Ask us for the top tattoo shop in Phoenix and we'll point you north — to North Mountain Tattoo, tucked below its namesake peak near Cactus Road and Cave Creek Road. It's a clean, welcoming, genuinely artist-driven shop, and it's our pick for anyone who cares as much about the experience as the ink.
Meet Dan Mattingly
The shop is led by Dan Mattingly, and his philosophy sets the tone for everything: every tattoo should be designed with longevity in mind. Nothing here is pulled from generic flash — every design is custom, tailored to your body, your vision, and your style. "We never rush the creative process," as Dan puts it, "because great tattoos deserve time and attention." Dan's own specialty is large-scale black-and-grey realism — portraits, statues, wildlife, and cinematic artwork with serious depth and contrast.
A shop that treats it as an experience
North Mountain runs on a simple idea: getting a tattoo should be an experience, not just an appointment. The space is clean and relaxed, the walls are full of art, and it doubles as a working art studio with open life-drawing sessions and rotating guest artists. Whether it's your first small piece or a full sleeve, you work directly with your artist from consultation to final session.
Artists for every style
The real draw is the roster — eight resident artists, each with a specialty, so you can match your idea to the right hand. There's large-scale photorealism (Dan), large Japanese and traditional Americana (Goeke), fine-line black-and-grey and lettering (Mando), traditional Americana, blackwork and ornamental (Kat), dark psychedelia (Marsh), Americana and realism (Ivan), black-and-grey pet and animal portraits (Kevin), and clean linework (Brittany). Cover-ups, memorial pieces, lettering, Japanese-inspired work — there's a specialist for it. Browse the portfolios on the shop's site.
The plaque on the wall
We named North Mountain Tattoo our 2026 winner for Best Tattoo Shop in Phoenix — and the plaque now hangs in the shop. Clients come from Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Anthem, Cave Creek, and across the Valley, because quality artwork is worth the drive.
Walk-ins & booking
North Mountain Tattoo is at 2126 E. Cactus Rd, Ste. 102, Phoenix, AZ 85022, open daily from noon to 6 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can book online or call (602) 923-1199 to schedule a consultation with your artist.
Planning a bigger piece? Check out their art studio and guest-artist lineup too — and tell them Top Tier Phoenix sent you.