Recently moved back to the area and was a bit hesitant in finding a new artist but I trusted the process and thankful to find Gabe. He took his time in making me feel comfortable in his studio and really worked with me to make sure I got what I wanted. To be honest, I was just expecting basic but he really showed off his skills and I was amazed with what he did. Definitely going back and highly recommend Gabe and 831 Ink! read more

Highly recommend! My artist @inkfreaktattoos was beyond expectations. He clearly explained his art fee (of course we must pay for their time) and created a piece that perfectly captured what I was looking for. During my two 5-hour sessions, he always ensured I was comfortable, not too hot or too cold, and took breaks when I needed to stretch. Beyond stellar customer service throughout the two sessions. I will be coming back to this shop and definitely this artist. You don't find stable artists with such eye for design, color and shading like this easily! Thank you 831 Ink and @inkfreaktattoos!! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Finished product! - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

Junior was a great artist! So nice and great to work with !! Can't wait to get another tattoo! read more

If I could give this place 10 stars I would, Junior was very professional and the knowledge he has about art is incredible. He was very honest about his pricing and takes time in his art drawings which is where the deposit goes to since it takes hours of drawing and research, he puts into it. I highly recommend going to him if you want a great artist, you won't be disappointed. read more

Gabe is awesome! He's a very chill guy that makes you instantly feel at ease. He listened to my ideas, asked great questions to make sure he understood what I wanted, then drew it up exactly as I had envisioned it. I'm super happy with my tattoo. I will be returning for many more. read more

Wish I could give this place more than 5 stars!!! Junior was amazing and snuck us in last minute to give a very meaningful tattoo to my son! Sometimes u just need someone to be nice and caring...we found that with Junior! Thank u kind sir! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

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They do great work, but over charge you. They kept my deposit and didn't apply it to the tattoo and when I asked about it, said "we can just apply it to tour next tattoo". Seemed to care more about money and telling me "make sure you tip". What should have been a $300 tattoo (for 2 hours) ended up costing me double that. The work was descent. but the customer service was weak. Enjoy the $75 tip I gave you and my $60 deposit jerk read more

Nina is the girl! She was so communicative and responded quickly. I loved her vibe and my friend and I genuinely enjoyed chatting with her while she tattooed us. We went in to get matching flower tattoos with our birth flowers and she took the time to listen to us and gave us advice and her input to make sure our vision was exactly what we were getting. My friend and I highly recommend Nina and this shop. read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - May and December month flowers - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

Got an amazing micro tattoo from one of the artists here (Junior), he was super cooperative as we worked out a design over text and in person, hes pretty nice and calm (which did wonders for my anxiety). Amazing detail and work in quick time. The shop is clean and neat, minimalist decorations and nice white brick walls. read more

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Love all my work done by Junior. I am always happy with the results of my tatoos and the quality of experience I have received. The shop is impressively clean and maintains high standards of sanitation adding to the overall positive experience. I highly recommend Junior and this studio for their expertise and top notch service! read more

I reached out to 831 ink tattoo studio for a tattoo for a first timer and Gabe responded very quickly. It was after the initial response that he failed to get back to me. I waited for him to let me know the cost and date when My niece could get tattooed. I'm still waiting for him to get back to me, I reached out at the end of June beginning if July. Needless to say we went somewhere else. Very disappointed. read more

I got my first tattoo from Gabe to honor my son. Prior to the tattoo I had reached out to Gabe to get the appointment set up and let him know what I wanted, a shark swimming around an anchor on my chest. On the day of my tattoo I went into the studio not having seen the design and was blown away by how amazing it was. Gabe got to work and really put my mind at ease with good conversation and movies playing in the background. I was completely comfortable throughout the process and he made sure to check in with me frequently. I absolutely love my new ink and already plan on going back for more once I know what I want and work with Gabe to plan it out! Highly recommend 831Ink and Gabe in particular!! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Tattoo all healed up! - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

I popped in on Feb 11, 2019 to get a tribute "trinket" tattoo (broken heart) as it was the 1 year anniversary of the death of my beloved dog "Diva." Let me start off by mentioning I am covered in ink, primarily by 2 artists. I am VERY picky, and I can proudly say I don't have ANY bad ink (and I plan on keeping it that way.) I was hesitant to go anywhere else but I really was struggling emotionally on this day, missing my best friend, so I decided to try 831 Ink out. Josh was my artist. The shop is clean and organized. The artists are friendly and polite. Josh was up front about the spot I selected... "the ditch" as it's called, explaining that it's a sensitive area. I laughed and said not to worry, and we got started. Josh has a nice light hand, and yet the ink has excellent saturation. The skin was not traumatized, hardly swelled (which is surprising for "the ditch" and healed nicely. Thank you Josh for the "broken heart" tattoo and for helping me through a rough day. read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Broken heart tattoo by Josh @831Ink in Monterey for my beloved "Diva" who was done by Matt @HoldFastTattoo in RWC. - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

This place was awesome from the beginning! Gabe made time for my walk-in tattoo even though he was super busy, he made what I wanted a reality. We began by talking about what I had in mind, he gave me honest feedback and had the sketch up quickly. He used his own creativity to make a few changes to the detail and I LOVED those changes! He made me feel super comfortable with his professionalism, sense of humor and expertise. When it came time for the tattoo, the area was extremely clean and sterile, the environment was chill so I wasn't nervous at all, and he has newer tattoo machines that are much quieter, less abrasive and cuts the healing time in half. Honestly, I was sad to go because it was such a great experience! My girlfriend made an appointment for her first tattoo there and i plan to get a few more pieces done at 831 Ink with Gabe within the next year. If you are in the area looking for ink, hit up Gabe at 831 Ink for sure! No need to go anywhere else. read more

So I turned 21 on Valentine's Day and I decided it was time for me to get my first tattoo, after prolonging it forever. I was in Monterey only for a few days, when I happened to see the 831ink shop, and it was the first shop I had ever walked into to inquire about a tattoo, thinking it was just gonna be a price quote. But Gabe, the owner, was super cool worked with me to get exactly what I wanted. The price was very reasonable and he took his time on it, even though we had started an hour before the shop was supposed to close for the evening. He managed to take a picture off my cellphone and turn it into an awesome first tattoo. I'm giving them 5 stars for the awesome environment and music, the cooperation and customer service of Gabe, and the awesome end result of my tattoo. read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

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I've had a few tattoo artists do my tats but Gabe (by far) has been the best one! I showed him what I wanted but he was honest & let me know it was common. So we worked together & he let me work on my design to make it more personal. I wanted a tribal but he noticed it was a Polynesian one. Well, I'm Filipino so he asked me if I wanted to explore own culture's tribal... we did. Couldn't be happier w/ how my tat turned out. Not only does it look awesome, it has so much personal meaning for me. I got so many compliments on my new tat that now I have a bunch of friends wanting to go through Gabe. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Gabe! Already thinking of my next 2 tats! read more

Should I have read the other reviews better. Junior was rude from the beginning as I was trying to schedule an appointment to get a tattoo in Monterey. Besides that scheduling the appointment was difficult and turned out to be 1hr later, the guy clearly doesn't give a f*** about the tattoo. I sent a screenshot of something I wanted and asked for a tattoo similar to it asking for something "along these lines" he said he would do some drawing. Nothing, he just printed it out on a piece of paper much bigger than I requested (can't do small tattoos apparently) and put some huge writing in it. Looked pretty bad, guy didn't give a fuck, left and lost the deposit. Horrible experience, avoid this place. read more

Gabe is great! My mom and I came in while on vacation for my birthday. I'd had prior contact with Gabe to plan out our tattoos, which are shown below. First of all, Gabe's shop is beautiful. It has a very sleek vibe and is very clean. I got my ink done first and while it felt like what you'd expect from a tattoo, the pain lessens as time goes on and Gabe is great conversation to help distract you. Both our tattoos were done in about an hour. I have a larger, more detailed tattoo representing my son and I that I would like Gabe to place in the future. My son's name is also Gabriel so tha5 influenced my choice as well. Great artist and great shop. Highly recommended. read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Mother-Daughter tattoos on my birthday!! Thank you, Gabe!! - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

Gabe was the best! He fit me in within a week of me asking for my new tattoo. He was very nice and professional. The shop is nice and very clean. Gave designed my tattoo and it came out better then I expected. He knew just what I wanted and it looks amazing! I'm so happy with it. I'd recommend him to anyone. Thank you again! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - My new tattoo by Gabe - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

The guy that answers the phone is rude as fuck. I asked if he had any appointments open either today or tomorrow and he just said "nope" without trying to help me schedule a time. Dont waste your time!!! read more

Gabe killed a large black and gray piece for me with clean line work, excellent shading, and light handed. It turned out better than I could have imagined. I highly recommend 831 Ink tatoo studio. read more

Gabe is a class-act!!! Straight up fixed my average Cali state outline into a work of art. Bixby bridge Cali poppies and the Golden Gate Bridge for my Warriors. Not to mention the Iron symbol. Couldn't be happier! Gabe takes time to get to know you and to add that personal touch. Highly recommended by this guy for sure. Now the question is what to get next. read more

josh is awesome! he fit my mom and i in for a last minute matching tattoo. he was really good at listening to our criticisms and redesigning the tattoo to out liking, as well as being very informative about his process, etc. not only was he great at designing it and doing the tattoo, but he was very accommodating and nice to us and my aunt. i dont even live in monterey but im definitely planning on coming back for my next one! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

I came to Gabe to have him fill in around some work from another local shop. Gabe was really good at taking my concept and bringing it out. His actual skill with the needle is exceptional as well. Good energy all the way around. read more

Exactly one year ago today I got my kids' zodiac signs intertwined together and tattooed by Gabe. He did a phenomenal job and actually exceeded my expectations of how it would turn out. He worked with me on exactly what I wanted and didn't mind changing things around for me sketch after sketch. Then 7 months later I went back to him to get more work done on a Filipino sun with a tribal flower blend. Again- LOVE LOVE LOVE the work he did!!! I already have an idea on my next tat I want to bring up to him! You won't be disappointed! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Filipino sun with tribal flower - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

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Came in as a walk in after contacting many other shops who were in willing to accept a walk in with no spot. Waited for him to finish his client and ended up with a kick ass tattoo!!! I posted the pic on their Yelp page so u can see for yourself. I'm taking my 18 year old to him next week. read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - First of many tattoos I will get from Marcos at 831 Ink. - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

Gabe did a tattoo on me and my sister in law in March and it's beautiful. Considering it was my first tattoo he made me feel calm and at ease. I definitely recommend going to see him for a tattoo especially if it's your first tattoo. I can't wait to go back and get another one in a few months. read more

Gabe was awesome! I went in knowing exactly what I wanted but as I saw it coming together, I would blurt out things that I liked or didn't like and he'd run with it! I'm super stoked about the itty-bitty piece he gave me. I've had sub-par service at other shops in the area but I think I've found the perfect fit in Gabe being my go to for all future ink! read more

Marcos has now done 3 tattoos for me and they are absolutely amazing. Everyone in the shop is friendly and talented. I will defiantly continue to get my ink done here. It might be a new shop but the talent that Marcos, Gabe and Daniel put out speaks for itself. read more

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Gabe did an awesome job on my Tat. He was busy, but he took his time to draw out what I wanted before we got it done. So happy and he made what I wanted come alive on my back. He's so good, my boyfriend and I will be going back. I should say Gabe was recommended because my boyfriend got a tat from him before he set up the shop. Can't wait to get my next one done!! read more

Gabe is an incredible artist and really knows what he's doing. He knows how to run a business professionally. He isn't flakey or irresponsible like many other artists I've encountered. And his art speaks for itself. I've gotten pieces from about five other artists and his work is by far my favorite. I do not plan to go to any other artist in the future. I would recommend Gabe to anyone and everyone. I can't wait for my next tattoo at 831 Ink! read more

Such a great little studio tucked away on lighthouse. I went in for a Friday the 13th special and Gabe was kind enough to squeeze me in after just a half of hour milling around. Tyson was nice to chat with too, and as an artist AND a blonde chick it was refreshing to not be talked down to when chatting about the art and decor and his tattoo portfolio. Gabe tattooed my own tiny flash on me in like 20 minutes - so quick and so clean!! The tattoo healed up so quickly, I forget it's even there. I will definitely be bringing anymore linework to Gabe for sure Super professional, super clean work, and a family man too! Congrats on the new baby! read more

We were on the plane coming here for vacation and It finally hit me what I wanted for my first tattoo. Tried to go to a different place and they were closed so I asked the business next door for a recommendation. She sent me here. Called and Josh said he could get me in the next day. He was so professional and the shop is very clean. I was a nervous wreck and he was so patient and helpful. And his work is beautiful. I'm in love with my tattoo. It's even better than what I was hoping for. Some things happen for a reason, and finding this tattoo shop was one of them. Thanks so much Josh!! You're the best! read more

Gabe was outstanding. He took my ideas and made them better than I ever could have imagined. The shop was. I've and clean and he made feel comfortable throughout the whole process. We was knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. He talked to throughout my tattoo to keep me calm and I LOVE them so much. I definitely recommend and will go back for my next one! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

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Best Tattoo experience! Went with my two sister in laws to get my first piece and im so glad we chose 831 ink, thank you Gabe for the great art work, we Loved it! Great atmosphere and vibe! read more

831 INK Tattoo Studio - Thanks Gabe! - Tattoo Near Me - Monterey, California

AWESOME experience with Josh at 831 Ink and very happy with the work. My wife and I love to visit Monterey every year for our Anniversary, so Monterey is a very special place with a lot of sentimental value to us both. My wife and I were interested in getting a simple and matching Lone Cypress Tree piece which to us represents Monterey to the fullest. We were greeted upon arrival and had the pleasure of working with Josh. He not only gave us his undivided attention while we explained what we wanted, he also made the effort to sketch it up and get right to work on the spot. Josh is a very cool, fun and down to earth person that made our experience comfortable, which really helps when you're under the needle. We must have been there for over 4 hours between the both of us, yet the time flew by thanks to great conversation and a great time. It was an honor to have a very special piece done at such a cool shop representing a town that we love. I've worked in customer service my whole life so I can say that I appreciate a great experience and my expectations were exceeded. Although we really only interacted with Josh, all the guys at 831 seemed like awesome people, engaging very personally with their clients, and all the clients seemed to leave very happy. If you're ever in Monterey and in need of some ink and a great experience, go see the Gents at 831 Ink for sure read more

Gabe the owner does such an amazing job!! I highly reccommend this tattoo shop over any other shop in the area. Many people I know get tattooed by Gabe and they cant say enough about him! Very clean shop and feel at home when you walk in. Whether you know what you want or have no idea, Gabes got your back! read more

Josh and gabe at 831 are two amazing artists. They both were super willing to help me out and josh just went above and beyond. They don't just try and put anything on your body. They really find out about you and cater your tattoo to what you want to express. I went to josh for my first tattoo, and have been back for my second and scheduled my third with him. His artwork is amazing no doubt...but he really and truly cares about what he is doing. If you are ever on the fence about your tattoo. Come here. Josh is so legit and has the artwork to prove it. Will never go anywhere else. read more