South Side Ink

Teva was awesome… Accommodated a last minute tattoo prior to my departure back to Cali! … Light handed which was great for the sensitive location of the art work.

This is an amazing tattoo shop, everybody there is cool. Tony did my tat, drew it up free hand on my leg and killed it. Great detail, very attentive, and he even put up with my sarcasm. chill atmosphere and awesome artists. This is the place to go to get tatted, they earned all 5 stars all around. Check ‘em out!

Walked in for a birthday wish for a friend for 4 small scripts on our ribs & we love them! Found this place on here and I’m so happy I did! We had Mike & Hana & they did an amazing job. It was small & «just writing» but I’ve seen many script tattoos that don’t look good.
Everyone was very friendly. My 2 friends were tattoo virgins & they made sure to make them comfortable & made sure they were ok.
Thank you times a million! Definitely recommend!

Found this place on Unilocal and what’s strange is that it was 2 minutes drive from my house and I never knew about it. I was looking for a place to get body jewelry because mine fell off and I kind of need it asap. I walked in to the place and it was a nice looking shop with friendly looking people. The woman who helped me was super nice and even changed my piercing for me. They accept only cash but there is an atm in there that didn’t work at the time so she was nice enough to let me go to the atm. I’m glad I found this place no regrets at all.

My husband had been wanting another tattoo forever now. So a while ago, I decided to find some shops through Unilocal and then research the artists online by creeping around on their Ig and FB pages to check out their work. I figured we would have to go out to town to find a decent artist. Never in a million years did I imagine we would find our guy hidden away in a kinda scary stretch of Old Fort Weaver Road in Ewa Beach!
At first, it looked like no one was there and I was a bit apprehensive about what we would find if we went in, but I was delighted to find that the inside of the shop was well lit, very clean, and pretty lively. Music was on… loud, but not too loud. People looked like they were having a good time.
Then we met Alex… we told him what my husband wanted (Stars Wars symbol with a Polynesian pattern in it… kinda nerdy, but kinda cool, too.) Alex asked us to take a seat on the comfy couches while he drew up a quick sketch and then all of a sudden he had a really beautifully hand drawn custom designed tattoo sketch thingy! (I don’t know much tattoo terminology, but he didn’t trace it or use a pattern, he just sketched it, all by himself). And it was magnificent.
He asked if I wanted a tattoo as well, and I said yes, but not this time. I told a little a bit about what I’ve been wanting to get and he said he could totally do it. He drew a quick sketch on my arm with markers. And well, I guess I’m kinda going through a midlife crisis, so I was like, «What the Heck, let’s do this!»
He totally free handed my entire tattoo and it’s amazing. People actually compliment it and ask where/​who did it… and of course, I happily tell them all about the very talented Alex at South Side Ink in Ewa Beach.
Alex was so much fun, too! He joked with us and made us laugh. And we had so much fun hanging out. He is so funny, he almost makes you forget he’s causing you pain.
Most importantly, he does amazing work. He is a really talented artist. Our tattoos are all healed up and they look fantastic! Even after all this time, it makes me smile when I see it. I kinda want another one. I would definitely recommend him. At least check out his Instagram.

Honestly… I just love this place and I enjoy being in the company of all these unique style artists! Southside Ink has a variety of style options… poly/tribal/hena…I love it here Shoutout to my artist and friend Hana!!! This place is packed with talent, all artists have amazing… creative and original designs just waiting to be inked onto some lucky client!

Alex did a great job! He was very friendly and helped me decide… just what I wanted
Totally in my budget.
Highly recommend

Hana did my tattoo. Friendly and good communication. Short drive but well worth those few miles!

Al was amazing. He designed a beautiful tattoo for me so it was different than what you could find anywhere. He was super nice and very professional. Would highly recommend south side ink to anyone!

I went in for two itty bitty tattoos. I was a walk-​in and they were able to accommodate my needs. The shop was clean and I enjoyed that it was fairly quiet minus the background music which consisted of some local music with the likes of the dirty heads and soja. I got the sense that none of these guys were too talkative but that did not bother me one bit. They were super patient with me as I went back and forth with a few things, and did not make me feel bad about changing my mind a few times. The tattoo was not heavy handed and you can really tell they value their craft. If I desire to get anymore tattoos I will certainly be coming back to this place. Easy to find. Only «con» is that it is cash only but they do have an ATM on site. The prices were great and they do not have a price minimum! All health certifications are clearly posted and they open the needles and «tools» right in front of you, so that you know they have not been used before. This place is awesome!

Overall: South side Ink is a pretty clean, chill, DOCUMENTED shop that has talented artists.
I feel like I should be writing two different reviews based on my experiences but I’ll try my best to condense.
The shop itself is clean with pretty friendly people. Very «Hawaiian» vibe during the day (there are some good tribal artists there I’ve heard and always reggae) and crazy chill all the time.
First time I came here was due to the fact I won an Instagram contest to be tattooed by Neely which turned out to be an awesome opportunity that didn’t go so well. I had trouble getting in touch with him (I was way too excited and wanted my prize now) and ended up showing up to the shop when he was there with a few ideas and then just… Picked one, asked if he could do it and then sat down to be inked after he quickly sketched it out. I think it was a bad idea on both of our parts. I’m pretty sure he just wanted to get the overly enthusiastic girl Done and on her way. We just didn’t vibe. We didn’t really discuss much.
NOTE: Honestly Neely is a talented guy that does super neat realist tattoos. Check out his work. It’s great. You also won’t find my tattoo in his portfolio.
My «mountains of my birthplace» turned out just… Okay. I said I liked it (I mean it was okay and I was excited about the contest) and left. (At PIAE I had another tattooer basically say «that’s not the worst „free“ tattoo I’ve ever seen» to describe it, so it definitely wasn’t bad but. Yeah)
Anyway like I said bad situation, but check out his work/​IG because he is good. Also the tattooing wasn’t bad. He didn’t really talk during it and neither did I.
Anyway, why five stars? Because Hanam. Hanam, Hanam, Hanam. I could shout that name from the mountains and still not convey my happiness with this guy.
During my first visit I had seen a bit of Hanam’s work and then found him on Instagram a bit later… Surprisingly becoming a big fan.
I went back to South Side Ink with an idea that was pretty important to me. Hanam looked at it, looked at overly excited me (I love tattoos!!!) and seemed excited himself!!! He took some time to draw out his interpretation. then we discussed it. And then he redrew a bit. And then we talked and decided on a final design. It took some time but I loved his ideas, he listened to mine, and he was quick/​thorough at drawing/​using the computer to render the image. This preliminary process went on during the same day I got tattooed.
Why I like Hanam and why you should see him:
He is an EXTREMELY TALENTED jack of all trades when it comes to tattooing/​art (definitely definitely check out his Instagram)
I like abstract work, and Hanam does great abstract work (he does other great work too). He’s also very good at taking images you bring him and tweaking them to make them awesome and unique.
Through the tattooing process he takes time to ask how you are doing and makes everything über comfortable. He is also not heavy handed like some. He is easy to trust.
Finally, Hanam’s just an all around fun, slightly nerdy, awesome guy that vibed with me (a slightly erratic customer) well enough to do something I am proud to have my grandchildren see one day. And my great great grandchildren to talk about one day.
I highly recommend him. I’ve also gotten another tattoo from him since, and plan to get more if he will have me.
Overall glad for the experiences I’ve had here. The artists (BOTH!) are worth going to… just be mindful… Tattoos are forever.

Got my work done here and even during the tattoo expo. Was affordable with great results. Parking is excellent and the place is clean.
Thanks guys!

My friends and I went in there for her birthday on July 8^th on the recommendation of another friend. We were told that we would have no problem just walking in without an appointment so that is what we did. Unfortunately, they were a bit busy and could only fit in two of us.
My tattoo was done by HaNam. He listened to what I want and drew my image out for me. We altered the image a bit until it was exactly what I wanted. His skills and personality were awesome. I could not be happier with my tattoo.
I highly recommend this place for anyone looking to get a quality tattoo. All the guys working there were really nice. I will definitely be back for any future work.

Thank you HaNam for my new tattoo! I came in today as a walk-​in with my best friend to get our matching bird tattoos. Our tattoos have a very powerful meaning for us and even though it might be deemed small and insignificant to most people, we really wanted something simple.
HaNam was very nice and he drew our sketches fairly fast. We told him what we wanted and without any hesitation he drew something up and it was more than we expected. We wanted the silhouette of 5 birds flying away and we wanted it done in a way that if we stood next to each other, the birds flowed together. He really executed it really well and we couldn’t be any happier with the results!
The details in the silhouette are just amazing. Each bird is about dime-​size and yet, you can see the details of the wings. I love it and we can’t thank him enough. Thank you HaNam!
If you guys have the chance, check out his Instagram: @bothersome

First and foremost, the people who work here are very experienced, patient and professional! From start to finish… I’m really happy with the tattoo that was done for my 20 year old daughter. Next up, is me!!! I will be back and recommend South Side Ink to all my friends and family!

I live in Kapolei and I passed by this place just off random going to my friends house, she lives in Ewa. It’s in the back roads behind of the hospital. You can’t miss it. It definitely looks like a cool shop from the outside and you aren’t dissapointed when you inside as well. The staff are very professional and I love that their books are displayed as soon as you walk in. My friend wanted to get a fast tattoo and I accompanied her. They charged her $ 60 for a small piece of lettering.
–air conditioning
–free parking
–atm inside
–massage chair
–licensed
–cute artists
–good work
–mostly poly, so it looks like
–give certificates available
–They have a piercer now, lol
Yup, all in all I’m rating them 5 stars. :)

Fund this place after we moved here July 2012. Teva did my first tattoo, and I have had him do 2 more since.
I already have a few others that I will get from him before we PCS.
The shop is transformed from my first visit, and it looks great.
Everyone in here, especially Teva, is nice, and friendly.
Highly recommend if you are in Ewa, stop in for your tat!

The staff was very professional and personable which made the experience very comfortable. My artist, Jordan, was very friendly, made me feel at ease and explained step by step what he was creating and doing through the process. I also liked the Polynesian artwork displayed throughout the shop. There’s also a massage chair for customers, I guess, to ease the tension. There’s also an ATM in the waiting area for your convenience. Just be careful when pulling out of their parking lot. It’s on the curve of a blind spot area and drivers on the road sometimes are not paying attention or speeding.

Great customer service with a passion for «spreading da aloha» through ink! Mahalo Palani for hooking up Ramie, and our son Kala’i!!!