My girlfriend, her mom, and myself decided to get tattoos today, in the late afternoon. We did some quick searching and saw this place, and that it had great reviews. They were able to accommodate all 3 of us as walk ins and did a fabulous job. This was my gfs moms first tattoo, and Edgar did a really good job explaining everything and ensuring she understood the process and keeping her calm. For mine, he did a really good job listening to what I wanted and re-sized my stencil several times before placing it on my skin and getting started. For all of them, the lines are crisp and clean and it looks very high quality. I plan on returning for another tattoo, and I will absolutely go here again! The infinity sign and the other symbol were 70 each, and the flowers were 120. Read Less

Came here to get my knuckles tattooed by a traveling artist that was tattooing here I've been wanting to come here for sometime and I'm so glad I did. The shop is probably one of the cleanest shops I've been too everybody is really friendly and professional they are attentive as soon as you walk through the door. safe to say I finally found a tattoo shop I will be going to gotta love how close it is to downtown Raleigh. Read Less

I can't say enough good things about this shop. I came here to get my 2nd tattoo done as the reviews on Yelp were stellar. Edgar was so kind, patient, and precise in his work. Myself and my best friend got tattoos while we were there and the experience from start to finish was phenomenal. I would recommend anyone coming here for their ink. I'll be back for more! Read Less

I had an infinity tattoo on my ring finger that I wanted to get covered up. I called about 4 tattoo shops all told me that a cover up wouldn’t be possible! I was discouraged. One of the persons that denied me recommended me to Edgar at Authentic Tatto. He was super confident that it was possible! I sent him a pic of my finger and what I wanted he stayed on the phone and confidently reassured me. Professional, friendly and talented!!! Coming back for another piece of work!! Read Less

I absolutely recommend authentic tattoo- 5 stars. The atmosphere was incredible and the staff was all professional, easygoing, and talented. Today I got my first tattoo and my artist Edgar made the experience calm, easy and fabulous. Could not recommend Edgar and Authentic tattoo any more. 5 stars is not enough to say what a great experience I had, but I guess it will have to do. Read Less

I will definitely be back. My girlfriend and I went and got tattoos together and we had an amazing experience. Edgar is truly a genius. He did a great job on my crown and he took the diamond that my girlfriend wanted and turned it into something magical. Great environment and we felt comfortable the entire time.Read Less

Best shop in Raleigh hands down. Edgar is my go to guy but wouldn't hesitate to get work from Matt or Kris as well. Very friendly shop unlike others I've been to. Easy to work with a nice and fair price. Could not recommend this shop enough! So far I've been 6 different times and have not had one single complaint. Thank you guys for always being awesome! Read Less

I got a memorial tattoo for my brother just over a year ago. The font is all blurred together now and if you don't know what it said you can't read it anymore. I have 7 tattoos from different places, and none of them have done this. The artist put the letters too close together from the beginning. This tattoo is so special to me, I'm so sad to see it ruined. Read Less

I got a memorial tattoo for my brother a little over a year ago and the text has blurred together so badly that you can not read it unless you knew what it had said. I have 7 tattoos from different places, and none of those have done this. This tattoo was so special to me, and now it's ruined. It started blurring together soon after it healed, but it's really bad now, only a bit over a year later. It's way too new to be doing this. The artist made a bad call when he placed the text so close together and he made it so so thick.. Read Less

I was nervous because I been googling about tattoo cover ups and finding someone to take on the task of mine's was a bit harder than imagined. But then I found this gem downtown with my artist being Edgar. Not only did he walk me thru the process he was nothing but professional, courtesy and very easy going. I felt like I was in good hands and very grateful for the quality of work and artistry I get to display. Thank you again!! Highly highly recommend this place Read Less

Edgar is the man. He's insanely talented. He used a Sharpie to draw the design directly on my arm. He listened to what I wanted, was super chill, and checked in with me routinely to make sure I was comfortable. Everyone else in the shop was really nice and conversational. There were no diva attitudes. The shop is clean and well-lit. Definitely check them out. Read Less

Great place, great artists, great conversation, and excellent work. I have been going to see Kris Close now on for 3 sleeve sessions. All I can say is amazing work and I get compliments constantly. One more session and we should be done and I can't wait to see the finished product. Read Less

Matt and the authentic tattoo team are phenomenal artists. I can speak to Matt's attention to detail- this guy really cares about his craft and his clients. I'm so pleased with the work. The shop is welcoming and clean. Read Less

This place is bright, clean and friendly. While my son was getting a gorgeous gypsy girl from Kris, I got a quick cicada tattoo from Donovan. They both do amazing work and I would highly recommend Authentic Tattoo to anyone.Read Less

While my son was getting his first tattoo, I decided to get a quick tattoo. Donovan did a great job designing and executing it, and I'm really happy with it. Kris is doing an amazing gypsy girl for my son, and really took the time to carefully design it and work with him beforehand. Read Less

Great shop - just got a tattoo from here in November from Matt. Far exceeded my expectations. All the artists in the shop are super nice and friendly. Matt's work is superior. When im ready for my next tattoo, I will be returning! Read Less

All I can say is "WOW"! Even in a Hurricane didn't dampen my day at Authentic. I was fortunate enough to have an appointment this weekend with Edgar who was a guest artist while he is in transition. I've had a lot of tattoo experiences and I can say this was by far the best. This Saturday I fulfilled a lifelong goal of getting a matching tattoo with my badass Grandma. The shop was clean, bright and friendly. Our artist Edgar was collaborative and immensely helpful to my Gra...ndma (a tattoo newby). He was extremely communicative and understanding about delays we had (caused by the Hurricane). He messaged me personally and offered to reschedule so that we didn't have to travel because he was concerned about our safety. He made last minute design changes with my Grandmothers' tattoo; and most importantly, He was an all around awesome guy and made what is otherwise a "painful" experience extremely enjoyable with his dynamic personality. Thank you Authentic for having us in your shop. Thank you Edgar for being one of the best artists I have every worked with. You have a repeat customer in me for sure! See More Read Less

Authentic is really the only place to get tattooed in Raleigh, in my opinion. Matt Mebane has done several of my husband's tattoos and they've all turned out beautifully. I've gotten two from Kristen Close so far and I'm always more excited about the tattoo AFTER its finished because she does such amazing work. The artists are friendly and the prices are reasonable. Of course the shop is clean and neat. If you check out the Facebooks and Instagrams of the artists you'll quickly see that their portfolios are much better than other shops in the area. My husband and I always have a great experience here and we'll definitely be coming back for all of our future tattoos. Read Less

AMAZING! I can't say enough great things about this place :) I have gotten 2 custom tattoos from Kristen Close so far, and I have an appointment on the books for Matt to do some work for me as well! The staff is very friendly and helpful. Read Less

Kris at Authentic Tattoo Co does all my tattoos, my sister and my mom We have been clients of hers for almost 10 years. She is the best artist I know in her field. She is talented in both color and black and gray! My favorite thing about Kris is that she is fast while at the same time being very detailed and precise. Now that Kris has mover I follow where she goes. My family members drive over 3 hours from VA to have Kris do tattoos for them. Read Less

I'm ready for my next two pieces as soon as my time allows. Same review shared to Google. I am a client of Kristen Close. I've been tattooed by her 2x at a previous shop in Durham and once at Authentic Tattoo. Kristen is an excellent artist with the capability to transform what is in my brain to paper and ultimately to my skin. She is realistic, fair, thoughtful, and direct. She creates an amazing end product that I am proud to wear.Read Less

Kris is AWESOME!! I have four custom tattoos from her so far. I moved out of town recently, but made a point of scheduling in a new tatt with her when I was back in town visiting. She does a fantastic job of sketching up whatever ideas I come in with and working with me to come up with the best location and composition. I love that her style is BRIGHT, with crisp clean lines. My oldest piece from her is about five years old now and it looks as good as new. The shop is clean, friendly, and comfortable. Best place in the triangle! Read Less

Kris is the best! I've gotten two tattoos from her in the last few months, and plan on many more. Both were original ideas she drew up for me, and she completely delivered. She's also very friendly, which makes it a comfortable experience the whole way through. Read Less