True Grit is awesome! There's a great vibe in the place that makes you feel really comfortable andat home. Emerald did my latest tat, and it came out perfect. I highly recommend True Grit, the artists are so talented! read more

I normally never write reviews, but I absolutely loved this tattoo shop. Veteran owned. Space wars decorated lol. Pen my tattoo artist was so kind, accommodating, and an awesome artist. I got three tattoos done by Pen and 100% LOVED them all. read more

True Grit Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Friendly staff....helped me with temp tattoo for Halloween ....awesome job!!! Many compliments!!! Now real tattoo is in order!!! read more

True Grit Tattoo - Temporary Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

My family suffered the loss of a sister / cousin I also happened to have an appointment scheduled already. Johnny was willing right away to shift directions from what was previously planned, and help us commemorate her in our own way. The service was impeccable, he was very reassuring and calm with my niece and her first tattoo. The shop itself is always clean and full of new and exciting things to see. If you are a Star Wars or art fan in general, you need to swing by! read more

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I had the pleasure of being tattooed by Ben. He not only gave me quality work, but provided quality customer service as well. I highly recommend, the whole process from beginning to end was very smooth. He made sure throughout tattooing that I was always okay and I came out with a tattoo that more than satisfied my expectations. read more

True Grit Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Johnny has done all of my tats. Very professional and clean. The employees always make you feel welcomed and attentive! The environment is awesome! I am loyal to True Grit ! Johnny is very talented he deserves any accolades that may comes his way! Cuzin...lol read more

Great service and respect by Johnny. His station was clean and very comfortable. Was very patient during the tattoo and his work speaks for itself. read more

True Grit- a place where one may get inked (tattood). The place brings out your inner child, under nerd, inner enthusiast! How you might ask? Two words: STAR WARS and all things STAR WARS!! All the artists are very nice, sociable and superb artists! Johnny Mac, the owner, is impeccable! Blows my mind with his art! As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Do you want a low budget, low impact, mediocre tattoo? Go somewhere else! These guys are the real deal! The shop itself is a Curation of Star Wars collectibles the place all by itself is a sci-fi museum! Not only that, Johnnymac makes his own costumes that are on display in the shop. Amazing! Pictures will be posted soon of the shop, and of the art that he has performed. If interested, I would highly suggest looking him up on Instagram under true grit. Amazing! read more

John is amazing! An amazing artist and a fantastic person! He's very compassionate and treats his craft with supreme reverence and artistry. He understands that modifying someone's body is built on trust and we trust him to create something beautiful on us. He makes me feel so comfortable and at ease, even though it's a painful process at times. His entire team is so welcoming from Dominic welcoming you in to the other artists Ben, Simon, Q, Myra and his apprentice Trek. They all will pop their heads in to say hi and make sure to make you feel welcome. He has cultivated such unique decor and it makes the shop feel inviting, like you're at home and not at the dentist. He has created a lifelong customer here. I refer all my friends and family to him because I trust him so much. I even brought my neice to him for her first tattoo along with my sister and my friend when she was visiting from Colorado. My sister is already booking her next tattoo with him. read more

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Simon at True Grit is amazing! He gave me this tattoo of the Taiwan skyline and it turned out so well! I absolutely love it. Highly recommend checking him out. read more

True Grit Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I had a tattoo done by an employee who no longer works at True Grit last March, and I was very unhappy with the appearance of it. By July of last year the tattoo had started to lose color which prompted me to contact Johnny Mac and see if there was anything that could be done. To my surprise Johnny didn't hesitate to give me a call and let me know that next time I was in town ( I live in Texas) he would fix my tattoo free of charge. I wasn't able to make it back to Albuquerque until over a year later, but as soon as I stopped by the shop he got me in within a few days. Johnny is an amazing tattoo artist and so personable. He has given a tattoo that I was completely dissatisfied with new life. I highly recommend this shop!!! read more

True Grit Tattoo - After - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Woooow Both the experience and the tattoos I've gotten here are better than I ever could have pictured!! First of all, the tattoos: insanely immaculate attention to detail by JohnnyMac. The products he uses are obviously very high quality, the skill level is amazing, and he listened closely and put a lot of care and attention into producing something I love (am obsessed with, actually), and offered new ideas to create an art piece that is unique, and 1,000% more amazing than I could have come up with on my own. You'll know you're in the presence of an actual artist the moment you walk into the shop (trust me). He takes comfort into deep consideration. I sat in a super comfy chair and watched a show I chose, drinking a beverage he offered me while he did his thing :) He checked to make sure I'd eaten first, too. JohnnyMac is also just a freaking cool guy, too. Pleasure to talk and laugh with him. It's not often I can say I enjoy the experience of getting a tattoo, but I definitely can in regard to him. I will never get a tattoo from anyone else. Do yourself a favor and book with him. We are beyond blessed to have him in New Mexico. read more

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My fiancé and I are from out of town and wanted to get a tattoo to commemorate our trip. My fiancé got a small tattoo with Mayra and she was so patient with her. She made her feel comfortable and made the process so easy for her. I had Brian do my small tattoo, he was the best!! Great conversation, very minimal pain! Will definitely be coming back here just to get tattooed again by them!!!! read more

True Grit Tattoo - Bottom tattoo done by Brian - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I've been working on an arm piece with Johnny Mac. It's been by far one of the best tattoo experiences I've ever had. He is so talented and it has been a collaborative experience. Finished photos to follow read more

Johnnymac has been our artist for years. Not only is his work magical, but I consider him brother.

I've been getting my sleeve done by Johnny Mac and he has been super flexible with my time and gets so much work done even during shorter sessions. Johnny Mac is kind, generous, and is highly recommended!!!! I wouldn't get a tattoo by anyone else! read more

I absolutely adore this shop and Johnny Mac! I've had multiple sessions with him over the course of 4 years and I've always been so impressed with the whole experience! The shop is super amazing with cool stuff on display everywhere you look, really clean and tidy, and JM and his staff are professionals and total champs at making you feel at ease. I love my pieces so far, and I can't wait to get more. read more

This is a very nice gallery!! Everything here is art. I have spent a lot of time under Mr Mac's gun- and every minute was worth it. He is always willing to accommodate with music, movies or my favorite stand up. Just don't laugh while his needle is on you ! No but really he flows with what ever is on for example he will lay off when the punch line is given or he will shade like a mad man to Metallica and I think I felt something hard on my back during 50 shades of grey? But in ALL seriousness without a doubt I wouldn't trust anyone else as much as him. Make a reservation and wait the long wait and you will love what ever he puts on you! read more

True Grit Tattoo - Mr. Mac Is at it again. I can't express my gratitude for this artist. Much love!!! - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Johnny Mac is an excellent artist. The hardest part is getting through! My tattoos turned out exactly how I hoped. I had to have the rose redrawn and he was totally cool with it. Prices were fair, he is super fast, the shop is clean with an elegant feel. read more

True Grit Tattoo - Yellow rose - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Stacy did an amazing job. His art is top notch. He was very professional from the initial appointment, collaborating and finalizing the piece, till the tattoo was completed. Will be back read more

True Grit Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I emailed in to see about coming in for a consultation. I'm from out of town but visit Albuquerque regularly since my family is there and that's my home town and made sure to include that in my request. I let them know the next two dates I'd be in town to see if we could work out some consultation time. From there it got weird with them. They ignored my request for a consultation and started asking for basically proof I'd be visiting again after the consult in the future and then them asking about finances. I let them know financially I am very comfortable spending whatever it took for me to feel like my back piece was completed ( I have several other tattoos which were included in my initial request so I am not new to the idea that tattoos aren't cheap). They continued to push looking for a budget number despite us not even having a plan. I'm not going to say I'm willing to spend $1000 on some mystery piece of mystery size. I reiterated I'd be happy to continue to come in regularly and pay (obviously?) until it seemed completed. They never replied. I didn't understand the reasoning here, large pieces are always evolving and I'm not sure how we could even scope any of the work without a consult. But the receptionist didn't seem to want my business so I'll look elsewhere. ############ update I've been contacted by the owner immediately upon posting to try and move forward and he let me know this isn't their normal MO. Clearly they are very customer focused and this may have just been a fluke. So I've added two stars. read more

Went in for consultation with Stacy Q and he was able to do the tattoo same day. He was super professional and listened to what I wanted. It'd been awhile since my last tattoo so he explained everything to refresh myself. He did amazing shading and made the design I wanted even better than I had originally thought of. Highly recommend and i will be going back for more work! read more

Johnny Mac and team put together an amazing experience. My wife wanted a mothers bouquet with watercolors and Johnny put together an amazing piece of art she is proud to display. Johnny is an artist, but the shop is more than just the art. Dominic is incredibly nice and worked with us to arrange sessions. The shop is always relaxed and comfortable, it feels more like visiting friends than being rushed through some process for profit mill. We enjoyed movies, talking about life, and swapping stories. This started as a gift for my wife to have a piece inked by a world class watercolor artist. I think it ended with new friends and a desire for both of us to have more work done. If you understand the value of great art and want a relaxed experience, I highly recommend visiting Johnny Mac and team for some outstanding ink. Grant & Anne read more

Everytime I walk into True Grit Tattoo I have an amazing experience. The shop is clean and the people are friendly and professional. I love the vibe of the shop and always feel super comfortable. Johnny Mac has been working on an arm piece on me for a few months now and with every session I am blown away as I watch a piece of my mom's artwork come to life. There's lots to keep me distracted as the needle hits the skin from good conversation to movies and music. I highly recommend True Grit and Johnny Mac to anyone looking for a quality experience and beautiful ink! read more

I've never been inside. I saw that they donated supplies to the hospital in this pandemic. "We are all human beings." -Johnny. The news said they started a movement. They deserve to be recognized as heroes for doing what's right and stepping up. I'll be a customer once this is all over for sure. read more

If you work the evenings you won't get a tattoo. If you wanna get a tattoo over the weekend, don't go here. I like that the one guy specifically knows Nordic tattooing, but I could never get in. read more

- this review is only 2/5 stars because the tattoo relatively resembled what i wanted going in. - I went in with my best friend to get matching tattoos while she was in town, and overall the experience was extremely weird and unprofessional. Beforehand, I met up with Jacob Lazrrazolo to schedule an appointment and he didn't set an exact time for me to come in for a consultation so i ended up coming in during one of his other appointments. Because he was already working on someone else's tattoo, he was inattentive and i ended up leaving with a weird feeling in my stomach. - The day came for the tattoo, and the weird feeling was well justified because the first thing he did was mock my reaction from the first time we met (it was so loud that i couldn't think clearly because 2 separate tv's were playing full blast and music was playing on top of that). - He had to redraw the whole tattoo because he was not paying attention the first day, and once he finally started we got about 10 minutes in before he left to go talk to someone else for about 15 minutes to plan this other guys tattoo appointment, and once he finally came back and continued, the tattoo hurt about 5x worse because it had just been left alone for so long. - Overall, he continued to mock me the entire time and I ended up leaving more pissed off than anything else. - Long story short, the most important thing for me while getting a tattoo is feeling comfortable and having a good experience and that was the exact opposite of what i received from this place. read more

True Grit Tattoo is the classiest shop I have ever been to. Johhnymac Howell is a true artist!! He is very professional and really cares about making his clients happy. I had wanted a watercolor tattoo for some time and the finished product is more beautiful than I had ever imagined! Johhnymac is a amazing person and I will be a loyal customer for life. read more

True Grit Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Best in town! The crew at True Grit is welcoming and professional. Worth every penny. read more

True Grit Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

True Grit is hands down the best tattoo experience you can get in Albuquerque. As others have said, the shop is clean and safety is the highest priority, as it should be. But what sets them apart are two things: 1) world class artistic talent and 2) incredible ambiance/shop vibe Regarding the artists, you are working with amazingly talented people. I had a half-sleeve (my second tattoo ever) done by Johnny Mac, who has upheld the highest reputation for world class watercolor, japanese and "trash polka" styles. However I also met some of the other artists there having spent over 15+ hours in the shop and they are all great people, consummate professionals, and insanely talented in their own styles. Now let me just say that Johnny himself is amazing. From artistic vision to collaborative customer service to trustworthy execution, he is the full package. He took my abstract concept, sorted through tons of details and put together a timeline that worked for me. He took time out of his personal life as well to work with me as the timeline fluctuated - what artist has such devotion? In the end he free-handed over 50% of my half sleeve and it is absolutely gorgeous...people cannot stop talking about it. I've never been so proud to own something on my body for life. Be honest about your vision and give your artist the flexibility they need to execute. It's all about trust and Johnny and his staff are trustworthy! Thank you Johnny!!!! The shop itself is also a work of art. Johnny runs True Grit like a co-op and each section has a unique vibe to it. The entrance, the lovely smell, the decor, the beautiful art pieces (paintings, statues, collectibles) makes you feel like you are in some sort of eclectic renaissance building - it is beautiful! You feel safe, cozy, your privacy is respected and the staff contribute to the just the perfect supportive vibe that you want when you are making permanent alterations to your body. Special shoutout to Dominic for always being sweet to talk to and very supportive. He does a ton of work to keep the gears turning at True Grit and he's the guy you want to talk to if you really want to work with Johnny. Trust them! They know what's best! All said and done you get the full package at True Grit. This place is the real deal and there's a reason they are award-winning year after year. Whether it's your first or 10th experience getting ink on your body True Grit is THE place to go. read more

Johnny Mac and his crew are awesome! My family and I have plans to get more work done there. Very happy with what I've had done so far! read more

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JohnnyMac is a talented artist with exquisite taste in design. He inherently knows what looks good and doesn't let anything get in his way of delivering a quality, artistic interpretation of the design you want. My water color tat has claimed compliments from all over the country, as I have traveled. I look forward to working with him again! read more

As only the third customer to this brand new Albuquerque tattoo parlor by acclaimed Duke City ink man Johnny Mac, it is my distinct honor to provide the first glowing review. First, let me say that I absolutely LOVE my tattoo. It exceeded all of my expectations. Second, I'll say that the ambience of this place is unlike any other parlor you'll see in ABQ... and by that I mean it is freaking incredible! Comfortable, airy, welcoming, eclectic, and filled with beautiful and bizarre artwork and Star Wars memorabilia. There's a big screen in the chair bay where you can watch any number of movies from their collection while you get your tattoo (I selected The Big Lebowski). Finally, what can I say about Johnny Mac that anyone in the ink scene here in Burque doesn't already know? An incredible artist and all around fabulous guy! So inspiring to watch and incredibly easy going. Made my whole experience so effortless and (not quite) painless. I live in DC and flew to ABQ specifically to get a tattoo from Johnny Mac, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. read more

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Jacob is the coolest, nicest tattoo artist I've ever had! He's was so understanding of my pickiness and did my tattoo exactly how I had imagined it. It turned out perfect! I trust his judgement and I am definitely going back to him to fix one that a different artist messed up! read more

The experience here was amazing. I came in for a US Flag forearm tattoo and left happy and excited for my next return. The artist had a very light hand and the detail of the tattoo came out amazing. The price, too, was shockingly low for the work. I've paid more for smaller, simpler tattoos at other shops in the area. I will be making this my "main" shop in the future. Thank you 2 Cents for the work done. read more

Johnny Mac may be the best artist in town, but Dominic gets a big fat zero on his customer service. I went in just wanting to look at some pictures, portfolios. When I told him I wanted to look at examples of watercolors, he was condescending in his remark, "this is a tattoo shop". Duh.... According to Dominic Johnny is booked up until August or September. So save your gas. read more

I would definitely call myself a perfectionist as far as my tattoo journey is going and Jenny never fails to amaze me. I always trust her opinion and ideas and they always come out flawless; this shop has some real talent in a clean, open, and professional environment. I always have business cards on hand and am quick to recommend True Grit to anyone looking for quality work. read more

Best tattoo place in Albuquerque! JohnnyMac is the best in the business! The shop is always clean and all the artists are extremely professional. I wouldn't go anywhere else in the country read more

Amazing work! Clean shop with great personality. JohnnyMac takes body art to a whole new level! The piece he did was above and beyond my expectations. read more

I had such an amazing experience at True Grit. It was my first tattoo and completely spontaneous, but everything worked out so perfectly. I called and asked if they accept walk-ins at 5. They told me to come down to talk it over with an artist. The entire atmosphere of the place and my artist, Jake just put my mind at ease. I knew I had chosen the right place. Jake told me to come back a couple hours later and he would have my design drawn up. I wasn't a huge fan of the first draft just because I was picturing a different font, although it was amazing too. He let me help with the design of the next and was such a pleasure to work with. He's such a natural talent! It is apparent with every stroke of his hand. Although I got it on my ribs, his light hand made for such an enjoyable experience. He was patient and kind and he stayed so late past close to accommodate me. I couldn't have planned a better venture! read more