Best Tattoo Shops In San Diego

“I can’t say enough great things about Isaac! I went to him for my nose piercing, and I’ll be honest—I was nervous about the pain. But Isaac walked me through everything, answered my questions, and kept me calm. When it came time for the piercing, it was so quick and smooth that I barely felt a thing! Honestly, it was painless and way easier than I expected.

Isaac has such a gentle, precise technique, and it shows—my piercing is healing beautifully. Beyond being incredibly skilled, he has a calm, positive energy that instantly puts you at ease. You can tell he genuinely cares about his clients and wants them to have the best experience.

If you’re even thinking about getting a piercing, Isaac is the one to see. I walked in nervous and walked out with a gorgeous piercing—and the confidence that I’ve found the only piercer I’ll ever go to again.“

“Visiting our daughter in San Diego and we both received the same tattoo! Love it ?“

“This place was truly amazing, I went in with a couple of my girlfriends. We all decided to get tattoos. I’ve always wanted the Prince symbol, and so I have it on my left leg. And then I love this place so much I went back two days later and got another tattoo on the another leg. The guys couldn’t have been nicer made me feel so comfortable. And they even had a big mama table for me to lay on. I’m always afraid I’m going to break a table. Of course I haven’t yet but they had one just for me anyways.“

“Zane was so dope!!! Such a great vibe and FAST. We went on a whim to get matching best friend tatts and his conversation and professionalism is off the charts. He was so meticulous, which is exactly what you want in a tattoo artist! 10/10 highly recommend“

“I got tattooed almost a year ago, spur of the moment, celebrating Valentine's Day with my husband and 9 month old daughter. Carrie was about to leave when I walked in but made time for me anyway. She drew up my idea quickly and easily, she knew exactly what I was looking for before even I did. We were in and out of the shop in about an hour and I'm still amazed by the quality of work done. I get compliments on my tattoo constantly and might as well have a QR code for her Instagram at this point. I would recommend Carrie to anyone who asks.“

“Very professional, kind service, accommodating, friendly and knowledgeable. Literally best ever i HIGHLY recommend“

“I booked artists “Leo Cadenazzi” for an appointment on August 2nd, 2025 for a 5 inch wide by 7” negative space cross enshrouded by skulls and roses.
Leo specializes in this, and is one of the senior, highly desirable artists at this studio so it took me over a month to even get through the door.
His pricing was more than fair, borderline a bargain given his massive talent and renown.
The stencil he created was spot on with the references I sent him, and when I arrived at the shop he was smiling and ready to go.

His easygoing demeanor was affable, and his expert consultation on placement, especially after telling him the other pieces I would be getting in the same area was excellent and probably saved me a huge headache in the future.

The shop was clean, calm, and not totally covered in gore and nudity as is the norm for most tattoo parlors, which I appreciated.

Leo powered through close to 4 hours from start to finish and completed the piece with blazing speed and efficacy. Any novice or intermediate artist might have taken double the time.

The payment and waiver process was a breeze, and other artists there were professional and cordial.

I drove 45 minutes one way to get to Funhouse Tattoo in Pacific Beach, and waited a month to secure Leo’s services. Worth every penny and every second, couldn’t be happier.“

“Super talented, professional, and chill to be around. He made sure I was comfortable the whole time, and the work came out clean. You can tell he really cares about the art — the linework, shading, and detail were all on point. Easily one of the best tattoo experiences I’ve had. If you’re thinking about booking with James, just do it — you won’t regret it.“

“I walked in and Zhoey did my tattoo and did an amazing job. We are just visiting here, but would definitely come back for more!!“

“My wife was getting a tattoo first and I ended up chatting more with Phangs. We spoke about a rough design and what I wanted. She came up with a design and colors that I fell in love with. I thought it was going to be a challenge since it was a coverup, but I trusted in her imagination and talent 100%. I LOVE how my tattoo turned out. Myself, wife, sister in law AND brother in law all get our tattoo from Phangs. She’s a nice, pleasant, very easy to talk to person and an amazing artist. The facility is beautiful and welcoming. I look forward to working on our next project“

“So I had been itching for some new tattoos (who doesn’t right?), and I really wanted to get all anime ones for my upper sleeve and while on instagram, I came across the artist James. Love his work and how clean it looked so I immediately sent a message over to him and we got my first tattoo scheduled. Very easy and streamlined process and the shop itself is so dope. So much artwork on the walls and just overall chill environment. I was greeted right away by the receptionist and they let James know I was there and the consultation began. Didn’t take much longer before I was in the chair getting ready to get my anime half sleeve started. It’s been close to a year probably since that first anime tattoo and the work looks incredible! My half sleeve of all anime is done and James could not have been more professional. He is so quick when he works but does not leave any detail out! I can’t speak for all the other artists and their work inside that shop but, if they are anything like James, then I wouldn’t give it a second thought. Full Circle Tattoo is the place to go!“

“Miles was awesome! My tattoo came out amazing and i’m so obsessed with it. He was so chill and didn’t make it awkward at all. Definitely recommend coming to this place!!“

“Come here all the time everyone is super nice and patient they'll help you with all your wants best shop in SD“

“Lexy is the best! I love going here and Nick did my tattoos and I'm love the!!! Can’t wait to go back“

“This review is specifically for Tarek and his top notch work. By far, the best Tattoo Artist in San Diego! He’s booked out a few months but reach out to the shop, ask to get on his consult schedule, and he’ll assist to design you a rad, unique piece of art! Thanks Tarek!“

“when i walked in here the vibes were a little weird, but when brandon started playing his music i knew i was at the right place. his vibe’s 10/10!“

“Clister helped bring my simple sketch into an incredible masterpiece over a decade ago and out of all the misinformed decisions I made when I was young, I have NO regrets about my choice of artist.

Ten years later, no fading, still getting compliments. Although it was a 14 hour project split into two sessions - painful, yes - but I got a lifetime of beautiful ink walking around with me.

Thanks Clister!“

“Julie was friendly and did a good job on my tattoo. I liked how I had the whole place to myself during my session as she's the only tattoo artist. She made sure the size and placement was to my liking, and she also had snacks which was considerate. My appointment lasted an hour for a 2-inch tattoo and was $150 before tip, which I feel like was a normal price. Overall would recommend!“

“The entire experience was 10/10 :) and you get to meet Bruno the dog. Highly recommend !!“

“Stephanie is awesome. I had a very specific idea in mind for a tattoo on my shoulder and she took all of my crazy ideas and turned it into a beautiful design. So happy with the work she did, she was great to work and fun to talk too which made the time go by fast getting the work done.

Requested style: Abstract landscape line work“

“10/10 amazing people here and their work is fucking amazing recommend going to this place you'll love the vibes and the people“

“New This place is absolutely awesome! My daughter and I were walking across the street and saw a guy hanging the sign and we decided to go in and check it out. I am so glad we did. What a warm, welcoming, great bunch of guys. They all made us feel so welcome while there. Sean did our tattoos and we LOVE them! We laughed with him the entire time. It was a really great experience and we will definitely be back. Thanks guys“

“Walked in with a group of friends and Nick was able to accommodate all of us. He was personable and kind — a few gals were getting their first tattoos and he eased all their nerves. I love my new tattoo and would happily get tattooed by Nick again!“

“Got my first tattoo here and it turned out great. Lee did an amazing job and was very professional. If you want a realistic tattoo he's your guy.“

“I had a coverup done on my lower back yesterday, and Nick was phenomenal! He was professional, patient, kind, and talked me through the tough spots like a coach on game day. He is truly an amazing artist and I can’t wait to come back for my next appointment.“