I didn’t go to Old West Tattoo looking for something profound. Honestly, I just wanted to cover up a tattoo I got in college that I’d outgrown years ago—emotionally and aesthetically. You know the kind. Faded meaning, a little crooked, probably chosen in a rush after too many Red Bulls.
What I didn’t expect was to find a place that felt… kind of like home.
I found Old West Tattoo the usual way—through a mix of curiosity, desperation, and a mini spiral through Yelp and Google reviews. The Yelp ones really caught my attention because they weren’t just “great place!” blurbs.
They sounded like actual people sharing actual moments. Like one woman said she’d worked with a lot of piercers and still called Cooley her favorite. Another mentioned the “good vibes of a classic American tattoo parlor,” and it just stuck with me.
I hopped over to their Facebook page, saw more of the same—clean studio, friendly crew, people going back for their second or third tattoo like it was no big deal. That level of trust says something.
So, I called. Just to ask a few things about walk-ins and whether cover-ups were even an option for what I had.
The guy who answered didn’t rush me. I remember he asked what kind of style I was going for, and when I mumbled something like “not sure—just not this anymore,” he laughed in this warm way that made me feel like I wasn’t being ridiculous. He even mentioned a couple artists who might be a good fit, depending on how dark or detailed I wanted to go.
It was a simple phone call, but I hung up feeling better than I had in weeks about the idea.
So, a few days later, I just walked in.
Old West Tattoo isn’t flashy or trying to prove anything. There’s something solid about it—like a space that’s been earned. The inside was neat but not sterile, clean without feeling cold. It had that lived-in, well-loved energy. I saw one guy getting a piercing across the room, looking surprisingly chill while another person, maybe a regular, sat nearby talking with one of the artists about old-school flash pieces and where the best tacos in Glendale are.
It didn’t feel transactional. It felt like community.
The artist I ended up with—I wish I’d written their name down, but honestly I was so focused on not chickening out—took their time during the consult. Asked me what the old tattoo meant to me (or didn’t anymore), and what I wanted it to become. We talked design, color, coverage. They didn’t push or overpromise. Just gave me the facts, the options, and some space to decide.
What surprised me most was how much I started to like the process. Sitting in that chair, the buzz of machines around me, small talk that was light but real… it didn’t feel like I was getting something fixed. It felt like I was getting something reclaimed.
And they were serious about hygiene, too. Everything was sanitized, clean as a hospital but way more comfortable. I remember the artist casually mentioning that everyone there was Blood Borne Pathogen Certified—something I hadn’t even thought to ask but immediately appreciated. It made me feel safe, like they were thinking ahead so I didn’t have to.
If you’re curious about cost (because let’s be honest, tattoos aren’t cheap and cover-ups can be tricky), I found out about this Tattoo Cost Calculator online that gave me a pretty decent ballpark. It helped me decide when to go and what I could afford before even walking through the door. Not a game-changer, but definitely a nice little bonus.
By the time the session was over, I looked in the mirror and didn’t just see a new tattoo—I saw something I actually wanted to wear. Something that finally matched who I am now, not who I used to be.
I walked in hoping for a fix. I walked out with a little more peace than I expected.
—Johnny T., Glendale, AZ
Contact Information
Shop Name: Old West Tattoo
Address: 5626 W Bell Rd Suite 102, Glendale, AZ 85308
Website: https://oldwesttattoo.com/
Phone: +1 602-675-2364
Email: oldwesttattooers@gmail.com
