I came in here a couple times just to check the place out to make sure it was really what I was looking for and boy do they have some talented artists established here. I got my first tattoo done by Andrew and he was super professional about the whole thing. I got a lotus flower in between my shoulder blades and it looks amazing and the shading is wonderful. Andrew is the man to go to for flower related tattoos in Santa Barbara. I wouldn't step foot in any other tattoo shop in town. These guys know their stuff and are super friendly. read more

Andrew is the man! Have him put some good ol Merle Haggard on, get your work down and then take him out for some Chardonnays. Treat this dude right and you'll have some fine art to show for it! read more

Saw Johnny and he was friendly, conscientious and the place was very clean. He did not try to push the highest priced jewelry. I would highly recommend it!! read more

I got my first tattoo here a couple of months ago & I had a really good experience. I was really nervous about how it would turn out and you know, the normal worries. I entered the shop after making an appointment and I showed my tattoo artist what I wanted ( I can't remember her name but she was female) and originally I wanted the tattoo very very small but after talking with her she told me that this was as small as I could get it because after years it would blur all together. Over all I am very happy with my tattoo and it makes me very happy. My tattoo artist was very nice and it is important that you let them know that it's your first time because they are very patient and they will take it slow and stop if you need them to stop. I really like this shop and recommend it to anyone that wants a nice tattoo and a good experience. read more

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 more

Heard about the place,drove up there, walked in and asked for a Tattoo that I had a picture of,LUCKY me, I got Permanent Mark to do it,I am sure it was not as technical as he normally does, but it is done awesome, total professional and a TV personality, they should bring his show back, Thanks Mark!! read more

I have quite a few tattoos but my last two are the first I had done by Vanae as I'm fairly new to the area. I must say, off all my tattoos, these are my favorite. Vanae is a brilliant artist and her work is stunning. read more

I have gotten piercings (helix, lobes, rook) from both Johnny and Josh here and would not go anywhere else! Despite my sensitive/problematic ears (my 1st lobe piercings from a mall kiosk are still wonky 12 years later), my Golden Eagle piercings have all healed beautifully and look great, and even the cartilage piercings were practically painless. I'm actually planning another cartilage project at the moment... Both Johnny and Josh are absolute professionals who do excellent work and take a lot of pride in it. Whenever I describe the type of piercing I wanted, they examine the architecture of my ear (to make sure it would heal well and look good) before agreeing to do the piercing.They always double check placement before actually doing the piercing to make sure it's exactly what I want. They do a great job of explaining aftercare requirements, and they always encourage me to come back to the shop if I have any questions or concerns about how a piercing is healing. The shop is immaculately clean and well maintained, and both Josh and Johnny are meticulous about sterility (they don't let customers touch any of their piercings, healed or new). The guys are really friendly, and even a mild needle-phobe like myself can easily feel comfortable throughout the piercing process. The jewelry selection is beautiful and extensive, and they often have sales or special deals. The shop is cash only, but there is an ATM downstairs so it's not really a problem. It's not the cheapest shop around, but is most definitely the best. You get what you pay for, and the quality of work at Golden Eagle is easily worth the extra few dollars. read more

Josh at the piercing shop, is amazing! I had some issues with one of my piercings and he was very helpful and worked with me as much as he possibly could! This guy'll take care of you real good! read more

I had been wanting a hummingbird tattoo for quite some time but didn't know where to go. I happened to be in Santa Barbara for the weekend and came across Golden Eagle. I am so glad we did. Juan gave me the tattoo I wanted and I wouldn't change a thing. He was friendly without being patronizing, and made me extremely comfortable with the whole process. If anyone I know is looking for someone, I would definitely recommend Juan at Golden Eagle!! read more

Just got my first tattoo today! The employees are phenomenal! Very understanding and want to give you what you want. I had my piece done by Vanae, she is super phenomenal! Did an absolute amazing job! Would defiantly get another piece by her! Such an awesome experience! read more

Golden Eagle Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I just recently got my second tattoo at Golden Eagle. i was impressed immediately when I walked in and began describing what I wanted and Jason began drawing out ideas. I love my tattoo and I will go back for more. read more

Great tattoo from Vanae. Wanted a tiny piece as a souvinir before heading back home to TX, and tried 2 other shops before making it to the end of State St.The other 2 shops weren't interested in doing any work that day it seemed, and were really cold and rude. Went into Golden Eagle and everyone was friendly. Clean shop with a lot of character. Van was able to fit me in within an hour after her appointment, and even stayed a little late for me. Super sweet and talented, highly recommend. read more

Great tattoo shop! Came to Santa Barbara for a weekend and walked in. Great customer service and did good work!

Okay. To be honest, i don't think i've ever felt so unimportant to a service providing company. My boyfriend and I walked in wanting to get tattoos. Mind you this was my first tattoo so i was a little lost and nervous. I expected to walk in and be welcomed at least nicely, and maybe treated like my business was important or that they were at least interested in my business. Instead i walked in, told the receptionist guy what we were wanting to get and had a few questions as far as if they could draw a couple things up for us before we got them. He was EXTREMELY rude, cutting me off and basically said if i was wasn't getting a tattoo that day that they didn't have the time of day for us. It was my first tattoo, i was just wanting someone to be understanding and take maybe 15 mins to go over it with me. Instead i felt like it was either, get a tattoo right now, or GTFO. I will not recommend any of my friends to go here, and i will certainly not be giving them any of our money. They really need a new receptionist dude because he kind of kills the face of their company with his nasty brown rotting teeth. read more

first one in, last one even helped. thanks for your late opening and dick of an opening person to really, truly capture the essence of your store. read more

I don't remember the name of the man who tattooed me because he never introduced himself. I think he is new because he's not on their website. I went in for a simple line drawing. I didn't have an appointment but it was a weekday so I thought I might be able to get one later. I came back a few hours later but still had to wait another hour (obviously not anyone's fault, but still annoying). I paid $100 + $20 tip for a simple line drawing which took less than 10 minutes from him copying my picture to telling me I was done. I thought that was pretty steep, but I don't think it's polite to argue with artists so I didn't. I got home and noticed the lines were bleeding (meaning the black was bleeding into the surrounding skin, there was no actual literal human blood, at least no more than is usual for a tat) at one part. I hoped it would heal away. When it didn't after a month, I went back. I did get a free touch up by the same guy but he seemed pissed off when I showed up and when I left, I'm pretty sure he called after me "no tip?" even though I'd paid him $120 already for still less than 30 minutes of work total. I've heard good things about this place, but the artist who helped me was just not good and I won't be returning. I wish I'd learned his name... read more

These guys are awesome. I've been tattooed by PM and am currently getting something done by Andrew. I've been pierced by Josh and Johnny as well. My husband has a lot of work by PM and has had something done by John W. They're all really nice and reeeally good at what they do. They aren't cheap, but you're paying for quality work. If you're used to cheap work then...you probably have shi**y tattoos. Sorry. read more

Very rude when I went in to get a quote. They seemed very uninterested like they didn't want business? Won't be coming back.

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 more

best shop in town, although it's kind of annoying to get tattooed for 4 hours while Corey is blasting Baha Men on repeat.

Awesome painting from this cool place. I got my first tattoo on my right upper arm. Great service here. They were very patient for picking up the symbol for me. Highly recommend this place! read more

A lot of these reviews seem to be for piercing. Mine is not. Sadly Andrew completely screwed up my tattoo. It was an easy piece of script. but it looks like a homemade tattoo and now I have to get it fixed (can't wait for my usual tattoo girl to laugh at me....ugh) . Reeeeallly bad job Text goes from large at the beginning to small at the end (like a downward slant and not in a good way) and...the letters are crooked? what? The transfer didn't look like that so I have no idea why the actual tattoo does. He was a nice enough guy but I am guessing he wasn't interested in this job. Really, he should have said so before permanently inking into my skin. I wouldn't let him near my larger tats. read more

Andrew is awesome. This was my first tattoo but he was patient and calm and put me at complete ease. I am super happy with my results.

I had a VCH piercing by a very well known piercer in San Fran just a few days earlier. She did a great job, but I was feeling really uncomfortable, which I thought (due to the bruising) was to be expected. Still I took the chance to stop in and talk to Ricky at Golden Eagle (at the very least I knew I was going to look for better jewelry once it healed). Ricky was great!!!! He looked at the original ball I had chosen for my piercing and knew straight away that if I just changed the ball for something a bit bigger and smoother, I would be more comfortable. He warned me with my bruising that it might hurt to change the ball, but he was so gentle it was an easy switch. I immediately felt better and am 100% better just a day and a half later. This was truly great service at a great price. I will be back when it's time for the fine jewelry! read more

Not sure about other artists and I understand that this is a hazard when getting a tattoo, but one of the guys that did my tattoo inked too deep into my skin and my whole tattoo is scarred and the lines are a bit shakey. Wouldn't recommend going to this place to anyone. read more

My husband and I got married yesterday and we are in Santa Barbara for our honeymoon. We wanted matching ring tattoos since he can't always wear a ring at work. Vanae gave us good advice on what would fit and look the best on our fingers. Since simple was better we also decided to get bigger matching tattoos on our arms apart from the hearts on our ring fingers. They are exactly what we wanted! Vanae was so nice and took the time to make our tattoos perfect for us. read more

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 more

I have had the pleasure of working around the corner from Golden Eagle Tattoo for nearly 3 years, and in that time I have established friendships with some of the guys at the shop. When I decided it was time for my second tattoo in 2010 I couldn't think of any other place to go. I wanted a fox on my arm and had a very specific idea of what I wanted, so I asked Ben to help me find the right artist and he suggested Andrew. When I went in to talk to Andrew, he was very nice, attentive, sincere and professional. Shortly after the new year I went and got my fox, it covers almost all of the back of my upper arm and I have to say to this day I still stare at her ( I named her Silvia) every day, I couldn't be happier. People of all ages walk up to me and compliment me. Just last week (Friday the 13th!) I went back to Andrew for my second tattoo from him, this time it was a very sentimental memorial tattoo for my uncle. Again he was very nice, attentive, and sincere. Andrew is always patient with me when I start to bitch about the pain, and we always have good conversation. If you ever get the honor of being tattooed by him don't just sit there, have a chat, he is a cool and interesting guy. To top my perfect experience this last time, right at the end of my tattoo "try me" by James Brown came on, it just seemed to wrap up my session on the best note possible. Love the guys at Golden Eagle Tattoo, and Piercing. Very professional, clean, and just all around awesome people. read more

**This is for the piercing only. The piercing studio is upstairs, above the tattoo parlor. I came in for my first non-ear piercing-my tongue frenulum (web.) I was pretty nervous about it. While this was my first piercing in an actual piercing studio, I have gone with friends in the past to many other studios. Because Santa Barbara is pretty small, I think that people underestimate the quality of this place, but this is the most legitimate piercing studio I have been to. They have flyers for the Association of Professional Piercers which they are also members of. They take every precaution to ensure the procedure is safe, and sanitary-including wearing a surgical mask whilst doing the piercing. And while it is a little scary to have a guy in a surgical mask wave you in and say "I'm ready for you," its reassuring to know you won't get diseases either. Josh did my piercing and he clearly knew what he was doing. He was very gentle, and made sure to inform me about all the necessary aftercare, etc. At the risk of sounding corny, this place just has a really good vibe and I will definitely be coming back here for my piercings in the future :) Notes: Also they have really cool glass and wood jewelry/gauges, and they are reasonably priced (my tongue web was $60 with everything included, and they apparently give discounts if you get more than 1 piercing at a time.) read more

I randomly stopped into the golden eagle tattoo shop because i was interested in having a tattoo on my side (skull and roses) fixed. I met Andrew and made an appointment with him for the next week. I drew free hand on my side and then tattooed over it. I am so happy with his work and no longer feel insecure about my tattoo. I would highly recommend Andrew for any tattoo and I will definitely go back to him for future tattoos! read more

I have only gotten pierced there and I went to Golden Eagle because I knew Johnny worked there. I've known Johnny since I was 15, when he worked in Pismo Beach at Tiger Rose. I had gotten 3 piercings by his apprentice and I was always so happy with them. A couple months ago I wanted a piercing but my old piercer had moved so I thought who better to go to then his teacher, Johnny. He was awesome, he made me feel very comfortable and he's a sweetheart. He gave me a good deal on the jewelry and the piercing was fast and didn't hurt at all. I was very satisfied and will only go to him now. I definitely recommend going there for piercings. They have the nicest set up I've ever seen and the best jewelry selection as well. I only wish I had more money to spend there!! Also the tattoo artists are wonderful as well. They're very sweet and will help you with anything. I hope this review helps you choose this place if your looking because they will definitely not disappoint. read more

Just got my first tattoo here from Cody-- he was great, super nice/patient, and it looks exactly like what i wanted. (Got a word in the Majoram font, just had to walk in with a picture of it) read more

Ricky is a rockstar! He was professional, clean, and quick! He makes great recommendations if you aren't sure of exactly what you want. Love his work and highly recommend him if you're looking for a new piercing. His personality is pretty stellar too! read more

After going to check out a bunch of tattoo shops in Santa Barbara and finding most of them to be too pretentious and discriminatory towards a young girl, Golden Eagle was preofessional, friendly, fast, clean, and just what i would want from a tattoo shop. So glad I found my new tattoo shop !! read more

I got my first tattoo at Golden Eagle a year ago. I didn't expect to get in but within a couple hours he was ready to go. I had a challenging picture I wanted to have him recreate, he fixed the design flaws. The sitting was really comfortable, the shop has a good vibe. In a couple hours he was done, the price was reasonable and it turned out flawless. I love it, couldn't have asked for a better experience for a first tat. read more

A great experience with my very first tattoo here! My artist was Johnny (John Woodruff) and he did such a great job on my tattoo - it turned out beautiful. It is healing really well. The detail he put into the tattoo is so well-done - more beautiful that I had expected! Also, what I appreciated about Johnny is that he made sure to be gentle and had a light hand - it was my first tattoo and it was on the side of my rib cage so I was worried about pain. Nowhere near as painful as I had thought it would be - I was in really good hands with him. I can't stop admiring it - thanks so much, Johnny! Would highly recommend this artist. read more

i just got my very first tattoo from here. love the shop. everyone is really great and its a very cool atmosphere (and definitely clean). johnny did my tattoo and i absolutely love it! i'd definitely recommend him and this place in general for anyone considering getting their first or just another tattoo! 5 stars without a doubt :) read more

I got my earlobes and tragus pierced by Josh, and it was a great experience - friendly service, nearly no pain, fast healing, and great tips for aftercare. If I get any more piercings, I'll be heading back to the Golden Eagle. read more

I asked my friends for advice on where to get my first tattoo and I kept hearing Golden Eagle. So I checked it out and the people at the front were so helpful, friendly, and nice! I wanted to keep my options open though, so I checked other shops around only to find out that I didn't like their initial customer service so I finally made up my mind to go to Golden Eagle and I don't regret one bit! I did my Yelp research and kept seeing Andrew's name in all the reviews especially for floral design since I wanted purple orchids. So I went back to the shop to meet Andrew and make my appointment and put in a deposit. On the day that my tattoo was to be done, naturally, I was nervous (it was my first tat ever!) of the pain but mostly the outcome. When I came to talk to Andrew at his station I told him how I wanted it and even showed him a picture thinking that he was just going to mimic it but I should've known he's an expert and knows what he's talking about. He convinced me that the way I wanted the orchids wouldn't make sense since orchids grow outwards (mind you he's a floral gardener too) so he sketched out on my shoulder area and already I loved what he was doing! It accentuated my shoulder which I was going for and it exceeded my expectation on how I wanted it to turn out. The pain wasn't so bad either! And overall price was less than I expected! But yes this place is awesome, everyone is cool and Andrew is the shit! He's a man of few words but he knows wassup! I would most definitely recommend him to anyone whether it's your first tattoo or your hundredth! I am going back for a second tattoo from him sometime in the future! ;) read more