Family owned and operated tattoo shop. Customer friendly, responsive service, and professional staff. The shop is small but Vine of the cleanest I've been to. This is my fifth tattoo in the San Antonio (and surrounding areas) and Trevor at RRT did a an excellent job with my compass tattoo. I appreciate his attention to detail and making sure the tattoo placement was correct. It is at times like these when you find out your arm is shorter than the other, one clavicle bone brighter than the other, or in my case my navel is not properly centered with my mid-clavicular chest line ‍. I was charged under the quoted price, which is definitely a first in my tattoo journey. I'm a very family oriented individual so I naturally am now very fond of this shop. I would happily recommend to friends and family based on that and the quality of their work. read more

River Rat Tattoos - Compass tattoo by Trevor. - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

EVERYTHING went well!!!! Took my Mom for our first tattoos. Lexi and Rafael were extremely professional and talented. I can't wait to go back!!! read more

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My daughter and I both had piercings done here by Georgia. She was so professional and patient. We highly recommend her. The business was very laid back and we felt welcomed. read more

I got my first tattoo today. It did not hurt much or take too long and it is beautiful. Nice fun friendly staff. read more

River Rat Tattoos - My first tattoo. - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

Been about a month or a little longer since ive been pierced by @georgiastabsyou and i would like to preface this by saying i have never had an issue with the healing process of a piercing before until i got pierced by her. she told me to only use one method of cleaning when taking care of it but her instructions made my healing process worse. then when i finally came to my sense and used another piercers advice i realized she pierced my naval crooked. do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. read more

Very cool place with a talented and friendly staff. They do a broad variety of work. Pugsley was able to freehand an idea for some fill work on my arm and do the whole thing in a couple of hours. It turned out great. This is the type of place that pulls repeat customers. read more

I love this place. I walked in on a whim and Sebastian fit me right in. Super talented artist and incredibly nice guy, 10/10 would recommend read more

River Rat Tattoos - After bandage - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

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Here is an update. I am currently spending well over $3000 to have this tattoo removed. Due to the heavy handed work and the bleeding of the ink it will take 9 excruciating sessions. I highly recommend you do not get your tattoo here. read more

River Rat Tattoos - So disappointed with this raised and bled out tattoo. - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

JJ did an amazing cover on an older tattoo...couldn't be happier! Staff is very professional. Shop is clean and sanitary! Highly recommend! read more

DO NOT GET A TATTOO AT RIVER RAT!!! About 3 years ago, my sister and I went to RRT to get our first tat together, a very delicate letter "G" on our wrist. The tattoos looked great as soon as we got them done. However, a few months down the road and our tattoos looked nothing like the original design we got that day. The tattoos are now very raised, blurry, and unrecognizable. It's quite embarrassing when I have to explain what in the world is on my wrist. We are both currently saving money up to have them removed. The removal place said that it could be 10+ sessions before this tiny tattoo is gone because the artist was so heavy handed. I do realize that the inside of the wrist is a risky location for tattoos. But the fact that he messed up not one but two of the exact same tattoos is pretty alarming. Not to mention I know plenty of people who have beautiful art on their wrists, done by other places. I don't remember the name of the artist that did our wrists but he was in the corner station to the right when you walk into the door (not Tracy). This was in 2015, I believe. I have attached pictures of the before and after pictures of our tattoos. I have 5 other beautiful tattoos so thankfully this bad experience hasn't ruined my love for the art but if you are looking for an artist in New Braunfels, steer clear of River Rat! read more

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My husband lost a bet and needed to get a tattoo on his butt (insert eye roll lol). He made an appointment with River Rat over social media and they were the fastest place that responded. We walked in and immediately got a really cool vibe from everyone working there. They all joined in on the fun. Trevor was the artist who worked on my husband and he did an awesome job and made the experience so worth it. My husbands grandma drew the flag and his mom wrote "made in Texas". I would definitely recommend this place. read more

River Rat Tattoos - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

I had a great experience! They were super patient with me and were nothing but kind when I was picky about the details. I love my tattoo soooooo much. Will definitely come back. read more

River Rat Tattoos - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

Got a tattoo that's as badly a inch and half tall and wide, it was $123. Dont go here unless you wanna pay a arm and a leg. Major key mad.

I love this place. I've had piercings done here and tattoos. Each time I've been here, I've been greeted and treated with the best customer experience. read more

River Rat Tattoos - My latest tattoo Dire Wolf by Jesse. - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

Jay James did an outstanding job on my tattoo. His booth reflects his professionalism and attention to detail. He stuck to his quote even though the piece took more work than originally thought. He is easy to talk to and work with. He definitely puts your needs first and strives to ensure his customers are completely satisfied with the final product. I would definitely without hesitation recommend him to anyone looking for a great piece of permanent art! But don't clog up his schedule, I need more work done. Thanks read more

I had my first tattoo done here in September of last year...I've since sent several friends and family members here and every single piece has come out fantastic. Very clean, and lit well. They really have great artists and Tracy is so nice. I won't get work done anywhere else. read more

Go to Freki! He did an amazing job. I let my husband dabble with a tattoo gun a couple years ago and had an unfinished horse head on my thigh. Freki covered it up and gave me this beautiful piece that was more than I had hoped for! He got it all done in one sitting, and allowed me frequent breaks as this was my first big piece. I couldn't be happier and will be a returning customer! The shop is also very clean and the other artists are friendly, they came by regularly to see how we were doing. Highly recommend River Rat and Freki. read more

River Rat Tattoos - Initial tattoo I walked in with - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

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I was in town and me and my sister went to get helix piercings. We both bought after care cleaners and it's been weeks since the piercing. Hers got so infected she went to the doctor and mine has a bubble full of blood. The tattoos seem okay but I would not get pierced here read more

Would not recommend or return for piercing or tattoo. I got a simple second hole ear piercing and it is way too close to my first hole. I even had earrings in so one could tell how it would look with the second hole. No after care instructions given until we asked. My friend got a colored wrist tattoo with three small birds and it does not look like birds, the coloring is not what she asked for, and it looks like blowouts on each one. The shop overall was not professional or friendly. read more

One star is being nice. I have several tattoos so this was not my first rodeo. I got a very simple small tattoo by Naisha. Worst. Tattoo. I. Have. EVER. Gotten. I will never go back to this establishment again. Yes she was nice, but that does not make up for my permanent tattoo that I will now be going somewhere else to get fixed. For starters she did not have me lay down. Instead had me sit at the most uncomfortable and bizarre way for her to tattoo the side of my wrist stating "normally I would have you lay down for this angle but this should be fast." Honey it is not about speed but quality. Lines were not straight. One side is longer than the other. One side is much thicker. And to make matters worse I'm pretty sure she knew how bad it was. She made a slight comment and went back to "fix" something... so I wonder what it looked like before that happened. Even a coworker came over and you could just see it in his eyes. Once she was done instead of fully cleaning it and wrapping it she made me wait till she was done tattooing someone else. Who does that?! This picture sadly does it justice it does not deserve. And so everyone is clear it's a horseshoe. read more

River Rat Tattoos - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

I am always treated with the upmost respect and care when I visit River Rat Tattoo. Tracy has done 2 beautiful water color tattoos and was patient with my ideas and is so creative. Jessica did a beautiful colorful cover up piece on my back and went above and beyond to consider my taste and placement on my back. I hear Christian and Petra are talented artists and look forward to getting future work done with them, My favorite tattoo shop! read more

Got sibling tattoos with my brother and sister. We were greeted and helped right away. Jess was awesome. She really made us feel at ease and we all LOVED her personality, funny and super nice. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SHOP AND JESS!!! read more

I have to say I was very impressed with the outcome of my tattoo. Really beautiful work, thank Jay James. Outstanding! read more

River Rat Tattoos - Queen Bee - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

River Rat Tattoos is a cool, fun, friendly, and clean place. I walked in to get my first tattoo and was greeted by Tracy (the owner). He asked what I was looking to get. I explained that it was my first tattoos and wanted to try out my side to see how well I can handle the pain for a bigger piece I have in mind. He was super nice about it while he asked how I wanted it and all the details. Jason did my tattoos and they turned out better than I expected. It was $75 for my side, which I thought was reasonable. Everyone there talked to me while I was getting it done and kept checking up to see how I was doing. I definitely recommend to go check them out if you want to get a something done. read more

River Rat Tattoos - Both of my tattoos were done by Jason. He was super friendly while he was doing them. Really cool guy and really good artist. - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

Grate please, great art and grate people. I just got some writing on me forearm and there where clean and fast and a good price.

My husband went in for his first tattoo tonight. We had talked to Jess earlier and discussed his idea. She completely took his idea and turned into a masterpiece! He is beyond happy with the amazing work she did. She is professional and very pleasant to work with. We will definitely recommend her & go back! read more

River Rat Tattoos - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

When I went into River Rat Tattoos I was pleasantly surprised to find a clean, well organized tattoo shop. I had a total different image in my mind of a tattoo shop. I had never gotten a tattoo before and was nervous, but the people there were awesome. They put me at ease immediately, making my experience a good one. I will never go to another tattoo shop and will encourage anyone looking for a tattoo or piercing to go to River Rat Tattoos! read more

Well.... most tattoo shops i've ever walked into have made me feel unwelcome and I couldn't really tell you why. I've also felt this way about River Rat in the past and it made me not get any work done from there for a while (Even though the boss does all my best friends work). I thought I'd try again and when I walked into River Rat, i've never felt so respected in such a small amount of time. I just needed a piercing and Faythe was so sweet and calm. She got it done and even offered to pierce me all up. I'll be back for more and Faythe will be my piercer!! I hope she gets the credit she deserves for giving y'all a life long customer! read more

went here a few weeks ago for a tattoo, looks great and people were nice. however, few were wearing masks, including my artist who was close to me, and sneezing without covering correctly. didn't really feel safe. read more

I was in the mood for a tattoo , so I decided to give River Rat Tattoos a shot; best choice I made! The staff was friendly, warm, and energetic. This place is well lit and clean. Casey ( the owner) was the tattoo artist that helped me, pretty awesome & down to earth guy. If you live in the area or drive by new braunfels regularly definitely try to get your tattoo here. I will be back to get my next one soon ! read more

Awesome experience! If you're wanting a piercing, Petra is super friendly, quick and efficient! We will definitely be back!

I got my first tattoo here when it was Jess (had the Reptar tattoo) it is still as crisp and clear as it was then, which was when I was 18 and it is now 5 years later. Sure it's simple and only in black but these are some thicker lines and the fact they remain constant is amazing. I also normally only ever wear shorts, so the fact there is little to no fading means a lot. These past reviews all seem to stem from about 3 to 5 years ago and there may have been a specific artist, they do not mention, which would be more helpful than bashing the shop. I know currently they have I believe James, who if you look at his work looks amazing and he is doing great cover ups, they also recently had Freki, who has done tattoos on my girl and my mom and both have been a cover up and are looking more than amazing. Tracy is still doing beautiful watercolor and bright color, I recommend just doing more research on the artist and asking for what you want instead of taking the first open artist that way you get the best service/product from that artist. Also if people don't know the littler the tattoo, on a high traffic area, the more likely it will happen like those G's on another post, please research and be mindful of where you're putting tattoos and go in with an open mind. Get what you want, but take in stride their recommendations. They do this for a living, most of us do not. That's all, also will attach pics of my Hyrule Crest. Thanks Jess, and if you have the chance just chat with everyone they're usually really cool people, but still people. read more

River Rat Tattoos - The Hyrule Crest 5 years later. - Tattoo Near Me - New Braunfels, Texas

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If you're looking for a clean, professional, friendly, knowledgeable and very cool place for tatts and piercings, you must veer from the beaten path to this place. They're awesome! Love our piercings! read more

I went in to have my nose pierced. The service was great! The employees seemed like they were having a good time. Petra did my nose piercing and she was quick, efficient, and careful. I will absolutely go back and get another piercing. read more

Tracy and his staff are amazing! True artistry at its best.

This is the best tattoo place in or around NB! Shop is super clean. Staff is friendly and extremely talented.... stop in and check out their work. read more

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Amazing artist..super cool and friendly staff!! Very clean and I could go on an on! I had Andrew and he knew me 5 minutes and somehow knew EXACTLY what I wanted!! Thank you for being in New Braunfels!!! Very talented artist!! Search no more if you want a bad @ss tattoo go to River Rat Tattoos!! read more

Went in to get a new nose ring and they were very knowledgable and made sure I was happy with what I was spending my money on. It has a very positive vibe right when you walk through the door and the people are very friendly. There are other shops closer to my home but I make the longer trip down here because it's the best around. read more

I love this place and i love the work and the quality. everyone is super friendly and they actually know what they're doing. their goal is to give you a good tattoo that'll last and you'll be happy with, not make money. i recommend this place to anyone and everyone. on another note: their fish tanks are super clean. read more

I had gone to a different tattoo shop and made an apt 3 weeks in advance. Somehow we didn't set the time just the date. I tried to call the guy several times to pin down a time with no return call. So that sent me looking elsewhere, he didn't have the time to call me back, he wasn't going to have the time to do my tatt. I was told by several friends to check out River Rat tattoos. I walked in and met with Jason. He showed me the books of all the artists and told me to choose and I ended up choosing him. Thank you Jason for making this a good experience. It had been awhile and I didn't know what to expect. The tattoo looks so much better than I imagined. I love it! read more