Went here to meet with the traveling artist Shawn for a split tongue. Super professional and super easy and quick. Took less than thirty minutes and I was on my way. The entire time he was super respectful and super attentive to both me and my partners questions. The shop itself is a little small and you may need an appointment well ahead of time to get in, only one person being aloud to be there with you due to the size, which is understandable. All in all, I'd recommend him for mods if you're in the market. read more

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One of my cartilage piercings fell out and needed to be replaced while I was on vacation. Ronnie noted that the earrings in my other piercings were far too tight. He recommended I replace all three of them, so I did! He was so professional and kind, and really took his time to ensure everything looked just right. He rearranged them a couple of times and I felt like this guy was an artist! Ronnie seemed to value that I was pleased with the results, and I was! I came in later on a Friday night and the shop was quiet, but I felt very comfortable there. read more

Ace Tattoo - I love the earrings that Ronnie recommended to replace what I had previously! - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Don't bother to go there , Ron is very rude and loud yelling at the artist working there awful experience and the music is loud exploding your ears read more

Definitely the best place to get a tattoo and Piercing in San Diego the oldest shop established in 1947 Chris,Lorenzo, Nico, and RoRo are amazing people and rad artist do yourself a favor go get yourself a tattoo and a piercing read more

One of my wife's tattoos (her favorite) was inked here more than a decade ago. But unlike her beauty, the crimson apple on her wrist had faded a bit over the years. Time for a tune-up...or whatever you call a tattoo re-do! Her tattoo artist, a consummate professional who does utterly fantastic work (she caught his name, but I've already forgotten it) took one look at the original design, and went to work, listening to her request (she wanted it outlined, but not with black ink) and giving her exactly what she wanted. Colors were blended, lines were enhanced, and degrees of shading were applied, with all the precision and artistry of a painter applying his craft to canvas. The end result was simply phenomenal, and my wife couldn't have been happier, and the whole process only took 30 minutes! It seems fitting that her tattoo was given new life in the same place where it was born, thousands of miles from where she now calls home. Ten years or more from now, when its time to touch things up again, I expect we'll be back to Ace Tattoo once more, because I don't think any other parlor or studio will do! read more

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Staying in San Diego for the weekend and decided to try this place out. We were taken immediately as a walk in and Tanner did amazing work for both of us. Great line work, Understood both of our visions and we are very pleased! Would recommend read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great place to be tattooed. Close to the beach and lots of sun and fun Go there with your idea or let them draw something up for you. Bring cash and go for it read more

BEST SHOP IN SAN DIEGO !!!!!' Good vibes all day and all night at this shop ! Sick artist with good attitudes . The view is amazing! read more

My original review was 3 stars. I bumped it up to 4 because the tattoo artist who gave me a bad experience is no longer there so the shop must be better off. So why did the tattoo artist leave a bad impression?... Well 1-he did bad work. And 2-just see for yourself.... I added a picture of the words he sent me in a message, VERBATIM: "I don't work at that shop so your review means sh*t to me." And last update... This guy might decide your tattoo is "lame" then proceed to put his poor work on his own Instagram page - where he will RIDICULE YOUR CHOICE OF BODY ART. See the last picture = he now works @ Heart In Hand Tattoo in Pacific Beach where a simple tattoo might end up a massive fail and tattoo regret. read more

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@porterhousetattoos1502 Mark Porter is the man!!! Tattoo artist by day and Preacher by night! Sounds like a super hero story! He's got amazingly crisp line work, and moves quick and efficiently through his artwork! I have been getting tattooed for about 20 years now, and he has the softest touch-- and he is fun to chat with while getting worked on! He's got me as a customer for the rest of my life! Btw he can do outstanding coverup work... One of the best Artist I know! read more

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It's a must to go here!!!! Best place ever to get a tattoo! Dominic did great job on making me feeling comfortable throughout my session. This was my first tattoo and I'm really happy that we found this place. read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

I went and saw Julian for this little banger! He brought my simple vision to life! Great customer service, great energy, and great artistic ability. He is very open and honest which is exactly what I'd hope for in a tattoo artist. He also was very open to any changes in the sketch and wanted to make sure the tattoo was exactly what I wanted. He is awesome! I highly recommend him! read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Jose was awesome, super professional and precise with his work. Really happy with how it came out, exactly what I wanted

Great Place! Came here with my girlfriend to get two pieces done and it was absolutely incredible. The people there were great and their work was amazing! Not to mention the actual shop itself was stunning. Tons of light, and it felt very warm. overall a great experience! would recommend to everyone read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

160 for a small tattoo of a four letter word .... I know it's inside my lip but stilll. The tattoo wasn't done dark enough so it's gonna have to be redone .. aslo when we book the appointment the artist said it was 160 minimum but he said my sisters tattoo was so small that I could get one and just pay for time . They did not do that . We spent 350 between the 2 of us and got tattoos that were Mabye 50 bucks a piece . Don't go here . High prices and low quality work . And entitled read more

I had an excellent experience here! I was in town recently for a bachelorette trip and a few girls had suggested getting tattoos. On our last day walking back from the beach, some of the girls stepped in and talked to an artist who said that he would be more than willing to take 4-6 walk ins on a last min for some tattoos. A few hours later we walked in and experienced great customer service. I was the first one to go, and my artists name was Cris! I decided to get the All Seeing Eye, AKA, The Illuminati tattooed on my wrist. He did an amazing job! I've received so many compliments on it thus far. He did not press too hard while tatting me, and it's actually healing better than any of my other ones previously. The entire process from showing him what I wanted, to tattooing, to paying took no more than an hour. Also, some tattoo locations are real sticklers about no drinking prior to coming in, let's just say these guys aren't they. I would definitely come back here if given the opportunity again. Cris was excellent. We got along really well and he had an excellent personality. I would highly recommended him. read more

Ace Tattoo - All Seeing Eye AKA Illuminati done by Cris! - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

These guys are the best. That stand behind their work and will figure out solutions no matter what. 10/10 recommend! read more

I was recently on vacation in San Diego and wanted to get some dancing bear tattoos to celebrate my trip. I walked into Ace randomly to scope it out, honestly mostly because the storefront is basically beachfront. The shop itself was clean, the artists friendly and the music was great. The windows were all open and you see and smell the ocean from the shop. Great start I was greeted by Matt. I wanted 3 unique designs all with the same theme. Matt listened patiently, took notes and seemed very eager to tackle my project. We agreed he would sketch that night and we would meet the next morning. We also agreed to a price that thought was VERY fair, especially for Southern Cal. That evening Matt and I messaged back and forth as he worked on my designs. Not only did he enthusiastically agree to some changes I asked for, he took a few of my ideas and added some creative and well thought out touches of his own as well. All of which I agreed to and loved. During the tattoo process, Matt was awesome. He was so detail oriented, yet quick. I had concert tickets that night so i was on a hard deadline, and Matt finished just in time, while still nailing every detail and color. He was very helpful in getting all 3 of my different pieces to fit together harmoniously. His artwork and attention to detail were incredible. It was very obvious to me he had spent a lot of time on my design. He was easy to talk to and super chill. Bottom line this shop is amazing and Matt is the man. Incredible experience read more

Coming from Vegas and a tattoo regular I wasn't sure what to expect so close to the ocean. Dominic did mine and a friends lighthouse tattoos. We get something in every new state we travel together. He drew it up on the spot, tattooed us both and it was only $100! It was a great price, he was sweet and easy to talk to. Lots of conversation, he gave advice on places to go while we're here in San Diego. My only complaint is they need an air conditioning unit, even in the window. Being that close to the ocean and summer it was a bit hot. Go see this shop for all your tattoo wants. I would highly recommend it, even the other artist was fun and talkative while he was tattooing his client. read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Warning, Do Not use Julian Louis Spaan at Ace Tattoo. He will take your money and No show repeatedly on you. He will ask for a deposit and then you get nothing. No tattoo no excuse nothing. Stay away from this con man. read more

Jose was awesome I love my tat. It's exactly what I wanted and the price was as expected, but I'm mostly reviewing because my tattoo didn't hurt to get and doesn't hurt now, after the fact. He told me he has the most gentle touch in San Diego and he was right. I don't live here but I'm likely to fly back for my next tattoo! Thanks Jose! read more

Hands down best place to get a tattoo. I got 2 there and my husband got one and Gary was awesome. He draws free hand and the tattoos I had been planning for years came out better than expected. read more

Horrible customer service. I have many visible tattoos but was treated rudely. I always take care of my artists and it was insulting to be treated so badly. read more

Dominic and the whole staff here are awesome. Dominic has some serious skills and a style of lettering you can't find anywhere else. Cool location on the beach, keep it local! read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Come to ace for a customized tattoo. Highly recommended! Gary can draw anything! I love the piece of art he created on me. He even went out of his way to call me that night to tell me he needed to do more that something was missing. He made time for me the next day. Thank you Gary for making it even better than it was. I get so many compliments on my tattoo everyone stops me to ask me who did that. I proudly tell them Gary the owner from Ace Tattoo. He is one of the best. He free hands and that is what you want in a true artist. read more

I can't speak for their tattooing because I've never gotten work done there... but I did go up because of the reviews on Yelp so look at some portfolios to finish up my sleeves. The studio was very open, very crowded and very cramped. What stood out to me and made me turn around and leave was the very loud and open discussion of price gouging customers - even in the same sentence of 'his mom and his sister got their tattoos from you, so he wants one from you too' and short rant about how the tattoo "isn't my style, its not what i DO" and then talking about how you are going to charge him "up the ass" for it, followed by laughter from everyone else. Thats about when I decided to leave. There is a fine line between being professional and being a dick. It would be just as easy to refer him to someone else for the work, rather than complain about someone wanting work from you because of family loyalty and be very proud of how you are going to charge him far too much. I have a lot of work done but never ever would I get work done in a shop where that kind of attitude towards customers occurs - in front of a full shop of potential customers, none the less! Not only do I like being tattooed but I like being tattooed by respectful people. read more

Yeah, had kinda a shitty tattoo here. I paid $85 (rip off!) for cherries on the inside of my hip... of course it's a tiny tat. It bled sooooo bad, and the lines were anything but even... when returning to the bay area my artist friend was mostly upset at how "careless, and un-skilled" the guy must have been since his needle I guess was sloppy... my cherry stems are thin and thick and kinda blobby looking. It's hard to explain but it wasn't worth $85.... read more

I'm newer to San Diego and have been looking for a place to get tattooed for a while. I walk past all of the tattoo shops on Newport everyday but haven't gotten too good of a vibe. I asked around and heard really good things about Ace. So this afternoon I called and made an appointment with Dominick. I came in (by myself) which I've never done and everyone as super welcoming and nice. Dominick free handed some beautiful script for my knees. He was amazing. Took his time and continued to make sure I was comfortable. I've already made plans to come back and get more work done by him. So in a nutshell if you're in the neighborhood or not anywhere near the neighborhood I recommend this place. I can only attest for Dominick and he was rad. read more

I got my tattoo re-colored here and my cousin got her first. It looks great (and so does hers). The owner, I can't remember his name - older guy, dark hair - anyhoo, he's great, really helpful, gives honest feedback. He did both of ours. Cool guy. It's unlikely I'll get another tattoo, but if I did, I'd go back to Ace!! read more

I wish I could give a better review, but since I'm basing my opinion on the 1 tattoo I got from this shop.... Let me start by saying I have many tattoos, some big, some small. I've been to many artists, some heavy handed, some light handed, some in the middle. I have tats on both arms, both legs, back and neck. I certainly know how to care for a healing tattoo (no scratching or otherwise disturbing the skin, keep it clean, etc). I got a smallish souvenir tattoo almost 3 months ago, I'm pretty certain that my artist was Brian. The artist was very heavy handed, said he wanted to make sure my lines were nice and bold. It looked great when he bandaged it, but I noticed what appeared to be bruising when I cleaned it a few hours later. I'm pale, and he was pretty heavy handed, so I wasn't worried about some bruising. The problem is, this is not bruising, it's blowout. The tattoo looks pretty much the same now as it did when I took the bandage off. I love the design of my tattoo, but the blowout is ridiculous. I've never had this happen to me before. I'm annoyed and sad every time I see my permanent "bruise" and know it's never going to go away. read more

Ace Tattoo - my first tattoo blowout, bummer - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

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Forrest did (18) 2-inch x 1cm lines of I Ching on my left and right biceps for me and 6 months later they're pretty good. My tattoos really aren't difficult, but he charged me a fair price and was a cool guy to talk to for a couple of hours. read more

I got a tattoo here about 6 years ago. I looked at every portfolio in PB and Mission before I went to Ace. I was looking for a specific style, Japanese Traditional, with some black and gray shading with red highlights. I saw Khalil's portfolio and found exactly what I was looking for. I got a short sleeve on my right arm and it came out perfect, healed great, the lines are very clean. Last I heard Khalil moved to San Fran, but I have a friend that has had a lot of work done by Droopy at Ace and he does great work too. It has been 6 years and my work still looks very clean, I don't even put sunscreen on it either. If you are going to get work here, have lunch at South Beach across the street before or after to make it a great day. read more

These guys are good. And they're right at the beach. So, you can have a tat while gazing out at the setting sun over OB Pier. Pretty sweet. Not too many tat shops can say that. Tats with a view! I've had a couple of tattoos done here by local artist Guf. He's a great guy. Very cool. Very talented. Very knowledgable. He was originally an illustrator before getting into tattooing, so he has a great eye for composition. The owner and the rest of the artists are also really cool. All very good. This is one of the oldest shops in San Diego. It's been here since World War II. And the current owner has owned it since the 70s. read more

So the place is a lot smaller than I would have imagined from all the yelp comments, however that is not where things went wrong. I wanted a couple of pieces looked at to see what they could do with it. I was informed that my body was their canvas. Great, I appreciate great artists, but I had a couple of pretty easy yet specific designs I wanted done yet he wasn't sure how they would turn out. Not something I want permanently on my body. Then the quote, I am all about paying a price for great work, but when a) you're not willing to tattoo what I want (because my body is YOUR canvas) and b) you think just because this place is in San Diego the price should be higher? Are you kidding me? I have tattoos from all around the world and a great tattoo is worth the price, but not just because of the location. Thanks but no thanks Ace Tattoo. read more

I wanted to check Ace Tattoo out when I was at Ocean Beach with some friends and my sister offered to pay for a family name tattoo that I'd been talking about getting for a long time. Long story short: the guys behind the counter were dicks. I was just going to get a simple name tattood on my arm, but when I asked one guy to sketch it out for me, he told me he would only do it if I guaranteed him I was going to go through with the tattoo. Basically he didn't want to "waste his time" sketching a name out for me if I wasn't guaranteeing him any money. I went outside to talk to my friends about it and the other tattoo artist called me in and gave me a speech about how other tattoo artists will go online and copy fonts, but they didn't do that and that made them better (which I actually agree with). However I didn't like being treated like some little school girl who was lucky they even let me through the doors. The only positive thing I can say is that they were very confident in their work. One of them guaranteed me I would be happy with what he did. Of course I didn't get the tattoo so who knows if they really are that good or if they're just another couple of arrogant douch bags who are too big for their own britches. Bottom line is, if you get referred or have a personal relationship with any of the artists here, it seems like they'd do a good job. If you're looking for some customer service and a feeling that you're safe and being taken care of, go someplace farther from the beach. read more

Dominick was amazing! He was super communicative, made sure I felt comfortable throughout the session (as it was my first tat), & his work is so clean !! My tat came out exactly as I imagined and I couldn't be happier. Thank you so much! read more

At first glance this place looks intimidating but just stick around if you're serious about getting a tattoo. I came here after hearing about it through a friend and I'm glad I did. I went to Gary and talked about what I wanted and he was full of ideas and is just creative beyond belief, he is truly talented. I am VERY happy with the work I've gotten and will always go back. I got a sleeve done over a 13 month time period and was amazed every time I walked out of there. I highly recommend this place. read more

Gary just did the most awesome cover up tattoo ever for me! I'm so stoked about it. He is the best tattoo artist I've come across, EVER! Plus, the shop is very clean and all the folks are super friendly! Thanks Gary! read more

I am thrilled with my new ink from Quinn. He is colllaborative about the design and had great ideas. I'm really happy with his interpretation and artwork. And he was super nice and fun to work with. He's also a total fox, which doesn't hurt. The shop environment is friendly and mellow (ps I'm a soccer mom type and was totally comfortable). I'm from out of town but would definitely return if here. And Quinn offered free touch ups if necessary. Love my ink. Totally recommend. read more

Ace Tattoo - Oak leaf by Quinn. - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

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Okay, I am a little bit slow and it didn't even dawn on me to leave a review! Doh! But after going here for a one tattoo, a second, a third and forth, I feel this is warranted! I always go back to Steve! Every tattoo received is everything I wanted and I am planning my next visit! I am a satisfied customer with the quality of work and price/cost. I am very comfortable at this establishment. My second tattoo on my right back leg I was blown away! I walked in at 5pm with my artwork in my hand. Steve and I spent about 5 mins discussing it, then he drew it on my leg FREE HAND and no stencil, then applied the ink! I walked out the door 59 mins later! Crazy, I thought I was gonna be there for a few hours! You rock Steve! We shall see you again, soon I hope! read more

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