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    Castro Tattoo

    4.8 (204 reviews)
    ModerateTattoo
    Closed 1:00 pm - 7:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Services - Castro Tattoo

    Tattooing

    Castro Tattoo Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Castro Tattoo

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    Reviews With Photos

    Fresh peice! It's healing beautifully
    Molly S.

    Emily Pax is my hero. I spent weeks and hours researching tattoo artists and shops before selecting Emily Pax. Their instagram portfolio is full of beautiful pieces with the botanical and animals standing out. I noticed that several other tattoo artists sought Emily out for their tattoos which was a great sign. When I reached out, Kim Chee (their admin help) responded to my request and was super helpful and quick to respond. Castro Tattoo was clean and everyone was welcoming, a few artists even stopped by to compliment Emily's work. Emily was super easy to talk to, the conversation flowed easily. Emily was full of positive energy and encouragement. I will definitely be returning and recommending this shop to my friends!

    Skylar D.

    I've worked with several artists at Castro Tattoo and it's always been an amazing and welcoming service. As a queer person it's nice to feel represented and seen in the workplace! They listen to my wants and needs of what I want for a tattoo. All of them are friendly and the vibes are immaculate. I recommend coming here to anyone living or visiting San Francisco. Hands down a spectacular

    When in doubt, bacon trout.
    Brooke L.

    I love Haley and Castro Tattoo! Haley has been tattooing me since 2013. I am about to travel to San Francisco from Oregon to complete my tenth tattoo created by Haley. Haley is so committed to their clients, this shows in the many, many interesting and beautiful pieces they have created. I usually collect images and give basic ideas about a piece and give a general idea about where, on my body, I want the piece tattooed. Haley then creates pieces that go above and beyond my imagination. Haley's placement of each of my tattoos is impeccable. As I was sweating in hot yoga yesterday, and the bacon wrapped trout on my forearm swam by, I thought about how Haley has made my body rich with images, each piece its own story. My tattoos are mostly color realism, the dog portraits, pheasant, and bacon trout all look like photographs. Tattoo day is one of my favorite days, and entering the colorful and historic Castro Tattoo, seems to brighten my mood even more. Haley became the owner of Castro Tattoo in 2017, they have made the shop welcoming to all kinds of folks from all walks of life. Creating a space full of kindness and talent. Each artist at Castro has a different style, the best place to check out everybody's work is @castrotattoosf on Instagram. Thank you Haley and everyone at Castro for making such a great place to get tattooed.

    My original photo of a western and Clarks grebe.

    Ale Rosa is the best! She took one of my photos and put her gifted touch, and created a beautiful piece of art on my ankle. She also did another of her own creation on my other ankle. She worked very fast, but with no loss in anyway to care. Both tattoos took 90 minutes.The detail on my tattoo is awesome. Also, everyone at the studio was very nice. I will be back for sure!

    erin l.

    I cannot speak highly enough about Sam or her tattooing abilities. I have amassed quite a few tattoos over the years, but none compare to the forearm piece that she did for me. I wanted to memorialize my poor sweet kitters in a tattoo after losing him suddenly earlier in the year. I was introduced to Sam's work through a close friend and I was impressed by her unique style. I was particularly drawn to her combination of geometric lines, soft, natural forms, and her water color technique - something I have never seen from anyone else! Sam was absolutely amazing throughout the entire process. We went over some of my favorite pieces of hers and what I liked about them, and she created a super unique design that was not only exactly what I had in mind, but also drawn to fit perfectly on my teensy forearm. She tattooed me in two sittings, recognizing when my skin had reached the point when it needed a rest. I've not had a tattoo artist before that was sensitive to this and I think that this was the reason why this tattoo healed in record time. Sam was professional, compassionate, and fun to talk to - she made my time in the chair fly by! All of this amazingness aside, what I was most impressed with is how the tattoo came out. The picture in this review does not do it justice. Her lines are SO clean, her colors pop like crazy and Smokey's face looks EXACTLY like the picture that she used as a reference for the tattoo. I get complimented on this tattoo everywhere that I go. Seriously, every time that I go out in public, someone asks me about the tattoo. It's just so different from anything else that is out there, and so so beautiful. I can't wait to get back in her chair for some more work. If you are looking for an amazing artist with a super unique style who creates some of the most original and beautiful tattoos on the planet, hit her up!

    Cheshire cat.  There's a little crazy in all of us.
    Matt A.

    Haley Adams is Awesome, I let her know what my idea was and she made it happen, Far better then what I could imagine .

    Meet Roger the fox after my great uncle Roger
    Adriene P.

    Autumn was great! I went in on a whim to get a fox tattoo in remembrance of my great uncle. She drew a beautiful fox and did an amazing job bringing him to life.

    Freshly done, by Regina Push
    Marcy H.

    I had a tattoo done by Regina (@InkbyPush) a few weeks ago. A friend first recommended her to me about a year ago, saying Regina did gorgeous work and was very easy to work with, easygoing and not intimidating. I started following her on instagram and kinda just fell in love with her work. I finally got up the nerve to contact her about an idea that had been floating around in my head for like two years... She emailed me back quickly, asked for more details and gave me an estimate of about how long it might take. Booking the appointment through her website was really simple (I also had to reschedule once and it was super simple to do that, too). On the day of, we spent about 40 minutes hashing out the design because I was being indecisive... Regina was very patient with my waffling, and made a point to not pressure me into anything I wasn't sure of. I knew the general shape I wanted but was having trouble with the pattern to fill it with and she helped me go through several options until we found one I loved. The actual tattoo took only about an hour to do, she is super impressive in how quickly she works (but precise and delicate, not sloppy). I am super happy with it, and have gotten many compliments on my beautiful piece.

    My awesome cat tattoo by Ian :)
    Kassie H.

    Ian Reynold is the BEST! He's an amazingly talented artist and it really shows in his clean lines and attention to detail. I asked him to do a portrait of my cat based off of a picture I took of him and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out! Ian worked with me on a few different options and was careful to make sure it was exactly what I wanted before starting the tattoo. His calm demeanor and professionalism makes the entire experience really enjoyable, plus he's just a cool dude to spend some time with in general. Also, Castro Tattoo is a really great shop with a chill atmosphere which definitely adds to the experience. I guarantee you won't be disappointed if you get a tattoo from Ian, I'm thrilled to have a piece of his art! Check out his other work and you'll see what I mean, Ian is the shit! (Instagram: @ianreynold)

    My fiancé's tattoo (not healed)
    Ali W.

    This is a long overdue review for Ian! Ian was friendly, professional, and communicative throughout our whole tattoo process. My fiancé and I both wanted tattoos of Half Dome done as that is where we got engaged. Neither of us are super artistic, and gave Ian the bare bones of what we wanted and let him run with the artistic design. We did our initial consult through email and Ian was timely and thorough with his responses. He outlined the entire process and was very clear with all payment and policies we would need to know. On the day we received our tattoos Ian had created several different designs for each of our tattoos based on our vague descriptions. They were all beautiful and had varying amounts of detail and shading to give us options from very simple to very detailed. We were able to give our input and mix and match elements from different designs to come up with the perfect design for ourselves. The tattooing process itself was very organized and clearly hygienic and clean. He walked us through all the anger care tips we'd need to know thoroughly. Ian was efficient but meticulous. He was very generous with his time for both the design and the actual tattoo time, and probably didn't charge us as much as he should have for the time we spent there :) Our tattoos both came out better than we ever imagined, and 4 months later we are both still thrilled with them. If you want a tattoo that is truly a piece of art and gives you a fun and stress free experience see Ian at Castro tattoos. I'll definitely be back for my next one!

    Turned out great!
    Mikayla A.

    Really enjoyed my experience :) I got my forearm piece done by Regina Push and it turned out brilliant with their vision and influence, which I love since I came all the way from San Jose just to get a piece done by them! I was very pleased and comforted by how they made me feel during my session, this was my first large piece and they made sure to explain why certain areas hurt more, how to get through those painful parts, and how to manage aftercare. I left feeling confident in my ability to heal up and happy about my new piece! Highly recommend for a clean, safe experience. Thanks Push!! Just something to prepare for before hand: They only accept cash! Although, if you're in a rush there are multiple atms a few doors down

    Russ P.

    I had such a terrific experience with Jazz Fuller. I wanted to have a more elaborate Ouroboros tattoo. She did a design which was amazing, but not really "me". After we spoke she did this design freehand direct on my arm, capturing exactly what I was looking for. Her price was more than reasonable and I think the results speak for themselves. It's important that your artist gets what you're wanting to achieve and she did that and more. I had to wait a month for her to be available and the wait was totally worth it.

    Love love love this portrait of my dog
    Jenny T.

    I went to Regina (@inkbypush on Instagram) for my very first tattoo. I've always wanted to get one but I wanted to find the perfect person to do it and Regina did not disappoint. I'm so happy with my tattoo and I always get so many compliments on it! I sent her a photo of my dog and everything was on the spot. She made me feel so comfortable. I'm definitely coming back for more ;-)

    dermal anchors by Tori :] two different colored moonstones(?)

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    2 months ago

    Incredible artists with artistic talent and tattooing expertise. Cozy spot with great art and vibes.

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Castro Tattoo

    Can I come with my dog?

    Service animals only

    Do you take walk ins?

    Friday, Saturday and Sunday

    Do you guys take walk-ins?

    Yes, on the weekends

    How did you guys get connected with their artists and book the appointment? I tried to make a phone…

    Haley was my artist and it is her studio. I would suggest directing your inquiries online to Haley and she will forward to the artist you wish to use. If Haley is not the… Read more

    Is there a Friday the 13th flash sheet?

    They are always posted the day of and a post about the flash day a week or more before

    What is the minimum price here?

    for autumn, the starting minimum is 100 and then every hour more it's +100

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Castro Tattoo

    I got my helix piercing, the only piercing I have other than the normal ear lobe piercings, done here with Tori.

    Mentioned in 35 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoos

    Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio

    4.8(177 reviews)
    2.5 miChinatown, Union Square
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    Mario was fantastic, I feel that he really listen to what I wanted and drew a piece that I…read moreabsolutely love. It was a cover up that was important for me to move forward with new memories. His conversation was interesting and I felt like I'd known him for a while, not just meeting him for the first time. His studio was clean and decorated cool. I felt very comfortable. I highly recommend Moth and Dagger. I can't wait to go back and get more work done. If I could rate a million stars I would! Thank you Mario

    I sat on a this, and decided to share. The artist herself was amazing. She was great and did a…read moregreat job. However, my issue was with how the studio handled scheduling. I originally came in for a flash sale, but they overbooked and asked to move me to the following day. I let them know I would be out of town that morning, so they offered me the last appointment of the day and took my deposit. The next day, after reassessing my schedule, I realized I wouldn't be able to make it and informed them as soon as possible. I was told the deposit was non-refundable. I then asked if I could reschedule for another day, but they said no because it was part of the flash sale--even though the rescheduling was due to their overbooking. I also asked if the deposit could be applied toward a regular (non-flash sale) appointment, and that was declined as well. I ultimately kept the appointment, but the situation didn't sit well with me. While the artist did great work, I was disappointed in how the studio handled the booking and deposit policy.

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    I had to get this shot!

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    This is what I wanted.

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    Tattoo Boogaloo - Universal monsters by Mez Love

    Tattoo Boogaloo

    4.8(194 reviews)
    3.0 miNorth Beach/Telegraph Hill
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    I went to Chris Peralta with an idea for a cardinal tattoo with a bunch of concepts of what it…read morecould look like but what he came up with exceeded expectations in a massive way. This was my second tattoo and I can say confidently I'll never go anywhere else for my future art - wow! Chris' design captured the exact vibe and art style I was looking for and the experience itself was absolutely phenomenal. I'm so incredibly pleased with the final result and we had some great conversations that made the couple hours I was there fly by. The shop itself was clean and welcoming, vibes were off the chart great and the playlist was fire too. If you're looking for an incredible tattoo shop in SF look no further - Chris is a beyond top notch artist and Tattoo Boogaloo is as good as it gets. I'm already planning the next one!

    Just scheduled a same-day appointment to get a fairly simple tattoo done. Staff was friendly,…read moreconcise, and took down some important details before the appointment. Lahel was the artist, and she was professional, knowledgeable, and charming. She worked quickly and I was very happy with the result, then she went over aftercare and shared contact information. She and the other staff present were very welcoming, this is a great shop for first time tattoos and at a very reasonable price as well. Would highly recommend the shop and Lahel in particular!

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    Tattoo Boogaloo - By Mez Love

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    Black and gray moth tattoo done by Chris Henry

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    Dream Masters Tattoos - Almost 2 years since getting my tattoo.

    Dream Masters Tattoos

    4.7(89 reviews)
    2.9 miChinatown
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    Hello! Just dropping in to update my review and go over how…read moremy tattoo has held up. It will be 2 years in March since I got this tattoo and I still love looking at it everyday! The detail still looks great and I have regularly been complimented on it by strangers on the street. (See updated pictures). It may need a couple small touch ups but, overall I don't really notice that and neither does anyone else that sees it. Im hoping to come back for another one someday in the future!

    I found Dream Masters because I was looking for a high quality, clean, and technically skilled…read moretattoo shop. They exceeded my every expectation! I already had part of a sleeve done, and was looking for an artist to continue the piece since my former artist retired during the pandemic. Svetylo (who I worked with) is an incredibly friendly, communicative, and collaborative artist. After emailing them describing my idea, he quickly reached out to set up my appointment. I brought along sketches of my idea, and he not only made sure he understood what I wanted, he also asked great questions to understand my job and daily routine to make sure the tattoo would fit my lifestyle. His technique is very precise, and i can say out of all my 6 previous tattoos, this one hurt the least! Especially for a piece on the back of the hand, this tattoo has beautiful line work and is healing very well. I can't wait to go back and finish my sleeve. I would recommend Dream Masters, and Svetylo, to anyone looking for high quality and unique tattoos.

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    Dream Masters Tattoos - Tattoo session with shop owner, super easy going!

    Tattoo session with shop owner, super easy going!

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    Dragonfly Ink

    Dragonfly Ink

    5.0(5 reviews)
    2.3 miUnion Square

    Sasha is amazing. Not only is she kind and caring but is a true artist. After having a double…read moremastectomy she was able to create 3D nipples that look surprisingly close to the originals. She has helped me regain some of my confidence in the beauty of my broken body and helped me realize what a gift life really is. I am immensely grateful for her talent and ability to read the situation and talk me through the process. I would highly recommend her!

    I just got home from seeing/working with Sasha so this review is hot like fresh baked bread…read more Where to start? Okay so 15 years ago I had surgery on my chest (keyword: transman, ftm, transguy, transgender male, you get the idea) and my nipples did not stay in tact. They actually feel off in front of me in the shower with the scabs. What a nightmare. Reconstructing new nipples was not possible or ideal with my surgeon so I've been living with flat nipples and discolored areolas for the last 15 years. I really thought I had NO hope until I found Sasha. Angels sing please, wait for it and rejoice. I've been wanting to do 3D nipple tattooing and areola re-pigmenting for awhile but was 1. not in the best state of health and 2. very very very nervous. Well today, we finally made this happen. I got an appointment schedule over a month in advance. I put down a $100 deposit via Pay Pal. I waited and panicked and then the big day came. I got a ride down to SF. Sasha's shop is on the 17th floor of a building in Union Square. There's a parking garage a block away. It cost $35 and gets you up to 12 hours in the lot. You are not going to find street parking so if you're driving you will want to fork out $35 and be happy your car is safe with only a block to walk! Sasha gave me complete instructions and directions ahead of time. She is VERY professional and organized with her scheduling and timing. The office she works out of is awesome! The entire office and outdoor patio (with wild beautiful birds and parrots might I add) has a total zen approach. The front desk folks were also REALLY NICE and totally trans/queer friendly. Sasha's room was very clean with a sitting area for guests. She was extremely polite, patient, compassionate and thorough to walk me through the ENTIRE process and 1. give me voice throughout it all and 2. check in frequently to see how I was doing. Nipple and areola shopping is quite fun! I got to pick the size, shape and color variation to design on my chest. Boom! I feel so Hollywood now ;) She is extremely sterile and showed me ALL the needles she was using before and as she was using them. Everything from the office, her station, the tattoo bed, frequent changing of gloves, packaged needles, organized ink palettes, fresh paper towels, rubbing alcohol, ETC were CLEAN. I really appreciated how intuitive she was like when I held my breath during bits of pain and she could feel me tense up and gently remind me to breathe. I was excited and anxious and nervous and emotional all at once but she eased me through EVERYTHING. May I also include she has a gentle hand so the needles don't feel like they are digging deeper than deep like some tattoo artists who put all their weight on their artistry hands. Pain level ... well this boy whimpered some but she did use some topical anesthetic after the skin had been broken into to help ease pain. It DID help some. My results, pre bandaging, were beautiful. The bandaging she used is really neat. It's waterproof and clear like a clear tape. I honestly can't stop staring at my new nips even if things are still bloody and bandaged up! I was given very detailed after care instructions which I will be meticulous about following. I can't wait to see the overall results. I'll be scheduling a touch up/follow up in a 1 1/2 months or so. I look forward to seeing her again! Cost breakdown for ME and what I got done: $700 total... that's $100 deposit then $450 the day of the tattoo and then I will pay $150 during our touch up + tip today and I'll tip again on the touch up. Don't forget to tip. Some artists will say you don't have to, don't listen! Tips for those new nips my friends! TIPS! 100% happy with my experience, actually happy is an understatement. I am enthralled like a unicorn catching rainbows and sprinkling glitter from the sky. Yes, indeed. I will recommend her in a HEARTBEAT to any other trans folks who need this procedure, cancer and mastectomy patients or just anyone in need of this kind of help. I was SO ASHAMED of my chest, a chest I fought so hard to learn to love post surgery but still deeply upset about what happened and the trauma from loosing my nipples to my feet in the shower (yikes, just imagine). Now I can live again. This is part 1 of my chest tattooing process (I'll be doing scar coverage with another artist since Sasha is not taking new decorative tattoo clients at this time) and then I will be free. You deserve to be free too. I hope you will consider Sasha and let her help you change your life, confidence and get your groove back!!!

    Castro Tattoo - tattoo - Updated May 2026

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