Good luck getting anyone to pay attention to you or getting work done in your lifetime! I contacted Mad Ethel's because I saw so many great ratings on their work. While their work may be impressive once you finally have it done, the customer experience is terrible. After what seemed like a good start via e-mail, their "scheduler" started to cop a lot of attitude because I chose to pick up the phone and eliminate the back-and-forth and try to work out a time to come in sooner. These were tattoos for 3 people, so 3 people who would have had a great customer experience! Mad Ethel's Management - do yourself a favor and get someone who can pay attention to details, speak to the public to work with them, and that cares to provide a great customer experience! It's really not that hard to do! We were extremely flexible, but gave up after the attitude came out! There are a lot of good shops in Raleigh now, so plenty of choices in finding a shop that will work with you when considering something permanent on your body. Read Less

Super chill place, everyone was very nice. The tattoo was perfect i dont think it could have came out any better, they even sent a thank you card which is mad chill too. Most certainly will go back for whatever tattoo im going to get in the future, thanks so much! Read Less

I randomly decided on a day off I was going to get a few things pierced and after some research I thankfully landed on Mad Ethel's. I called that day to get some information about the pricing and the procedure. Lilly who does the piercing was able to answer all of my questions and wasn't pushy or rushing me through the conversation. I felt like my time mattered and it was important to her that I had all the information. I came in the next day and I got a few body piercings and she was very friendly informative and she cleaned everything properly. She went at a pace that made me feel comfortable and let me know everything I need to know for cleaning and future maintenance as well as options for gauging. All in all it was an incredibly amazing experience and I'm glad I picked mad Ethel's. Read Less

We did ear piercings at here, and it’s my first time doing this. We went there around 4 pm and parked at the back of the store. We showed our ID and signed up an agreement. Lily is friendly and patient with us. We picked out the earring and discussed where we want to pierce. The price is a little bit expensive but the service is great and professional. We would recommend this place for friends want to do ear piercing and may go here for tattoos in the future. Read Less

I always loved the look of nose piercing and my main concern was finding a very experienced piercer in a professional and sanitary establishment. After a week of using search engines and reading reviews I decided to put my trust in the beautiful young lady named Lilly at Mad Ethel's Tattoo and Piercing. She was very friendly and informative when I called and I was able to come as a walk-in the same night. When my daughter and I arrived, the staff was friendly and Lilly explained every detail from handling the cost to the actual nose piercing procedure and aftercare. She took the time to fully sanitize the piercing tools to picking out the nose jewelry. Lilly made us feel so welcomed and chatted with us like we were family as she proceeded with the piercing. Lilly counted 1, 2 and by the time she said 3 the hollow needle had already pierced through my nose. Did not hurt bad at all. Only like someone pinching your nose with their fingernail. I was given a aftercare bag with instructions and was able to purchase the H2O Ocean saline piercing aftercare solution. I will be coming back to have Lilly pierce the other side of my nose this week and have the septum piercing when my daughter gets a break from college to have Lilly also pierce her nose. I highly recommend Mad Ethel's for all piercings and tattoos. Read Less

I had my tattoo done by Cliff last night, and he did a fantastic job. This was my first tattoo, and he was so patient with me. The entire process was smooth, considering we just met last night and all of the prep he had to do. The shop was comfortable, clean, and everyone was helpful every step of the way. Do yourselves a favor and give them a glance before you make your final tattoo appointment. I will definitely be back to finish my sleeve! Read Less

Mad Ethel's is the place to get your tattoo! This was my first time and what I got was a Work of Art. Ember was my artist and I would recommend her to anyone who wants a delicate hand working on his/her body. The outlines were painless and the full recovery period was less than 2 weeks after the last shading session, which says a lot about the procedure itself. Spotless establishment and inviting atmosphere. Miami Ink got nothing on this people. Mad Ethel’s Rocks! Read Less

Nice shop. Clean. Caring staff. Had a small piece done by Anton on his guest spot and loved his portfolio. Pricing was reasonable as well. Quick and easy and was able to get me in as a walk in same day so I walked out happy. Read Less

What a great experience! I brought my four year old daughter to get her ears pierced. Lilly was absolutely amazing! She made my daughter comfortable and was extremely thorough! A beautiful, extremely clean/well cared for and professional establishment! Customer service was wonderful! I highly recommend Mad Ethel's to anyone! Read Less

I came here to get my septum pierced and have the jewelry in my nostril piercing changed. Lilly was incredible. She showed me all of the jewelry options and explained what each style would look like on me. I was a bit concerned before coming to Mad Ethel's because I've heard horror stories of septums being pierced in the wrong spot. Mine was done right through the sweet spot and Lilly made sure I was comfortable throughout the whole process. From start to finish, my experience was awesome! Will definitely be coming back for all of my piercings in the future. Read Less

I am so happy with how my tattoo turned out. Everyone who works here is so nice and welcoming, and I enjoyed interacting with everyone while I was getting my tattoo. Big thanks to Katlin for getting me an appointment on short notice and working with my schedule. I will be back for sure. :) Read Less

Raleigh's finest tattoo shop, hands down! Talented and knowledgeable staff make you feel comfortable and confident in your choices. I love knowing when I walk out I have a 100% original piece of art, no flash on the walls, making for an all one of a kind piece! I have personally been tattooed by Chris Peck and Steve Wetherington, both go above and beyond, amazing talent! Read Less

You guys absolutely exceeded my wildest expectations! Not only did my tattoo turn out perfect, but you also made the whole experience comfortable, fun, and memorable! Paul Black was very professional and I could tell that he really knows his stuff! You should definitely have him back as often as possible! I am beyond pleased and I look forward to collaborating with guys in the future! I will definitely be spreading the word about you guys to all of my friends and colleagues! Read Less

I waited 20 years before finally getting my first tattoo, and I absolutely like the result! Steve did my tattoo, he was recommended by my manager, and I have nothing but the best to say about him and his staff. Their shop / studio / work stations are super clean, and the studio's atmosphere and layout flows nicely, so you will feel at ease and relaxed when you are laying on the chair! I already have my next appointment scheduled! Read Less

I can't say enough good things about my experience at Mad Ethel's. I knew nothing about getting tattoo and had wanted one for so long. From my first contact via email with my desired design idea to helping me figure out placement and how the design needed to be modified to the finished product, I could not be happier. Not only do they provide superior service to their customers, they also clearly offer kindness and compassion to their downtown neighbors/community. Read Less

Mad Ethel's was so clean; I was very impressed. Steve, the owner, was so friendly to talk to and had such a great personality! Chris Peck did my tattoo, my first tattoo matter of fact, and he could have not done a better job. Nobody could have done the work like he did! We vibed really good, and he vibed so well with this tattoo. Kaitlin, thank you for handling all my emails and appointments and even my confirmation phone call after Steve already picked up the phone. ... I will be back in April, guys! Thank you so much! ♡ See More Read Less

I had my right nostril pierced by Lilly on June 6. She, and the entire staff at Mad Ethel's are fabulous!!! The shop is clean and welcoming. Lilly explained everything she was doing and the whole process was easy and no pressure. After the piercing, I had some follow-up questions which Lilly answered via e-mail very quickly. Thanks a lot! Read Less

I was in town from Maryland and heard great things about Mad Ethel tattoo and decided to check it out fun friendly staff... very clean environment and some amazing artist ember did a awesome job on my tattoo truly in love with it color is amazing and she helped me pick the perfect font turned out better then i ever imagined thanks so much you all ROCK!!! Thanks again. From Kristi in Maryland����� Read Less

I brought my son in for his first tattoo on his 18th birthday. Steve was amazing, the tattoo is beautiful and the experience was wonderful. Im sure this will be the first of many tattoo's our family gets at Mad Ethel's. Read Less

Had an appointment with Lily here today for a septum piercing. She was amazing. Took time to explain everything. She was patient and through and i highly recommend getting a piercing here. I am so glad i found Mad Ethel's and Lily I will be back for my clicker!!! 💖❤💟💜💛💚💙 Read Less

I came to Mad Ethel's a few weeks ago to get my helix pierced. I had a great experience! Lilly explained everything she was doing and was able to answer any questions that I had. This shop also had a great atmosphere and is extremely clean. I will definitely be returning here for any future piercings or tattoos and have already recommended Mad Ethel's to all of my friends. Read Less

From my wife: I wanted to drop you guys a note to say thank you for helping Doug and I during our first visit to Mad Ethel's. We enjoyed the shop and the staff, and although the act of getting a tattoo is not quite as easy as snarfing a cheesecake while watching a Golden Girls marathon, we loved getting our tattoos too! Ember, thanks so much for our tattoos. They look awesome, you were delightful to work with, and we will surely recommend you to any tattoo enthusiasts out t...here. Katlin, thank you for fielding my endless line of emails/questions/mind-numbing dorky mentally frazzled insanity. I really appreciate it! I can say for certainty that Doug and I will be back again soon. Thanks for everything you guys! :o) Peace, Allison See More Read Less

If I could give more stars I would!!! They normally have a wait time, especially if you are wanting a specific artist, and if you are wanting a large piece tattooed I would recommend making an appointment but  it just so happened that i popped in on a Sunday and wanted a piercing and possibly a tattoo, if they had any openings. Their piercer was on her way and I was lucky enough that Chris could fit me in before his next client. Great job by Chris on the tattoo, it was simple and dainty and exactly what I wanted. It was by far the most painless tattoo I have ever had done, thanks Chris for having a soft touch. Lilly did an amazing job as well on my nose piercing and explaining everything from begining to end and aftercare. Highly recommend a visit to Mad Ethel's!!!! It was a great experience from beginning to end and I will definitely be back!! Read Less

First off this place has an incredible scheduling setup. I have never experienced a shop with a better scheduling system. They have someone who is in charge of gathering your info, getting the idea you want, and putting you on the schedule with the artist you want. If you have ever tried to schedule with many other shops, you know that's frustrating and not easy most of the time. I have gotten tattoos in 3 other states and this by far is the best scheduling experience of all of them. Also, the owner and his wife work there and the shop definitely has a family owned business feel. I loved that and the staff made me feel welcome. The shop is very clean, organized, and really cool looking (old school downtown building that is awesome). Last but definitely not least, my artist Cliff did an awesome job. The man is a real artist and knows his craft. I forget how long he has been tattooing, but it's a long freaking time. He was really cool, flexible on times, and just a great guy to hang out with. I've got more work to be done on my arm and I'm excited to go back. Its definitely worth the investment. p.s. the wolf in the pics isn't Cliffs work, the dude and symbols areRead Less

Cliff is awesome! I went in on a Sunday afternoon after making a kind of last minute appointment and he was so nice and kept me entertained while he was working on my tattoo! And Kaitlyn (I'm sorry if I spelled that wrong) was so nice to let me come in early and hang out while we were waiting for everyone to get there! In general this place has a great laid back atmosphere! I would definitely go back! Read Less

Went in for a walk-in piercing (daith) after reading some reviews here, and I'm so happy! I only had lobe piercings before from my childhood so this was a new experience for me. Lilith made me feel so comfortable in my decision, and took time to answer all my questions (I was really nervous). She let me know everything she was doing as she did it, and gave me great instructions on how to keep up with it. I'm honestly so happy with my piercing from her and I'll totally be returning to her for any future piercings!! Read Less

Everyone at Mad Ethel is super great. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this place. The receptionists are super helpful and always get back to me with any questions that I have right away. I had a awesome trash polka pirate ship tattoo done by a guest artist. I needed to go back for touch ups and Steve went above my expectations and made it even more incredible. I'm super proud for my art work and will definitely recommend this place to any one wanting a great tattoo and incredible people to help achieve it. Read Less

Went there to buy some things on a Sunday.  Apparently there are 2 days a week when the lady who is the only one there that knows anything about the jewelry works so someone else tried to help me by showing me 2 trays and said they had a lot more but I would have to come back another day for the other lady to help me. Read Less

I continue to go back to this place. I got a cover up by Chris peck about six months ago which I get compliments on daily. Everyone asks where I went. So I decided to return to get a piercing by Jen. She is by far my favorite piercer out of the 3 different places I've been to! Both are quite pricey though Read Less

I am giving this establishment two stars because the work Chris Peck did was incredible. That is the ONLY reason. He is incredibly talented. Had my tattoo been any less than perfect, I'd be giving one star or less. To begin with, Mad Ethel's, to no fault of their own, seems to be terribly under-staffed for front desk people which makes returning calls and general communication difficult. But all in all, they worked with me and I was INCREDIBLY grateful for that. My issue is Chris, who did my tattoo. A very rude, abrasive person who pouted for my second appointment when I refused to get a background done on my tattoo. He made my tattooing appointments very uncomfortable with his childish pouting and also made it very stressful and frustrating. I would be able to overlook the customer service aspect if Chris had been remotely enjoyable to work with. I'm of the opinion that since it is my body, I don't really care if the artist wants to do something I neither want nor can afford. He didn't like that I put my foot down--or asked questions about my tattoo. I asked if my tattoo would be able to be done in the allotted time, just a simple question. I was very excited, reasonably so. He proceeded to tell me he was going to "half ass it" and "fuck it" because I didn't want a "quality tattoo, I just wanted it done." Which was entirely not true. I had simply asked if he thought we would be able to finish it that day, saying after I didn't mind either way. I was not once rude or abrasive to him, but he was downright rude. I spent the rest of the appointment telling him how great it looked, feeling as though I was dealing with a four year old I had to try and get in a better mood by reassuring them. It was ridiculous. I am never going back again for that reason alone. Other than Chris, the other artists appeared to be nice and have professional behavior. Read Less

I called and was able to get an appointment with Jen the same day! I had a double rook and my tragus done. Jen is the nicest piercer I have ever had! She was patient, explained everything and had a very warm and genuine spirit! She even took care of this nasty bump on my helix and replaced the jewelry. And if that wasn't enough, she also gives you a little bag of goodies to take with you! I would absolutely recommend her to everyone! The staff were very friendly and helpful. I had a friend with me who was interested in doing a tattoo coverup and two of the artists were kind enough to take time out to show her what could and could not be done. So very helpful. Read Less

Beyond happy with my experience at Mad Ethel's! Ember worked with me to design exactly what I was looking to have tattooed and it came out better than I imagined. Great atmosphere, great location, great people! Would recommend Mad Ethel's to anyone looking to get a tattoo and I won't ever go anywhere else! Read Less

I just got my first tattoo at Mad Ethel's and it was the perfect experience. The shop is clean, professional, and everyone there is clearly an amazing artist. Chris Peck did my tattoo and I could not be more happy with it! He was able to execute the design I brought in perfectly and tweak details to make it even better. Since its my first tattoo I'm not sure exactly how the price compares to other shops, but I feel like I paid an extremely fair price for the quality I received. If you want to get a tattoo in Raleigh go here. Read Less

Great place. Very knowledgeable staff and incredible artist. Professionally run operation in a very nice setting. My new go-to tattoo shop!  Expect prices about same as competition but much better experience. Also expect to wait a few weeks or more. We got lucky and got in same day because of a cancellation but they were booking out 5 months!  Tells you how strong this joint is! Read Less

Brent got his first tattoo today by Chris. Chris is truly a talented artist and Brent felt extremely comfortable from start to finish. The shop is clean and inviting, the people who work there are talented and friendly, and I'm so jealous of Brent's awesome tattoo that I'm ready to get my second! I highly recommend Mad Ethel's and Chris. Not only is he a talented artist, he is a nice, funny person as well. Best place to go in Raleigh. Don't waste your time or money going anywhere else. You may have to wait a while to get in because the artists are booked far in advance, but a tattoo is forever and it's worth the wait to get a piece of art like Brent got today! Thanks to Chris and everyone - we will be back! Read Less

For the past 2 years since I've been back in NC, I hadn't been able to find a shop. I've put off some work because the quality was crap or the shop/people were complete d-cks. This is my new place. All the people here were mellow and happy. The outside and inside is adorable! I mean bronze waterfall trough faucets everywhere!? It's effing amazing. It's an all-custom place and I like that as well. They take cards and give you goody bags when you leave! Ember was fantastic and she's just happy and go with the flow. It's just nice not to walk into a shop and be bombarded by jerks. I recommend this shop highly and my best friend and I absolutely love our work. The money is priced right for the quality, location, and people you get to work with. Absolutely in love. Read Less

I went in last Friday to get a piece done by Marco.  I LOVE this shop and the people in it. Everyone was super nice, welcoming, and all of their work is incredible. I was a bit nervous about getting another tattoo after having a TERRIBLE experience at another local shop about 10 years ago. Marco put together exactly what i was looking for, took the time to place it in a spot that really fit and worked well with my arm, and we were off.  The detail is ridiculous!  You can tell that they genuinely care about their art and their clients.  I will be going back for many, many more with Marco!MAD ETHEL'S is THE BEST!!!! Read Less

If you want just any tattoo, just go anywhere.But if you want a work of art, go to Mad Ethel's.Each of the artists have their own style, and they're all great.  My wife has had work by Steve; I've had work by Candice.  We haven't gotten work done by Errol yet.  But I'm going to put emphasis on 'yet'.  I've seen what he can do, and I want one. Read Less