Apex

Their location is a little hard to find just keep yours eyes peeled. I love the vibes walking in music playing just very chill and mellow. My friend and I went in on a thurs night. She got a small piece on her arm and I got a little pice on my finger. The owner Ian is a chill guy very informative about tattoos and how to take care of them. I got another artist Nick seemed to be in rush to finish my small piece on my finger. He also didn’t really explain how to take care of it.

Ellie G has made me a loyal fan and follower — like my husband has for several years now, I’ll be keeping tabs on her whereabouts and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to cheat on her ;) Ellie worked with my concept and the result far exceeded my expectations. She’s fun, laid-​back, patient and talented. She also has the mintiest breath. The shop is awesome space and there’s great rapport among the fellow artists and team.

I got a great shoulder piece designed by Ian. I’m super happy with it. I gave them some concepts that I liked and Ian designed something better than I had envisioned. Great talent.

Owen, jake, randy, Ian and G are fucking rad. Their service is professional, courteous, and welcoming! They take care of my comfort and everything else to make my tattoo great. The mousy intern is especially adorable!

Ian started work on a beautiful dragon for me at his last shop and I am looking forward to more quality work in the final stages. Super professional, high quality, great ideas, solid Japanese background. Always checked in with me to see how I was doing even though I had work done before. Because you never know. He wants happy customers. Highly recommend…8 hrs into my sleeve dragon… a few to go.

Great Crew! Clean intimate shop with high quality artists. Had a little walk in tat done behind my ear… My other buddy got some script on his hip. Great lines and Gilles listened to our ideas and concerns and executed perfectly. I’ll be back!

Dee is hands down the best piercing artist in the nation! super knowledgeable, talented, sweet, and masterful at her art! I live in Seattle but travel to Oakland to have my piercings done, well worth it!!!

When Apex first opened I was super stoked for there to be a legit tattoo shop on Piedmont Ave. I went in once just to check it out and loved it– super clean, friendly staff and not uptight like some shops can be. Went back again and met Randy during a Third Thursday Stroll and I knew I wanted to get my next tattoo from him! Loved his artistic style and his vibe. I was finally able to schedule my cover-​up appointment with Randy and it turned out better than I ever imagined! I had this silly clover tattoo on my wrist (we were all 18 once.) and I was tired of looking at it. Not to mention I’m getting married in November and I needed it to be gone before that. So Randy designed me a beautiful rose that went right over that clover and its perfect! Looking forward to working with Randy again on my next tattoo!

My experience at Apex Tattoo was awesome!
Andy Moreno did a great job at capturing my ideas for a cover up and translating them into the final tattoo:
He listened, asked really good questions that helped to have a clear understanding on the scope of the design, he provided recommendations (yet not trying to impose his own ideas like happened to me at another place). He demonstrated deep knowledge on how colors behave on skin vs. what we initially see on print. He is very skilled at taking ideas from different sources, combining them into a final design that meet the expectations of the customer!
The environment at Apex is very welcoming, airy, clean and the staff very friendly. The process was hassle free from day one compared to another shop I went before stepping in at Apex; at the other shop I had an experience where I had to wait weeks to get a consultation appointment, which got re-​scheduled a couple of times, had to leave a copy of my drivers license and at the end the artist was insisting on tattooing something that was far from what I wanted. I am glad I walked away form that shop and ended up at Apex!
I am looking forward to get my next tattoo with Andy in the near future! :)

Very cool shop. Clean, laid back with fun people working there.
Got a Heavy Metal Owl that Owen designed and did the whole thing in a few hours.
Great environment to hang out in and get some ink.

Walked in with a friend for our first tattoos today. The shop was beautifully designed and so clean.
The owner of the shop, Kellen welcomed us right in and introduced us to Owen who would be doing our tattoos. Right away both guys made us feel so comfortable and we’re very helpful!
Owen listened to what we wanted done and immediately set to work on sketching our designs.
Within minutes I was sitting in the chair as Owen explained step by step what was going to happen. He told me that if at any moment I felt pain to tell him and he would give me a break.
He started on my wrist tattoo and talked to me the whole time. He was very careful and thorough with his work.
He made me feel so comfortable and relaxed and my first tattoo experience was amazing!
I’m so happy with my tattoo and will definitely come back to Apex and Owen!

I followed Josh from Sacred Tattoo to Apex and have not regretted the decision. I have a fairly low pain tolerance and he works with my wussiness with an abundance of patience. His patience pays off big time for me — I love everything he’s created for me and compliments on his work from strangers are endless. Frankly, this is a talented group of artists and you will be happy from the consultation to the finished product.

Best dudes in the biz to be around! Talent and positive vibes in a really good looking location

I’m psyched that Apex tattoo’s is finally open. This spot is super professional and hosts some of the most talented artists I’ve ever encountered. I came here with a vague idea of what I wanted to get done and watched as Andy transformed my thoughts into an incredible work of art. Everybody at the shop is cool, I feel super comfortable when I’m here and it’s great to see how serious these guys are when it comes to their work. Thanks again Apex! You guys are a great addition to the community and have a bright future…

I was so damn nervous about getting my first tattoo but the guys here made me feel right at ease. Owen is amazing, he has a great sense of humor and a gentle hand. He managed to keep my mind off of the pain and the whole thing was over before I knew it. The piece came out better than I had imagined and I’ve already made another appointment to come see him. I love this shop and would recommend it to anyone!

Everyone here does wonderful art. They are always taking care of their customers and all the customers are always so happy when their tattoo is complete. The atmosphere is professional, tasteful, and clean. I have never been to a tattoo parlor with such a lovely presentation.
If you are looking to get a quality tattoo that will continue to look great over time, this is your place! They each have different styles, so there is an artist for everyone.
Just some background, I was getting tattoo’d by Ian for over a year when this group worked at Sacred Tattoo and followed them to this new venture. I have seen countless customers be pleased by all of the artists work, and obviously myself as well.

Dee!!! This is the only person I would ever allow 2 do piercings on me she’s that good, very fast, very gentle and very sanitary. She’s a Pro at what she dose

After seeing all the good reviews about Dee from her previous store I decided to get my septum pierced by her. She was awesome! Very detailed about exactly what she was going to do and how I would feel. She is very concerned about how comfortable you are during the process as well as after. She even recommended I come back in a few weeks to see how everything was healing.
I would highly recommend her.
In terms of the shop, everything looked very clean and organized… everyone was really friendly. If I ever decide to get anything else pierced I’ll be back. :)

These folks are great and can’t wait to continue my sleeve!
My artist Hori Ian did a great job taking my broad concept of a Historical Tattoo on Human Revolutions and did the research and collaborated well with me to ensure that I got every piece I wanted in and that it would flow and work nicely. I have received many compliments on the art but the most important person that had to be satisfied, myself, was it’s biggest fan. Ian was open to new ideas, brainstorming and adjusting.
We both had no idea how to bring this tattoo to life but now it’s really coming together. The new shop has a great location and can do anything you need done. Great job guys!

Great location, fantastic work done by the tattooers and a body piercer who kicks ass… Between Ian, Andy and Owen tattooing and Dee doing the piercing, this shop will go far. Beautiful décor and an open, warm space is really relaxing while receiving services. Being the first shop of its kind in Piedmont Avenue, they are bringing the masses great work in a relaxing environment.
I’m sure I’ll be here often collecting tattoos and some gorgeous jewelry.