Very effing PISSED. Not going to say any names but I had to go to another person to get my nose pierced removed because the individual who pierced me at this establishment effed up. 1. HE, and yes  a male individual pierced my nose on the crease of my right nostril. 2. He didn't put a long enough stud or whatever it's called to met my nose swell and heal, there fore my shit for infected and I could not remove the stud on my own. I even used tiny micro pliers to remove it but I was a little scared to pull and rip my damn nostril which he's done TWICE to 2 other individuals. Anyway I go see Eddie in Lompoc, I'm sure golden eagle knows him. But Eddie was very gentle removing my piercing and explained why my nose got infected. So screw this place. #peace Read Less

I won a $50 gift certificate from tattoo artist JJ Ortiz in the Santa Barbara Public Library summer reading challenge. I've never had a tattoo before so I was excited to get one!Golden Eagle is nice and clean and fairly approachable. JJ was professional and friendly and gave me the tattoo that I wanted exactly as I wanted it. I loved working with JJ. He was extremely helpful in ways I could place my tattoo and the design. When I walked in, I was pretty confident that I knew what I wanted but after meeting with JJ, I appreciated his knowledge and help. I didn't feel that he changed anything about my vision for my tattoo, but enhanced it. I would highly recommend working with JJ Ortiz. Read Less

Got my first tattoo here, a small one on my wrist. Line work is ok, I didn't know they were cash only and the atm machine only gave in $20s. The only thing I was a bit bothered by was how I was treated by my artist. The way he spoke and acted towards me was like I was ignorant and didn't know anything about tattoos. It was my first tattoo and obviously I'm not super knowledgeable in the subject so whenever I asked a question about it he would answer it like I was stupid and shouldn't have asked in the first place. It didn't seem like he wanted to be working on me and though it took like 5 minutes for him to finish I felt rushed and like he just wanted to get it over with. I also felt like he thought I was just another ditzy college student getting a basic tattoo (I'm 23 and I've been mistaken for a high school student before...)Besides my artist the rest of the staff there was very nice and overall I like how my ink turned out. Maybe if I go back I will ask for a specific person based on the other reviews. Read Less

I got my first tattoo here recently & I cant complain about anything! we walked in & they made me feel so comfortable (I was very nervous). I am a very jittery, twitchy, shaky person by nature, but john was AMAZING & so kind! I am definitely coming back & recommending this place to friends :) Read Less

Stopped in for a spontaneous tattoo... Juan and Johnny were awesome, great personalities and great work too! Decided to get a couple of tattoos and my Father-in-Law got his first tattoo and was very happy with Johnny's work! We'll be back for another visit the next time we're in the SB! Thanks guys for a chill vibe and the nice work! Read Less

Absolutely terrible customer service. Being in the customer service industry myself, one knows the key phrase is always "the customer is always right". But not here, if you have an opinion of your own they will for sure let you know that "they'll handle it" because you're not a professional tattoo artist. Glad to not have received any work from this place. Can't begin to imagine how disappointed I'd be. Read Less

The amount of disrespect that this shop has is unbelievable. They shouldn't even be allowed to operate. None of the artist are top shelf. Fat blown out lines, wannabe traditional artists. And the one "female" "artist" they have seems to be pms'ing every day of her life. Don't waist your money in this place. Customer service was so bad that if I could leave negative stars I WOULD. STAY AWAY IF YOU CHERISH YOUR SKIN. And stay away if you don't like snobs. Read Less

Horrible customer service experience!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to be able to come and get tatted on state by what so many recommend but after the crappy service and attitude given I'd never hit return or waist my money around bad vibes and energy. Good luck comming here. I'm a local and they are completely trash! Read Less

Vanae did an awesome job on my cow tattoo. Such clean lines and great detail!! I sent her a picture of a tattoo I liked that I found online, and asked her to tweak it with some poppies and lavender. She did exactly what I asked :-) thanks Vanae u rock Read Less

I had gotten all my tattoos from here, from a few different artists, all great work, and all think they're good enough that they get to act like ace hats when dealing with customers. I'm embarrassed to have sent so many people their way. Some worked out, but felt like their presence was bothering them enough that they won't be back. Others just felt like they were boring them when trying to discuss what they wanted, and decided to go elsewhere. All my previous tattoos were from here until my sleeve. It's a bummer I'd already shared with the artist what I wanted to get. He said he was down for drawing up his own version of it. I waited months because I'd had good work from them and was trying not to care about how rude they'd gotten. I ended up going to another place in town. They were ready the next day, had great work, and were friendly. Much happier! I've since seen work from golden eagle on social media, looks like it's gotten lazy. Goodluck guys. Read Less

CASH ONLY! (ATM on site)I have stopped in here a number of times with my girl friend and her daughter, leading up to her daughter getting her first tattoo here last weekend.  The staff has consistently been friendly with us and the atmosphere is laid back and chill.  Décor is on the darker side and most of the example charts are in a pretty classic style (and many include nudity visible).  They have artists available who can do just about any style though, and most if not all have art books for you to browse if the artist isn't there when you walk in.  Reservations are required and a cash deposit is needed to make one.  Minimum about $40 (depending on the project and how close you are to having the work done).  Restroom available for customers.  Hard, flat uncomfortable benches to wait on if you're waiting in the lobby.  The artist that did the tattoo for my friend's daughter was very thorough and prepared the drawing first on a transfer so she could see how it would look, before inking it.  She was extremely happy with his work. Read Less

Is there an option for 10 stars?! Ha!I have had a tattoo for several years that I had gotten multiple laser treatments on to remove. Unfortunately, those can only do so much to lighten/remove. Thankfully, I found Andrew at Golden Eagle!Not only is my previous tattoo completely covered and untraceable, but my new tattoo is absolutely spectacular. I am SO grateful for this gorgeous piece of art that I get to wear each day (and actually receive complements on constantly!). Its amazing what something so beautiful can do for your self-confidence after so many years of trying to hide! Also, major plus side, Andrew is just a super rad guy who made the 5 hour session not only bearable, but totally fun! Thank you again and again for this beautiful piece of art, Andrew! :)Warmly,Jordy Read Less

The tattoo studio itself was fine, clean etc. My issue is with the tattoo itself- the lines are wobbly and uneven- fainter in places but not in others. My friend got a tattoo at the same time as me, and hers is the same problem, it looks like the ink has bled. We got them on different body parts so not entirely sure what the reason for this is. I'm just glad i didn't get anything bigger- this can be fixed fairly easily, just not something i wanted to pay 80 dollars for. They get some great reviews on here (which is why i chose them) so still confused as to how our tattoos look so bad. Read Less

The customer service at this tattoo parlor really sucks. I went in in person to schedule an appointment because they refused to do it over the phone, and left them a $40 deposit which they require and which is not refundable for cancellation although you can reschedule. I had a medical emergency the day of my appointment but called immediately, several hours before the appointment, and left a message about rescheduling. I did not get a call back so I called again and left a second message. Still no call back. So I drove all the way into town to reschedule the appointment in person at the parlor. The guy at the front desk couldn't tell what the artists availability was on the schedule so he penciled in and said he would call to confirm. He never did. When I called several days later to check on the appointment, all he could say was that it was probably OK. I wasn't willing to settle for probably OK from somebody who clearly had no clue, and he refused to find a way to get me clarification. So I'm out 40 bucks from a place that has shitty customer service. On the other hand, they now don't get the rest of the tattoo fee that they might've gotten from me if they've been willing to put a little bit of effort and courtesy into the way they handle customers. Read Less

Got a spur-of-the-moment tattoo with my sister here, and couldn't have been more satisfied. The artists were really gracious as my sister and I took our time figuring out what we wanted and it's placement. Their prices are very reasonable, and the place had a great atmosphere. My artist, Johnny (I hope that's how you spell it), was charming and talkative-- really topped off the whole experience. I am from Huntington Beach, but will definitely be driving back up here to have him Donny third tattoo. Read Less

Love Golden Eagle! I've gone there for all of my tattoos (and nose piercing on the second floor) and always walked away more than satisfied! My most recent tattoo was done by Vanae, who is incredibly talented and experienced! She was patient and supportive when I asked her to make small changes to the design several times. Vanae also mentioned important size and placement considerations for the best-looking and longest-lasting tattoo. The finished product (one word in cursive on my wrist) is beautiful and I love it! My friend also got a tattoo done at the same time as I and her experience with her artist was equally as positive. Highly recommend coming here! Read Less

I was iffy about it at first cos there are some 1 star reviews on here, but everybody there was very nice and accommodating. Vanae did mine and did an amazing job. Her line work is top notch and the detail is so intricate. For how many times I adjusted the piece, she was patient and am happy I came here. Read Less

If you are looking for traditional style tattoos, this is the place to go. I got a small Tetris piece from here and it was done really well and on the spot. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is because the price was pretty high for it being rather small but then again it was SB after all, it's not really a surprise. Regardless, I would most likely go again as the service was well and their artists are phenomenal. I'm very satisfied with my piece. Read Less

This shop is awesome.  Chill atmosphere, friendly people.  JJ Ortiz has done 5 of my tattoos, each one done to my complete satisfaction.  He's friendly, attentive, highly skilled, and most importantly, his goal is clearly to make the customer happy. He's also very respectful and patient - he doesn't act like you're wasting his time if you ask lots of questions, which has happened to me multiple times at other shops.  I'll be returning here for years to come! -Greye P. Read Less

Andrew and Vanae are so amazing. For both of my tattoos I just walked in with a solid idea of what I wanted and both artists worked magic to make my designs beautiful and forever-lasting! Great fine-line, texture, and color. They are wonderful. Will recommend to anyone and everyone! Read Less

I wanted to get a tattoo from santa barbara since that is where I got my first, so me and my friend looked up the best ones on yelp and, yes, they were as good as the reviews said.Personally, I find tattoo parlors intimidating, from the decorations to the crowds that it generates normally, but the tattoo artist in this location were very professional and answered all questions i had, even curious ones that didnt necessarily pertain to my tattoo job.I think the best way to approach any tattoo place is to keep in mind what they, the tattoo artist,  go through. I already knew ahead of time that any idea of tattoo fact I might have gotten from the lnternet (ie Pintrest), was most likely wrong, which i discussed with my tattoo guy and he calmly explained to me the realities of the art. So, overall, really liked the service, i would recommend to anyone and i would also recommend to go early since they get busy really fast. Read Less

Awesome and friendly staff. Super knowledgeable and helpful - if it's your first time getting a tattoo or piercing they'll answer all of your questions and make sure you know how to take care of it afterwards! Read Less

Cool tattoo parlor! We walked into the parlor and were assisted immediately. A brief consultation with the artist discussing measurements and alignment was helpful. I felt very comfortable with the time and price quote.Vanae Rivera is very talented and knows how to make the client feel comfortable and relaxed. Of course, getting new ink hurts but I distracted myself with reading articles within my smartphone. Vanae did take small breaks and inquire if I was ok during the inking process. I will visit the parlor in the future. Read Less

Came in today after my birthday yesterday as a walk in @ 3, wanting to continue my sleeve with a medium sized tattoo on my arm. Greeted by Johnny & the front desk lady (total sweetheart but forgot her name!) they gave me an appointment for a few hours later. I came back & John revamped up my idea, made it our own, and it turned out better than I expected. He's super knowledgable, confident, kind & totally humble. Never gotten better work by a better artist! You won't regret coming in. Costed a little more than I expected to pay but absolutely worth it after seeing it. Will be back! Thanks guys. Read Less

I went with my friend to get her first tattoo here. She wanted an arrow but with some extra details to make it personalized.It was awesome! After showing Vanae a few pinterest pictures, she drew out exactly what my friend wanted. She got the size and style right on the first try! Once she started the tattoo, she checked in to make sure everything felt alright and talked to her throughout the process. The whole thing took less than an hour. Even though it wasn't the most elaborate or crazy tattoo, Vanae made us feel welcome and valued. Definitely a great experience for us! Read Less

I got a tattoo done by Vanae about a month ago and couldn't be happier. I walked in and since it was a small tattoo she was able to fit me in within the hour. The lines are super clean and she was really accommodating with small changes from the original drawing that I wanted. Thank you! Read Less

Saw Juan for a rib tattoo.  He was awesome, and fast.  He was about giving me breaks from the needle.  He Did a great job,  and was a super nice guy.  Great place to get a tattoo. It is very clean and staff is friendly (unlike a tattoo place down the street,  they Aztec like i was bothering them by walling in to their shop).  I highly recommend golden eagle. Read Less

Vanae hooked me up with the sickest tatt work today. Fixed two existing pieces and added gorgeous angel wings to my LA California tatt. She free handed them in minutes and started rolling with it. No tracing here. A real artist. Fantastic!!! Read Less

For my 30th birthday, I was visiting my old stomping grounds, Santa Barbara, and wanted to get a very simple Tattoo that I had thought about for a long time. I did some research and after reading all the fantastic reviews, decided to go with this shop.I have a few other pieces and thought this might be a simple enough tattoo and any artist (especially a 25+ year veteran) would be capable of handling it -- though I do understand that circles are not always the simplest. He was very confident that he would be able to achieve what I wanted.Everyone at the shop was kind and professional, very clean from what I could tell -- though being greeted by what seemed to be a "half baked" dude, not so heartwarming, we took it as part of the experience. Regardless, after spending $80 plus tip, and following all post care instructions by the artist, this is the end results after over a month. As you can see the open circle is sloppy, the ink bled through, and the lines are now blurred. Seems that he punctured the skin way too deep, resulting in breakage and leaks.Overall, very sad and disappointed. Have to eventually turn this into something else or remove completely bearing additional costs. Read Less

Super nice! Super friendly staff!! Would recommend to everyone looking to get any kind of piercing. Clean, lots of pieces of jewelry to choose from. Everyone that was seen before us was treated great and we're all satisfied. Read Less

Went in to get some color/basic details added to simple pieces I already had (from another place). Wanted to try out a shop here in town, close to where I live, and was not disappointed. John listened to my idea and gave his artistic advice, providing me with stellar customer service right off the bat. Everyone else there seemed just as cool; friendly people who take pride in their craft, making the shop atmosphere the perfect mix of fun (chatting, good music, etc.) and professional (clean, artists take time to explain to things, etc). I was very happy with the enhancements John did and my experience as a whole.  I highly suspect this is where I will be getting my next piece and I will certainly continue to recommend them to others. Read Less

Walked in here to purchases a stud for my nose after visiting other tattoo shops on State street with no luck. Went upstairs and found a very clean and organized jewelry set up. The piercing staff were so helpful and knowledgeable (unlike the others I visited). The guy helping me even put my new jewelry in for me. I will definitely go back to this shop for future piercing jobs and more jewelry. Read Less

Andrew and Riley are the shit.My fiancé and I had been talking about getting matching tattoos for a while now, so while vacationing in Santa Barbara we decided to go for it. We randomly walked into Golden Eagle and they were so helpful and accommodating from the get go. Andrew not only did a great job on our tattoos, he hung out and shot the shit with us like we were old friends. Everyone in there was super chill. I highly recommend these mofos.  Quality work, fair prices, good people. Read Less

I got my first tattoo here with Cory. I came in knowing exactly what I wanted and he designed it for me, exactly how I wanted it. The guys at the shop were really nice and they didn't even charge me extra for being whiny and scared out of my wits!My tattoo only took 25min and it looks amazing. I'll definitely be back for more. Read Less

I got 2 tattoos today from Johnny and he was incredible. Venae answered all my questions via email before coming in. Then when I got there Johnny and 2 other guys gave me great advice on what I wanted in terms what would look more aesthetically pleasing on the specific placements. I am incredibly pleased with my new tattoos on my once virgin skin! Low key obsessed now, might just come back in the future ;] Read Less

i work in a tattoo shop in arizona, but im originally from the mesa, in santa barbara. golden eagle is what inspired me to dive into this field of skin art, they rock. rockin art, rockin artists, a rockin shop, you cant beat them. got my first body piercing from them, they made me feel so comfortable, i hardly felt it. before i moved i saw their work walking down the street and can tell where it came from, its that good. i love this shop and its staff. Read Less