've always wanted a tattoo but could never pull the trigger until I saw Joel's art pieces. I knew right away that he can do exactly what I wanted. He is easy to talk to and keeps your mind off of the pain by having great convo. Tattoo shop Apex is a nice place. Feels like a cozy little cabin in the woods. Thank you Joel for the great tattoo and the company. I would vouch for his talent anytime.    Check out his tattoos on his Instagram instagram.com/joel_baca_ Read Less

Amazing service and vibe from this place. They were able to fit my moms and I in for 4 small walk-in tattoos. Joel did my tattoo and he was super friendly and seemed to understand what I was envisioning. Plus they have a shop dog, so that's a win in my book. Read Less

I waited a long time to get my first tattoo and spent 4 years talking to people about their favorite tattoo artist. I've had an image of a complex Sugar Skull in mind for all that time. I couldn't find the right combination of skilled artist, spiritual energy and the right shop. Until a couple of weeks ago... Apex Tattoo in Oakland represents both traditional and current designs, with several artists of great talent. I found the vibe to be professional, friendly, accommodating and creative. Nikki, the front person, took the time to welcome me and made me feel at ease since I was a newbie.I had met Owen a couple of weeks before and had given him the print of the sugar skull so he could redesign it into an image that would hold up as a tattoo. It wasn't easy to surrender to his changing the design, but I depended on his experience to simplify the complicated design and multiple colors.After 6 hours over 2 sessions, I am blown away at how Owen designed and executed an amazing tattoo for me! His work is meticulous, fine line work, deep saturation, perfect color choices and an image better than I could have expected.Check out Owen's Instagram feed, he may be the perfect artist for you too. Read Less

I have been to Owen a few times and have really been happy with all of my experiences and tattoo results. I particularly love how well and easy his tattoos heal. No scabbing . They just sluff off naturally and easy. He also was able to add on and fix a very old tattoo of mine.Everyone at this shop seems to be cool and talented. Read Less

2 stars because they do ok work. Stopped coming here because they are pretty full of themselves and are pretty pricey for only decent work... I would much prefer a chiller shop who does AWESOME work without the pretentious attitude.  I started going to another shop and funny enough - one artist from apex used the design from one of my pieces ( by a much more talented artist in sf. ) Used same color scheme , pattern .. only thing is the artist at apex has uneven and blotchy line work, colors always bland. There are a million traditional butterflies and moths out there... why'd you have to rip off mine ? This shop lacks creativity , skill, and originality. (Only the guy who specializes in bw realism is pretty good the rest, mediocre af Read Less

Me and my friend went to get piercings here after two stops at zebra and Industrial in Berkeley where we were treated poorly. The staff at apex was amazing and kind! The piercing didn't hurt at all and we will be back for more! Read Less

I only came in to get new jewelry, but the piercer was very friendly and helpful. The nose stud I got was a little pricey, but it's high quality, and the piercer sterilized and helped me try on different sizes of posts. The place looked clean and had a good energy about it. If I decide to get another piercing, this will be where I go! Read Less

Got my first piercings at Apex about a year ago. This place is somewhat hidden in an alley that's easy to miss if you're just passing by, so keep your eyes sharp.As a first timer, I was nervous about getting my ears pierced, but Lysa assured me everything was going to be alright by telling me she had over 15 years of experience.Lysa is extremely professional and kind. She walked me through the steps on how to take care of my ears after she pierced them.Definitely coming back when I'm ready for my next piercings! Read Less

I feel I need to give a little backstory. I had my first tattoo 5 years ago and have wanted to have another one done at some point. The more I thought about it I knew I wanted a floral peace sign and I also knew I wanted to continue down my arm. So I started checking out shops. I would read reviews etc. Then I started emailing shops. I would send pictures of peace signs I thought were pretty but also stated I was open to design I want a floral peace sign. I did not get a very welcoming response. Kinda surprising. Almost ready to put tattoo on hold. Then I decided to try another shop, Apex. I didn't  send a picture but did describe what I wanted. Within a hour I received a email from Niki at Alex. Niki was so friendly I wound up going into shop and meeting Niki and Owen the artist she recommended do do my tattoo.I had my tattoo done yesterday and I love it. The shop is a wonderful space, very bright and airy. It's upstairs trees in courtyard so you feel like your in a treehouse.Owen was wonderful and I enjoyed my time there. I already made appointment to start moving down my arm. Read Less

If I could give this place no star I would!!! I went here on a recommendation and gave this place multiple chances because I thought my gut was incorrect but based on my last experience I was 100% correct. The last time I went I once again was not greeted, sort of ignored for a minute, although there were other customers in there getting great customer focused service. Note, I was always the only Black person in there. When a gentleman finally acknowledged me he was not as kind to me as he was with the other clients and when he confirmed that the guy who does the ear piercing was not there, he threw his card at me!! I looked at him CRAZY and he changed his energy slightly trying to clean it up. I left and later called the manager (i believe owner) and he acted unbothered by it. Even when I acknowledged that I had supported his business in the past. It is my fault for supporting his business although I felt it had a huge racist vibe....NEVER AGAIN!!! My recommendation, Black people and any person of color DO NOT SUPPORT THIS business!!! Read Less

I had a great experience getting my first tattoo here!So, I live in the area and have been wanting a tattoo for a while so I poked my head in to check it out. I walked in and the person who greeted me (their piercing person ?) was super friendly and had Owen walk over and answer questions I had about tattoos. Both were friendly and didn't treat me with any judgement when I said I had no tattoos. Very knowledgeable about the whole process and answered my many questions... I decided to think it over a bit before getting inked rather than spontaneously.I mentioned my "scoping out tattoo parlor" experience to one of my friends with a collection of tattoos, and she said she went there and was actually tattooed by Owen before and he was cool, it was a good experience, she recommended him, etc. I liked the artwork he did on her, so it pretty much sealed the deal on my decision to get a tattoo at Apex.I made an appointment a few days in advance with Owen, told him what I wanted and where. [DISCLAIMER: my tattoo was a nice small simple design] When I arrived he was ready on time with the design. We made a few adjustments, and he made them pretty quick. Since I was nervous and asked a lot of questions about the sterilization process, tattoo process, pain level, and aftercare... I want to point out that the patience he exhibited were greatly appreciated and were what made the experience great. The actual tattooing was over super quick. He did a great job getting it exactly how I hoped. So, if you're thinking about getting a tattoo for the first time, or want a nice chill professional tattoo experience, highly recommend this place! Read Less

I am not fond of posting negative feedback however my experience today left me upset and disappointed... and yes, I think it deserves to be heard. Today I had my second appointment with Melissa. My first appointment went well, however we were there a long time and I left with half of what I wanted. It would be fair to say that it was partly due to the fact that she arrived almost 40 minutes late for my 4pm appointment and I only showed up with a picture of what I wanted, which ended up being different from what I initially told her I wanted. During our consultation I told Melissa that I wanted my piece to look like the picture which was a Mendhi Mandala sleeve. She voiced that she didn't like copying other artists work, which I understand, but I told her that I've seen friends choose tattoos out of a books that was done on other people by other artists and, or pictures from Pinterest. She got a little short, left me in the waiting area while she went to her station to draw it up. When she came back, it wasn't 100% to my liking and when I told her, she got short with me again and walked away while I was still talking to re-draw it. At this point not only did I feel bad, I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Who walks away while a customer is still talking. 2 hours later she laid the stencil and started to tattoo me. Satisfied, I made an appointment 2 weeks out to continue.Today my appointment was at noon and I showed up with a bunch of photos and stencils that I pulled off the internet. I also emailed Melissa 2 days prior to my appointment with comparable pictures of what I wanted so that she could draw something up prior to my appointment. She seemed excited that I had more pictures, however they all mimicked the initial picture I showed her as far as style goes. I figured that she could tweak it using different patterns while keeping it similar in style. The last picture I showed her I really thought we were on the same page. She headed back to her station and said that I could leave to grab lunch while she drew it up. I left and asked her to text me when she wanted me to come back. I said to my husband... I hate to leave and she draw up something I don't like. I would rather stay to collaborate but they leave you sitting in the waiting area, so off to lunch we went. When we got back, she showed me what she drew and I found myself faced with the same situation. She spent over an hour drawing a piece that looked nothing like the style that I wanted. It was pretty... but it wasn't what I wanted. I felt horrible! Apparently she was under the impression that she was drawing something unique and I was under the impression that she was going to follow the style from the pictures I showed her. At that point, I knew that we were not on the same page. I could tell she was irritated, she got short with me and said that if I wanted it to look like the picture then fine she will make a copy of it and draw it like the picture. When I tried to explain that what she drew was pretty but it didn't look like the style in the picture I showed her, she said what picture? You gave me allot of pictures, which one? There were other customers in the waiting area listening in which made me feel like I was being difficult. She stopped to talk to a customer that walked in while she was headed back to her station, while I stood at the front desk feeling embarressed. There was no where to sit so I walked out to meet my husband who was waiting in the car. We waited for an hour. At 3pm I texted Melissa. No answer. I called her cell phone, no answer. I called the tattoo parlor and she answered. I asked her if she was done and she replied by saying she thought I left and stood her up since I walked out the door. I told her that there was no where to sit so I was sitting in my car waiting for her to finish. She said she finished in 20 minutes. I asked why she didn't text me like she did earlier and her response was well I thought you left. It took her over an hour both times prior but this time she finished in 20 minutes and didn't have the courtesy to let me know. If my intentions were to say forget it and leave, I would have let her know. She blew me off and deflected it back on me. Said she wasted her time drawing something that I didn't like and that she had other appointments. My husband and I drove an hour and 15 minutes to get there, walked around killing time waiting for her to draw my tattoo. I can't help that it wasn't what I wanted. When someone says they want it to look like the picture, how much more explicit could I have been?The way she handled it was rude and unprofessional. I'm a business owner, I would be mortified if one of my employees treated a customer this way. Read Less

I had a super rad piercing experience here, thanks a lot, Josh!Went to Industrial Tattoo in Berkeley first, but they weren't sure whether they had the right jewelery in my size, so they sent me over to Apex. Had to wait a little (it was Saturday, so that was to be expected), but once I was in the piercing room, it was a breeze. The studio is very cool, super positive vibe, nice people. Josh was great and very professional. I had my husband with me and he was very impressed with the many glove changes :-)I am so happy with my new septum piercing! Josh was very gentle and explained everything in detail. Hardly felt a thing and I look goooood with it :-D Read Less

really disappointed. made an appointment two days ago with josh for today. called at 5:15 to see if i could come in at 6 instead of 6:30 and he said no problem. i showed up at 6 and for some reason he took the person sitting waiting and started tattooing them. told me he was running a little late. im guessing this was a walk in since i had just called 45 minutes earlier. i sat there for 40 minutes and finally left. i understand the need to make money but i had an appointment. very unprofessional very uncool will not be back. Read Less

I got work done by Melissa Taylor when she was at Sacred. She is not only a great person but an amazing artist!! She can do realistic portraits, pin ups and pretty much anything! Love her! I've since moved to STL but when I come back home to visit... I will be getting some work done by her. Read Less

I just got a piercing done by Marina & she was absolutely great. Quick, friendly service. The place is clean and in a cute location.  Marina is a perfectionist and really takes her time to make sure the piercing is accurate. And I must say pretty painless.  The only downfall is they take cash only... so I had to run out to find an ATM. Read Less

I came on a Saturday for my earlobe piercings with Josh. He was very polite, knowledgeable, and prompt at giving me info on the piercings. Although the service was a bit more expensive, you really get your bang for your buck. He gave me an extensive low-down on aftercare and even pre-measured sea salt for me to use for cleansing my ears to avoid infection. 10/10 would recommend and I will definitely see Josh again for any future piercings! Read Less

I've been seeing Ellie for about 4 years now, and this is the third shop I've followed her to, with this being the sixth tattoo she's given me. She always does an absolutely amazing job! I see her sporadically over the years, and we basically have a friendship when we see each other. Ellie has also been doing my sister's tattoos for the same amount of time, with incredible work on my sister's half sleeve. The tattoo shop itself is super cool, a bit tucked away up some wooden stairs. It's nice being a bit back from the busy street, though. They play great music to jam to while waiting. Make sure to bring cash, it's cash only! Read Less

Their location is a little hard to find just keep yours eyes peeled. I love the vibes walking in music playing just very chill and mellow. My friend and I went in on a thurs night. She got a small piece on her arm and I got a little pice on my finger. The owner Ian is a chill guy very informative about tattoos and how to take care of them. I got another artist Nick seemed to be in rush to finish my small piece on my finger. He also didn't really explain how to take care of it. Read Less

Ellie G has made me a loyal fan and follower -- like my husband has for several years now, I'll be keeping tabs on her whereabouts and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to cheat on her ;)  Ellie worked with my concept and the result far exceeded my expectations.  She's fun, laid-back, patient and talented.  She also has the mintiest breath.  The shop is awesome space and there's great rapport among the fellow artists and team. Read Less

Owen is just flat out awesome. Honest and open about the work. Checked on me when I needed it. Lines are so clean and the design I'm just in love with. I'm planning to go back for future work and I definitely recommend this place ten fold. Couldn't be happier for my first ever visit. Read Less

Owen is just flat out awesome. Honest and open about the work. Checked on me when I needed it. Lines are so clean and the design I'm just in love with. I'm planning to go back for future work and I definitely recommend this place ten fold. Couldn't be happier for my first ever visit. Read Less

Love this tattoo shop! Been a customer of Josh for a few years now and I am never let down. He used to work out of Sacred but has recently ventured off to this new location. Thanks Josh for always hooking it up with some great pieces! Read Less

Great Crew! Clean intimate shop with high quality artists. Had a little walk in tat done behind my ear... My other buddy got some script on his hip. Great lines and Gilles listened to our ideas and concerns and executed perfectly. I'll be back! Read Less

Walked in with a friend for our first tattoos today. The shop was beautifully designed and so clean. The owner of the shop, Kellen welcomed us right in and introduced us to Owen who would be doing our tattoos. Right away both guys made us feel so comfortable and we're very helpful! Owen listened to what we wanted done and immediately set to work on sketching our designs. Within minutes I was sitting in the chair as Owen explained step by step what was going to happen. He told me that if at any moment I felt pain to tell him and he would give me a break. He started on my wrist tattoo and talked to me the whole time. He was very careful and thorough with his work. He made me feel so comfortable and relaxed and my first tattoo experience was amazing!! I'm so happy with my tattoo and will definitely come back to Apex and Owen! Read Less

You will never find a better artist then Dee! She is hands down the best, friendly beyond believe, and is great with working with you on what looks best on your body! I've been traveling back to Oakland to see Dee for 7 years now, so I'm very excited to see her with this new place. I highly recommend Dee!!!!! Just visited the new place and got another set of gauges which turned out better then I ever expected!! She is freaking amazing at suggesting locations around where you are thinking. Can't wait to return!!!!!! Read Less

After seeing all the good reviews about Dee from her previous store I decided to get my septum pierced by her. She was awesome! Very detailed about exactly what she was going to do and how I would feel. She is very concerned about how comfortable you are during the process as well as after. She even recommended I come back in a few weeks to see how everything was healing. I would highly recommend her.In terms of the shop, everything looked very clean and organized...everyone was really friendly. If I ever decide to get anything else pierced I'll be back.  :) Read Less

These folks are great and can't wait to continue my sleeve!My artist Hori Ian did a great job taking my broad concept of a Historical Tattoo on Human Revolutions and did the research and collaborated well with me to ensure that I got every piece I wanted in and that it would flow and work nicely. I have received many compliments on the art but the most important person that had to be satisfied, myself, was it's biggest fan. Ian was open to new ideas, brainstorming and adjusting.We both had no idea how to bring this tattoo to life but now it's really coming together. The new shop has a great location and can do anything you need done. Great job guys! Read Less

Soo happy about it , Ian u fucking did it bro , love u bro and u too Owen love u too bro see u guys tomorrow , and ppl u will never regrets there art , unless u are there friend lolol , nah I'm joking I got one of the tattoos and one of the first tattoos that one of them did and still haven't regret that one lolol love u guys Read Less