Guru Tattoo

am a very loyal client of Guru tattoo, this shop has been my only source of tattoo art for the last decade due to the absolute world class level of quality and skill of the artists within this shop.
Guru Tattoo is widely regarded as one of the top world class shops in the industry, clients travel from all over the world and are willing in some cases to wait for years to get onto the client list, but it’s worth it due to its various artists abilities in putting together complicated, comprehensive large art pieces with absolutely amazing composition.
In conclusion guru tattoo has my highest recommendation.

So my daughter and I went in a week ago to get tattoos. We loved Dakota and the entire experience was wonderful. We would strongly recommend this fabulous shop.

I only swung by real quick to get some info with my boyfriend, but I was pretty impressed with the 5 minutes I spent here. The young guy at the front (sorry I forgot to ask your name) was insanely helpful and knew his artists. He listened to what we each wanted, gave us some feedback on our ideas, and matched us with different artists who could really bring those ideas out. Not only that, but he was so friendly, it’s definitely a rarity in the tattoo world. I’m used to talking to pretentious asshats who will only give you the time of day if they think you’ll be a good-​paying client. I’m definitely going to follow up with Mateo Robles for my clock piece and will update my review afterwards!

I’m putting this review on both locations of Guru Tattoo since my husband was worked on at both locations by Aaron.
My husband had his upper leg tattooed by Aaron, and I am SO happy with his work! My husband isn’t on Unilocal,but Aaron definitely deserves a glowing review!
When my husband first contacted him, Aaron was kind and professional. He explained his booking process and fees. Once my husband put down his deposit, Aaron drew the most beautiful artwork. We loved it, and my husband eagerly awaited his visits with Aaron. There were four visits, and each time he sat for 5 – 6 hours. My husband doesn’t have the highest pain tolerance, and Aaron was accommodating with the length of the visits.
Aaron knew that my husband and I are expecting our first baby, and there was one appointment that my husband had that Aaron did need to reschedule. He let my husband know a few days prior to the appointment that he thought he may be coming down with a cold, and offered to reschedule since he didn’t want to risk getting my husband (or me!) sick. I thought that was really awesome!!! He gave him notice and an opportunity to reschedule. He was open with communication, and I personally, really appreciated that! I’m attaching a few photos of my husbands leg throughout the process. We are both SO happy with Aaron’s work, and are both looking forward to having him put more of his work on my husband!

Just tattoo flash, don’t expect custom work. Short Canadian dude did some color work on my leg that was poor quality, and other artist just talking about hitting on girls.

I came to San Diego in hopes of finding a great, reliable tattoo shop. We walked into guru and immediately was impressed with how friendly the staff was. They took me and my friend as walk in appointments and only took about 20 minutes before we were brought back to our station. They were extremely kind and respectful and made sure we were satisfied with our design before working on it. There shop was extremely clean as well! All and all, I will most definitely come back to guru as well as refer my friends! Great first tattoo experience!

Came in for a walk in after day drinking with my cousin and Tom had some free time to take care of us. He was really nice, helpful and his work is badass! I plan on coming back and getting a big piece done by him hopefully sometime soon!

Just finished a half sleeve at guru tattoo and I am so pleased!
Let me start with the shop: both the Pacific Beach and the Little Italy locations are impeccable. SO clean and incredibly stylish inside. All of the employees are super nice, always stoping by to see what I was having done, asking if I need anything and very complimentary of my tattoo.
Next: My tattoo artist, Champion Grubbs. I brought him a picture of my grandmother’s 1960’s wallpaper as my tattoo inspiration and he gave me exactly exactly what I wanted. I could not imagine a more beautiful outcome. Champ was so fun to work with and easy talk to during our sessions. He was incredibly patient with me when picking out the colors and placement while offering up some truly professional advice. I am so proud to have some Champion Grubbs artwork on my body forever!

I’m not Unilocaling about tattoo work, but wanted to give HUGE props to Natasha who answered the phone. I was looking for an artist and she was so nice and helpful! Big on customer service… I love that. Thanks! :)

Just finished my first session for a 10“x 6″ side piece (pics to come!) with ERIK KUSHNER. This guy is a pro, no doubt. Drew up a design for me that was a-​may-​zing. I don’t know how he did it, because I gave him the most convoluted description possible. Only had enough $$ for two hours of work, but he banged it out in an hour and a half ! ! ! And there is a lot of detail goin on in this piece. Quick, light, and steady hand. Couldn’t hope for better. Ask for ERIK if you need a new tattoo!!!

Great place!
I called at 5:30 Monday night hoping they took walk in and they did! He said to come in quickly because it was first come first served. He also asked me what we were looking to get and I told him the artwork, where we wanted it and the size.
When my husband and I came in, the guy up front was very attentive and was already looking up our artwork online with the two tattoo artists! I loved that. They asked us a few questions and were quickly off to draw up our designs. We filled out the necessary paperwork and then looked at the different profiles available. Amazing! These artists are talented.
The building itself is much larger than expected. It has a very nice bathroom which is pretty rare from my experience in tattoo shops.
This place has great art work and friendly service and great music! The price was extremely reasonable too, half what we were quoted at other places!
Definitely a must visit.

Great experience with my friends getting matching tatoos. Shop was very clean, staff proffesional & artists very talented. Dakota did an amazing job on our tattoos! Highly recommend!

Tonight, I had my first tattoo. I was nervous and Joseph Caram did an amazing job of creating my logo above my breast cancer scar. It is a celebration with my step daughter. The entire staff put me at ease. We just walked in and they made it happen.

I’m town for a week. From Washington wanted to make a memory… Searched for a while after review came to Guru. They were able to fit us in last minute! Thanks for making the trip more memorable.

Aaron is an incredible artist with a creative mind. In his booth you can see his art on the wall and be in awe for hours. He will turn your idea into something you could’ve never imagined while simultaneously being everything you ever wanted. He also has a great eye for talent and has surrounded himself with other extremely talented artists. It almost makes it difficult to be loyal to him when you see some of the other works being done in the studio but then he finishes your piece and you can’t imagine ever getting a tattoo from someone else.

Guru Tattoo! Extremely clean, friendly, and professional staff! They made sure that I had the right artist for what I wanted, love that they did that!!! Thanks Dakota!

Just leaving Guru — artist was Erik, who was brilliant! Beautiful work and placement. I’m from out of town so not easy to pick a studio which is why I’m posting a review — all good — even match artist to tattoo style. Recommend.

Just finished up my first half sleeve with the amazingly talented Tom Haubrick. Him and everyone at Guru are just great people. The studio is clean and the love for art and creativity flows out of this place. When my next tattoo itch comes, I’ll be back without a doubt.

Guru deserves 6 stars. They are arguably the greatest group of tattoo artists in the country. Not only are they all incredibly talented and experts in their respective styles, they’re also humble, nice people. Excellent customer service and an all around great tattoo experience. Aaron has assembled a truly all-​star team of artists.
Although I live in one of the epicenters of tattoo in the Bay Area, I flew to San Diego for 4 separate sessions with Champ and it was worth every penny. I literally could not be happier with my piece. Champ’s execution of my idea is so far beyond what I had imagined, and the photo realism is really unbelievable. I get compliments constantly. I can’t recommend Champ more. He’s a fantastic artist and super nice guy.

My husband has had a lot of work done here, which still looks flawless 15+ years later so when I decided to get a tattoo I knew this was the only place I would go. The shop was extremely clean, everyone was really nice & professional & Mateo the artist that I worked with was awesome! He was so nice & helpful. I really couldn’t be happier with what we did! Both pieces healed very nice as well. I would highly recommend Guru!

My boy Joe Caram is the best! I love his style!
The shop is always clean, and despite there not being a parking lot, I always manage to find a spot in front of the shop, no problem.
They are always very upfront about pricing too, which is something I always look for in finding a new tattoo shop. Go in and check them out! They always have everyone’s portfolios readily available to look at

I went in on Saturday to check the place out, and I was impressed with the style, cleanliness, and overall ‘zen vibe’ this place had to offer.
The guy who talked to me at the front answered my initial questions, and I left for the day to think about my decision to get my first tattoo. No pressure.
I called ahead of time on Sunday to make an appointment and to let them know what I would be getting done. When I arrived a couple hours later, my tattoo artist, Erik, had already worked on a sketch of my jellyfish. It was super impressive, and almost exactly what I was looking for.
Personally, I would have preferred to sit down with him first to really let him know my vision before he started drawing, but I got the feeling he just had some time on his hands — and it turned out great! If you are a person who has a hard time saying no or letting people know you don’t like something, this approach may make you uncomfortable. Fortunately for me, I happened to really like what he drew, and didn’t have too many suggestions. I just had him shrink it down to the size I wanted and let him know what sort of detail to include.
Once Erik got to work, I felt like i was in great hands. He was quiet, meticulous with my lines, and gentle. I definitely recommend this shop, and Erik did a fantastic job. Thank you!

I was lucky enough to get a half sleeve done by Mateo Robles at both the little Italy location and the PB location. Both shops are top notch and very clean. Mateo did a great job on my black and grey half sleeve and I’ll definitely be back for more!
I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about either of these shops and the artists!

This is a clean and nice shop. My daughter and I came in for tattoos and we met Dakota. He was a nice guy that was professional and did great work. He looked young, but his skills are amazing.
The front counter guy was great as well. 100% I would return.

This shop is as legit as it gets. I would compare this place to getting a fine Picasso painting done that will speak for itself. These guys are as professional as it gets and extremely friendly. Super clean shop as well.
I have been working on my sleeve for over a year now with Aaron D. And he seems to know the exact colors to put in the right spots. He mixes his own colors so you get a custom pallet that you can’t get at some average shop.
Do yourself a favor guys and check out this shop if you want a quality piece of work.

This wasn’t my first rodeo, but if it’s your first you should definitely check this place out.
It was great to have Joe Caram work on my tattoo. From the very start, I felt very comfortable sharing my ideas of the tattoo I wanted. His work flow and creativity exceeded my expectations of the tattoo I’ve been thinking about for 2 years. Check out his IG: jcaramtattoo
I’ve talked to and had work done at other shops on Garnet and this place is top of the line. Real deal !!
If none of this helped, be sure to have a charged phone.

I followed Tim McEvoy from Art Junkies (Hesperia, CA) to this Guru Tattoo location to get some ink done.
There is a reason for that! For one, Tim worked on a dozen roses on me and when I decided on my next tattoo, I knew Tim would be worth a drive to San Diego.
The shop is welcoming and nothing intimidating. The artwork you are greeted with upon your entrance is awesome. There is a print on the left hand side of the wall that is just beautiful. Tim told me it is Guru’s owner’s work. Beautiful.
All the artist books are located in the waiting area and as I had my work done, I have seen many different faces walk through the door and look through the books, booking appointments here and there.
Parking is nuts, so you either pay for parking in a nearby lot or park in the street and move your car every two hours.
Unlike the other shops on this very busy street, this shop has closing hours before midnight. If you want professional work, you should work with a tattoo shop that operates within a business mentality and professional demeanor. This shop is it!
But let me tell you why I go to Tim. Lines. Shading. Personality. I respect the man and the artist within the man. I like the lines on my tattoos to be organic, to flow nicely within the image and its location on my body. Tim is also a cool and professional guy.
Guru Tattoo, and Tim, provide a comfortable tattooing environment.
Once you know what you want, and you have a design in mind, I suggest you contact Tim to schedule a consultation to get your design prepared!

This review is looooooong overdue and has been sitting in my drafts folder on Unilocal for ages, but regardless of when, my experience at Guru was nothing short of incredible.
Sure, between getting a consultation in the books and about eight separate sessions, it took me about a year and a half to complete my chest piece. My artist was Nate Banuelos and I couldn’t have picked a better artist to tackle my tattoo. Nate is patient, quiet, detailed, meticulous and methodical. Seeing that I put in about 30 hours in his chair this was exactly what I was looking for. He never wanted to do a marathon session and believe me, neither did I. I’m not one of those guys who claims to thrive on the pain from being tattooed and the last thing I wanted was an exhausted artist taking a needle to my skin. For this reason, taking as long as it did to complete my piece was no big deal — impatient people may want to look elsewhere.
Guru is not your bargain tattoo shop and Nate only takes clients that are looking to do something a bit bigger. Think sleeves, chest pieces and back pieces — works of art. His private chair upstairs makes for uninterrupted sessions, which is something very rare for a tattoo shop in Pacific Beach.
So, writing this review has my wheels turning… it’s been a while but damn, I’m getting the itch!

My husband and I are both taking part in Levi Hiltons «Birds, Broads, and Skulls Brigade» project and my husband had his appointment this weekend. First of all, the Guru shop itself is amazing. It’s immaculate and beautifully designed. Ron at the front desk is so super friendly and we had a nice time joking around with him while waiting for Levi to set up.
Levi’s work speaks for itself and while my husband’s piece isn’t quite finished yet (so I can’t post a picture), we were both amazed by Levi’s skill before, during, and after the tattoo. He’s also so sweet. You won’t feel intimidated at all, I promise. He’ll make sure you’re comfortable and answer as many questions as you may have. Believe me, he let me sit all up in there and ask him a bazillion questions about color theory, values, movies, and a bunch of other stuff I can’t even remember. He’s got a wealth of information about, like, everything. I seriously learned a lot just sitting there chatting with him while my husband got his calf drilled (lol).
Also, everyone else in the shop is so friendly. Even as the casual observer, I had at least three people check up on my comfort level. They stopped in to chat and just leave us with positive vibes all around. Such a great experience.
My appointment is next month and my husband’s final appointment is scheduled right after mine, so I will update shortly with pictures. Check our Levi’s Instagram, though, and find out more information about the project he’s working on now. It’s very cool!