Some tattoos happen on impulse. Mine from Westside Tattoo didn’t.
I’d been carrying the idea for a while—something small, but meaningful. A fine line piece, delicate but clear. I wasn’t looking for anything loud. Just something that would stay with me, quietly.
You know that feeling when something’s been sitting with you for a long time, and you don’t even realize how much it’s weighing you down until you finally do something about it?
That was this tattoo.
I’d heard about Westside Tattoo in Glendale mostly through word of mouth—friends, a cousin who swears by them, and more than a few late-night scrolls through Yelp and Facebook. Their Google reviews were ridiculously solid, too. Everyone seemed to mention the same stuff: the artists are legit, the place is clean, and somehow you walk in a little nervous and walk out feeling like part of the family.
I didn’t want a big consultation or to plan something six months in advance. I just wanted to walk in and see if the vibe was right. And surprisingly, it was.
The shop’s been around since ’99, and you can feel that when you walk in—not because it’s old, but because it’s steady. Like a place that knows what it’s doing. It didn’t feel flashy or over-designed. It felt lived-in. Comfortable. The kind of place where people trust the process because it’s been working for years.
I didn’t even have to wait long. One of the artists—can’t remember if he introduced himself by name or if I was too in my head—came over, asked what I was thinking, and just listened. I told him about the design I had in mind (a single word, fine line script), and he didn’t try to upsell or overcomplicate it. He nodded and said, “Yeah, we can make that work.” There was something grounding about how calm and simple that was.
While I was waiting, I heard a girl a few chairs over talking about how she came in last week for a piercing with her boyfriend and just… never left. “Everyone made us feel like we’d been here before,” she said. And I totally got it. Someone else was flipping through sketches, and the artist mentioned he’d been doing portraits here for years. It all felt easy. Familiar.
The shop itself was spotless. Like actually clean, not just “tattoo shop clean.” Everything was sanitized, the setup was methodical. There’s something really reassuring about watching someone prep your station with that kind of quiet focus. You feel like you’re in good hands before the needle even hits skin.
The tattoo didn’t take long—it was small, but it meant something to me. It still does. The artist barely spoke while working, just checked in with a simple “you good?” now and then, and I was. More than good. By the time it was done, it felt like I’d let go of something I didn’t even realize I was holding onto.
They walked me through the aftercare stuff with no rush. Just clear, direct instructions. I appreciated that. You can tell they don’t just want the tattoo to look good—they want it to heal right, to last.
Before I left, someone mentioned there’s a Tattoo Cost Calculator online—apparently it helps people figure out rough estimates before they come in. I hadn’t used it, but I wish I had. Could’ve saved me a little mental gymnastics trying to guess what I’d pay. Still, prices were more than fair, and there were no surprises.
Walking out, I realized it wasn’t just about the tattoo. It was about finally doing something for myself, in a space that didn’t ask me to explain why.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be covered in ink. But if I add anything else, I know where I’m going.
—Nico A., Glendale, AZ
Contact Information
Shop Name: Westside Tattoo
Address: 5510 W Camelback Rd #7, Glendale, AZ 85301
Website: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063683826354
Phone: +1 623-934-1520
