Just came in here to get an estimate on a tattoo and must have been an off day or something for the receptionist with the bright orange hair because she had a very nasty attitude. All I asked for was an estimate and when I said "oh no it's okay thank you", I was then shunned completely and given a dirty look. I was very clear I wanted an estimate, did not one time say I was doing it. Bad customer service unfortunately. Read Less

Went for my first time here and met with Katie who was awesome she understood my jumbled mind trying to explain what I wanted. She not only did she nail it but hit it out of the park. She took what I wanted and made it better. She was so nice and did a great job, definitely going back. The best part was she took an old tattoo of mine and placed the new one so perfectly you'd think it was done together not separately. She added so color which made it look better then the day I got it. Thank you for getting me in today as a walk in and for the great job. Read Less

Not a friendly place. I don’t know how this place has a 4.3 from the bad experiences I’ve read and had. I brought an image to give the artist an idea told him he modification I wanted But he ignored me and told he since it had to many lines close together he had to resize the image from what I wanted. I Told him alright that’s fine I don’t want too many line anyways he came back with the exact same image I gave him. He didn’t take into consideration my modifications to the image at all. He mistakes my frustration with nervousness and told me I looked nervous bc I was rubbing my head to much. I told him I’m not getting it and he responded with “i thought so.” So I made sure he knew I was getting it from there by saying “from here.” I went to chi town tattoo & body piercings where they were much nicer and made the exact changes I asked for. Read Less

As others have said , Beth is very rude. Bad attitude. Others are nice. Ive had two tattoos done here and they look okay, however I’m extremely disappointed that they refuse to do face tattoos. My plan was for this to be my shop that I always came to. My boyfriend wants our daughters name on his face, that’s his choice. Ik face tattoos are debatable but that’s HIS choice. I asked why not they said “ we want you guys to have jobs” he has his own company so that’s not even a problem. He could get a penis tattooed on his forehead and he’d still have a job. But they still so no. I get where their coming from but it’s not their body. Now I need to find a whole new shop to our regular shop and definitely am not looking forward to it. Read Less

The shop is clean, has fair pricing and is located in a great, easy to get to area. That's about all the positive feedback I have. I've gotten 3 tattoos here. My 1st 2 were done by Katie, who did a great job. My 3rd tattoo was done by Jim. The tattoo itself is beautiful (I basically created it before bringing it to the shop) however, the lines are all inconsistent and faded about 2 weeks into getting the tattoo. He added a shading around the flower that looks like a black and blue mark, that I did not want or ask for. There are areas in the feathers that have no color at all, and random black lines to make it look more realistic, which it does not. Even though I did not like the way Jim spoke to me, I had faith in this shop and gave it one last try. I brought my best friend here to do her thigh tattoo. It looks absolutely awful. (picture on the left) Between the poorly drawn petals on the flower and the random purple shading that again, she did not want or ask for, it looks like a toddler drew it onto her skin. She has since gotten it covered up, thank god. But what a waste of money! To end my experience at this shop, I went in with a friend 2 days ago to get another tattoo. Unfortunately, Jim was the 1 helping me once again. I explained to him what I wanted, and also mentioned that eventually I would like to get my thigh tattoo touched up. He asked to see it, so in front of everyone I took my pants down, he took 1 look at it and said there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Then, called Katie over to ask her opinion. Her response was "well it needs some lotion, but besides that it's perfectly fine" THAT WAS RUDE AF. I'm sitting there with my pants down in front of staff and other customers and you are denying me a touch up AND disrespecting my skin. I of course did not get the tattoo I came in for after that bs. Their customer service is awful. Jim is rude, unprofessional, and not a good artist. I strongly advise everyone to go elsewhere if you're looking for a good quality tattoo Read Less

I went to get my first tattoo and when I was explaining to Beth what I wanted she told me I was micro managing my tattoo!!!! My FIRST tattoo She said she ll have a design ready for me in a week and it has been a month. Every time I call which I did 3 times she tells me she ll have it by the end of this week. STAY AWAY FROM HER. I ended up getting my tattoo somewhere else and I have not heard back from her yet. Read Less

Got a tattoo from Aaron Stockwell today. He is a true artist and did an awesome job. The other artists were also great and enjoyable to chat with. I would highly recommend this parlour. Great job guys!! Read Less

This place is alright. I wouldn't say great, just average. If you're looking for a place with tattoo artists and not just tattooists, I'd recommend looking elsewhere. If you do end up going here don't waste your time and money with Jim. Not a very professional person and definitely not fun to be tattooed by, also not a very good tattooist. Doesn't listen to what you want, talks in circles, and can be incredibly inappropriate. Here is a picture of the tattoo that I paid $400 for. It's supposed to be a galaxy... I have decided to get it removed. Best of luck to anyone who decides to take the risk. Read Less

I love this place. I only had the pleasure to work with Chris and he's awesome. He took his time and made sure I was ready and knew what and where I was getting the tattoo. His personality is just a bonus. I wanted to take him home Read Less

Love this place. People are very nice, the place is clean, and the artist know what they’re doing. I got Aaron as my artist and my tattoo turned out amazing. Would highly recommend him. He works with you but also gives his own opinion to make your piece look as dope as possible. He’s the man! Read Less

The entire staff is super friendly and the place is clean! This is my second visit to this shop and it's going to be my go to from now on. I've had nothing but positive experiences! Beth did a small wrist tattoo for me about a year and a half ago very simple and the lines are fantastic. Jim did my big Harry Potter piece and he went above and beyond my expectations! A wonderful artist to sit back and just chat with. My other tattoo experiences I've always wanted to put on headphones or catch up on a show but Jim and the rest of the staff make you feel right at home! Read Less

I looovvved my tattoo! The experience here was awesome! Chris was amazing! He did my coverup tattoo perfectly! It looks like it was never an old tattoo there in the first place! Everyone compliments it! Tons and tons of compliments!!! I plan on going back to get one more new tat done! Read Less

I will NEVER go anywhere else. Work is amazing. Great quality. I have never been disappointed here. Reasonable prices as well!! I love it here. The staff are very friendly overrall. We all had so much fun talking and laughing throughout my tattoo. They all made it such a pleasant experience. This is the only place I will ever go. I will admit though the couple times I been here, Beth has an attitude. It seems many people feel this way.  Perhaps something should be done about this. Read Less

I've gotten my two favorite tattoos here over a year ago. My biggest piece, done by Phil, is without exaggeration complimented everyday. Strangers, friends and coworkers are constantly admiring Phils piece of art. After a five hour session, Phil told me to come in again for a on the house two hour session. For free he added more shading and white ink which completely transformed the piece. I didn't think he could make it better, but of course I was proven wrong. Great people. Amazing artists. I would make this my to go to shop if I hadn't moved out of state. Keep up the great work & hospitality Read Less

I had stopped in 2 weeks prior to me getting a tattoo to get a quote .I was told it would be $50. When I called the day before to make an appointment after reading the reviews i wanted Jim . I was told no appointments taken. First come basis. I'm a senior and was very excited to get my first tattoo ! My friends were just excited as me. I drove from Carpentersville, my friends from Chgo. Beth the tattoo artist was extremely rude and arrogant. I then refused to have it done. My friends said they felt the same about her, but really wanted me to have it done. They drove a long way to be with me , and I didn't want them to wait any longer, so I agreed and went with Beth. Small tattoo same color (lips) for $80 . Beth lost business for the shop cause of her attitude. . Beth needs training in customer service or possibly a new career . On a good note, We all agreed that Jim or Chris would be the ones to go to! They were working and had a fabulous attitude! To bad I didn't wait for Jim. If I did my first experience getting a tattoo would've been a positive one . Stay away from Beth. But definitely go to Jim or Chris! Read Less

Walked into this place looking for a price of a tattoo I really want and to schedule a date. Right off the bat I was being mocked by the two men that were there one was bold and one had pretty long hair. As I was talking to Katie about the tattoo They were mocking me with questions I was asking to each other. They made me feel very uncomfortable and unwanted. Although I heard good things about this place got recommended here from friends it looks like they don't like new comers here. While I was talking to Katie and cut her off and told them  why are you mocking me? The bold guy responded "take it easy bro!!!!!" and stepped towards me like he wanted to get into my face and I didn't even say anything to them before that at all. Katie even looked at them like why are they even doing this talking to me like that....The other guy heard the bold guy tell me to take it easy and he then walked towards me like they wanted to both fight me????? I then stepped back and said "if it's like that then I'm not getting one here it's your loss" then they started swearing at me and yelling at me like I did something wrong! I wasn't even talking to them I walked in to the shop looking for a girl that I was recommended to which was Katie. Looks like they lost business for her I wonder if they do this all the time? this is a very hostile environment if you don't know them I don't recommend coming here. They don't like new people coming into this shop. They treated me like shit for no reason what so ever. I hope they felt salty after that. I'm going to try and contact the city of Deerfield about this place, there not conducting business properly. You don't treat costumers like that man that's not right. Literally being assholes for no reason? I was just trying to get a tattoo. I don't want others to be treated the way I was treated today. That's why I'm going to talk to the city about them. I can't believe that happened to me for no reason. Katie if you read this you don't deserve to lose business over assholes like especially if it doesn't have nothing to do with them. Why are they even getting involved into others people's conversations. Again this is a hostile environment. Good luck to this place. I don't see them going to far. Read Less

I chose this place because it was very convenient on its location. Luckily, I arrived right as they opened and was able to get a piece done without an appointment. My artist was Jim and he was such a down to earth man. Knowing I'm insane when it comes to pain, he would keep the conversation going to keep my mind off of it. The atmosphere is nice, especially the tv that was right in front of me playing "naked and afraid" (one of my fav tv shows). The other lady that was working in there as well seemed cool!! Overall, I am really pleased in my tattoo and will definitely be returning! Read Less

Fantastic experience yesterday! Katie Cain did an amazing job turning my dream tattoo into reality. Her design exceeded my own high expectations. My tattoo had a lot of straight lines and she was meticulous with the placement of my stencil so that it looked perfect. Though I still need to finish coloring it, I am very pleased with the sections that are finished, I am in love with the vibrant colors she used and her artistic skills. Katie was kind, friendly and personable. She was also very much in tune with my comfort levels. When my phone battery was dying she let me use her charger!The other staff were friendly and interesting to interact with as well.My old tattoo artist moved to Florida and I was so worried about finding someone that would take their place. I am so happy to have found Katie Cain and she will be seeing me many times in the years to come. The shop itself is very clean. As a nurse, I am a total germaphobe. I was very pleased with the cleanliness measures taken for infection prevention. Truly, cannot recommend this place enough! Read Less

Not only did they give me a very fair price, but everyone at the shop was great. Excellent service. Couldn't have asked for a more accommodating environment. The artists make you feel welcome and comfortable, and can keep up an excellent conversation to pass the time. I'll definitely be going back here for my next piece. Read Less

My review is based on a few visits I've done over the course of a few months. I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure what her name was but she was one of the female tattoo artists, was kinda rude and acted like she didn't want to be working. I wanted a memorial piece for my dad. She didn't even shave my arm. She heavy handed me really badly while she rushed through leaving gaps in the tattoo that needed to be filled...and left it rather flat and detail-less. I went back a few weeks later. Phil did my much needed a touch up/fix up. He fixed everything. Made the tattoo come to life, was a VERY nice guy. I highly recommend him. Then lastly I saw Jim there once as well. He was very kind and funny. Talked to me about his daughter while he tattooed me. I also recommend him. Aside from my first negative experience I say its a pretty good place. Phil and Jim made me give the place another chance. :) Read Less

I highly recommend maximum tattoo because all the artist listen to your ideas and make the best work possible. Chris did an outstanding job with my owl tattoo. The prices are very reasonable and fair. Highly recommend them. Read Less

Clean, friendly and reasonably priced tattoo shop.  Young, old, new or experienced all are welcome.  Chris is a great artist who helps get your ideas get out of your head and on your skin! I've been there twice these past four months and both times it was all good! Read Less

Amazing work and everyone is so friendly! I was nervous at first, like I always am when getting a new tattoo, and everyone was so cool and it just made the whole experience so comfortable! Definitely will be back! Read Less

Kate is awesome! I've had several tattoos by her and she is always patient and makes my idea come to life. Sometimes I have issues with placement and she's great with helping with that too. I highly recommend her and this shop as they are clean, professional and great Artist. I've gotten tattoos by both Kate and Sara. Read Less

I LOVE Maximum but more importantly Sara Ray.  She does a phenomenal job!!  Sara Ray did two tattoos for me on my forearms.  They came out perfect.  A week ago she did one for my wife that came out great!!  Don't be shy she is pretty awesome!! Read Less

Got my second tattoo here and got it the same day! Sara Ray did an amazing job with the design I took her. Came back after for weeks to get a little fix on a couple of lines and now it looks perfect. They have amazing wall art and an amazing sound system for the tv. Look for the couple of R R Giger prints on the wall. Read Less

I had a tattoo done there a year ago and was not entirely satisfied with the art. I spoke with Beth and she said she would take care of it for me. Unfortunately, I waited a full year before going back to have the issue rectified.  When I spoke with Beth, she told me that she would have to charge me to repair the Tattoo.  It turned out that I was going to have to pay more than what the original tattoo cost to fix it.  Needless to say, I will not be going back and if this is their version of customer service, I would think twice about having work done there. Read Less

I got my first tattoo here last week.  Katie was my artist, and she is professional, down to earth, and takes her work seriously.  I arrived at the shop and she was ready to take me right around our scheduled appointment time.  Once I got situated, she got her utensils ready, everything new and clean.  When the tattoo was going on, it hurt, but pretty quickly that pain dulled.  I was happy that Katie did a lot of work in just over an hour, whereas I was planning on two hours.  Her artistry is really impressive, and she basically designed my tattoo and the color scheme just by getting a sense of what I wanted from a few other pictures.  I never saw the colors until they were on my back, but I had read such great reviews and had seen the quality of her work, so decided to trust her.Now that I am close to a week out, it is healing up nicely, and I am really loving this piece.  Katie gave me great instructions for aftercare, and just in general took great care of me.  I went into this shop worried about the pain, worried about getting something that turned out bad, worried that I was just some weird almost 40 year old that wouldn't be "cool" enough to hang out in a tattoo shop, but I am happy to say that none of that was an issue.  They welcome everyone, don't seem to judge anyone I saw come or go, and do amazing work.My husband also had a full back piece done by Phil, and he loves it.  It goes from shoulder to shoulder and then down and across his back where his belt would be, and the work is really perfect.  I think all of the artists here are fantastic, you can't go wrong. Read Less

I went there today with my friend who had never gotten a tattoo before and to get something small. Everyone in the shop was super nice. Phil did my tattoo and was super accommodating and friendly. Ralph did my friends tattoo and was also very accommodating. I would recommend this shop to anyone in the burbs who doesn't want to travel all the way to the city to find good tattoo artists. Read Less

I love this place. Chris and staff are so patient and attentive. Have gotten a couple small pieces done here, one with katie the other with Chris. Getting everything done here moving forward too. They have accommodated me and my crazy schedule so many times. So nice to see friendly and talented artists  like them so close to home. Thanks guys! Ps: see you this weekend ;) Read Less

I first heard of Maximum Tattoo as I was in my cadaver dissection lab, chatting over our cadaver with my fellow lab-mates. One of the guys swore by this place, and after seeing his tattoos and hearing him swoon over their work, I decided this would be where I would get my next tattoo. I have 3, and while I am content with them, I wanted to go somewhere different for the next one. This past weekend, I decided to get my fourth tattoo.I checked out their Facebook and website, and fell in love with Beth's art. I walked in about two weeks ago to give her my idea and see the shop. She set me up with an appointment right away. She made some recommendations that were different than I initially wanted, but as she is the professional experienced tattoo artist and I am a mere passerby, I went with her recommendations... I'm glad I did! The tattoo took a little under two hours, and the time flew by. We chatted about everything from tattooing to her kids to life philosophy. Everyone in the shop is extremely nice. I also went in with my friend, and she got her first tattoo on her ribs (ouch...). She was super nervous, but Chris was very professional and helped calm her down. He finished in about 12 minutes and then she was done!I  highly recommend this shop... the artists are very professional, kind and talented. Read Less

Tonight I got my first big tattoo and it was a very special family piece. Katie did an incredible job and I am so happy that I chose her to help me design it and to help with placement. I am thrilled with how it turned out :} I definitely want to give her 5stars because :} Read Less

Rave review for Katie here! Can't say enough good things about her, but I'll get to the point. Very pleasant experience when I went in with a friend last year for my first tattoo, a tube of lipstick on my ankle. They were fully booked and couldn't take me that day, so we set an appointment for the following week. When I returned Katie had drawn up a few ideas but the one she had in mind was PERFECT and completely fit my personality. She put a little 50s astro flair in there and I absolutely love it. This year I came to Katie again with my idea for a large mermaid on my thigh. And I didn't know exactly how I wanted it to look or how to communicate it to her so she worked so hard cranking out drawings and tweaking them to suit me. I couldn't believe it how patient and dedicated she was to making sure this tattoo was just right. Now that it's done, I couldn't be happier. It looks better than I even hoped. The artistic ability in this place (and I was able to see all the other artists at work too) is astounding. They are goofy and sarcastic and creative souls there, and a pleasure to be around even when they're pushing needles into your skin. Give them the freedom to be the talented artists that they are and you will leave a happy customer! I definitely look forward to returning to Maximum Tattoo! Read Less

Chris and Katie are extremely welcoming every time I come into the shop ! Chris is my main guy for ink and has done phenomenal work and prices are very reasonable. I always feel welcomed , comfortable and satisfied after leaving. Chris has some artistic ideas and is always accommodating with my appointments as I am in sales and it's hard to make time for extracurricular activities like tattoo appointments. Katie is a great tattoo artist , personable and real laid back. Highly recommend this place for ink! Read Less

We were really impressed! We found our new shop from now on. We got some juggalo tattoos from Beth and Katie and were very happy with the end results. They were very enthusiastic about working on us, and you could tell they knew what they were doing. I feel like some tattoo shops pick and choose clients based on whether or not they feel like working on them or whether the price of the tattoo is worth them working on you. It seems like some places don't want to both with small tattoos, or simply aren't in the mood to work. They definately did not discriminate on the tattoos they did for us. They seemed happy and eager to work on us. The shop is clean and decorated very fun. Highly recommend this place! Read Less

My sister and I got our first tattoos last weekend at Maximum Tattoo. We had the perfect experience. Beth was awesome. She made sure we were getting exactly what we wanted and resized our tattoo a couple times for us to make sure it was just right. She made us feel so comfortable, injected a lot of humor into the session, and did a beautiful job. She was honest, funny, and very talented. The cost was just right ($40 for a small tattoo) and I would recommend Maximum Tattoo to anyone, especially first-timers. Read Less

Its location is perfect since there really isnt another decent shop until you get north into libertyville. Phil, one of the owners, is the man. his work speaks for itself so go check the website. Personally i feel that the other artists have both bad work and really outstanding work. i think that every tat artist has a specific style they are awesome at and im not sure who is best at what just yet but my friends and i have all been here and have walked out with great art for a fair price, not dirt cheap but not overly expensive. If you are an all around art fan, do yourself a favor and check out Beth's, phil's wife and part owner, paintings she is quite talented.**Update** I have to add that, after reading the negative reviews and Phil's responses to them, I love this place even more. Good for you for telling it how it is Phil and not letting these BS one sided stories cause more damage to your business. Read Less