I took my daughter over the weekend to get her ears pierced. She had them done a couple of years ago with a piercing gun but it didn't heal well so we had to take them out. She was nervous about doing it again but Happy Dave explained everything thoroughly. He was extremely patient and made it fun. She is so happy she got them done and she looks great! Everyone at the Ink Spot was very friendly. I would highly recommend Happy Dave to anyone wanting to get a piercing. Read Less

Made my decision to get the daith piercing for migraine. It was painless and quick. So far just a few mild headaches. I'll be waiting to see if it holds. Also took my granddaughter for her first piercing other than the earlobe as you may know it was a bit unexpected doing the daith piercing for her migraines went to  a different level a real trooper. Tattoos will be next!Place clean and sterile. Dave explained the befores and after care. Very pleased!! Read Less

(Happy) Dave is the BEST! I highly recommend him for piercings. I went in with a few questions for him and he was extremely knowledgeable. He answered my questions, questioned me, and showed me pictures of the piercing I was asking for. His office? is very clean. He takes out the jewelry and tools right in front of you so you know they're sterile. Clean work. I've also had work done by Anthony. Brilliant work with color. Hit a bit of a snag when I went back for a touch up (4 years later and it didn't need much). They no longer had one of the colors in my original work and were out of the one that was the closest so he told me to come back. He also gave me a great price on fixing/covering up an old tattoo by someone not from this shop. I haven't been able to come back to cover it but Anthony will be my guy to go to. I've sat with a friend who was getting work done by Darryl. It was amazing. nice color, clean lines, no fading. Read Less

It was very professional. I went with my Brother Ian and Matteo had a lot of patients with us because it was our first time getting tattoos. To be honest I was extremely shock the way how they give us the service and the way how they work with us. I Will definitely recommend it. It was a VIP service. Thank you very much for everything you guys did with us. You guys are truly artists.��� Read Less

One of my cousin's recommend me to go here for a belly piercing and told me how much I'd be paying. The price is very affordable unlike other tattoo shop where they overcharge people and as soon as I met Dave to get my piercing done, he explained to me everything about about the piercing regarding safety. The store is very nice and clean and it is well professionalized. The employees are really nice and overall, I had to drive an hour over there but the drive was so worth it! It's the best tattoo shop I've ever been to and I totally recommend it! Read Less

Darryl did a spectacular job for me and my 2 nephews. He truly is an ink master. For me- a cover up, my oldest nephew- his daughters foot prints, and my youngest nephew- a tribute to my dad. He has do e several places of art for me and my oldest nephew and has 3 customers for life. I highly recommend any of the artists at The Ink Spot, but Darryl is my tattoo guy. Read Less

I took my daughter to get her ears pierced for her 10th birthday today, and Happy Dave was fantastic. He empowered her by explaining everything, making sure that this was what she wanted, and being fun. He was particular about his work- measuring to make sure both ears would be even, and showing his safety protocols. She was nervous, and the shop was a bit overwhelming at first, but he set her right at ease. After piercing her (with minimal discomfort followed by lollipops), I got another piercing in my right lobe. This was so much better than getting pierced with the gun at the mall. Easy, much less painful/traumatic, and simpler care afterwards. I would recommend Happy Dave to any parent looking for a piercer for their kids, or any person looking to get pierced. The feel of Inkspot is not overtly kid-friendly, but the people are very kind and accomodating, and Happy Dave is really good with kids. Read Less

Awesome experience!!! Clean, friendly, and professional shop! Went to see Dave(Happy) for my first piercing, and let me say I'm glad I didn't go anywhere else but here. He was very professional and well educated about piercings. The tattoo shop was very clean and the process was very quick. He gave great after care instructions and his prices were very reasonable for the great experience I had. Visit this shop if you want a pleasant professional experience. Dave you rock dude!!!!! Read Less

Best piercer I've ever been too. He'll be upfront and honest with you not trying to take more money from you and he follows so much sanity precautions it's crazy! It's like his first nature is not one thing out of place and always sanitary! I love him and he's custom ordered jewelry for me too since I needed something slightly smaller in length! He'll talk you through everything and his prices are beyond amazing for how he is as a person alone! Read Less

I loved happy Dave!!!! He was Happy and so informative! Told me exactly what I needed to know beforehand. He was super quick with the needle it didn't even hurt!Super nice, it was a great experience!Thanks again Dave!! Read Less

I came in a few days ago with a few friends to get a nostril piercing on a whim and Happy Dave didn't make us wait at all. I was nervous because I had only ever been pierced with guns so I had reservations about getting it done with a needle. Dave was great, it was literally the best piercing experience I've ever had. He showed us every step of the process and made sure I was completely comfortable with what I wanted. He explained the equipment he was using and why his technique was superior than getting it done at a generic place that uses guns. He was extremely hygenic and was careful about everything he touched. I work in the medical field so I'm extra cautious about sterilized products and he was immaculate. Changed gloves, careful with equipment, etc. The process was quick - it really didn't hurt. (And you get a lollipop after!). He was really friendly, I recommend this place. I know that if I ever want another piercing, I'd come to Dave. Read Less

Happy Dave was great, my wife was very nervous and almost didn't go through with her nose piercing.  Dave was very patient and explained everything very well. from beginning to end he was very professional.  the place looked like any tattoo/ piercing place. his discharge instructions were very important and helpful. thanks dave Read Less

Famous Dave Is the ABSOLUTE BEST IN THE BUSINESS!! He had soooo much knowledge about piercings, Famous Dave is Amazing, very clean and very sterile environment, and he's funny as hell!! Definitely would recommend Famous Dave for All your piercing needs! Famouse Dave you Rock!! Read Less

Quick, courteous, honest. Happy Dave was helpful about what I wanted vs how it would turn it. He wanted it to look nice, not just do it and go. He was very friendly and went over both pre and post piercing procedures with me. I'd go back again anytime. Read Less

After looking for 2 weeks for a place to get my daith piercing, I found Happy Dave's. I've read the comments and checked out his page and was impressed.  I decided this was the place to go.  When I got there I knew I'd made the right choice.  He was very friendly, acknowledging that he was aware of the claim that this piercing help alleviate headaches. He was honest with me and directed me to the proper jewelry that he thought would help.  He was thorough in his explanation of what the process consisted of and what to expect.  I was really scared that it would hurt really bad.  He had me do some breathing and bam, done. Then he covered the proper care of the piercing.  You can tell that he really cares about you as a person and wants you to have the best experience. He even request an update in a month to see how it has helped relieve my headaches. I would highly recommend anyone looking for any piercing to go see Happy Dave!  He does an amazing Butters impression too! Read Less

The shop was very nice and clean and the staff was very nice as well the reason why I am giving the shop a 1 star review is because a few months back I came in to get my nipples pierced and my ears as well with my best friend he did my ears first no problem then my nipples he did the right one first and then the left one when I got off the table to look at them the right piercing was completely off at that point I should have left but I really wanted to get the process over and done he had to take it out and do it again for full price I was upset but I let him fix it his words not mines I recently went back to my old shop to let a different guy look at them because the right piercing did not look good at all when I showed him he looked scared and told me not only was my jewelry cheap but my piercing was not place correctly and if I didn't remove the right nipple ring it would cause my nipple to split the ring had completely moved to the surface and no it was not rejecting needless to say I removed both of them Sunday just to be safe thank God they are completely closed and my nipples are not damage I will be getting them redone at a different shop oh and by the way my ears still have not healed either they are coming out next my advice is do you homework before you let anyone poke around your bodyRead Less

Had the worst experience ever with Dave! Came in a bit nervous about a tragus piercing but was happy and super excited that I was finally getting it done, also a bit relieved that someone I knew had been there before and recommended me the place. When I walked in everyone was friendly and was greeted by Dave the piercer who went on telling me not to worry because he had been piercing for more then 18 years. He was a jokester and he made me laugh but then came the horror! He went to pierce my tragus and finished, then he looks at it and said it was crooked. I stare at him laughing thinking he was joking with me and he looked at me with a straight face and told me he wasn't, that he wanted to remove it and pierce again. I was in shock but he convinced me of it so I laid down again to get the piercing redone and this time I was in pain. I asked him if the jewelry was in and he said it was and it was all a lie.. He told me not to move so many times but I kept feeling the needle inside my ear again. He was struggling and I didn't know what was going on. I was in tears at this point from all the twisting and pushing on my ear. I then got a chance to get up and he said he couldn't put the ring in and goes on saying that he should have never done this tragus piercing on me because he didn't know how to!! Why didn't this man tell me this before?!  I was so angry and felt so light headed at this point. I had so much blood coming out of my ear, I never thought this would happen to me. Never had this kind of experience with any of my many piercings. After a while he calls in his co worker and explains what happened and the other guy joked about it. Dave then tells him that he had to pierce my ear 3 times and couldn't get it right! 3 times?! 3 dam times?! Please guys be careful and if you do decide to get anything done here think about it and good luck. My ear is so bruised and swollen from this. Most horrifying experience ever. Read Less

I went in earlier today to get my triple forward helix pierced. I was greeted right away and had a great conversation with Happy Dave about his style and what I could expect out of the piercing experience. He was super thorough and made sure that I knew every step of the process. Happy has great "bedside manner". I would definitely go back to get pierced here again! Read Less

I absolutely love this place!!! I went there last night 01/09/15 and got an awesome tattoo done. This is my second one I've got done here, the first one was back in 2014. My artist was super helpful with placement and size. I only wish I could've given him a bigger tip! Will be back shortly! Thank you guys Read Less

Happy is the best!I've been to him a handful of times now, so has a few of my girlfriends.. He's very thorough, personable, friendly, honest, knowledgeable, reasonably priced, clean, and fun. He makes your piercing experience go very smoothly.I'm not too fond of Ink Spot's location, but this man is worth the trip. I'll continue to get pierced by Happy Dave Read Less

Happy Dave is the most friendly and knowledgeable  piercer I have ever been to! It was a great experience. I went into the shop for a tattoo once and loved how clean, organized, and friendly everyone was, so I went there again for a piercing  from Happy Dave. and let me tell you this guy KNOWS what the hell he's doing! I've had this piercing done before, (a dermal) and it hurt for weeks and healed terribly so I took them out. I have had this one done by Happy Dave for a few days and there is no pain and it's healing great already, thanks to his great work and aftercare recommendations. He can answer any question or concern you have about a piercing with a detailed explanation. He uses the best grade jewelry (for the same price as places that dont!!) without lead so it won't cause any skin reactions or irritations, which I have seen happen to many friends from other places. He is very serious  about sanitation and proper health standards. Because he actually cares about his customers! His place is clean, organized, and inviting. I'd recommend him to everyone no matter what or where the piercing! He is very personable so anyone is guaranteed  to have a great experience with him! Read Less

Dave did a WONDERFUL job on a pretty complicated set of five cartilage piercings. He wants all of his work to be perfect and reflect the art of piercing, rather than the business of it. His prices were SO FAIR. I got these piercings quoted from other places and no one came near his prices. And you can't beat it with his quality of work and the quality of jewelry he uses! Everything was sterile, clean, and explained very well. He marked my ear first and had me look at it before he did any piercing. After seeing it, I felt totally comfortable better explaining what I wanted/meant (I'm not the most articulate) and he was so receptive to it. He cleaned it off and did it again and got it perfect. The piercings themselves actually didn't hurt! It's always the jewelry tightening that does it for me, but his technique with the actual piercing was practically painless, confident, and quick. He's been doing it a long time, and it shows! Read Less

Happy Dave is the best piercer I have ever been to! He did my back dermals - in my lower back dimples - and they've been great! A week after I had them done the top screw on the left one fell out and he cleaned it up and put it back in no charge - coolest dude around!A few weeks later...they have healed really well and having him do the whole thing was a great! I'm thinking about a few more piercings before I call it quits,I'm not sure what just yet.But I'm sure I'll get them all from Dave!#HappyClient Read Less

Darryl is the best! I have 5 tattoos now & would not hesitate to go back here! Darryl took the time to help me figure out what wanted. It had to be special because it was being done to support my sister who had a double mastectomy due to breast cancer on March. I wanted the pink ribbon, but manly as well. He helped me piece 2 different tattoos together & this was the result.Prices here are great, very clean & excellent environment! Read Less

Dave did a great job on my nose piercing.  He was very thorough and kind throughout the piercing process.  After my initial piercing, I wanted a smaller stud, and Dave switched it out without an issue... and he only charged me for the additional jewelry!  It was generous of him to do that.  Very clean place, very good prices.  I will definitely recommend Happy Dave to anyone interested in a professional and quality body piercing job. Read Less

Happy Dave is very knowledgeable & helpful. He took his time & isn't there just to take your money. I talked to some guys in the shop about getting tattooed & they were helpful as well. I'll definitely be back! Read Less

My daughter has been asking me for an industrial bar piercing for several years now so for her 17th birthday present I looked into it.  My main concerns while researching were jewelry quality and expertise.  I had heard about Happy Dave's extensive (and very unique) piercing background and after checking out some places near me in the city, I  found out he also uses higher quality jewelry than most for the same overall price.  So, I decided there was no other person I would take her to for a piercing except the Happy - and it was well worth the drive out to Melrose.  Not only did the piercing turn out great, he was professional and informative.  He spent 20 minutes with her before even piercing her to explain the piercing and healing process.  Afterwards, he spent another 20 minutes explaining how to care for her piercing and what to expect.  He sent her home with a list of instructions and when she had questions a few weeks later, he was there to answer them in depth.The fact that Happy cares so much and takes piercing seriously has made my daughter actually WANT to to care for her piercing while it heals.  She's a busy athlete and involved in other activities so I was really afraid she would have a hard time with this and wind up with problems.  But the information he took time to share has made the process so much easier for her (...and me). Read Less

Happy Dave is one of the most knowledgeable piercers in the Chicagoland area. Well worth the trip out to see him in the near west suburbs. He cares deeply about piercing correctly, with proper jewelry, and with proper health and sanitation standards in place (something that can not be said for many piercing places these days). Read Less

Happy is my piecer. I am always happy with the impeccably clean and safe space Happy creates. No question too weird or detail too small for him. A true professional, I trust him with all my body parts. Read Less

I went to ink spot to get my nipples pierced and I was scare out of my mind. Happy Dave is the one who did them. He made my experience amazing, he talked and explained everything before he did it, to prepare me for what was going to happen and clamed me down to the point I was actually relaxed. It only took a few seconds for each nipple and didn't wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it was going to be. I will deff be back soon for other piercings. PLUS they look amazing! He told me how you clean them and the whole after care plan. I got them done two weeks ago and the are completely fine. They were sore for about two days after I got them done and after that everything was back to normal. Read Less

I've been going to Ink Spot for almost 10 years now. I no longer live in Chicago, but whenever I visit, I almost always try to visit just to say hi or to get some work done. I've been tattooed by Matt and Darryl and have also been pierced by Oscar. I noticed they have a few new guys there, so I can't speak for them. Overall, this place is clean, the guys there are awesome, professional, and are great conversationalists during the process. I'm usually there for hours at a time, so I've had conversations about the most random, interesting stuff! Honest business, cool dudes, and are very reasonable with pricing. So take it from a long time patron, this place is the best! Read Less

I brought my daughter here to get her nose pierced today, and didn't expect to walk in to a tattoo/piercing place and be blown away by professionalism, attention to safety & cleanliness and customer care....I didn't expect it, but that's exactly what I got. Dave was fantastic. For such a little job, he explained everything about the process to us in detail, and made sure both of us were comfortable. I would totally recommend him to anyone! Nice work, thanks so much!! Read Less

My wife gave me a gift for fathers day.. A tattoo. I wanted to try the Ink Spot and boy was it a mistake. I decided on a Heartagram on my right inner bicep. I was a little worried about the guy giving me the tattoo, but I thought maybe I was being a little paranoid.. So, I went through with it, I have six other tattoos and this one hurt like hell. I felt like he was ripping my skin off,, which during the healing process, I had patches of my skin missing which took twice as long to heal and I still have the bumps to prove it. Well, the next day I'm taking a look at it in the mirror and realize.... THE TOP HALF OF THE CIRCLE IS A DARKER RED THAN THE LOWER HALF!!! I go back and tell him what happened... and yep, he mixed up the colors. So I have to wait till I heal then have the butcher do the red over again and fill in the black. Needless to say, the red still looks like crap and the black is spotty and it totally looks like a hack job. Never will I go back here again. Sorry guys, but this was a bad experience. I guess you get what you pay for, I had my others done at Jade Dragon before Joe passed and they are flawless. I am on a mission to find Joy that used to work at JD... Until then, no more tattoos. Read Less

Great work is done here at great prices. Darryl, the owner, does clean amazing work. Oscar, the piercer, is flawless at his job. Everyone else here is stellar at what they do as well.   Its a place you don't have to second guess at who's doing your work. Lets face it you should never go to any place where you find yourself second guessing the work or cleanliness. Its a solid shop filled with clean professional people. I highly recommend this place. Read Less

I first heard of this place while visiting with my friend Sara. She was getting her tattoo done, as well as my friend Amanda. She was going in to get a peace sign heart tattoo and she also got an older one touched up for $80. I was very surprised by the price -- but by the quality work done as well. I saw my friend Sara getting her doves done on her back and I couldn't believe how good it looked. I immediately talked to Darryl, who was doing her tattoo at that point and I knew I had to come back. I came back a few weeks later, and Darryl was more than kind of enough to do my next tattoo for 150$. Not only that, but he literally kept the shop opened late for me, talked to me the entire time to keep my mind off the pain, and my friend and I had an incredible time there. He's also touching up my other tattoo when I come back in this coming up Friday. Great service, great work, wonderful and friendly staff. Highly recommend going here -- will be satisfied with the work done! Read Less

This shop is amazing. Darryl is an amazing tattoo artist, and has done almost all of my tattoos. He is uber nerdy and awesome. Verrrry clean and professional environment.Lets move onto their piercer- Oscar.Hes the best.I love him and let him poke many holes in my body.He is calm and professional, and all of my piercings have healed PERFECTLY. Take a trip to the inkspot. you surely will not be disappointed. Read Less