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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It's my birthday, I'm on a business trip and I am dying to get ink. I had a few ideas but couldn't find a place that I liked. We just so happen to roll up to Ace Tattoo after scouting around the area, and instantly I knew I walked into the right place. Proper Paul immediately sketched out the anchor I wanted and did a fantastic job. So glad we went in there, so glad I got a great gift of ink for my birthday! read more

Ace Tattoo - So happy with my tat! Happy birthday to me! - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm visiting OB with my son. My hotel happens to be around then corner from ACE Tattoo. I have many years worth of ink on my body, all of which have been planned out and never done on a whim. Until tonight. I got a good vibe from the shop and then especially from Quinn, who ended up doing a small but very meaningful piece on my arm admits all the other pieces. He did an amazing job, and I got something better than what I had envisioned. On top of all that, he's just a super cool guy, with a very soft touch. I am sooooooo stoked and highly recommend this place. Thank you Quinn...until next time. "Built to Last" kimia read more

Wanted a tattoo last minute and called and talked to Cris, he was very helpful and polite. I came in as a walk in and he got me in and out within an hour (very small tattoo). The shop is very clean and had good vibes all around. All the guys were friendly and polite, it's a great environment. I definitely recommend coming to Ace and Cris was a great artist! read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Walked in without an appointment and Quinn was very quick to assist me. I told him what I wanted and he had it drawn up within 15 minutes. Very sweet guy who made me feel very comfortable and worked in a timely manner. Definitely will be visiting him again! read more

Ace Tattoo - Family First with the rose above done by Quinn - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

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Waited tell my tat healed before I posted. But spur if moment tat for my chick n I. Prices were decent plus tipped out pretty good. Also met Gary to do future work on possible coverup. Everyone was very professional n friendly read more

Ace Tattoo - Key - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

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The best tattoo shop in SoCal. Steve, Gary and the crew are the best in the business. read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

One Sunday afternoon my buddies and I came here and got some tattoos. The artist were very professional and accommodating. Quinn was the artist that drew up and gave me my tattoo, he is awesome and did an amazing job! I will definitely be going back to him for more pieces! read more

Ace Tattoo - A tattoo that Quinn did. He picked great colors and is very detailed. - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

I went to ace tattoo for my first tattoo, so obviously I was very nervous. I had decided to finally get lyrics in my rib cage. I walked in and both the artists were very friendly. I got tattooed by Matt who did a phenomenal job on my rib cage tattoo. He knocked out 19 words in 2 hours. He was very friendly and very helpful with deciding on small details of the tattoo. Thank you for the great ink and great experience! If youre nervous about getting a tattoo Like I was, go to these guys, theyre so friendly. read more

Ace Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

People here are completely incompetent. I work on Newport and the owner is always staring out the window like some kind of creep. I tried to get a tattoo there, very simple and even drew up a lil pic so they can make it a reality and improve it. Completely incompetent. Acted like they didn't want to help or take it on. People that go there usually tell me they wouldn't go again and now I understand why. Maybe they have been on the acid over in OB. read more

Steve Smith is the best, he is working on my backpiece and right arm. Amazing freehand an coverup. Before I met Steve I was resigned to having crappy old english letters on my back forever, but Steve annihilated them. A+++ read more

I checked this place out for the first time the other day and had an awesome experience. While the boyfriend and I were wondering around OB we just decided to walk in and right away the guys were super cool about everything. Even though we were getting small tattoos, both Paul (who was awesome for knowing my Twins Peak quote!) and Matt took their time mapping everything out and made sure everything was perfect. Needless to say were both stoked with the outcome. Thanks guys! We will be back! read more

I was in San Diego on my honeymoon and wanted a tattoo so I went to Ace. Gary was amazing and my tattoo came out awesome. I would definitely recommend anyone looking to get a tattoo in San Diego go to Ace in Ocean Beach. read more

A must for unique art. Spent several years looking for an artist that could work with me to re-create my grandmother's painting on my body canvas. After seeing Gary's work, I knew that I had found the talented person to help me. He fit me in right away. Then took the time to customize the piece to fit my body and to stay true to grandma's vision. Total professional, excellent customer service, and highly talented artist. read more

I just finished with my third sitting to finish off a calf peice that Gary disigned for me, and what can I say...IT'S BEAUTIFUL! I came to Gary with a very vague design idea, and I let him run with it. What I got was nothing short of amazing. Gary has been tattooing for 35 years, and his talent and experience shows. And for the art that you get to take home with you, his prices are very fair. The shop is very chill, so come in to have a great experience, and you wont regret it. Two days after my last appointment with Gary, I was shopping at Costco...I got stopped 3 times by random people to compliment me on Gary's work. Needless to say, I'm going back for more work! read more

Love this place! I found it one day while I was visiting from Boston, MA, and now I look forward to coming back every year!! Everyone there is awesome! Matt is my personal favorite! He's done three tattoos for me so far and they've all come out awesome! He is an amazingly talented artist that can make your ideas come to life! In addition to that he's also honest with you, and gives advice about colors and where the best spot to place your tattoo is. You can tell he cares about his clients happiness, and understands that this is a permanent decision you have to live with. All in all I appreciate him and the work he's done on me thus far! Can't wait to come back! Would definitely recommend it to everyone! read more

Ace Tattoo - Matt did an awesome job on my watercolor tattoo! - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

My mom waited 87 years to get her first tattoo. They did a great job, helped her make a choice, explained her options and made her feel very comfortable. She is so happy with the butterfly on ankle. You are never too old to get a tattoo from Ace. read more

Ace Tattoo - My 87 year old mom got inked at Ace today. It was her first tattoo. They made her feel comfortable and she loves the result - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Quinn absolutely made our birthday weekend trip from Las Vegas memorable. Amazing talent. I never thought I would get a tattoo EVER, but after watching him with my husband and bestie I trusted him to do one on me. He was quick, yet comforting and continously asked how I was doing. read more

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I walked in to get a tattoo, I was greeted by a friendly tattoo artist named Matt. He was very professional, very knowledgeable, an took his time to go over exactly what I wanted. I would definitely recommend Matt and Ace tattoo to anyone! read more

Ace Tattoo - Matt Hines Tattoo Artist Ace Tattoo Company - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Ace Tattoo has got to be one of the BEST in San Diego! I have to admit, I am partially biased since I live near by and know most of the artists personally. I got my 3rd tattoo from Steve Smith @ Ace. He has been tattooing for over 30 years and knows his shit! I really wanted an Underwater scene because I have been obsessed with the artist Wyland for years. I also went to Oahu in 2005 where a baby sea turtle swam right up to me in Waimea Bay and I wanted to remember that forever. I talked with Steve about my ideas and he was excited to do it so I made the appointment. I was super nervous but Steve put me at ease and he started by drawing with marker on my ribs(all freehand, no stencils!). Even before he laid down any ink, I was amazed-it was beautiful! In case you were wondering-YES, the ribs are VERY painful but I made it through almost 3 hours with no tears! When he was done, I hopped of the table to take a look in the mirror and couldn't believe my eyes. He did the outline with some shading and it starts on my left lower hip (just about the top of my butt cheek) and goes all the way up my side and stops about 3 inches from my shoulder. The next step will be to add color. I get TONS of compliments already and I can't wait until it is complete! read more

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Since there is nothing recent here, I felt like I should describe my experience with this shop. Back in January of 2012, I went there with my friend to get my first tattoo. The owner of the shop, Gary, did it for me and charged $200. Kinda pricey for a small tattoo, right? I sure thought so, but he said with that price that I could come back at ANY time to get free touch ups....for life. I thought, okay....that's fair. He did the tattoo, and it looked good AT FIRST. Once it healed, I started looking at it more and more and could tell the lines on my tattoo were all wobbly and broken in places. I got a dog collar with some names in them around my ankle. Not a complicated tattoo. Some of the letters on the names of the dogs I had put in the tattoo were inconsistent as well. So I thought, "Eh...I can always just go in for a touch up and they'll fix it." So now 8 months later, I finally get time off work to go get it touched up and low and behold...I'm told that I CAN'T get it touched up because none of the artists did the tattoos themselves. My friend that went with me to get my tattoo in the first place got a tattoo as well by one of the apprentices. We were told that, "Jeff went crazy and isn't tattooing anymore" so unless she wanted to pay the $80 to have this guy touch it up, she was SOL. So let me get this straight....the guarantee we were given only pertains to the tattoo artist that did the tattoo?? One tattoo artist does not stay at one shop their whole lifetime. The few times I had gone into that shop, I doubt I had ever seen the same faces. Tattoo artist are almost constantly on the move. You cannot give a guarantee for free lifetime touch ups and then not come through! It's the whole SHOP'S guarantee for free touch ups, not the individual artist. What's worse is that this shop was EMPTY. There were two tattoo artists and the rest of their friends just sitting around, smoking pot, and basically acting like they were at someone's chill house party. I have nothing against someone smoking pot, but when you go into a place of business and get turned away like we were party crashing and unwelcome because they'd rather smoke pot and hang out is NOT cool. On top of it, the guy that talked to us was unnecessarily rude and snarky. I even tried to email the owner, Gary, about what happened hoping maybe he would have a solution. Surprise, surprise...no response. My friend had been going to that shop for 20 years and has always raved about them and sent numerous customers there, but now she says she definitely will not be going back there again and wont suggest that place anymore. As for me? Well, I'll just go to the other tattoo shop on Newport because they have a much better price and give much higher quality tattoos. Maybe they'll even help me with getting my ankle tattoo fixed. Save your time and money and don't even bother coming here! read more

First of all, let me just say that if you are going to come to these guys and ask for a tribal arm band or a tramp stamp, be prepared to be quoted pretty high or laughed at. On the other hand, if you want great work done and something really original then these are the guys to talk to. Everyone in the shop is great, but I am quite partial to Forrest as he is working on my piece and has worked on a few of my friends. Everyone there is fun to talk with, relaxed and pretty easy going. They are a little rough around the edges, but what do you expect when you walk into a tattoo shop in Ocean Beach? read more

Went in here to look to get a new Tatt and my style is old school prison block nothing spectacular but it would have been nice to just make into the front door. I was harrased coming in by a bunch of squares from Ocean Beach asking me what hood I was from. It was pretty oblivious I came from a differant part of town. All the artists saw what was going on and laughed it off so it was plain as day they could care less about the business. read more

I was in town visiting a friend and we were to get tattoos (small/simple wording) together the morning I was to leave town. We stopped in the night before and they told us to just come back in the morning when they opened at 10am. First off let me say that when we walked in the door, they were all sitting around smoking weed. I didn't judge them for that and came back the next morning. The guy that was there was very rude about us getting there when they first opened and proceeded to take his time eating his breakfast and taking a smoke break. Then when he went to TRY and draw the tattoo for us, his hands were shaky and he couldn't even draw a straight line. I would NOT recommend this place to anyone. read more

Gary at Ace Tattoo is an excellent artist !!! I always feel comfortable and keep coming back with friends. The best!!

I have been going to Ace Tattoo for years. Gary is very talented and is more of an artist than a "cookie cutter" tattoo guy. He is not the cheapest choice, because he is experienced, skilled, and makes awesome one of a kind tattoos. He once told me that he wouldn't do a tattoo the way i wanted to because "it will look crappy" and he had my long term best interest in mind... Have you ever had a tattoo artist say that? Of course I was a little pissed.... But he was right. We worked on it more, and I got a much better result than I thought possible... I think he is more freestyle than most... Draws right on you with a pen and let's you look and change things... He is a really good drawer and has quite a few "styles" . I have read that people give bad reviews to this business based on the atmosphere of the shop! What?!? Are you there for a sweet life long tattoo by a highly skilled artistic technician or there for a fuzzy experience? His tattoos stand apart... and are impressive. Any one can do ink spots around your ankle... But big pieces? Go see Gary. read more

Great bunch of artists. Very friendly and are willing to work with you. Great job guys.

Got a simple, but perfect tattoo from Tyler. He was super nice and patient to help me figure out what I wanted and made it great experience. The other guys in the shop were super nice and helpful as well. Shop was very clean and welcoming. Would definitely recommend! Also great burritos downstairs. read more

While visiting OB my friend and I stopped in to get info on two small tats (one each). Too bad we didn't read the reviews before hand, otherwise we never would've climbed the stairs. We spoke with the owner who shared way too much information about himself and then told us the cost was $80 each for small tattoos no bigger than a dime. When we asked additional questions he turned rude and unhelpful. read more

I get tattoos of text. Finding an artist that is skilled with complicated and precise text is really tough. In fact, when I first walked in and asked about work, they guys there were honest enough to tell me they were not as good as one of the other guys that was off that day, "Come back tomorrow, Forrest can crank that out so much better than we can". So Forrest at Ace took on my last ink job. I brought in the text is an old Germanic font, he cut it, curved it and placed it over two bones perfectly. I would recommend him to anyone especially if they want clean and sharp text. After that kind of treatment head over to South Beach and toast with a Mahi taco. read more

Had my second session at Ace today. Fun environment, very chill and open. Tattoo is coming out great and my artist Steve Smith is legit. Good guy with great experience and he's truly an artist. Careful, he'll make you want to laugh the whole time. Two thumbs up, standing ovation! [physically impossible, but you get the picture] read more

I noticed this little place right above a taco shop. I looked at some portfolios and fell in love with the owner's (Gary) work. I set an appointment to talk with him, and this guy blew my mind! I had a rough idea of a sleeve, and 4 months later, we are still working on completing the entire left side of my body with his work. Gary is such a great artist that I have given him full artistic control of my body. He has a great personality, he is extremely talented, and he is very light-handed. Every time I leave his shop with fresh ink, it only takes me 3-4 days to completely heal. I have been telling everyone about Gary at Ace Tattoo, and I will continue to do so for a very long time. read more

Came here for my first tattoo and couldn't have had a better experience. Who isn't a little sketch for their first? Steve Martinez did my tattoo and he was awesome! Paul and Matt were great too! The whole shop is friendly and welcoming. Definitely would recommend this shop any day. Also have a ocean view while getting tatted. I mean.. Can't beat it. read more

Super awesome shop, went in for a spur of the moment tattoo, Tom was awesome. Drew up what I wanted and had me out of there that day. Thanks man! read more

Finally decided to get my first tattoo and I asked around as to who I should go to. Steve Smith was of the artists that a friend recommended. Upon first meeting him I knew right away that he was my guy. His insight and bond with with nature made him the perfect artist for me. I showed him a few pics of what I thought I wanted. He hand drew a beautiful design until it was just right. I got a medium sized tat on my upper left side of my back of a hummingbird and pink lotus flowers. How did it turn out? AMAZING!! THANK YOU STEVE - YOU ARE NOTHING BUT AWESOME! read more

Ace Tattoo - Beautiful artwork of Steve Smith - amazing artist! - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

Got my Pirate tat from Steve Smith. He did it all from a brain storm we had to dress up a simple idea I had. He is Amazing! Tat looks sweet! Going back to get more from Steve! read more

I've got a few tattoo's (from other tattoo places) and two works of art (from Ace) so if you want a "tattoo" then hit the road with these guy's they are artists plain and simple if your looking for $25 tattoo's go down the street...To all the girls on the yelp review board that have problems with the environment or the bantering HELLO your in a tattoo shop it is an extremely casual place that does top quality tat's... Price is great for what you get I really could not emagine going any where else, I'm even taking my girlfriend there now.. Thanks Steve and everyone at Ace Tattoo you guys are a step above the rest!!!!! read more

Kurt took on a task that many other artist with cover-up experience would not and he exceeded all expectations. The Ace is more sterile than a surgeon's hands and Kurt is Michelangelo with a gun. I found my new house of ink. read more

We were down from Phoenix, and were looking to get some work done. Cris Corona did an excellent job on our koi fish. He was patient, listen to our input and provided an outstanding product. We Will definitely be coming back here for more work. read more

Ace Tattoo - Cris Corona did an excellent job. - Tattoo Near Me - San Diego, California

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I walked in yesterday seeking small cover up of a tattoo I received on my collar bone. Chris was my artist and did a fantastic job covering up a flower with another flower. I absolutely love it. He is very experienced and was talkative and fun! I will definitely be back for another one soon! Thanks Chris! read more