(update) Will be giving my belly time to heal wanted to make sure to  update my review.  I had given one star at first, the manager did  contact me regarding the issues I had with my piercing  and took the time to discuss my experience  I really appreciate them taking the time to reassure me and resolve the issues and that they will be working on using better materials. SD Tattoo has always had a very stellar reputation for me - my sisters have gotten all of their tattoos and piercings there, and have always reported excellent experiences, to the point it was my default choice when I decided to a navel piercing as my first.I had never had a piercing before, so looking back, I went entirely based on the good perception/reputation it had developed among my social circles previously. I wanted something pretty over my belly button, so instead of the default bar, I chose to get a deluxe with a pink gem. I was surprised there weren't more choices, but I assumed it was standard. When it was mentioned that surgical steel was used for the piercings, it seemed alright. I later found out this is a lower quality, cheap material, which likely contributed to my undesirable outcome.My boyfriend asked if the deluxe would be all right as a starting piece, since it looked like it was smaller, to which the piercer reassured him there wouldn't be any problems. (There were). He also claimed the long standard bar wasn't necessary, and that it would get caught on things.The piercing process itself was very quick - I was impressed by this intially - looking back, in comparison to the process at other locations, it was too fast - there was no preparation, no customization, it was entirely businesslike, and there was not a sterilization record.Afterwards, I was instructed to wash it with saline wound wash three times a day, which I did. No other written instructions or contact information was given to me.The first week afterwards was all right - still sore, swollen, but within expected parameters.The second week the area became more noticeably red and swollen, and started to hurt more when I moved in detail. I called SD Tattoo, and was given contradictory instructions - different each time I called, and none of them seemed to help as the irritation and swelling got worse - just being instructed that all of it was normal and not to bump or disturb it.By the third week, the area around the piercing was even more irritated and swollen and it was completely tight around the smaller deluxe piercing - to the point it hurt for me to move, walk, or perform just about any action. I wanted to just trust SD tattoo's instructions, but my boyfriend convinced me to go in. When I went in, the piercer intially dismissed my concerns without even really looking at it properly, saying it was normal and to just keep using the saline wash.It was only under coercion that he was willing to remove it and replace it with normal bar - my boyfriend intially suggested that it be removed completely as he was concerned it would lead to issues, but the piercer convinced me to keep it in since I would "lose it" otherwise.With the replacement of the longer standard bar, the overwhelming immobilizing pain decreased to a more tolerable twinge for several weeks, as I continued the saline wound washing.I went into another piercing place, where I got a nostril piercing, and I was blown away - there was a extremely wide variety of piercing choices and types available, with extensive preparation and sterilization procedures - the piercing process took longer, but there were no difficulties, especially with the very clear instructions and free dissolved salts that didn't cause the same drying as the saline wound wash.Several weeks after I got the nostril piercing, the navel piercing started to hurt again, so I went in and had them take a look at it - with the hopes of maybe replacing the bar with something nicer.Unfortunately, when the piercer looked at it, they quickly came to the conclusion it had to be removed or it would scar - the area was extremely irritated, and it was rejecting. In fact, she said that surgical steel was a externally threaded low quality material that often contributes to rejection. The navel piercing had also been placed too shallowly, which had contributed to the rejection.After it was removed, I was told that it would have to be several months at the earliest before there was any possibility of getting another navel piercing - and there was no guarantee that I would be able to replace it. I cried, because I had really grown to love my piercing - a week later, I'm waiting and hoping that the damage is not severe enough that I can get it replaced. I got a septum piercing at the new place again this weekend, and the process was amazing.I don't know what has happened to SD Tattoo, but I would strongly urge anyone considering getting a piercing here to consider a different location. Read Less

Jay was awesome! He did my cartilage piercing that I was terrified for (my first piercing) he made me super comfortable and calmed down my nerves. Super clean, professional and comfortable place. Definitely will be back, thanks for the amazing service! :) Read Less

Got a couple of piercings today from Jay had an awesome expierence.I have been to shops all around the U.S. and Central America and I have to say this place is very impressive, all aspects from the girl at the front desk to all the artists doing the work. Super busy shop and by far the cleanest I have ever seen !! Read Less

The Coustomer service was so bad we didn't even get a tattoo. We called ahead to see if artists were available to do our tattoos and they said they had plenty of ppl working. We waited over an hour to get seen while they took other walk-ins before us. We were getting simple tattoos so it wasn't that hard. After waiting well over an hour my boyfriend went to the front to ask if an artist would able to do our design. The receptionist ignored him after he was standing he stood there a full 3 mins. She was on her phone scrolling on Instagram. We left after being disrespected like that. Read Less

Ok so I know I signed something when I got the tattoo stating I wouldn't leave a bad review but sometimes you just have to say the truth especially when it involves your 70+ year young mother on Mother's Day. So here's my tale.....Every year I surprise my mom with an adventure, not just a boring gift. This year I decided we'd go all out and get tiny matching heart tattoos on our wrist. She was all up for it but when I say tiny, I mean like an emoji size, less than a dime. Anywho my normal tattoo place wasn't open on Mother's Day but I did my research and found SD Tattoo, they were open with walk in's welcome. So we went. My mom was super excited and just had a few tweaks to the small icon tattoo she wanted.When we met the artist, he was game but seemed a bit spacey. I even said to my mom that I thought he was maybe high? When he showed us the flash art, she asked if he could make it a bit bigger and he acted put out. She even asked about adding wings but again he argued with us. I just blew it off and said to just go with the original idea of a tiny heart and like a trooper my mom agreed. She went first and her tattoo took 5 minutes, no joke but the heart looked more like a triangle. When she asked if he could make it more defined, he again argued with her and said HE knew what a perfect heart looked like and it was her issue if she couldn't see that! My mom left the room fighting back tears and waited in the waiting room while I had mine done. And I basically got the same treatment. He even told me that HE knew what was beautiful and thus he would never be caught with an ugly chick.....WTF?!?!?When it was time to pay, he charged us $200 and gave us a wave and a smile. No instructions (luckily I'm not a newbie), just a wrap and a wave. As soon as we left my mom said "for my birthday in October I want a cover up of this tattoo from YOUR artist because I don't want any part of that man or this experience remembered." Yeah Happy Mother's Day mom. Not only was she argued with by a high artist on what was being permanently marked on her body, brought to tears and over charged for the whole ordeal. He never discussed price or was even rational about any of the idea she was suggesting. We should have walked away but I never in a million years though someone would treat an old lady this way.*update*The owner reached out immediately after posting the review, issued us a refund and talked to my mom personally with an apology. I'm very impressed with how quickly they responded and are trying to make this uncomfortable situation right. Thank you SD Tattoo for being so accommodating and trying to rectify the experience. It speaks volumes and we can definitely see why people love this family owned business. Read Less

I came in because I accidentally pulled in my recent nose piercing. Mind you- I didn't even get the nose piercing done here, but this was the only shop open at 10 in the morning on a Friday in the area. Most shops open 11-1 so I was grateful that they were open early here. I came in, the ladies whom greeted me were really nice and told me that the piercer would be on his way. I checked in on a tablet and waited. The reason for this review is because, Jay, was SUPER nice! I was having such a bad morning but he made me feel so comfortable and when he had to push out the ring it didn't even hurt! He knew exactly what to do. He was super friendly and so helpful, I definitely want to come back just to get more piercings from him. He handed me his number and Instagram and asked me to update him on the healing. So far its been okay, but just being able to reach out to someone so helpful and genuinely concerned is such a blessing! Read Less

I took my 6m old daughter to get her ears pierced here and it was an amazing experience. Jay was fantastic with my daughter. The ship is very friendly, proffesional, but most importantly sterile. Jay took the time to answer any questions and made me feel very confident about the process and aftercare. He took the time to make my daughter feel comfortable with him as well. Everything was sterile and very clean. So glad I chose this shop. If you are considering taking your baby/child here dont think twice. Read Less

I got both of my nipples pierced with Jay and it was great! I was nervous about the pain (which is way over hyped by the way, it really wasn't that painful) but Jay was really calm and nice and made the whole process really enjoyable. If I get any other piercings in San Diego I'd go back to Jay for sure - he also has the coolest custom piercings I've ever seen. 10/10 would recommend! Read Less

I walked into SD Tattoo to get a piercing. I had one of the most pleasant experiences. The location is easy to find, the establishment is cleaning and inviting. The staff is extremely friendly and welcoming with a beverage while I waited for the piercer to be ready for me, which I didn't have to wait very long. Jay was my piercer, he was also extremely friendly and answered all my questions and made the piercing as comfortable as possible. His technique is very quick as painless as possible. I highly recommend SD Tattoos and Jay for all future piercings and tattoos. Read Less

My daughter and I along with my sister went in yesterday to get tattoos. It was my daughter's first tattoo so I did my research and wanted to make sure it was done right. All 3 of us scheduled an appointment with Nicki because she doesn't do walk-ins and we wanted her to be our artist. Once we got there, Nicki was upfront about not having expertise with my sister's idea for a tattoo and recommended Wade. We appreciated her honesty and so my sister went with Wade who did a wonderful job. I love how the artists appreciate each others work and don't try to hog all of the customers for themselves. Nicki was superb! She was really patient with my daughter and I. I'm a bit of a worrywart and tend to question everything little thing. It's an annoyance I'm sure, but Nicki put me at ease by answering all of my questions. We're in love with our tattoos and would definitely love to have Nicki be our artist again. My son got his ears pierced by Ian. Ian was great and put my son at ease by joking around with him. My son didn't even flinch. Now, he's afraid of needles so that's saying something about Ian's talent with piercing. The whole staff was AMAZING! Very approachable, friendly, and so attentive. Customer service is definitely an A+! They made sure we were comfortable at all times and asked us a few times if we wanted any water. The minimum at the shop is $100. Once you decide which artist you want to go with, make sure they accept walk-ins because some of them do appointments only. To book an appointment, you must pay a deposit of at least $100. Also, be aware that there is a $5 charge for using credit or debit cards. Parking has numbers. You can park anywhere except for the sunglass shop spots. There's also parking on the street. Read Less

I took my daughter, who is 3 years old to get her ears pierced at SD Tattoo today! Everyone was super friendly, we immediately felt comfortable. My daughter was so excited and she felt comfortable the entire time. Jay was her piercer, he was super good with her and made the experience smooth and easy. He was informative and patient! Definitely glad we went there! Read Less

I spent a few hours researching a location to get a tattoo. I ended up finding this one and all the reviews were so good so I had to try it out. I went and everyone and I mean EVERYONE was soo attentive and beyond nice! Unlike other shops I've been to everyone says "hi" but that's it nothing else. SD tattoo goes above and beyond including the artist even if you're not getting a tattoo by them they check in on you while you get work done and ask if you need anything and it was very refreshing. Now the artist I had the pleasure of being with was Mikey and his work is impeccable I can not explain how obsessed I am with my tattoo. His lines are CLEAN and STRAIGHT. I was very impressed with his work and he is super nice, when I did talk with him he was very professional and helpful *we didn't talk much because for some reason I can't talk when getting a tattoo hahaha has nothing to do with Mikey" overall my experience from walking in to sitting for 2+ hours getting my tattoo I left with a really great appreciation for the entire team! If you need work done they ALL are beyond talented but I'm going to have to be a little bias and say go with Mikey hahaha but whoever it is they will do amazing! I also had the pleasure of watching another artist give a young lady her first tattoo and she was so nervous!! But to see how he was able to calm her nerves and walk her through step by step of what was happening was so awesome! She was super great-full and got through the whole thing *it was on her side on her rib* and I was very impressed! I can not say enough about the team dynamic and this location, I definitely would give more stars if I could. Read Less

This place has a ton of artists, which is really great for getting pretty much anything you want done. We walked in, which was also super convenient. The staff at the front desk are great- super friendly and knowledgeable.  I had a strange experience when it came time to pay. The artist told me she doesn't like to charge by the hour, but rather by the piece and then asked me what I would like to pay. I felt weird dictating a price to her and she decided on $300, which I misunderstood as $200. I was quite surprised when I got to the cash and they asked for $300 for a one hour tattoo, but the artist insisted we agreed on $300, so live and learn. Ask about their fee structure before they start. Read Less

Me and my almost 60 year old mom came here for the first time almost two years ago. She had been wanting a tattoo for a while and I told her I would take her to get one. We came in as walk-ins. My mom got a beautiful tattoo of a butterfly by Nacho. Fast forward four months and I wanted some work done. For me the only place I considered going was SD tattoo and I requested an appointment with Nacho. He interpreted my ideas perfectly! Was just back at the shop two nights ago and received another beautiful tattoo by Nacho. I can't say enough good things about this shop! The entire staff is friendly and inviting!! The camaraderie among the artists makes it a really fun place to be!! Anytime I hear of anyone looking to get a tattoo I recommend this shop!I'm sure I'll be back!! Read Less

What started out as a bad experience turned around very quickly as the manger Jonathan immediately called me to make it more than right. My initial feelings of letdown were turned around by his follow up and follow thru.  Looking forward to working with SD Tattoo after all. Read Less

My daughter just recently got her septum pierced. She remembered SD Tattoo from when she accompanied a friend here once. So when it came time to take her, I did my own research and we were in agreement that we would come here. The place was easy to find, plenty of parking, not a long wait and we didn't have an appointment. The staff was friendly. The shop is spacious and clean, the piercing room especially. Jay Voodoo was our piercer. He was so sweet. He explained everything, asked if we had any questions and really made sure my daughter felt comfortable. Jay pierced her septum in one smooth move. My daughter didn't tear up or anything. She said the pain was very minimal, lasting one second. I am thinking if I get anymore piercings, I will be back. Read Less

I went to SD Tattoo as a walk in to get my nipples pierced. The atmosphere was amazing and the staff was super friendly. Ian was extremely knowledgeable and I instantly felt at ease. The piercings were quick and much easier than I anticipated. I will definitely be going back there for any other piercings in the future. 10 out of 10 recommend!!! Read Less

I have been to many places to get piercings but no one was ever as good as Jay. He is super friendly, professional, skilled, and helpful.  I have several piercings by him and I love them all.  I will never go to another piercer other than Jay ever again.  I highly recommend him!! Read Less

Went in on a Friday to get my ears pierced, and had a great experience. They were busy but Jay was able to take me right away. He made the entire experience so comfortable and painless! He dots your ears before piercing them to make sure you are happy with the location, then tells you take a deep breath right before the needle, and bam your done! I would highly recommend Jay, he is a true professional. He even gives you his personal number so you can text him if you have any questions. He gave me after care instructions and saline solution. I can't wait to go back and get some more piercings. Thank you so much Jay!! I would highly recommend SD Tattoo! Read Less

I took my 7 year old to re-pierce her ears after having got them done when she was a baby at the mall. No horror story, she just played with it and took it out and the holes closed.After watching the procedure and care that Jay took to explain every little detail to my daughter and all the sanitary techniques they used, I can't imagine going anywhere else! Literally had the best experience getting my daughters ear pierced. Read Less

Really appreciate this place! The service was on point and our tattoo artist was even more awesome, his name was Steven. We are so grateful he was our artist. This was my first tattoo and while getting the tattoo we asked if he could do my husband's tattoo without an appointment after mine was done, and without hesitation he did! Thank you Steven for being professional, kind, and chill to make these first tattoos for us a positive memorable moment. Read Less

Ian took care of my best friends and I! this was so spontaneous I love it. Ian was super nice, cool and made the entire experience a pleasure! It was awesome possum.He explained everything clearly, and he was super attentive to our needs. Super chill guy! He made sure to explain to us the aftercare as well. We got 2 nose piercings and 1 septum piercing.Process was fast, thorough, efficient, and painless. Shop was clean and easy to find! Will be back for future piercings! Thanks for taking care of us Ian! We love our piercings. Read Less

I made an appointment with Nicki, and got my tattoo on a Friday evening. She was super nice and had a lot of good input when helping me choose a font and a placement of my tattoo.The place seemed orderly and clean and all the artists seemed to be nice and care about their clients. Thank you Nicki for your awesome service!! Read Less

Quality work, Joel Hooked me up with good pricing and a quality tattoo, he worked past closing time just to get it finished. I didn't have to make an appointment or anything, walked In with an idea and walked out with some fresh ink. Really clean shop, friendly artists, all around great place. Read Less

Nice place! We did a walk in. It's worth the wait. At first we don't know if we were going to be able to get our finger tattoos since no one was comfortable doing them but Mickey stepped up and got it done. The place is super clean. Everyone is friendly and helpful! Thanks guys for everything!! Read Less

I had an amazing experience at SD Tattoo!! The staff were super friendly and took there time to explain everything to me! I got my tongue pierced by Jay; he is super knowledgeable and very kind! The piercing was seamless and he provided me with great aftercare info! I also got tattoos on the insides of both wrists by Leo; exceptional work!!! Script and numbers are so simple but yet require such an amazing hand and artistry because there is no escaping the slightest error... It's flawless! He really listened to my story and why I was getting it and he took such wonderful care and attention to make sure it was just right!! Love these guys! Highly recommend! I have 6 piercings and 6 tattoos now!   I take time to research every spot before hand and this place does NOT disappoint! Read Less

A tattoo is a permanent meaningful symbol that takes time to commit to putting on your body. My daughter and I decided to have our beloved puppy paw imprint tattooed on us.My reasoning for a -1 Late 1/2 hour for our appointment -1 Paid a deposit for prep. Had no preparation done for my tattoo or my daughter's, had to wait an additional 1/2 for her to prepare my daughters tattoo -1 She forgot a very important part of my tattoo, too late to correct.-1 Apologized but did not offer compensation, I had to ask her that I expected some compensation for her error.-1 Asked me what time we started our session, not my responsibility as a customer.Very disappointed!!!! Read Less

I was tattooed by Jason yesterday morning. It was an unplanned walk in, and I am SO happy to have found him/this shop!! Jason is excellent at color tattoos and gave me a bright tattoo that I love! He was very careful about placement. His station was very clean. He must either have really good equipment or a gentle touch because I swear it barely hurt at all. The studio is really nice and clean, and there's plenty of parking. I'm looking forward to having more work done by Jason at some point soon! Read Less

I got double helix piercing and my niece got her standard lobe today at SD tattoo today with Jay.  Both of us are happy with the decision we made to go there and choose Jay as our artist.  He is very nice and professional.  Answer all our questions patiently and clearly.  Before and during the procedure at each step he told us exactly what he was going to do and even better how we might feel and made the all procedure very comfortable and happy without fear and much pain.  When it's done, he gave detailed instructions about how we should take care of it and his contact info just in case we have any questions at home.  I would highly recommend Jay to anyone who would like to piercing!  Don't go to the mall, go with Jay.  :)  The shop is also very very clean and nice.  Super enjoyable experience. Read Less

My daughter and I went here for piercings. We both got a helix and a conch. I can honestly say this place is the bomb we were greeted by a young women who was happy and excited which made us even more excited! Our piercer was JAY who was amazing he was extremely professional but fun not stuffy he had a great personality!! He is knowledgeable and you can tell he really enjoys and wants you as the customer to be happy with your piercing. I am a nurse and am extremely cautious when it comes to sanitation. This place is  way above excellent. This place is clean and hygienic. JAY was on point with all of the precautions. So basically we love this place and would recommend anyone who wants a tat or pierce to check them out!!  BTW we found this place on YELP!! Read Less

Simple Review: Friendly and fun staff, were super helpful and knowledgeable.  As for being my first tattoo off impulse, they helped calm my nerves and had a great atmosphere, definitely would come back for more pieces!Detailed Review:The tattoo I got done was originally supposed to be my second tattoo but I'm young and impulsive and decided I wanted a tattoo all within the matter of one Gossip Girl episode. I went to Yelp of course to help find my decision and found SD Tattoo, I made my decision later on in the night around 8ish and they happen to stay open until 12! How convenient for me. Read some reviews, looked at the work, and decided to give it a shot. Upon arriving, I was nervous, it was dark out and the shop is upstairs and the other surrounding businesses were closed. But once we got inside they had a great ambiance! The guy working the front was very nice and helped get an artist to work with what I wanted. The artist, Austin, came out to talk to me and help me get the lettering and curve just right, I sent him back to redo the sizing and curve a few times, but he did it happily, as for most people would've gotten annoyed. When it was time for the show, I told Austin it was my first tattoo and he had the honors and he was a very nice and comforting. His personality along with the other artist in the shop who helped talked to me during the process put me at ease. It was easy to talk to him and he let me go live on Instagram for the whole thing which I appreciated. I paid $240 for my piece, definitely well worth it, as I love it so much. I definitely recommend SD Tattoo, whether on a whim like I was, or for other detailed piece work! Read Less

I was looking for a realistic tattoo of a medical alert bracelet, something that would indicate my medical condition but would also not distract from my profession.   My wife purchased a gift certificate that made me seal the deal to actually go into the studio.  She reached out to Chris who suggested Ivan after hearing about what i was looking for.  After nearly 4 months of searching the internet I found a few ideas that I liked but were not quite what I felt would suit my needs.  Along the way I also found many other amazing tattoos on people who also had diabetes.  I decided to bring both ideas to Ivan. We discussed the original idea of a medical alert bracelet as well as a larger idea I now had.  He was very enthusiastic about the concept of each tattoo.  He explained the process and that he wanted not only pictures but thoughts, concepts, essentially, what I really want to have on my body. My wife and I went in for a day session.  Ivan complete 5 tattoos in all.  During our 12 hours we got to know about him and he about us.  This man is an extremely talented tattoo artist.  His ability and desire to truly understand his customer's desires shows in the outcome of his work. During our session we saw some incredible artwork being laid to skin all around us.  The artists were extremely talented, courteous, and very importantly, clean.  The whole operation was very professional. After we were complete with the session Ivan surprised us by providing a military discount (retired submarines) for the time spent.  That generous discount went right back to his tip.  I will be back and will enjoy talking with Ivan as he creates beautiful artwork on a canvas of skin. Read Less

We came here from out of town and Tricia was kind enough to get me an appointment only in about a week in advance via text with what artist she thought would be able to do a watercolor tattoo. It was our first time in SD and so we arrived about 30 min early to the shop for the appointment with Clint. We had to wait over an hour after the appointment time before the consult but the girls at the front desk were very sweet and constantly checking up on us and apologizing for the wait. It was crazy busy! Clint also apologized for the wait and was down to earth, professional, and took his time doing my tattoo which turned out beautiful, which I've already got a lot of compliments on. Clint is a great artist, and I will definitely be back to get another tattoo from him. Read Less

Artist: WadeWhen I first walked into SD Tattoo I brought in two designs that I really wanted but wasn't quite sure knew how it would work. The guy at the front desk matched me up with Wade and he immediately was respectful and helpful. I showed him my two designs that I wanted and he reassured me there would be no problem with figuring out an idea.When I came in for my scheduled appointment to get my tattoo done I was greeted by Wade and showed me some of his design idea and immediately fell in love with the mock up. After the tattoo was all done I stood up and saw the finished product and was extremely glad I got to have Wade as my artist.I will definitely be coming back to have Wade put more ink on me in the future. 5/5 would recommend SD Tattoo and Wade. Read Less

Walked in for a third lobe piercing and a helix piercing. They served me quickly and efficiently. Jay was my piercer...fun, friendly, knowledgeable, thorough. My piercings look good and feel good. Great experience. Read Less

UPDATE: Owner contact my sister and I privately to apologize about our experience. Just further speaks to the quality of the shop as a whole. Bumping my rating to 4 start [from 3]. Still make sure you feel comfortable with your artist and speak to management if necessary they will take care of you. I have been to SD tattoo twice and have had mixed experiences.First the good:The shop itself is clean and professional. They are easy to schedule with and at a management level are well organize.Also the quality of all the tattoos that me or the people I was with have gotten are top notch. It has all been really beautiful work. Just recently Swerve did an amazing job on a very detailed spiral on my back. My whole experience with him was great. He was super professional. Help me iron out size and placement, explained cost, how long it would take, and kept me updated throughout. He knocked it out in just under 2hrs without a break and I love it!Now the bad:While I was getting my tattoo with Swerve my sister was getting one with Mauro. We intentionally scheduled with different artists at the same time (a 6 o'clock appointment) to make sure it didn't take too long and because the tattoos were very different. Mauro was incredibly frustrating to work with. Now his art is amazing, don't get me wrong. I would recommend him but with this caveat: he knows he is good and that he doesn't have to treat clients well. He was incredibly manipulative in basically up charging my sister. She came in wanting a small 3 inch tattoo and left with something at least double in size. He never confirmed with her how much longer it would take or how much more it would cost.  My sister waited almost 2 hrs for him to even start. During which he took multiple "smoke breaks". He had the sketch finished in under an hour but fucked around before getting to her. Then during the 2.5  hour tattooing process he took at least another hour of breaks. We didn't leave until after 10. The final nail in the coffin was when he was confirming total time and thus cost and he lied about the start time.Now I always want to make sure good art is well compensated for. And the tattoo is beautiful and we would have been happy paying so much for it if he would have been more professional and less rude in the process. Was it worth it? Maybe but the experience was extremely uncomfortable and personally I would recommend some of the other incredibly talented artists at SD that I saw treating their clients so much better. Read Less

Went to get my first facial piercing. Was a little anxious as I was looking to get my septum pierced and read mixed reviews on the process as far as pain and procedure. Once all my paperwork was done I was walked thoroughly through what to expect and was given plenty of time to ask any question I may have. I recommend this place 1000%. If you are getting anything pierced, ask for Jay Voodoo. He made my first facial piercing a complete breeze. Exceptionally knowledgeable and confident in his abilities. And if anyone reading this is like me then you already know how important it is that the person piercing your body is completely confident in his abilities and Jay certainly was. I'll be coming back for my snake bites, nostrils, and bridge. And in my opinion it's insane that people would go get pierced by anyone that isn't Jay Voodoo. Read Less

Went there last weekend. Could not be happier! My husband and I got couples tatoos by Marty. They are amazing! We have gotten so many compliments! Everyone there was awesome and friendly. The place could not have been any cleaner. You guys rock ! Read Less

Super great place! I'm in town on vacation and a friend and I stopped in for a quick simple tattoo. The front desk guys were fantastic, knowledgeable and courteous. We ended up getting a great tattoo and experience. My friend also got her nipples pierced and the piercer was fantastic. Funny and professional all in one. I'd definitely pop in again any time I'm back in San Diego!!!! Read Less

I have wanted to pierce my nipples for a long time, finally gained the courage, had a consult with Jay, he made me feel at ease... and I got it done. From 1-10, pain level was like a 3. He was super professional, he kept me laughing, which helped the entire process. I would say my piercing placement is PERFECT. 100% symmetrical. Decided to also get a tattoo the same day, Steven did it for me and my bestfriend. He gave recommendations on color, process, length of time it would take, care for the tattoo. And it was SUPER CHEAP! 😂 I whined with the tattoo (it was on my rib!) but he was super patient with me and overall just amazing. I would recommend the tattoo shop, pricing is amazing, staff is super friendly and fun. 5/5 (I don’t give reviews usually, so you know this is a fantastic place if I took the time to give them kudos!). Read Less

Had my first tattoo at another place and it went horrible. Came to SD Tattoo hoping I can get it fixed and they did not let me down. It was the best tattoo ever and I am very grateful that the cover went successful. Everybody there was very friendly and nice. Thank you very much Clint for saving the tattoo (Before and after) Read Less

This was my first experience in a tattoo shop and I went in with my friend for moral support. The environment was very welcoming and the staff was professional and kind. My friend was getting his first tattoo from Ivan who was amazing! He was very meticulous about placement, sterility, and making sure everyone was on the same page with the design of the tattoo. As a nurse I was happy to see staff changing gloves frequently and sharps containers throughout the shop. Ivan himself was extremely personable and kind. His art work is out of this world amazing and his humility was refreshing. If I ever decide to get my own tattoo one day it will hands down be at SD Tattoo with Ivan! Read Less

The tattoo I got was great however, I called to see if their piercer was available and they told me when he’d be in. I came in and it turned out to be his day off. Maybe it was a bad decision on my part but a tattoo artist was asked if he could do it by another employee and he assured me he was able to do it. He seemed knowledgeable and caring while piercing my ear but it turned out to be too closely placed on the edge of my ear. I had many complications in its healing and hoped it wouldn’t be too thin however it was so close to coming out that my options were to take it out or it will rip out in a short period of time. It was a sad moment to take it out because it’s been a piercing I’ve wanted for some time and spent the money to have it done. Edit: a manager called me and even though it’s been a few months since I got my ear pierced they offered me solutions to help me and would repierce it for me once healed. It was great to hear back from someone especially because I didn’t expect anyone to reach out because of how long it had been since and have hired a new piercer. Next time I’m in San Diego I will definitely come back! Thank you to the manager who called and followed through with me! Read Less

Came here to get my 3-year-old daughter's ears pierced. Comfortable waiting area and very friendly staff. The gentleman that did the piercing was very calm and professional with her. Didn't expect to spend that much money getting it done and don't know I'd pay $100 to do it again. I'd come back to get work done on myself. Parking can be tricky. Read Less

Great talented artist, quick and an amazing job at a decent price. 5 Stars best experience at a shop :) I am not from the area, but I would not hesitate to go there. I live in Hollywood and there are so many shops, but poor quality services, and sadly the artist are rude and cocky. I loved the environment, it is very welcoming and they answered any questions I had. I didn't have an appointment. I was a walk in. I felt like getting a piece that I had been thinking about for a year already. However, it was always a hassle of setting up an appointment and the artist so I decided just to get it at a later time. Then I was out at a trip in San Diego and saw this place so I just walked in and got it, got serviced within 30 min. during a saturday evening, and I couldn't be happier. Read Less

My friend was supposed to have an appointment at 3pm but her name was apparently called at 1pm. Yes, her appointment was at 3pm but got called earlier than what time was proposed for. As if i thought it was just miscommunication, apparently it's just bad customer service. She's been coming back to the shop for a couple of times now to get her tattoo done and colored but it seems as if they don't respect or prioritize people with appointments here instead of walk ins. Eitherway, she waited for 3-4 hours and finally decided to leave and never come back to this place. However, i was a walk in and waited for at least 2-3 hours until i was taken care of (since people couldn't wait and left). I saw that they did have a sign up saying $150 minimum per hour. My tattoo was about more than a fist size and didn't take that long to draw up and get tattooed but i ease charged more than $300 for it. I get it, they're supposedly one of the best tattoo shops out here but i still feel like it's too overpriced. Same with the pricing of their piercings. It seems like they knew what they were doing though. Kevan explained a lot when it comes to piercings. Dustin was the one who did mine and he was definitely right about him being light handed. Not a lot of ink came off as my tattoo is healing and isn't as sore as I thought it would be compared to my previous experience with another artist who tattooed just about the same area on my other arm. Dustin also did VERY well with the text I wanted on my arm especially since it wad in another language but he still made it possible. Clint, by the way, was my friend's tattoo artist. Read Less

I got my first tattoos which I love very much!!!! 😁❤😄 The tattoo Artist name is Don and he did an AMAZING JOB on my Bows!!!🎀🎀 Love the way is detailed and I Love the colors that he chose. Don was very professional, respectful, and so nice. He made me feel comfortable, I ask him if it was okay to put shades on to have some privacy since it was my first time. Don had no problem with that, he set it up for me. I notice and saw that his station is clean and the shop too. They use good quality ink, tools, and products for taking care of the tattoo when it's healing. Don inform me on how to take care of the tattoos when its healing and if i have any questions or concerns I can call or text. Everyone at the shop was so nice! 😊 I am planning on getting more tattoos done from Don. My family and friends love the way Don did my tattoos. I will definitely recommend anyone who wants to get a tattoo done to go to Don at SD TATTOO. 😀😁 Read Less

Awesome and friendly staff 😀 Super clean place with a great atmosphere. Top notch from beginning to end. They care a lot about their customers and are super accomodating. I can't wait to hear back to San Diego and get another tat at their shop ❤️ Read Less

Diego approached me shortly after I walked into the shop ready to collaborate and tattoo me with the perfect piece. I admired his willingness to go out of his wheelhouse a bit (he usually works on portraits and more realistic things). I gave him creative freedom and he came through like a champ. Did I mention he's from Italy?!?! He's only here for a short time so make sure you go see him and get a one of a kind piece! Read Less

Customer service is on point. You walk in And notice right away how clean and organized the shop is. We were greeted by Kevin, who helped me out with my nose piercing, ( which was done by another shop �) and he kindly explained to me what kind of nose rings he uses when he does piercings and also how to properly clean it. Kevin was kind enough to show me pictures of some of the artists amazing work, I can say I found my tattoo shop and would recommend them to everyone looking for a professional atmosphere. Read Less

This shop is sweet ,clean ,professional very friendly Tommy _ gunz hooked us up with matching palm tree tats that he free handed no stincel our experience was amaZing and so fun we shared a ton of laughs thank you so much Tommy !!we love our palm tree's. Read Less

I love this shop, hands down no one compares and I have been all over the country. When it comes to my tattoos I do my homework so believe me when I say i had an artist picked and ready when i went the first time but unfortunately who I wanted wasn't available due to a planned vacation and that when I met Ivan. Not only did Ivan exceed my expectations but his ideas and talents helped to create a true master piece that will last me a lifetime. And that's how awesome this shop and it's artists are. No matter what your needs or wants they won't only match them but they will exceed expectations. I recommend this shop to any and all. Ivan is my superstar artist for all my future work, but everyone here is absolutely amazing and professional! You won't find better. Read Less

Wow what a waste of time and money. I went into SD Tattoo and Body piercing about 3 weeks ago (June 15th) for a consultation and to put down a deposit for the tattoo that I wanted. I gave the artist (Ivan) multiple ideas, design references, sizes, etc. Ivan had 2-3 weeks to prepare the tattoo and visualize it on my arm. I even went the extra mile and marked my arm with pen to indicate where certain sections of the tattoo should start/stop/transition. It seems as if Ivan didn't even start designing the tattoo until about 24 hours before the appointment was scheduled. When he finally sent me over the design it consisted of ALL OF THE REFERENCES I SENT TO HIM PHOTO SHOPPED TOGETHER LACKADAISICALLY. I mean I dabble in graphic designer and I honestly could have put together a better design reference. I was under the impression that the $185 deposit was held for professional custom hand-drawn designs. Completely disappointed with the service. When I mentioned to him that none of the instructions I gave him were noted or even reflected in the design he told me that he recommended I talk to one of the other artists about getting him to design it. Wow. What a poor way to handle a customer. I just waited a 3-4 weeks which could have been spent waiting for a more skilled and dedicated artist, but instead I just wasted 3 weeks of waiting time to receive a sloppy and unprofessional design. Oh well, I'll be taking my business elsewhere. Read Less

Can't imagine a way this place could get any better. Extremely friendly and professional staff. I've been coming here over the past 3 months working on a big piece and always had a great experience. I feel as if I couldn't have been luckier having Ivan work on my piece. He's always excited to work on it and just an all around fun guy. I've always been treated like family since the start. 5 stars hands down! Read Less

This was my first ever Tattoo experience and I couldn't have been more happy with the result, not just with the Tattoo itself but with the wonderful customer service and the overall awesomeness of the shop itself. Everything going is so clean and organised, it smelled amazing in there. They really care down at SD Tattoo and the work they turn out is excellent Read Less

Have been to several tattoo shops in my visits here.SD was by far one of the best. Very clean shop with extremely friendly staff. I got a tattoo from Don...simply amazing!! He is very personable and extremely talented!!! We visit San Diego every year and I will definitely get my next tattoo with Don!!! Read Less

This place has amazing artists and they do an amazing job! They work with you and your schedule. They are family friendly and will pull chairs for the family to be there if you decide. They really care about their customers and quality of work they do. They are super busy both days we went but they try to accommodate... When people do such amazing work of course they will be busy. The parking lot is small but there is street parking as well. Would highly recommend this tattoo parlor!!! Read Less

I love this place!!!! You walk in and the place is very clean and organized. All the artists there are like family and treat you with the same respect. They are all about, love, fun and creating your dream into a reality from their amazing talents. Shout out to Ivan Aleman for the amazing work he did on my arm. Anyone who goes here will not be disappointed in the customer service and the work you will be getting done. #thisplacerocks #yourlikefamilia #greatartists Read Less

Super great service. Walked in Saturday to show them what I wanted, the guy at the front desk knew exactly what artist would be good for me. Spoke with Don who was so helpful, had a design ready for me the next day (Scheduled to get it done then). I was a bit apprehensive, it was my first tattoo and it was large but he was very supportive and took care of me during the 3 hours. If I asked for a break, he would immediately stopped, even helped out the pain with some special ointment. Will definitely go back again for future tattoos, will definitely recommend AND ask for Don's services again! Read Less

Very nice artists. Busy shop, but that's to be expected from a shop that puts out quality work. They let me look through the portfolios and decide which artist I thought would do my 1/4 sleeve best. I chose Danny because of his great work on flags, and let me tell you, he did not disappoint. I had a very vague idea and he turned it into something awesome. The shop is super clean, and very comfortable. I wouldn't think twice before coming back here. Worth the wait. Cost was no issue for me, however I found it to be very affordable. They help you with the care for your tattoo, and pride themselves on it looking as good as possible for as long as possible. Couldn't have had a better experience. Read Less

My sister has been wanting another tattoo the last few times she's been in town visiting from Texas, and up until now, we've had nothing but bad luck in actually making it happen. This was our second time here at SD Tattoo looking into getting what she wanted and we were so incredibly lucky to be set up with Clint. Our initial two experiences with SD Tattoo deserved 3 stars at best. The lack of communication between the staff, owner and us was disappointing. However, the whole process suddenly became so easy and smooth once Clint was involved. It was all just pretty much effortlessly aligned with exactly what she wanted. From the moment we were introduced to him he was polite, respectful, engaged and totally excited about being a part of this super meaningful and special piece my little sister was wanting to do. He went above and beyond to make sure that not only this tattoo actually happened tonight before she went back home to San Antonio, but that it was done with the absolute best customer experience possible. Totally down to earth, funny, engaged and pumped on getting to be the artist that did this beautiful piece for her. TOTAL 5 STARS FOR CLINT here at SD Tattoo. I plan on coming back and having one of my pieces redone that wasn't done right the first time in Vegas, and also for future new work. Thanks guys for the great experience and incredible work done on my little Sis! Read Less

I shopped around at a few different shops before I came to SD Tattoo. All the other shops told me "Sure I can pierce you." Suggesting random or their largest gauges with no background information. When I went to SD Tattoo I spoke with Kevan ( He's awesome will recommend to everyone) and he walked me through the options of stretching my ears, how to go about everything, the do's and don't's. Thanks for not just punching huge holes in my ears Kevan! � Would rate him a 10 if I could seemed like he really knew his shit. lol Read Less