My tattoo artist is Stephen. He is absolutely amazing at what he does and not only is he an amazing artist he has an amazing personality too. Not only has he done a tattoo of mine he’s done a couple of my friends too and we both love them. I already have my next tattoo set up with him and I can’t wait to have another amazing piece done by him. Read Less

Monster Ink is a wonderful place to get tattooed at. Located in midtown Sacramento the shop was a clean, open, welcoming environment. I got tattooed by Stephen twice now, and both experiences were great. He worked extremely hard on my tattoos, going above and beyond to give me the style I wanted. Friendly, fun guy to have tattoo you. I definitely recommend checking him and the shop out, I know I'll be back. Read Less

I'm so glad I happened upon Stephen's work on Instagram back in August. It only took me a month but I finally bit the gun and got this beautiful sugar skull piece he had posted at a discounted rate as it was a piece he drew up and really wanted do. It was only my second tattoo but he was awesome throughout the process, making sure I was okay and gave breaks as needed since it was on the side of my thigh and not exactly the most comfortable position to lay in for 3 hours. I've been back 3 times since to work on this custom mermaid half sleeve. For this piece all I did was show him pictures of things I liked from a recent trip for the concept and what he drew up I just fell in love with. From there I let him take the reigns color wise and couldn't be more ecstatic with how it all turned out. (And to those that don't understand how it works he and all others in the shop require a deposit for the time they have to spend drawing up your tattoo.) Read Less

Greg is my guy at this shop. Very cool dude with amazing talent. You have to see his own instagram page to see how good he truly is. Even better, the guy isn't a weirdo. Sorry. Most tattoo artists are. lol Read Less

I've had two tattoos done here; one by Greg about two years ago (Opus the Penguin) and one by Tuan (tribal mehndi) just yesterday.  Both times I got my tats, we were actually there to set up appts and leave deposits for my hubs, since he has bigger projects.  The guys were available for my smaller pieces immediately.  I've never been judged or felt awkward about my tattoo choices.  They have never given bad judgement, but have always provide positive feedback on what will or will not look good.  Bottom line... trust your artist... they are the expert!We've never had an issue reaching the shop on the phone, have always been told to just come by with the artwork and ideas, and were able to schedule appts in a timely manner.  We've never been dissatisfied in anyway here at Monster Ink.  I definitely recommend this place.  It is a bit busier now than it was two years ago... but growth is good... just proves their reputation is worth it. Read Less

Just started my first session on a Super Beast chest piece cover-up. Tuan's artistic ability is profound! With the sharpest lines and attention to fine detail. Definitely one of the very Best in the industry!!!! Read Less

I went to see Maricelia and she was amazing. She talked me through the whole process and she made sure I was comfortable. Her personality is awesome (bubbly, outgoing, down-to-earth personality) she made my tattoo a GREAT experience. Thank you!! Read Less

I had an appointment set for Tuan on a Friday and as soon as I walked in I should've left. There was a dog in the store (a red flag for a place that is supposed to be sanitary) and his office was really disorganized. The stencil he drew up was rushed but he told me that he would be able to make the lines look straight for the simple band around my arm. I let him do the tattoo but asked if he could touch up an area to match the sketch that I brought in. He proceeded to tell me that he did it exactly the way it was drawn up but when I asked for the sketch I brought in, he couldn't find it amongst the other papers in his office. The day after I noticed that the band wasn't filled in evenly and there are areas where the lines were rushed and have a slight bump to them. He may be better at doing realistic artwork but I expected a lot more in terms of ability and professionalism from an artist of 16 years. Very disappointed with an overpriced tattoo ($180 for a simple arm band) 2 WEEK UPDATE: The tattoo has now fully healed and it is even more apparent how poorly shaded in it is. The worst part is that I now have two scars near the edge of the tattoo where he pressed too hard with the needle. The scars are shinier and raised and clearly stand out from the rest of the tattoo. Obviously a touch up will help hide/fix some of these mistakes but I will NOT returning to have it done here. Read Less

Awesome experience! Mari is the bomb.com. 4 feet and 9 inches of rad little dude. Clean lines, accurate pricing, and Butters the Bulldog tops the atmosphere off.Everything is clean, not too spacious but there's plenty of room, and the music they play is always fantastic.I will continue to get my tattoos here because I think this place is the best of the best. Read Less

Five stars for my appointment with Greg! I had him do a thigh piece and he did not disappoint. He's very chill and the whole environment is very relaxed. He kept it professional and made sure I was comfortable throughout the whole process! His work is very detailed and Its good to know that the artist that's tattooing me has passion for his job. Definitely do your research on the different artists here, seems like they each have their own specialty! I will be coming back for more tattoos at this shop again. Happy customer Read Less

I have been coming here every month for the last 6 months to get my sleave, chest, back and calfs done by Stephen! He is an amazing artist! I came in with an idea and that's about it. I allowed him to take his machine and just have at me! He basically owns my body now. 😅 Read Less

Tuan Tran did the most beautiful partial back piece on me almost 9 years ago! I brought in different pieces of artwork I wanted to make one piece and wow did Tuan take that and make such a gorgeous piece. Tuan worked with me on creating it, he was extremely patient and kind, and made me feel so comfortable. To this day it is still my favorite piece I have and the color is still so vibrant like the first day. About 7 years ago I walked in for another one to be done by Tuan a...nd was informed Tuan wasn't there so I tried to make an appointment but the guy (didn't get his name) told me he's way too booked but anyone can do it for you. I told him I really want to schedule with Tuan. The guy asked me what I wanted and when I described a wrist tattoo to him he basically told me a young girl like you shouldn't get a tattoo there and that my wrist are too small for any work there. Needless to say the whole conversation was talking me out of the tattoo so I ended up going somewhere else for my wrist tat. Even with this experience I will still come back to see Tuan Tran for a future tattoo because I understand the other guy does not reflect on Tuan's personality or work :)! Thank you Tuan Tran for the best experience and my favorite tattoo!! See More Read Less

I came in with an appointment with Mari and she's awesome! Incredibly friendly and respectful. She talked me through the whole process (it was my first time) and made sure I was calm and comfortable before starting. I will definetely come again and ask for her when I finally get another piece. Read Less

If I could rate higher I would. Mari did such an amazing job with my first tattoos. I was nervous wreck and she was able to make the whole process smooth and comfortable for me. I am completly in love with my tattoos and will definitely return again. Read Less

I've been tattooed by a dozen or so artists thus far. And Greg is one of my favorites. I originally came to Monster to have him finish some work that I had done years ago in Orange County. And I couldn't of been more satisfied. Greg has since done a very special piece on my chest in a theme that surrounds my twin six year olds. I hope he is not sick of me cause he's my Go-To artist in Northern California. Thank you Greg! "Do It For Johnny" - S.E. Hinton / The Outsiders Read Less

If I could this place would get zero stars. First of all I had an appointment and wasn't even seen until TWO HOURS later! Okay fine I thought mine shouldn't be that long anyways I had a piece already done for me and wanted the same exact replicate on my body. The tattoo artist showed me the stencil and it turned out that they took it upon themselves to try to redraw it! It didn't look half as good as my original piece. Plus it really annoyed me that they were telling me how to do my tattoo and it shouldn't be a certain way or be more of a different way. I ended up leaving and losing my deposit and went to American tradition tattoos on the same street to get it done and they did an amazing job! All in all I won't be going back to this place. Read Less

Came here for my first time back in August for my boyfriend's back piece. It was done by Greg and exceeded our expectations. (Picture attached). Came back for another session in September. Reasonably priced for such a big piece. I myself then just went back in October for a little something myself. (Picture also attached). I got my spine tattoo done by Mari and I love it. Super friendly atmosphere, great artists, and not to mention they have a shop dog named Butters and she's just the best! I highly recommend! Read Less

I will be coming here for all my future tattoos, even though I live 3 hours south. Mari did such a beautiful cover-up for me after a REALLY stupid stick n poke done by a friend. She was able to completely see my vision as well as work with me to ensure that we were both fully satisfied with the piece and it is my fucking favorite tattoo ever and I can't wait to watch her work her magic as my back piece expands. Read Less

When I first came here I already had 7 tattoos from two different shops (mediocre shops) and walked in to get an estimate for my DBZ Vegeta tattoo. Tuan ended up doing the tattoo for me, I originally wanted it on the forearm but ended up doing the back of my arm because the placement would be better. The tattoo came out looking much better than the picture. The shading was perfect. Back in August of this year Tuan started a Japanese  sleeve of a Geisha and Dragon for me on my right arm. He finished it in November and all we have to do now is touch ups and highlights. I recommend this shop to anyone looking for a great tattoo, Tuan is the one to go to for sure and this is the only shop/artist I'll be going to from now on. Read Less

I came in to Stephen with an idea and he ran with it. I couldn't have asked for a better tattoo! He did an amazing job and was really considerate of how I was doing during the whole process. The tattoo looks awesome, the colors are bright, and I get a ton of complements on his amazing work. I will definitely be going back for more. Not only is he really great, the whole shop is really friendly and professional. Great place to get a tattoo. Read Less

Go see Stephen! His work is amazing! I came in with an idea and he ran with it and my half sleeve came out awesome!!! I love it and I will definitely be going back to him for more. The whole shop is very professional and friendly. Great place to get a tattoo! Read Less

I have been a customer of Stephens for about a year now and have gotten 3 pieces worked on. The first day I met him he greeted me right when I walked in and asked me what I wanted done, as I've seen him do with everyone who walks in the door. For every piece that we work on we collaborate ideas and its always fun to know what he thinks would look good or bad. Always take his advice. I've never had any issues with the shop, everyone's always polite and they have you laughing the whole time. As for the work, I've seen all 3 artists. All have unique styles and wonderful work. I've only worked with Stephen personally but every piece he's done on me I always come back wanting more. When I first came in I had a piece done by another artist that was horrible to the point of major anxiety. He made me feel comfortable when covering the tattoo and his hand is very light compared to the other 3 artists I've been to downtown. I couldn't imagine going to anyone else for a tattoo. The detail is perfect, shading is perfect, line work is perfect. I have nothing but compliments for this shop. When it comes to availability if you're new at getting tattoos you have to realize it will take a good amount of time to get a tattoo session scheduled. You need to realize if they are exquisite artists they will be booked months in advance. If they're not good artists they'll take you within that week or the next. This is worth the wait. Great people. Great shop. Great work. Enough said. Read Less

This review isn't about any of the artists in particular or about their artistic skills, this is a review just purely based on their business model and customer service. And I wish I could review their work but sadly I didn't get a tattoo from them!So my long saga starts with walking in just to talk to an artist about my next big project. I was leaving town for a month or two but really wanted someone to start working on a design since I was having trouble seeing all my components together. The artist the first day, Greg, sounded genuinely interested in making my tattoo and I put down a $60 deposit for the work that he would do and send me. A month later I still got no e-mail and asked him a couple times if there would be an e-mail with any design. It took a couple tries but I finally got a response that he didn't think he would have time in his schedule for my piece. I thought no problem no big deal but could I please get my deposit back since there wasn't any work done. And now we're almost 1 year later and just this past weekend I finally got my deposit back. Yes, it took that long. First attempt: store was closed. Second attempt: artist was not there for that day. Third attempt: credit card machine down. Fourth attempt: finally got cash. During this entire process I e-mailed every now and then because I'm never in the area when they are open and was hoping they could run my card over the phone or send me my deposit. On my last e-mail I told him my credit card was expiring in 3 months. For majority of the e-mails I never got a response until I tried sending another 1 or 2. I e-mailed Tuan because I thought he'd be able to help me and he said I had to go through Greg because everyone does their own finances. Which for me didn't make sense because there was only 1 credit card machine. And oddly enough, day I actually got it? Greg said to ask Tuan. So all those times I went in and Tuan was there and Greg wasn't I could've gotten my deposit. We ended up doing cash because my credit card had expired. The whole thing was ridiculous and didn't need to be this long or hard. The place treated me like I was just annoying them the entire time and maybe I was but if they had refunded me early on in the process I would have given them a good review. $60 may not be a lot for them, but for a student that's a lot. Will not be going here ever to get a tattoo and would never recommend it to anyone. Read Less

Both my boyfriend and I have gotten tattoos by Stephen. I started my half sleeve with him after he had finished a piece on my boyfriend. My arm looks amazing so far, can't wait to see it finished! It's not even half way done and I have people asking who the artist is! Read Less

Tuan is my go to artist... He has done both my arms (both half sleeve) I came in to the shop with an idea and my thoughts on what tattoo I wanted on both arms. He listened to what I wanted, and also shared his ideas and thoughts.. I love what he (we) came up with... Furthermore, he is still working on my back (full back)... I gave him full control on my back piece! And I let him run with it!!! But being in the military, it's not done yet! So if ever go back to Sacramento this is the first place I'm going to visit! Read Less

My friend I wanted to get bike tattoos for sometime now. We went to several tattoo places and none seemed to make us feel welcome or comfortable. We looked up best tattoo places in Sacramento online and Monster's Ink came up so we decided to check it out. It was incredible. Everyone so nice and welcoming. Greg did our tats and made us feel like we were in good hands. I 100% recommend Monster's Ink to anyone looking for a great place to get a tat. We love our tattoos!!!! Read Less

I just got home from getting a tat. Tuan was awesome. He was so friendly and cracking us up while we watched South Park on his computer.  His dog is so adorable her name is butters lol the shop is small but they have enough places to sit. It's a typical tattoo shop nothing fancy but not dirty either.  I got my astrology sign done on my forearm.  When my arm started to cramp up he told me I could take as long as I needed to rest. I just shook it out and let him get back to work. He had the exact purple ink I wanted as I didn't want it all in black.  This was my eighth tattoo so  it's just a small simple tattoo but it turned out great. I also talked to him about getting some other ones done at a later date. His prices are reasonable and he was a cool guy so I will definitely be getting more tats in the near future. I would recommend this shop if you're in Midtown and the mood strikes. Read Less

Tuan is a good guy and an exceptional artist. His work is clean, fast, and he pays attention to detail. If you are looking for a good custom tattoo with great customer service I recommend you check out this studio. Read Less

This shop is really cool tattoo shop. The place is definitely different from a traditional tattoo place - in a very good way! They are professional and friendly. The artist was helpful and does super good work. Highly recommend Monster Ink for your tattoos! Read Less

I went to Monster Ink for the first time to cure my tattoo addiction for the year and I will never go anywhere else again. The artist freaking rocks! He customed my tattoo piece to just how I described it. His work is amazing! I got a black and gray piece and it turned out better than I imagined. But saw some of his color work too and they are amazing. I highly recommend you guys check out this place. Very professional and super cool shop. Read Less