Great Southern Tattoo Company

Adam Always did great work on me. Always had great ideas and followed my vision.

these guys did a great job. They listened to what I wanted, asked questions to make sure we both understood what it was I wanted, and the price was very reasonable. Highly recommend this place to anyone

Great place. Talented artist with many years experience. Clean and professional. Priced right for the quality. I will be returning. Thank you for the awesome ink!

I went here with my fiancée because we were planning to come up and spend our anniversary in downtown Alexandria, and they weren’t far and have a high rating.
I wasn’t planning on leaving a review, but I see now a few recent warnings in other reviews, despite everyone at the shop’s friendliness.
We were both getting a very simple and small line drawing. We received quotes that were double what we were expecting. We said no thanks and drove halfway around the beltway to somewhere we’ve happily been before, which we should have done in the first place, and were both quoted 40% of what Great Southern quoted. So my tattoo took 3 minutes plus setup and cleanup, plus it was enjoyable and it’s super sharp, and now I feel I dodged a bullet, seeing some of the other recent low reviews, and that one user’s lettering photo. Plus, while friendly on the phone, they acted like we didn’t know what we were doing and that our tattoos were dumb, and they gave us a hard time about resizing our design.
I am sure great art comes out of Great Southern, I’ve seen the artists’ galleries. But I could have, it seems, easily been ripped off and gotten a subpar tat; glad I went somewhere else.

I was first timer and they guys where great. They answered all my questions and did a sharp professional job. I would highly recommend the shop… sandy took care of me.

I got my first tattoo here on my 18^th birthday, pricing was good, everyone was very nice and willing to answer my stupid first time questions. I will definitely be going back as soon as I’m not broke.

Absolutely fantastic shop! Got my ninth tattoo done here. Everyone is super friendly and the place is clean. They focus more on quality than other shops. Totally worth the trip.

I saw John Shea for my tattoo.
Initially my boyfriend and I showed up on a Sunday on a whim. He had an idea for what he wanted, and John helped him work through the design for about an hour and a half until it was perfect. He was very patient and professional, and didn’t try to rush anything. I was so impressed that when he was done I put a deposit down on a piece for myself.
A month later I went back and started a pretty large thigh piece with him. Again, he was patient and pretty damn encouraging. He could tell when I’d reached my limit for the day, so we held off until the next session.
I’m still waiting for my third sitting to get it finished, but I’ve been totally impressed so far. Charlie and Sandy chatter while you get tattooed in an open setting and they keep things interesting. Plus I’ve seen some really cool work being done by the other artists.
They don’t actually have a piercer anymore, which is a little disappointing but oh well. They’re still wicked cool and they make you feel at home when you’re there.

I have only ever done work with Karl, but the rest of the regulars seem real professional and I’ve seen them do some amazing work (freehand, and design work). They do a mess of piercings too!
Not the cheapest in the area, and sometimes things heal less than ideally, but they always offer free touch-​ups. Charlie is pretty awesome, don’t know if he’s only there on Saturdays, but he and Sandy add a nice chillness to what can be otherwise nerve-​racking (either waiting, or um, getting that needle dragged across your skin for 3−6hrs). The new tv is pretty good at giving you something other than your mind to comfort you. I bring a Harpers Magazine to read, but lately I’ve been on my back so reading is outta the question.
FWIW, I started off just trying to get a simple piece on my right shoulder (in black and gray) to balance out the left shoulder that had my only piece (a 10yr old Mayan image). Then I got Karl to add to the left shoulder. Then I get him to surround the right side. Next came filling it in with color. Then adding an Aztec god. and coloring it in… and adding background stuff… soon I’ll have a mostly-​full half sleeve of color.
:)
They told me that’s how it would start.
Through it all, Karl has helped guide me from my own bad decisions. I bring in a bunch of ideas, he points me in a direction that makes sense, I tweak his vision a little bit, and the end result is usually not all that close to what I originally wanted, but it’s definitely BETTER than what I’d first had in mind.
Now I gotta get an updated photo so you can see his work…

I went here yesterday after reading the reviews of several tattoo places. Jason, Adam and Carl were there and they greeted me when I entered. I spoke with Jason, the piercer, about the issues I’d had a few years ago with nipple rings (from another shop) and showed him pictures. He was very nice and listened to my situation. I decided to go ahead and get them re-​pierced.
There were already two other girls in the shop looking at tattoo designs. While I was filling out my paperwork, a tiny Asian girl wanted really small cursive lettering on her wrist. They gently advised her that if the tattoo was too small, in a few years it would be really blurry and hard to read. She made some sarcastic remark about just getting it lasered off in a few years if she didn’t like it… they kind of laughed it off and said that sounded like a lot of pain. She held up several sizes against her wrist in the mirror, but I’m not sure which one she ended up choosing. I am hoping to get a tattoo soon, and I appreciate that they presented her with the facts, but didn’t force a decision on her.
Anyway, back to me: The piercing area is behind a little accordion room divider, so it is private. Jason was really nice, and it went much quicker than I remember it going the first time. I was in and out before the other guy finished prepping his area for the cursive tattoo.
I’m planning to get a tattoo in the next few months, and I definitely plan to return here. The shop seemed clean, they were nice (although it’s always a bit intimidating walking into a tattoo shop), and I feel like they would really listen to what I want and help me design the perfect tattoo.
Bonus: They accept credit/​debit. Some shops don’t.

Oh my god! This place is so great. When they say homely environment man do they mean it. The atmosphere in that place was phenomenal. Great staff, great knowledge of tattooing. All together a great bunch or professionals. Highly recommend this shop to everyone.

All of the artists here are fabulous. Charlie and Sandy give the shop a friendly, «homey» feel – but without sacrificing professionalism.
Adam J.‘s specialty is Irezumi and Irezumi-​style tattoos. The man is strictly incredible. He did a beautiful reworking of my existing Irezumi piece (which, imo, was already quite nice) so it would be truer to Irezumi and flow nicely into add-​on Irezumi pieces.
Adam is also very knowledgeable about Irezumi sub-​styles; I was quite impressed. I wanted my add-​on piece to be true to Irezumi – and Adam took what I wanted to the next level.
I am so pleased with Adam’s work and plan on having Adam do all of my future Irezumi work. :-)

Perfect experience from the get go! Walked right in and my piercer prepped the utensils and called me to the back. This shop is super friendly and affordable. I would definitely come back!!!

I am a repeat customer and send my friends their way.
Fair pricing. Great artists. Clean. Friendly and laid back. Can usually take walk-​ins. (which is great for those of us who decide to get a tattoo on a whim :))

Awesome shop. Very fun, friendly staff who are honest and upfront about the tattoos and pricing. I came in yesterday as a walk in with my own artwork. It’s a relatively small tattoo on the left side of my chest, but it’s stupid-​detailed with a lot of line work. It’s a memorial for my brother who very recently passed, so a lot of emotions were riding on this being perfect. Jimmy knocked it out of the park. He was completely professional, explained how he was going to approach the design to ensure it came out right.
Perfectly priced, quality work. I’m still in awe of the final result.

This tattoo shop is strictly about get you in get you out. If you’ll notice when you go in, there is no one drawing anywhere. when I had my appointment to talk to an artist, I told him what I was looking for and he kinda blew me off saying he’d have to draw it on his own time cause the owner… who tattoos in the last chair of the shop does not like them to draw for people when they are on the clock. He told me to email him all the images I could find and all the art I like and he’d get back to me. We agreed on what the average price would be around, I offered to leave a deposite, which he denied to take, then I emailed him everything, and never heard another word… Basiclly, if you want the basic lettering, or you already have exactly what you want and they can just copy, paste and trace… well, this might be the place for you… not for me…

Sandy did my work after setting up an appointment. Sandy and the rest of the team there were friendly. The place is clean and has great positive energy! Highly recommended !

I had my first tattoo done here and I really like them. I had Jason as my tattoo artist and he was very good. The owners are fun to be around and kept making me laugh, even though I am shy introvert. My tattoo looks amazing and when people tell you they are addictive, they are… I’m already thinking about what to do next.
Thanks.

I have been meaning to write this review for months but kept getting sidetracked.
I went here in September for a very special tattoo. I had looked all around but kept coming back to Great Southern because of its location and prices. When I initially went in, I had a general idea of what I wanted but hadn’t gotten the specifics down — that’s where Doug came in. He was amazing and super friendly! He gave me helpful suggestions for my tat and even custom designed a font for me. He was patient with my squirming, engaging in distracting conversation (this helped me not think about the buzzing needle digging in my leg haha), and was an overall nice guy.
I’ve since referred two friends to go see him and have plans to return this year for another tattoo.
If you’re looking for a clean, informative, friendly, laid back establish to get your first (or any number!) tattoo this is the place. Appointments are easy to make and the staff is really there to help. They take walk-​ins and are experienced so don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Ask for Doug if you want some laughs while getting your ink!

I never write these things but had such a great experience so here you go…
I walked in and had Carl. He did a written tattoo on my hand. This is my second one and he was really patient and friendly. I changed my mind about 5 – 6 times and he was cool with every change. He even offered free touch ups since it will likely fade because it’s on my hand. He gave me his professional opinion on font sizes and what will last and look good in a few years and not just today. I will probably go back to him for my 3^rd.
My friend, who doesn’t Unilocal,was also a walk-​in but done by Jason. He had a larger tattoo done of a scull on his arm. Jason was also friendly. He listened to suggestions and even sketched his ideas for my friend while I was having my tattoo done. He was really cool to talk to. I’m considering him for something on me… maybe a piercing or another tat.
The vibe of the shop is chill with friendly conversation, TV on… casual. I’ve been to other shops for other work and piecings and had a more judgmental or unapproachable attitude from employees… sometimes as if I’m beneath them. Pricing is also fair but not cheap by any means.
I have already recommended this shop to friends.