Lyle Tuttle Tattooing
Categories: Tattoo, Museums [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill841 Columbus Ave
(between Greenwich St & Lombard St)
San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 775-4991
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- By Appointment Only: No
26 Reviews for Lyle Tuttle Tattooing
One of Lyle Tuttle Tattooing's Favorite Reviews
Gosh I can't believe I haven't Yelped Doug at Lyle Tuttle yet!
I got Totoro on my shoulder blade. He did it just like my drawing, even adding a few more details (one of which is a raindrop splashing on his head which basically makes the whole thing A BAJILLION TIMES MORE ADORABLE AS IF IT COULD BE POSSIBLE!) His perfect rendering set me back less than an hour of my time and less than $100.
Plus an intern there bought me an iced coffee to drink while I was having the adorable Japanese wood spirit gouged into my flesh! And then Doug came the next night to see my band play at the Rock-It Room!
Totoro + flesh gouging + ice coffee + a new Lady Genius fan = I know where I'm getting tattoos 4, 5, and 6 done!
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I got my first tattoo by Lyle 25 years ago and his predecessor Tanja Nixx gave me a beautiful tattoo yesterday! I'm very happy and I'm planning to go back for more!!!! Thank You Tanja!
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Yesterday I received my first tattoo from Doug. How do I feel about it? Here's a hint: I've already asked him to design the next one.
I asked Doug to design a tattoo for me with this description: "It's want a butterfly with a body made of plants and wings made of flower petals." He took that vague description and sketched it out, and it was damn near spot-on what I'd had in my mind. Then he inked it on, added color, and made it better. Oh, and it's not enough that he does fast, clean, amazing work. He's also funny, really nice, and very humble about what he does.
As I said, this was my first tattoo, and as a newbie, I'll say that Doug and Tanja made me feel right at home and at ease, with none of that condescending elitism you get walking into some shops in the city (which is funny, considering that, if anyone has the right to be elitist about the wuality of their work, it's these two).
Great experience, great tattoo, great artist. I'll definitely be back for my next several.
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So I got my first piece last night, by Tanya, and all I have to say is AMAZING!
I was really nervous because, as I said, it was my first piece, but everyone in there (not just Tanya, everyone) made me feel so comfortable. She drew the design for me and it took a lot less time that I thought.
Overall, I'm just extremely happy I came here, and I plan on coming again!!
Absolutely fabulous. I loved the ambiance of the place, made me comfortable and at home, even though I was almost a tattoo virgin. Tanja took my idea and made is SO MUCH BETTER than I could even describe to her. She was gentle and nice and wonderful and I recommend with her my whole heart.
i read good reviews for this shop and for Tanja so i decided to go in and have her do my tat. all i was getting was a couple words, the 1st word was done well but the 2nd is crooked! some of the letters are scrunched together whereas the other letters are spaced too far apart. it does not line up with the other word so there is a huge gap in the tattoo, so now i have to find something like a butterfly or whatever to fill in the empty space. i am definitely not going back to her, anyone could've done a better job and it was absolutely not worth the exhorbitant fee of $100 (not including tip) you have to fork over. i am very unhappy and extremely embarassed to show this tattoo! don't waste your money on this place!!
Doug is "DA BOMB"!
I'm a rather impulsive kinda guy and when I want something, I want it done NOW...and that holds true for tattoos as well! OK, so I found a cool-ass tribal image and wanted it etched on my upper left chest...I went to 2 of my trusted & reliable tattoo shops (Tattoo City & Black Heart) only to find out that there was a 2-3 month wait! Uhhhhhhh.....being my impulsive self....not going to work! I WANT INK, TATTOO, TRIBAL....NOW!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so I live on Russian Hill and around the corner is Lyle Tuttle & Tattoo City (the later completely booked). After reading the reviews on Yelp, I said "what the hell"!?!?! I walked into Lyle Tutlle on Friday, had a chat with Doug, he indicated that he was available on Sunday, I said "hella-yeah-sign-me-up", and I was ready for my tattoo!
I brought the tribal image in on Sunday and within 2 hours of mine & Doug's time, all I can say is "MAGNIFICO"!!!! Doug's meticulous attention to detail and artistry is superb!!!! And get this, his rates are less than the aforementioned tattoo shops and his work is comparable, if not better than the other establishments!
Doug is my master inkster going forward!!!!!
I am usally intimidated by tattoo shops...I walk in with my naked skin(lacking any sort of evidence of a bad ass tattoo) and hope to god they dont think my idea for a tattoo is lame. Tanja Nixx was awesome and SO patient. She gave me a beaitfiul tat and if you're at all timid she makes you feel at ease.
I love this place...
I love Tanja and Shannon. They're both great. I had my first tat by Shannon, and the second one which was designed and considerably larger with great details by Tanja. My s.o's had most of his tats done by Tanja too, and he's still recommending people.
They are so professional, friendly and nice! Great art/ink, man!
Keep it up! Some day, I'm returning for that inevitable third tat! :-D
Only thing is...bring cash! :-)
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All I can say is Tanja is the best !!!!!!!!! The picture of the guns and roses is the one she did on me, and I LOVE IT ALOT!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone is always asking me who does my tattoos and I always recommend Lyle Tuttle. Tanja has done three other tattoos and each one of them always gets some attention. You ask her what you want and she will do it even better! I'm not kidding you! She puts so much detail on your tattoo, the shading and all the little things you were not thinking of she will put into it. Overall its the best tattoo shop in the city hands down no questions asked. The ambiance is awesome there. Please go to Lyle Tuttle and judge for yourself, you will not regret it at all! Thanks for all the great work Tanja you're the best and like always say i'm coming back soon!
I went there for my first tattoo almost 20 years ago when it was actually owned by Lyle Tuttle....
My niece wanted a tattoo so I emailed Tanja who is the new owner and made an appointment. She emailed me right back.
The shop hasn't changed a bit, which was a good thing. She took my drawing of the tattoo I created for my niece and she did a beautiful job and was extremely friendly. Walking into a tattoo shop can be a very intimidating experience, especially for a 18 year old girl from Marin (my niece) but they made her and me feel at home.
Would highly recommend
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EXCELLENT tattoos!
I have gotten 7 tattoos (all decent size) at Lyle Tuttle's and going back to get more work done. I have taken several of my friends here and recommended the shop to others, all of them were equally impressed with their work.
I have been tattooed by Jose (no longer working there) Tanja and Jake. All of them have done excellent work and are true tattoo ARTISTS. They tend to be on a little be more expensive side, but it is well worth it. Thank you for the good work.
Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good!
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This was my first tatoo and I was really nervous...but Tanja was amazing - as an artist, a guide through my first tatoo, and someone to chat with for a few hours while she created a beautiful piece of art on my shoulder. She is a super cool, funny, smart, worldly person. I could not be happier with the tattoo - it's something i have been pondering for 10 years - and Tanja's amazing patience, kindness and artistry made the experience an amazing one, transcending my expectations. In addition to her outstanding work, the price was a great value. This is the place to come for body art!
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All my ink done here. Thanks, Tanja!
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My fiance and I both had tattoos by Doug! He was excellent and we love the work he did. While my tattoo was simply a name, my fiance had a tattoo covered and you cannot even see the tattoo under it. It looks amazing. Doug is very nice, professional, and a fun guy to be around. Ask for Doug!
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I thought it was all about Tanja, but she was with someone, and instead of waiting, I met with Jeremy. He was awesome - very fast and professional. Tanja helped me finish up my design, and then handed me off to Jeremy and the rest is history! I am in love with my new tattoo. I think it is my final one, but if I go back, I will definitely hit up Jeremy!
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Very clean shop, looks great. Like an old saloon that welcomes you with a pub half-door and western chandeliers dropping from intricate cream-colored ceiling moldings. The walls are covered with beautiful kaleidoscopic art ranging from glamorous female/male figures to ruddy tribal to prismatic flowers to vivid animals - you name it, it's up there.
I saw Tanja for my first tat last weekend (I made an appointment via email). She and Jake were behind a rathskeller counter; for a minute I looked for the soda gun and wanted to ask if they had Stella on tap =)
I gave Tanja my preferred illustration that I had carefully drawn and re-drawn for days while I was at work. After she manually traced the image, she invited me behind the counter where she pulled out a maroon colored bed that she had just cleaned with a disinfectant. Lying on it, I noticed what must be a hundred tattooing certificates conveniently posted on the ceiling for the horizontal clients' delight. Tanja grabbed the machine, aimed for my skin, and I thought about every single precaution I was given by my inked friends (i.e., it's reeeaally painful, it's ok to cry, you might pass out, etc.). As she began jabbing, I felt this strange soothing sensation running from where the needle meets my skin up to the top of my head. Totally not what I had expected. I thought to myself, "Ahhh... my friends, the endorphins, are always welcome to crash my party." I saw Tanja lift the machine again and cast it back onto my ankle and I waited for the "extreme pain." Well, all my horrible thoughts worked because I got nothing as bad as anyone described - that and the artist did an amazing job to make it less excruciating.
Both Tanja and Jake were very kind and accomodating (talked to my friends and I about a whole slew of stuff - Jake's grandpa's journey to the Philippines, Tanja's trip to Manila with her boyfriend, my friend's shamrock tat, Jake's gun tat on his right inner arm, etc.).
It was an extraordinary experience, to say the least. My tat is about 3x4, took about 45 minutes, and cost $120, not including the tip. We all loved, loved, loved the crew. I couldn't emphasize that enough. Tanja was very gentle, patient, and certainly made it all easier =)
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Let me start by saying thank you Tanja. When it comes to Ink I'm picky and loyal. I've lived in San Francisco for 5 years but I was really comfortable with my artist down in San Diego where I'm from. Then my wife (Melissa B.) suggested in her infinite wisdom "you live here now, let it go and try Tanja at Lyle Tuttle." The result is I couldn't be happier. Tanja is extremely creative. She will give you what you want even if your not completely sure what that is when you walk in. She has a great tattoo tableside manor. Brilliant knowledge of the craft and has great taste in music. I'll be back for a few more. Cheers!
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Ive been to a few tattoo shops in town- and this is really one of the best!
Tanja Nixx is super fast and talented. I dropped off my art and after a consultation, tattoos were under way... I was in and out in under 3 hours with solid, picture perfect work. There is parking right across the street, the shop is packed with books and antique tattoo flash- in case you don't know what you want. Tanja is also great at making suggestions and adjusting your ideas to make them more "tattoo able".
Tanja makes tattooing a little less painful :)
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Nice friendly staff. Excellent service. They take care of your needs. I had two tattoos done, one with Jeremy and one with Jake. They are both excellent tattooists. I didn't really know what I wanted so they offered to freehand some designs on me and I loved it. I think I'll come back for more. =]
Greetings my friendly neighborhood smurfs and smurfettes. I'm here once again to blow some'more hot-air from my piehole to yours. Check the technique... I got my 2 tattoos here about 4- 5 years ago. Nevertheless, my experience here was nothing short of muy excelente. I've had been shopping around the Bay Area to find good vibes from a shop/artist and after 'bout 4 or 5, I immediately felt the good vibrations as I walked through this shop. My artist Josh was a pleasure to work w/. We sat down and discussed what I wanted. After bouncing suggestions/ideas back and forth, we both came up w/ a rough draft both he and I were both satisfied w/. It took about 4 or 5 drafts to get to the final piece. We finally came up w/ two half-sleeves (a tricked out angel on my right arm and a tricked out devil on my left). I wanted to just get it over w/ so we decided to just have 2 sessions (it ended up being 2 days for each arm - about 8 hours). Yes, it may have been some marathon sessions, but Josh was super-enthusiastic and really got into his work. Pain wise, it wasn't that bad..but seeing really going at it and being excited was fun to see. After a few touch up sessions, I was more than satisfied w/ the creative/detailed pieces. Prices were reasonable and fair. Unfortunately for others, Josh moved to Japan a few months later to do work down there. But overall, Josh (as well as the other staff) were very friendly. The shop was very clean. I highly recommend this shop. That's all, that's it, dishes are done...Bye
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I, like many people out there, made the mistake of having a name tattooed on my chest. . . For the last ten years I searched for an artist that could do a cover up. It was no easy task! I was told repeatedly that I would need to have laser first and that it would be impossible to cover it up. . . I happened to be in the North Beach area doing the tourist thing with family that was visiting from North Carolina. We stopped by Lyle Tuttle Tattoo and I met Tanja! I told her my idea of butterflies and flowers to cover it up and that I wanted to extend it to a 1/2 sleeve. She was immediately excited about the idea and had something drawn up for me within a couple of weeks. Five sessions and ten hours later. . . I have the most beautiful tattoo I could have ever imagined! And you would never know that there was something under there! Tanja is an amazing artist and does magic with colors! THANK YOU TANJA!
Lyle Tuttle's provides a comfortable atmosphere for this artistic commitment. Shannon is awesome artist and HONEST. Ladies if you are a first timer--this is your place! By the way...it really is addicting!
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I got my entire back down here and a partial sleeve, the colors are still perfect! Tanja is excellent with color. I never got tattooed by Shannon, but I know she does good work, I have sat through many of her sessions with other people as I was getting worked on. Tanja is in charge and there is no way she would hire a bum artist, so if your looking for a good tattoo artist, drop by here and make an appointment. Tattoo City across the street has world famous artists as well.
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This shop has an incredible vibe. Cool and fun, without the intimidating posturing you get in some shops. Tanja Nixx has mad skills! She worked with me to develop my idea and was full of creative suggestions to make sure I wound up with something I'd love and that looked great on me. All that, and I haven't even mentioned her speed, easy hand (read: minimal pain) and her awesome coloring. Hands down, Tanja's coloring is the best town!
A small storefront displays the body art memorabilia collected by legendary tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle, who achieved fame in the Sixties by tattooing Janis Joplin and for sporting his own full-body designs. The museum features flesh art, photographs, and tools of the trade both contemporary and historical, such as a wood-block stencil from Borneo and a Mayan tattoo-maker. For those suddenly inspired by the display, a studio sits conveniently adjacent to the museum, which earns four stars for being unique. Unadorned as I am, I'm not qualified to rate the workmanship of any of the artists on staff.
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