No Ka Oi Tiki Tatoo

I recently got a piercing here and the woman who did my piercing didn't really talk much. I was really nervous so that didn't help. She also didn't go through the aftercare for the piercing until I asked about it afterwards. She just circled some spot on the pamphlet she gave me and sent me on my way. I'm not sure how I feel about this place. more

Last Friday, I set out to get my newest tattoo in my new neighborhood. I live 4 blocks from South Street so I did a little research on a couple shops and visited them, sharing my idea for a quote that I wanted to get on my wrist. Neither of the shops I visited were of any help and made me feel uncomfortable, so I decided to hold off on getting my tattoo. more

This past weekend I went to No Ka Oi Tiki Tattoo to get my earlobes pierced. I knew that I wanted them to be stretched in the future, and I knew that I wanted a professional to pierce them. So I did some research on piercers on the east coast and Luis Garcia was a name that I kept coming across: bme, app, etc. When getting in contact with him, he recommended piercing them with an 8g, which sounded like a great idea to me as well. Not only was the shop incredibly clean, but the staff was nothing but polite, so was Luis. He answered every question that I asked, and talked me through the entire procedure. Overall, this was a great experience and I would only ever trust Luis with any piercings in the future. If you're ever around the Philly area, be sure to check this shop out. Well worth the drive from Baltimore. Pros: cleanliness, polite staff, nice atmosphere more

Luis is a GREAT piercer! Went to get my first body piercing this weekend and Luis was friendly, patient, and talked me through the whole process! WELL worth a trip to south street!!!! Pros: clean, friendly/knowledgeable staff more

I have never had such unprofessional experience with a tattoo place as I have had with an artist from No Ka Oi/body graphics. Both my roommate and I were tattooed by the same artist. She is so unreliable, she didn't show up for my roommate's appointment twice and for my roommates friend's appointment she was also no show(luckily Carla stepped up and did an amazing tattoo for her). I should of learned from their experience but I like her line work so I went ahead with it. And what a surprise she was a no show for my appointment. They called her and she ""explains"" that she is finishing the drawing for my piece and I should come back in two hours. She did finally show up, nothing new had been done to the drawing at all, I sat for 4 hours while she sat in the back doing whatever, I finally get tattooed and while she's tattooing me talks about how she stayed up all night and only got less than 2 hours of sleep. Awesome. Just straight up unprofessional, and the owner thinks talking down to you and calling you crazy is ""customer service"". Pros: the place is cute Cons: unprofessional, rude, expensive $$ more

I went in a few tattoo shops on South Street, but something about No Ka Oi drew me in. It was very clean and beautiful. The staff was cool and very friendly. They took me in right away and I was tattooed by Ms. Anna Paige herself, which was awesome. I had a really great experience and can't wait to make my next appt with her. I have definitely found my tattoo artist!!! I recommend this shop to anyone. Pros: Awesome staff, very clean and welcoming!!! Cons: I haven't found any yet! more

So I went to No Ka Oi for my first piercing, I was planning on getting my septum done. The lady at the front brought me upstairs to the piercing area, and described in great detail the piercing process, aftercare, prices, jewelry options. She was amazingly helpful, friendly and congenial. The man who pierced me was Luis Garcia and he did a great job. The piercing area was very clean, and he got the piercing done so quickly and painlessly. I'm super happy with my experience at this shop Pros: VERY friendly, relaxed and unintimidating atmosphere, great hours Cons: Has to compete with Infinite more

I would recommend visiting this shop in Philadelphia above all others. The atmosphere was super inviting, smelled nice, and I was greeted by everyone as I walked in the door! I was undecided about a tattoo design and went with my boyfriend to help me. I wanted to get his name on my arm but when I couldn't make up my mind I looked to my boyfriend for his advice. When I was talking to my boyfriend about what he thought the girl at the front desk was so polite and said something like honey, its your body, you make the decision. If you aren't sure about it, then maybe today isn't the right day to get tattooed. You should always be sure about it before just doing it because its permanent. if your not sure about his name, then get an image that reminds you of him instead, that way you wont have a name on you forever. she then drew up a version of what i wanted and i loved it! Then the girl with the hat in the back station tattooed me shortly after. she was very smart and made me feel so comfortable! Pros: friendly atmosphere, smelled really nice Cons: small lobby area more

I went to this place at the end of October 2008. I wanted to have a tattoo that my husband designed for me. First the guy at the desk looked at the design, and said what is that and he kinda seemed skeevish of it, which i didnt like. then another artist there doctored it up and made it really pretty. the nice artist had an appt, so i was stuck with the horrible crazy lady who everyone commented about. So she too said, ""what is it, thats it?"", like she was almost to good to do it, or like it wasnt worth her time. So i let that go, and she said she'd be with her in a minute. It took her 15-20 mins to set up, which was way too long bcuz i think she was slow on purpose. When ready, she told me to lay down on the table. i said should i pay now, and she said, ""i dont care if you want i mean whatever"" so she took my money and tossed it like it was diseased. Anyways The table was cheap, so when i went to lay down, it started to tip over, and my husband says she mad a face at me like it was something wrong w/ me. so i was getting it behind my ear, and i said which side should i lay on, she said which side are you getting it on, instead of just saying left or right. then she puts the stencil on, i asked my husband what he thought, and she sighed. he couldnt really see so he was coming around the wall and she yelled, ""Dude, you have to stay over there!"" so we decided we didnt like the position, so i asked her to change it. that made her mad. she changed it, and we still didnt like it. As im talking to my husband, she started to yell ""Sweet heart, its your body, his opinion doesnt matter! this is why i hate in when couples come in!"" she was very disrespectful to me and my husband, so i snatched my money off the table and left. She even tried to charge me $50 for set up. She sits at the first little section and she's kinda goth. She is a crazy feminist with no respect for men, or any other customers. she makes the whole place look bad, but they support her, so dont go there!!!! Pros: it looks nice and inviting Cons: HER NAME IS CAROLE HERWIG. AND THIS PLACE IS BAD FOR LETTING SUCH A HORRIBLE PERSON KEEP HER JOB! more

at first i was a little hesistant to go into this shop because of the reviews i had been reading. however, i decided to go anyway to check it out. i went in on a thursday night, talked to the nicest, most enthusiastic and brutally honest shop manager i've ever met. he was great. i talked to cindy about my idea, she told me what she thought and we set up an appointment for that sunday. the tattoo took about 3 hours, she was incredibly nice and professional the entire time. originally i was going to need two sittings but she said the hell with it and offered to do the whole thing at once. all in all, the place is asthetically pleasing and the artists are great. this was my 4th and by far best tattoo i have gotten and i would go back there in a heartbeat. remember people...they are artists, their work is on your body and they want it to look good. so take the critisism and except their ideas because in the end you'll walk out with a sh*t eating grin on your face!! Pros: great looking shop more

I had a great experience at No Ka Oi Tiki Tattoo last weekend. As nervous as I was, it was not as bad as my mind led me to believe. Prior to getting it, I did a lot of investigating on where to go and I had several people, that didn't know each other, some of them I didn't even know, tell me to go to Carla. While I was there, she was absolutely superb. She explained everything thoroughly and was actually very quick. They all made me feel very comfortable while I was getting the tattoo. The tattoo turned out awsome and I will be returning for my next one. Thanks Carla. Pros: quick, professional, fantastic artists, place was extremely clean Cons: needs larger reception area. more

I really enjoyed spending time with the ladies in the shop. Not only was everyone super nice, but they were also extremely professional as well. I cannot stress enough the satisfaction I feel going into this shop. The gold medal winner of customer service goes to the cute kid with cheek piercings that has superior phone skills, and is extremely personable. Pros: Fun Shop, Women Artists Cons: Right off of South Street. Ick. more

This was my first time getting inked at Tiki. I actually had an appointment somewhere else and was only in there with my sister while she was getting tattoed by Cindy. The place is EXTREMELY clean, and everyone there was very friendly to us. I don't know everyon's names, but all of the women tattoing in there were friendly, helpful and TALENTED. The girl at the front desk was nice to me, but I can see how she can come off as rude to some people... she is a little sarcastic I guess and reminds me of Lucy from the Peanuts gang...LOL, however, she was working her butt off when we were there and accomodating every customer, whether they were walk-ins or had appointments. I ended up getting tattooed there without an appointment while my sister was there because I was really impressed with them. I highly recommend this joint. Pros: talented artists, always working to squeeze people in Cons: no private rooms more

i went here for my first (and only at the moment) tattoo. i had jackie brown design me a custom portrait and it is the most amazing tattoo ever...i have recommended this place to every singe person that asks me about my tattoo (i get complemented on it on average 25 times a day). i have plans to go in and see jackie again for my next piece they are amazing, talented, and are willing to work on anything you want. Pros: extremely talented Cons: a little pricey, but worth it more

Went here after several recs, with a specific design in mind I'd been told by several friends who are tattoo artists that it should not be that big of a deal or difficult for someone with some skill. Was treated VERY rudely and condescendingly by the girl at the counter and the one actual artist who deigned to talk to me about my design...basically pointing out everything that was wrong with it unless I was willing to go much bigger (and of course, spend more money). I walked out very quickly with absolutely no desire to return. Will go elsewhere in the city to get the job done right! Pros: nice looking shop Cons: very bad customer service, major attitude more

I am not a Philadelphian, and after a long day of searching for a tattoo parlor than did just more than take your money...I discovered these fine ladies! The atmosphere of the shop has a Hawaiian theme and is the cleanest/most sterile shop I have seen in the South Street Area. It's hard to find a good tattooist, which is going to work for YOU, overcharge you due to area?s going rates, & take your money?.while leaving you somewhat satisfied. It's hard to find a tattooist that encompasses a graceful touch, edge, & style while incorporating their innovative art background as well as the art of ?copying?. Also, these chicks are tough cookies, so if you can't handle sarcasm & crazy chatter, then bring earplugs or a sense of humor. Because they are still worth seeking out for a rockin' tattoo. Carla Hopkins is the lady to see for floral pieces & cover-ups, from what I heard and from experience. She will do all that she can, with some limitations of the impossible, to get what needs to get done/can be done. Plus, she's great for conversation while you're under the gun. You want a great tattoo; see these ladies....hands down my new favorite hot spot. I?ll be back for more! Pros: Great Talent Cons: No Private Tattoo Rooms more

I was referred to No Ka Oi by a friend and co-worker. I originally wanted to go to Jackie Brown because she had done a really beautiful sleeve for a friend. My co-worker, however, asked me what I was planning on getting and when I told her, she recommended Carla Hopkins because she said that Carla was really wonderful with realistic looking flowers/botanical stuff, etc. So I went to see Carla without an appointment and she was VERY VERY HELPFUL! She spent nearly an hour with me looking over photos and discussing the size/scale of the tattoo I wanted (A sleeve of flowers). I had an idea in my mind when I came in, but thankfully, Carla was there with great advice (As I really know little to nothing about tattoos). She told me to think about the original size I wanted the flowers and that she would recommend tattooing them larger because of the amount of detail. We set up an appointment for her to draw something up so I could get an idea. When I came back, the drawings she did were spectacular. I am a florist, and I wanted to have the flowers look really ""botanically correct"" and she really did her homework!! It wasn't my ""original"" idea, but after talking to Carla, I realized that my original idea wouldn't have worked very well. So we were able to come together and she was able to translate my idea into something even better! They looked exactly how I pictured them, and now having had the line-work and shading completed on the piece, I am ecstatic! Carla is fun to work with, and an amazing artist. The flowers look like they could pop off of my arm and start growing as we speak! I am very happy I went to this shop, and more specifically, Carla for my work, because the experience has been awesome every step of the way! I am VERY happy with my experience and look forward to having color put in at my next appointment! Pros: Extremely knowledgeable and friendly Cons: They're usually pretty booked more

I went to get a tattoo for my 30th B-day/graduation present to myself. I saw portfolios of different artists, and really liked Mony's work. So I went in the around 1 pm, showed him the pix of tattoo I wanted, and he told me that he will be ready for me around 6 pm. I left $20, and my cell number, and they called me by 5 pm telling me that they were ready. Pros: Great artist, pretty studio, smells really nice. Cons: No private tattoo rooms. more

I went there on a Friday night, they were not busy at all. From the moment I walked in the door, I received looks of disgust. I suppose I do not look like the tattoo type... though going in there, I was asking for a quote for my fourth. I had a quote from a poem that holds a special place in my heart. The woman at the desk was extremely rude and wouldn't listen and told me that she ""Wasn't necessarily fond of word tattoos"" my immediate thought was ""Well thankfully it's mine, and not yours."" She gave me a quote of a $100 more than I wound up getting it for, and that was without any background [as I wanted...] I had a bad vibe the entire time there and couldn't wait to leave. I suppose you have to walk in there with arms full of tattoos and piercings, and asking for an Old School, or a flower tattoo to be considered. I went to my normal place, Kadillac Tattoo and was given an amazing tattoo, everything I asked for and I was treated wonderfully. Pros: The Ambience is nice and cheery. Cons: The woman at the desk was anything but cheery, and extremely rude. more

I've been a HIGHLY SATISFIED CUSTOMER since this Tattoo shop opened, I followed Jackie Brown from her prior shop and would never change artists. I have never had anything but a goodtime everytime that I've been there and I am a frequent customer! Anna, has always been the coolest when I am there taking the time to make sure that all of the customers are comfortable. Yes, they are a very busy shop so an appointment is recommended, but its well worth the wait... because that's how good they are. And to some they may be a little more expensive, but you get what you pay for and when it comes to something that is going to be on your body for the rest of your life, a bargain is the last thing you should be looking for! And they are WORTH EVERY PENNY. more