Top Shelf Tattooing

This place is great. Clean, professional and inviting. No attitudes here! Jamie did my tattoo and I love it! I will definitely be coming back to have my other tattoo fixed. I would recommend them highly. All the work I saw while waiting was beautiful. Very pleased!

My daughters boyfriend arrived in town from Houston with some shaggy looking hair in need of a serious cut. He made his appointment with the barber and was really happy with the outcome. A day later he decided that the top of his hair was a bit too long, so he returned on Christmas Eve for a bit more off the top. He walked in without an appointment and was seen immediately. A few snips later and he was happy with the extra off the top.
I would definitely recommend this place to any guy needing a great style. I can tell you that I thought I was looking at a different person after the hair cut. I wish I had a before picture, but I did post the after picture. The cut was amazing.

Tommy did my tattoo he was very easy to work with and obviously loves his job. I couldn’t be happier with the results.

I got my first tattoo here. The prices are moderate and the service is quick and friendly. My tattoo hurt only while being done and after that it was no pain the process of healing was great. The line work is good and coloring as well. I look forward to getting my second tattoo. Over all they do great work.

I’ve had the pleasure of getting tattooed by three of the guys that work at Top shelf as has my boyfriend, and Each time I’m more impressed with the work.
Little tommy, swan, Brummett and all the guys are fantastic.
The shop itself has undergone a change in ownership in the past few years, so the older reviews don’t really serve the place.
In addition, the guys have recently renovated the entire spot and it looks amazing. The décor is sleek and immaculate and the atmosphere is laid back but professional. Lots of cool stuff to look at. And all the guys are friendly and talkative, it’s no cool guy bullshit like you might get at shops sometimes
They specialize in all styles of art, check out the Instagram to see portfolios.
In my opinion it’s the best shop on the neighborhood, I highly recommend.

Again. So impressed. Top Shelf is so professional. They make you comfortable and they are all so funny, nice, and polite. They are laid back but do NOT slack when it comes to professionalism and giving you their best! Very talented! Absolutely impressed, and so happy I did my second tattoo here. My card says that I was tattooed by Swan! I highly recommend him! He was awesome!

I have quite a few tattoos from a few places. This place charges too much and isn’t worth what it costs. I had gotten a tattoo 2 years ago, it didn’t look anything like what I wanted. For this I’m giving it one star.
I got a 13 dollar tattoo on Friday the 13^th with a guy who doesn’t work at top shelf any more but he did an awsome job. Since he isn’t there anymore, he took his skill with him and this place won’t get another star from me.

Shop has been completely redone and reworked. Looks amazing.
Very laid back atmosphere… these guys love what they do and they love to be at the shop. Had a piece done by Tommy H and although some of it wrapped around close to the armpit, he worked quickly to minimize pain and discomfort. Very satisfied.
From looking at the gallery and portfolios it looks like these guys specialize in traditional American style tattooing and it looks amazing. I even think Mike was featured in one of the magazines for that. But if you look at the instagram for the shop you’ll see they do a lot of other styles. Seems to be very well rounded.
Pay cash, or else there’s a small fee for card. Also don’t forget to tip your artist!

I would give them 0 stars if I could but that’s not an option! Top Shelf Tattoo parlor in Queens is probably the most unprofessional tattoo parlor in NYC they canceled on me 3 times kept screwing up my schedule and didn’t even apologize or understand that there behavior was unprofessional! I felt like I was dealing with a bunch of teenage boys who have limited understanding of waft it means to run a business! Do not put your body in the hands of these idiots! Find a place that is professional and reliable!!! Do Not Go Here!!! I finally gave up and had to go back there to retrieve my deposit after 3 weeks of rescheduling with them! Don’t make the same mistake I did!!! And find a tattoo parlor with professional tattoo artist and a professional shop owner!!!

In light of their actually taking the time to respond I am given them an extra star! =)

Top Shelf Tattooing has gone through a change of ownership over the past couple of years. I truly feel that the older reviews do not do this place justice and are a poor reflection of what this business is now. My boyfriend and I have known the current owners and some of the artists for quite a while and I feel like when it comes to tattooing, they really use their skill to create quality pieces. It’s unfortunate that some people in the past have said that they’ve had the worst experience or that they were very unhappy with their new tattoos, because these guys in the shop really take pride in their work and go over and beyond to satisfy their clients and fix mistakes. I’ve seen even some of the worst tattoos get covered up or fixed by the guys at Top Shelf. I’ve had three pieces done by two of the artists at Top Shelf, two by Brummett which are large pieces on both of my thighs and one on my tricep by Swan. And I look forward to make appointments in the future to get more done. If you still have any doubts about their talent and the quality of their work I definitely recommend looking through their instagram as they do update it every now and then:
P. S. Top Shelf also has a barber section in the back so if you’re a guy that needs some sprucin’ up, make an appointment with Billy!

Met Mike B. here in Hawaii at the Pacific Ink & Art Expo… So glad I did. Mike is an artist and he turned my old tattoo into something magnificent. Top shelf seems like an appropriate title. We look forward to seeing them next year here in Hawaii (I hope). Mahalo Nui Loa!

WORST tattoo experience I’ve ever had. I would really recommend going elsewhere to get a tattoo, because I’ve experienced better customer service, creativity, talent, prices, and general respect at every other tattoo shop I’ve gone to besides this one. This was the absolute worst.
The staff was extremely rude and disrespectful, and the tattoo artist clearly did not give a shit about my tattoo. I got a quote, which they misspelled, and were really not remorseful about at all. And it was a really obvious mistake, that they could have caught if they were paying attention to the task at hand instead of joking around with one another.
If you want a shitty, overpriced tattoo with a really awkward experience dealing with a bunch of jackasses and bros, go here I guess. But it’s a shame to waste the awesome experience of getting a tattoo on paying a bunch of jackasses to basically do the equivalent of taking a shit on your skin.

I had the pleasure of getting my first wrist tattoo by Mike. He is very down to earth and calming. Was feeling extremely nervous but he did a great job reassuring me and making small talk. He is great at what he does. The lines are clean and the design was executed better than I had ever hoped for. Not sure if I’ll go for a second tat but if I do, this is where I’m going!

I would recommend very inviting and clean environment, Highly skilled artist Mike has done several classic rose pieces for me that I love hoping to do a coverup with is recommendations

I went there 3 different times to ask for cost. The same person gave me 3 times different prices… 5 to 5 inches in my arm…$ 150, $ 185, $ 220…and I ask them why and they said because the economy and bla bla bla… and with really bad face. WHAT THE FUCK??? Its the same tattoo… the same size and everything…
So I walk out and I found this AMAZING TATTOO SHOP, just right up to bell blvd… CHINO RICAN TATTOO AND BODY ART… Chung (one of the artist) is amazing, I have done 5 tattoos before in some other places and I wish I found him before. Don’t get me wrong, I like my previous tattoos, but Im in love with my last one. It came out the way I wanted and even better cus he gave me so many new ideas.
And also the staff was really nice, I felt like in a Spa, with my drink and I could pick a movie to watch while getting my tattoo… really nice people and really nice place.

This is a nice clean shop in bayside. In terms of type of tattoo I think this may be a better place to go if your looking for a traditional tattoo. Very dark, sharp lines, and great work. I got a great tattoo from one of the tattooers here, however its alot darker and in your face than I had wanted. So if your looking to come here, definitely check the artists work out before hand and make sure its the style your looking for. Because once its done you cant combine artsy to a traditional piece.

After years of designing and redesigning my first tattoo and visiting different shops in the tri-​state area with no result, I was surprised to find the perfect tattoo at Top Shelf.
The staff was courteous, helpful, and most importantly really laid back, which was actually the deciding factor for me (I personally hate pushy tattoo shops that just want to slap a tattoo on you for the sake of making money, I don’t care how good your work is). Looked through a few books and explained what I wanted, my tattoo artist — Christian pointed to a design and the rest was history. After some minor modifications and an hour of work (felt a lot shorter), I had a fierce dragon tattooed in the center of my upper-​mid back, so relieved that I didn’t blow it on my first tattoo. Went back to get my second piece on the left wrist about a month later, with Christian again, who btw is very knowledgeable and friendly.
Sanitary work stations, excellent workmanship, attention to detail, both tattoos perfectly done, no infections, fast healing, barely hurt at all but I guess that varies from person to person, and a free bottle of cocoa butter after your visit. Prices aren’t bad at all considering everything that’s mentioned above. I’ve been getting complements constantly on both tattoos. Will definitely be back, thanks guys!

I really liked them. I was a little bit afraid because it was in… well, Bayside but I got over it and decided to go in.
It’s very clean and the people there are very nice. I was getting a tat on my left foot and even if it was my second time, I was still a bit nervous. My tattoo artist was very encouraging and before I knew it, he was done. He did an excellent job and it came out just how I wanted it.
He even gave me a free bottle of lotion to help with the healing process.
What I liked most about here was the price. The minimum is around 85 unlike in the city where the minimum is usually 100. If you want a good job done and save money and time, I highly recommend.

Seriously? I’ve had two tattoo’s done and I think I’ve made good decisions, asked the appropriate questions, etc.
This place is rude and dismissive. Okay, so me and my friend do not look like «typical tattoo getters» and I get it, we are little giggly Asian girls. But that doesn’t mean you get to be inexcusably curt and disinterested in a potential customer. The guy pretty much walked away and hid in the back before we asked a single question. When, finally, he did return — we inquired about a SINGLE body part, but his response seemed so bothersome, we thought we’d save HIM the trouble and just leave.
Never again, thanks for nothin~