The American Tradition Tattoo

The best place! Got my first tattoo here awhile by grimace I believe! He was super patient and kind! Recommend this to everyone! Great experience and environment! Defiantly going here for my next

Walked in on a Monday night and got tattooed an hour or so later. I wanted something spontaneous for my birthday and Grimace did such a good job. He was also very sweet and stopped a few times to ask me how I was doing. I went by myself therefore I didn’t have anyone to give me words of encouragement, but Grim did all of that for me. Such a sweet and talented guy. Will come back again.

I decided to get my first tattoo here because of their spectacular reputation. However, they did not meet my expectations. The guy that did my tattoo just told me to «relax» the whole time, didn’t even answer any of the questions I was asking. Given it was my first time and I was nervous, it would’ve been nice if he could’ve assured me other than telling me to lie down and relax.
I got a small quote on the inside of my bicep and it turned out to be $ 80. I don’t mind spending a lot for a good quality piece and I do think tattoos are an investment. However, my artist seemed as if he were in a rush and he just slapped on the outline and went for it. It was over quickly, like 5 minutes or so, and I thought it turned out great. But then I put my arm down and realized that the quote was slanted. It bugs me so much, but I decided to just accept it because there isn’t anything I can do about it at this time.
Bottom line, I think this place is alright. depending on who the artist is.

I called ahead of time to see if they were able to get me in, they were so I went in right away. Ryan did my tattoo and I would go back to him again with no hesitation. He was very professional and laid back. I gave him my design and he drew it up in what seemed like mins. He cleaned the area where the tattoo was to be placed and started tattooing. After the tattoo was complete he gave me care instructions which were/​have been very helpful. My tattoo came out beautifully and can’t wait to go back. I was able to ask him about cover ups and he gave me some advice as to what types of images I could use to begin my cover-​up process. I am looking forward to going back and working with Ryan.
$ 60 minimum
ATM located inside (charge of $ 3.00 to use)
Parking may be difficult to find (depending on the time of day)
Very clean establishment
Staff was super friendly
Although I didn’t receive a piercing that day I was given great info and had all of my questions answered about piercings from their piercer. She was very kind and informative!

The best place around!!! Grimace did my rose and I’m definitely returning for more work. Made you feel extremely comfortable and make sure you get exactly what you want. Great atmosphere I was very relaxed.

I was one of the walk in customers today and luckily, I was able to get my tattoo done by Ryan. I was asked to sign in and make a deposit of $ 60, which will go towards my tattoo. After 2 and a half hours, Ryan sketched my piece and placed it on my shoulder, asking if everything was good. After three tries, we finally got the right placement and he started tattooing. Ryan asked me if it was my first tattoo and had a conversation with me to make me feel more at ease. After around 30 minutes, we were finished and I was very satisfied with the results. He cleaned it up for me and gave me directions as to how to care for my tattoo.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful first experience, Ryan! I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon because I’m not a fan of needles, but we’ll see.
***Remember to tip your artists! They’re all very professional and wonderful.

thank u Unilocal.
i was around the area. trying to figure out what to do while I wait for a friend.
been wanting to get my 3^rd tat so I figured why not.
Unilocaled around and found this place a few blocks from where i’m at. I called and asked how long the wait is and I was told it wasn’t bad.
Unilocal profile said they accept credit card but when I got there I was told they don’t but they have an atm machine right at their desk.
ended up waiting for an hour, got my tat within 20 mins after.
the guy who did my tat was very nice and helpful.
would come back if I have the chance

I did a lot of research before deciding to go to this shop. So many 5 star reviews, and positive comments made me feel good about it.
I spoke with Ryan and emailed him the concepts I had in mind. The tattoo I wanted incorporates a lot of symbolism and personal meaning. Ryan was able to interpret my ideas into an amazing, unique design. I am so glad I chose to go here.
The shop itself is as clean as it can get. Even the bathroom is nice. Great artist, great atmosphere, great all around tattoo shop!

I was in search of a tattoo shop for my new tattoo and came across The American Tradition through my trusty friend Unilocal!
I called one afternoon to see if I needed to have a consultation or anything, and they were super helpful on the phone. They invited me to come in anytime with my ideas and references to give me a price quote.
We arrived later that afternoon and everything about the place was inviting — the people and the atmosphere. The shop is located in a building right next to Devine Gelateria. It’s set up like a house (I’m sure it was a house at one point), and you walk in the «front door» and you’re welcomed by bright drawings, and open windows and sunlight. They quickly came to help me and gave me a quote within 5 minutes. I could’ve gone around and looked at more places but I had a great feeling about this one and the people that worked there. I was able to book an appointment within 2 days (which my boyfriend said is pretty hard, normally it needs to be way in advance!)
When I arrived, I met with Ryan, who would be my artist for the day. I was happy about that since I heard a lot of great things online about him! He took my other references and drawings that I brought and he drew up the final design. He was friendly and not intimidating like I would believe most tattoo artists are… The whole session took about 2 hours with a short break in between the outline and shading. He listened to my main needs for the tattoo (minimal shading, lighter gray for the birds) and had a great suggestion to make the Hawaiian islands larger.
I am super happy with the end result and have been continuously recommending American Tradition and Ryan Tanton to everyone who asks where I went!

This review is way OVERDUE. Right when I walked in the door i knew this was an amazing place. The location is gorgeous and the staff was very nice. I told the guy at the front desk what I had in mind (three red roses with black and grey leaves) and he brought me a few rose drawings for me to look at. I was honest and said none were what I envisioned. He then brought me a binder and a folder FULL of different roses. I looked through and found exactly what I wanted. I handed it to him and he said he would give it to my artist and for me to come back the day of the appointment (which I told him was my birthday) and the artist would have a sketch for me.
I came in for my appointment and I met my artist. He introduced himself and gave me the sketch and said if i wanted ANY adjustments to just tell him. I instantly fell in love. It was EXACTLY what i had envisioned.
I got tattooed by RJ on January 5^th this year, my eighteenth birthday. It was my first tattoo experience and I had many questions. RJ did not hesitate to answer any of them and was very patient with me. I do not have that high of a pain tolerance and he put up with that as well. He also remembered it was my birthday when I came in for my appointment and wished me a happy birthday before he started. Afterwards they gave me a DETAILED sheet of how to take care of my tattoo and it healed PERFECTLY. I love to show it off all the time. I will definitely come back for another tattoo. I HIGHLY recommend this shop!
I did later on come back to get my navel pierced and I was again very happy with the experience.

I can say that this place is a premier tattoo shop! Came here with an idea of wanting a pinup girl on my leg but no idea what I wanted her to look like. I love traditional style tattoos and found this shop to be so welcoming and friendly. Grimace was the first guy I talked to and he made this awesome drawing. I literally fell in love with it the moment I laid my eyes upon it!!!
It took two sittings because of all the detail and attention Grimace took to make it super duper beautiful. The first session was the outline and that took 3 hours. I let it heal for about a month then came back for the 2^nd session and that also took another 3 hours. I can honestly say that this is my favorite tattoo and will be back for so many more:). Thank you so much for being a wonderful tattoo shop I can depend on!!!

If you are looking for a clean shop and amazing tattoo look no further!
Received my third tattoo today from Ryan at The American Tradition and couldn’t be happier! Ryan keeps a super clean shop (I am a nurse and especially cautious of cleanliness/​sterility) with personable artists.
My first tattoo by Ryan was a tribute to my parents– it was a custom design and I couldn’t love anything more. My second tattoo was an anatomical heart with roses– the lines are so clean and precise I’ve been asked if it is real! My third tattoo was just today and I am in love with my nightingale.
Ryan takes the time to ensure you are happy with the design and placement. His work is flawless and colors vibrant. There isn’t another shop I would ever get a tattoo at– The American Tradition has my business for life.

This place has a great look and a few friendly employees, but my experience here was solidly «meh» and left several things to be desired. I chose American Tradition based on their overwhelmingly positive reviews and generally solid reputation, so I have to believe that mine was a relatively rare not-​so-​fantastic experience; maybe I just caught them on an off day.
I had made an appointment for myself and a friend to get small tattoos at the same time; less than an hour before the appointment, I received a call saying that one of the two tattoo artists was going to be running late, BY ABOUT AN HOUR — and not an apologetic call, really more of the «just, you know, FYI» variety. This threw our plans for the rest of the day out of whack.
The piece I had done was was pretty small, and almost literally couldn’t have been more simple. It was a triangle with an exclamation point in the middle — all bold, black, straight lines, with no color, shading, script or artistic rendering required. It took between 20 and 30 minutes to complete, and cost $ 140… I was totally flabbergasted. To be fair, it’s my own boneheaded fault for not getting an estimate ahead of time, and for thinking as I plunked down my $ 60 deposit several days earlier, «Oh good, that ought to cover pretty much the whole thing!» My bad.
Additionally, they have some bizarre rules there that don’t seem to make much logical sense and aren’t in keeping with industry standards. If you come with a friend or family member, they’re not permitted to sit anywhere near you while you’re getting worked on, and NO PHOTOS of your tattoo are allowed to be taken in the shop. (?!)
My tattoo artist was a little curt and brusque, and didn’t give me a lot of information (let alone any real sense of warmth or, heaven forbid, a comforting smile) before, during or after the process. Luckily, I’d gotten a few small tattoos before, so I more or less knew what to expect. And when a few red flags came up, I saw them.
He «bandaged» the area with a folded paper towel, plastic wrap and masking tape, and told me to use Neosporin for the first few days. The following is from a wonderfully written, very thorough and informative website, which I’d recommend to anyone about to get a tattoo:
«When your tattoo artist finishes your tattoo they will clean off your tattoo with some green soap, water, and maybe even a little witch hazel prior to taking a picture for you. Then they should apply a very thin coat of A+D® Ointment or some type of clear anti-​bacteria ointment. Then they will bandage you, hopefully with a sterile absorbing pad.
A word of caution: If you see the shop using paper towels, Scotch tape, or masking tape in the bandaging process, RUN!!!» –
So… not being able to get a picture of my new tattoo taken may have been one of the lesser problems.
My friend, still waiting to even get started when I was done, echoed my reluctance to stick around and wait. So we wandered down the street to a different establishment, where he got helped immediately as a walk-​in by a jovial and comforting artist, and his piece (far more elaborate than mine) cost him at least $ 20 less.
My tattoo looks fine, but it’s so ridiculously simple, I probably could have gotten it done with identical results and for far less money elsewhere.
To sum up: meh.

Came in here 6 months ago with my sister. Decided to get my nose cartilage pierced after seeing her ear cartilage get pierced by their stand-​in Gary. He was really knowledgeable and the place was super clean! I was really impressed. His mannerisms convinced me to finally get the piercing I’ve wanted since 4^th grade.
I came back for my 2 week check up, and the regular piercing lady (I forgot her name) was equally as nice and knowledgable as Gary.
Definitely would recommend this place.

I decided last minute to get my naval pierced, and Unilocal ratings led me here. Great shop, but I wish they had private parking. The surrounding streets were filled with cars and it was a struggle to find parking. After driving around for 15 minutes or so, I found a spot. The shop itself was easy to find, I actually did walk past it a couple times. But it is a very cute place!
I walked inside and was greeted with a very warm welcome from Mel. She was great. Very welcoming, and sweet. I finished all the paperwork, and was then led upstairs to get the deed done. I went by myself, so I was feeling quite antsy. But Mel and Dave, my piercer, we’re so calm and friendly that t just took away all of my nerves! Mel is fairly new, working there for about 3 months, but she was great.
After all the prep done by Mel, Dave stepped in to pierce my belly. He talked me step by step, and walked me through the breathing. It was done quickly and before I knew it, I was done.
For a naval piercing, titanium jewelry, and after piercing lotion, I paid $ 58 in total. It is cash only even though Unilocal says they accept credit. Luckily, they have an ATM Inside.
Overall, great place to go to! Highly recommended.

I went in today to act on my sense of spontaneity. I was looking for piercings. Two Tragus piercings but then quickly decided on one Tragus and one Conch piercing. When I called, I spoke to a woman named Mel. She’s awesome over the phone and in person along with being extremely friendly.
She gave me the information that I needed and additional information. I appreciate the helpfulness to the extreme. I walked into The American Tradition feeling comforted and confident about the staff because of Mel and Unilocal.
Dave was my piercer and he was awesome too. His 25+ years of experience made me feel at ease as soon as Mel mentioned it to me. He took his time prepping the materials/​supplies and didn’t rush a thing. He shows a lot of patience and I appreciate that. He pierced my Tragus first and it was painless. All I felt was pressure and I heard a pop. That’s it! It was soon over. Next was my conch piercing, he walked me through my breathing and boom! That was soon over too!
This was a very pleasant experience and I am happy with my piercings! Thank you Dave and Mel!

I have been doing research on a place in Sacramento to get my first tattoo and this place seemed to have the best reviews.
Me and my 3 friends went here on a Monday night around 8:30 both me and my friend got piercing by Lisa. She was very friendly and talked us through the process. After this I then went to get my tattoo by Grimace. I showed him a photo on my phone of what I wanted, he had me email it to him and got it printed out right away. He was EXTREMELY patient with me during the process where I almost passed out because of my fear of needles. He had me lay down, got me some water and even a wet cloth. He did not rush me AT ALL and told me to take my time until I felt all better.
Overall this was a great experience! All very professional, definitely will be coming back!

I chose this place for my sisters and I to get our first tattoos based on the raving reviews on Unilocal.I was a little worried at first about the communication to get what we wanted since we corresponded mostly through email and just talked to Grimace who wasn’t going to even be at the appointment but this place will NOT disappoint.
Upon arrival, the shop was super clean and we were nicely greeted. The guys there were patient and redid the photocopy for our transfer about four times until we got the size we wanted. They listened well for the details we wanted in our tattoos and did an awesome job. The guys here provide a friendly, comfortable, and inviting environment.
My sisters and I got oak trees with slight differences. Vinny tattooed my piece. RJ and Ryan did my sisters. They all did a phenomenal job! You can’t go wrong with any of the artists here. We are so proud to sport our first tattoo and show it off. Thank you!!!

I’m so glad we decided to get our tattoos here! It was my sisters’ and I first tattoo. My bf decided to also get one. The artists were so helpful and chill.
The first time I went here, my bf said I had to check out the artists first before making a decision. He has a lot of tats, so he knows what he’s doing. We walked in and said we wanted to make an appt with an artist for our tats. The guy, sorry I forgot his name, asked us what we were looking for in our tat. Since my sisters weren’t there, I couldn’t tell him exactly what they wanted and have him judge that, so I told him I want– my grandparents’ names on my ring finger. He said since the names together are too long to fit on one finger, they couldn’t do it. Also, the ink can fade much faster on the finger; therefore, I would need to do touch ups more often. I was sad, so I had to think of another place to put it. I told him I will think of another place and do a walk-​in for Saturday. That would be okay too.
That Satuday, my sisters, bf and I came back and wanted to get our tattoos done. As it was our first tattoo, my sisters and I were very nervous, at least I was. I was assigned to Vinny to do my tattoo. I decided to have my grandparents’ names on my inner bicep. I showed him the font I wanted and told him, later on, I might want to have a cross around the names. He worked with what I told him. After all the prep work, it was game time. Since it was my birthday, my sisters and bf said I have to go first. Vinny kept me calm. My tattoo felt like it only took 10 min. It didn’t even hurt! He kept talking to me and kept me calm! And, I love my tattoo! Vinny did a great job!
My other sisters got phases tatted on them and the bf got «Faith» tatted on his forearm. Everybody’s tattoo came out super nice! All the artists were super chill and professional.
I would highly recommend coming here whether it’s your first tattoo or 20^th tattoo. The guys here are awesome! I will be coming back for my next tattoos!
They take walk-​ins, but it can be a super long wait, depending when you go in. As long as you get in before they close, they’ll tat you up. Also, they’re cash only, so bring cash with you, or you will have to pay $ 3 service charge for their ATM.

Fine fine establishment! First time customer but not first tattoo. Will definitely come back though when ink fever runs really high and funds are sufficient enough. Lol. This visit was for my girlfriend’s birthday. Out of many many many places researched, this was the best place with the beat rating. It was perfect because her and her sisters were going to get a tattoo for her birthday. Luckily my fever had been running high lately and I had some expendable cash… so as their DD I got one as well. :) for a group of 1^st timers and one old guy (me) it was over all a perfect experience. Especially for their first tattoos. As we left, they were already planning for their next one at this shop.
The shop is in a nice older model home converted shop. There is an old timey feel, reminiscent of a Sailor Jerry bottle. SUPER clean and cozy.
As you enter the old wooden door creeks ever so slightly. Look to the left are a set of stairs, waiting area and work stations. Pass a small arch way. Since this place is cash only, the convenient ATM machine is convenient for the customer. It is sadly a $ 3 charge to withdraw. So bring cash ahead of time! But they are ready for spur the moment folk. Right side is a plethora of ideas for tattoos and ahead is a small front desk with 4 or 5 photo albums of artist’s past works. So if you’re ever not down for what is on the wall or in the albums or just want an original piece, talk to the very friendly and knowledgeable fellas at the shop. They will design one and tailor it to your liking. They will work until it is perfect and exactly what you want. They are efficient and quick and experienced.
I’ve been tattooed by 3 other people and this is by far the best shop I’ve been to. I have a half sleeve on my right arm, back piece, and just above the thigh. And now welcoming into the family my left forearm. The beautiful piece done by Ryan. Picture should be just below if not. It is Faith in Olde E with ephesians 2:8 in cursive under it. He is a very experienced artists with over a decade worth of tattooing. Very friendly and gifted artist. I asked for a simple Olde English tat with cursive on the bottom. Couldn’t find the correct fonts to my liking so Ryan, in about a hour or so came up with my current design and bam before I knew it, I was under way. As Ryan was shading he gave me options as to what would look good from his professional perspective. He said go for the tip shading, I had never heard of it before and it turned out brilliantly.
Overall I say this is the perfect place for 1^st timers, those looking to get into tattoos or seasoned folks with many tattoos. This is the definition of what a tattoo shop should feel like. Professional, courteous, quick, efficient and awesome.