My mom and I wanted matching tattoos and we chose to check out Stay Gold. When we walked in the environment is welcoming. Beautiful floors, art work on the walls from all of the artists and giant comfy couches to wait on. We were instantly warmly greeted by the two artists working. Pablo came to speak with us about what we wanted. We sent him some pictures and he began working on the drawing. Once he was done we asked for adjustments and he happily sketched those out in front of us. He was kind and patient with us while we made sure it was exactly what we wanted. He worked with us on placement and even mirrored the tattoos because we got them on different arms. We watched him get his station set up with sterile products and the entire time he did our tattoos he was friendly and professional. We had a great experience. They came out amazing and we couldn't be happier. I would recommend this place if you're shopping around for a new tattoo spot. They're located by Ace and it's a hidden underground parking spot off of lomas. Go check them out. I will note that some artists only take cash, so get the details squared away before you get started. Thank you to Pablo for giving us exactly what we wanted. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I love this place I highly recommend Clean, assiduous, detail oriented, fun, intelligent, and compassionate tattoo artists read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Jeremy tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

I have been getting tattooed at Stay Gold since 2005. Leo and all the guys at the shop are real artists. This is not scratchy flash. They do real art! I will keep going back. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Japanese style rabbit and rat tattoo. - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

I have been wanting a Zia tattoo for a few years now and finally decided to get it. I grew up in NM but live in California now and am in town for a few weeks. Stay Gold Tattoo had such good ratings and is close to where I'm staying so decided to give it a try. I walked in and Jerome was able to take me the same day. He did an amazing job! I'm so happy with the results. I had a design in mind and he did exactly what I wanted adding his own artistic spin. I will definitely go back to Jerome next time I'm in town. read more

Looked up best tattoo shops and this one was top of the list. Wasn't sure if they'd take me as a walk in. Was greeted rather quickly considering artist were tatting other people. Told them what I was looking at. Was told Sebastian would be here in little bit if I didn't mind waiting. Sebastian showed up about 10 min later and listened to what I wanted. Explained and suggested diff styles. I was in and out within an hour with my tat. Will definitely be going back for another. Can't beat this shop and Sebastian! This was a surprise for my wife, our wedding song. She was very happy. Happy wife, happy life lol. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - My tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

First class place! Staff is professional and friendly and the owner Leo is a true artist. I highly recommend Stay Gold Tattoo. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - American Traditional tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Leo does fantastic work and he is a lot of fun to sit with. Thank you so much. ...... ......

I have been getting tattooed for over 23 years now and have to say that Stay Gold will forever be my 1st choice for ink. I have known several of the artists, but Leo Gonzalez is my ultimate choice at skin art. His talents, and care for the craft is above and beyond any new age rush to tattoo you shop. He truly runs a orderly, clean, and morally right operation. I have tatts from Stat Gold over 13 years old and still receive compliments from all who see them. Despite living a state away , I travel to get work at Stay Gold. Dont trust anyone else with a lifelong masterpiece. Keep up the great tattoo work! read more

See all

I was a walk in from out of town and fortunately met Pablo who gave me the exact tattoo I envisioned and asked for. He also touched up my other 2 tattoos that had some fading. Definitely recommend and will come back again when I'm in town. Great conversation too. Thanks Pablo and wish you continued success. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Elvis was the best . He was a true professional and great design and great after care treatment plan

Great service! Elvis did a great job and was fun to work with... Thanks for a great experience!

I wish I could give them more stars. Leo and team are super professional. The shop is always clean far above industry standards. I got my Santa Muerte for Leo and I get so many compliments on her. I can't wait to go back for my next appointment. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

If you want your tattoo done by world renowned artists, caring/empathetic wonderful humans that care about their clients, and have a genuinely entertaining experience the whole time. Stay Gold is your shop! Leo has an incredibly unique hand. Getting work done a Stay Gold looks like it could have only come from Stay Gold He did my chest piece over 10 years ago and it still looks amazing. You know the artist is great when your tattoo fades well, and is still crisp and intense after all that time. After seeing my piece, multiple friends of mine have traveled across the country just to get their art done at Stay Gold. read more

I had such a great experience at this shop! Absolutely love the tattoos that I got here, being able to speak with my artist ahead of time and discuss my designs made everything so much easier. Would definitely come back here the next time I'm in New Mexico. read more

Leo is ultra-clean, professional and does amazing work, especially if you like Japanese, biomech, fantasy/horror, ratfink, or pretty much anything really intricate or difficult. Well worth the $ for the quality of the work. If you want a great tattoo from one of the best artists around, look no further! read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Fire Oni chest plate - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

One of the best tattoo parlors in the city! One of the most promising artists in ABQ is currently an apprentice here, which is exciting, but all of the artists here are phenomenal. The shop has always been clean, kind, and conscious and is one of the places I trust the most! read more

I brought my son to Stay Gold Tattoo for his first tattoo! We currently live in the DC area but used to live in Albuquerque and when my son said he wanted his first tattoo, he wanted it done in Albuquerque and no place else. We were excited to get in for a last minute appointment and our artist was Matt Pippin. Matt was extremely professional and did an amazing job for my son's first tattoo. Completely blown away on how efficient he was and the final outcome was so impressive, now my husband wants the same tattoo to match his son. Stay Gold is a top professional tattoo shop and recommend it to anyone & everyone! Check them out read more

Amazingly talented artists here! These guys are the absolute best at what they do, and they do it with the utmost professionalism in a clean, well-maintained shop. read more

I got my first tattoo today at Stay Gold Tattoo, and couldn't be happier. Today was 15 years since my mom passed away from breast cancer, so I wanted to get a pink ribbon with her initials on my arm. Went in last night to check the place out and ended up talking to Pablo. He was very professional and gave some great suggestions on how the final product would look better with a few tweaks to my ideas and sketches. He gave me a total of how much my tattoo would cost and let me know how long it would take to get the tattoo done. They require a deposit to secure an appointment, so bring $50 to secure a day/time (FYI - they're CASH ONLY). When I came in today to get my tattoo done, I filled out some paperwork, went over the final design with Pablo, and got my first tattoo. Their stations are very clean and well-maintained and organized, and use sterile tools. Pablo was really nice and walked me through the process of what he was going to do and let me know I could ask him to stop or take a break if I wanted to. He told me just to breath and that it would be an annoying feeling than anything else. I really appreciated Pablo being so nice, especially since it was my first time. The other artists are really nice too. My tattoo turned out great! I'm very happy with my tattoo. Pablo did an awesome job! Pricing is reasonable, especially with the high quality of work they do. I highly recommend Pablo. Thank you, Pablo, and Stay Gold Tattoo! Y'all are awesome! read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Pablo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Stay Gold is a clean shop with friendly service and incredible artistry! I highly recommend!

I am very happy with my new tattoo!!! Pablo was able to take my artwork and adapt it to a tattoo while keeping the spirit of my work alive. The entire tattoo is fine line with very little shading and he did a great job!!! The shop is very clean, folks are nice and play great music and there lots of wonderful art everywhere. I highly recommend this shop and Pablo :-) read more

On the second to last day of a road trip, we were in Albuquerque and I was dying to get a small cactus tattoo to commemorate the experience and take home a permanent souvenir. Prior to arriving in Albuquerque, I did some research for tattoo shops to narrow down my options; Stay Gold Tattoo was at the top of the list after reading the stellar reviews on Yelp and elsewhere online. Unfortunately, our drive into the city was met with shaky cell phone reception, so I wasn't able to actually make a call to the shop to see if they took walk-in's. Since we had time to kill before we could check into our hotel, we decided to just stop by the shop and see what the story was. I was greeted by Kenny, I told him what I was looking for and he had time to do the work right then. Unfortunately, they are a cash only shop with no ATM within quick walking distance, so I had to get back into the car and drive a few blocks to a restaurant in order to get cash from their ATM. By the time I got back to the shop, about 10 minutes later, Kenny had already drawn the cactus and it was super cute and exactly what I was looking for. Set up was quick and I was sure to observe the proper safety and health precautions were taken. After I decided on the placement location for the new ink, he was able to get it done in less than 10 minutes and I'm really happy with how it turned out! It's such a cute little tattoo, and it's a perfect reminder of an unforgettable trip. Stay Gold is a fun place, there is plenty of artwork to keep your eyes busy. The restroom was pretty clean, but there wasn't any hand soap; gross. Other than that, my experience was great and Kenny was funny, sweet, friendly and offered suggestions for places to check out in the area. read more

Brought my daughter here for her first tattoo & birthday present today. Her artist was Kenny. IG: cloakandcompass He was patient and listened to her. Kenny designed a piece she loves. Great work, check him out read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Mediocrity surrounds us, especially in this town when it comes to the art form of tattoo. No mediocrity here, these dudes are good artist, and that is the only way it should be with the progression the form has taken. The shop is clean and the service is professional. Many of us have experienced disrespect from other shops in this town, I gotta say I keep going to Leo because not only his is art work second to none, he is a gentleman in a world where civility is at a loss. If you want good work and respect, I recommend their work. read more

Stay Gold is one of the top shops around to go for great ink in Albuquerque. Leo Gonales is the owner and has done many astounding and colorful tattoos on me that have held thier bright colors and detail for years! Every artist in this shop is courteous and professional and will get you in, out and on your way with a great tattoo or appointment to look forward to! Remember, great work isn't cheap so save up and get a great piece at Stay Gold! You won't regreat it! read more

I have been going to stay gold for years and feel lucky to have found such a gem in a city where shops are a dime a dozen. Every single artist is a class act, extremely talented, and gives the health and safety of their clients the upmost priority. Every artist has a different style, so practically everyone can find the right fit for them. Always good conversations and always done right. read more

I had a wonderful experience at Stay Gold. Got a tattoo from Kenny as a walk in. I had to many variations of what I wanted in my head and wanted it small. It did not turn out as small or as I had originally thought and I am so happy for that. Kenny did an outstanding job with such subtle detail and artistic interpretation of what I didn't even know I wanted. Super nice and accomodating for walking in. I'll definitely be returning for future tattoos! read more

Home to some of the most talented and accomplished artists around. Custom pieces are the norm here, no flash on the walls. The shop is also home to one of the most respected body piercers working today. Want some work to proudly show off come here. I did and now I have "sleeves". read more

Daniel Ward is an artist. Calm and interesting - swift and gentle. You must trust in the Daniel Ward for a beautiful piece. Understand that anyone from Stay Gold is a good choice but if you're wanting some pizazz and a unique look chose Daniel. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Bird and Cactus. Arm piece by Daniel Ward. - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

Stay Gold has the greatest artists in Abq. My tattoo artist is Matt: he plays killer 80's music while he tattoos and his line work is by far the best I've seen and done in great time. Whenever I have an idea for a tattoo, he always creates something that exceeds my expectations. The other tattoo artists are so sweet whenever I'm at the shop. I'm probably going to get my work done here for the rest of my life because anything else would be a downgrade. read more

Best tattoo shop I have ever had the pleasure of visiting! Matt and Daniel were great artists, very professional but easy going. The tattoos I got were exactly what I wanted and I will be going back in for more ASAP! Couldn't recommend this shop more. read more

I got a tattoo at Stay Gold Tattoo yesterday evening, after looking through portfolios and making an appointment with Matt a couple weeks ago. It's a very clean and professional studio, and very reasonably priced. Matt was great; he's an excellent artist but he made sure that I understood what he was going to do based on my basic idea for the design. The other artists seem professional also, and all very experienced and excited about tattoos. I would definitely go back. read more

Stay Gold Tattoo - Right shoulder, done by Matt - Tattoo Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

tried to get some ink & the tattoist (kenny) insulted my other tattoos, so i decided to leave and find somewhere that wasn't staffed by a snob. he mentioned that, if he did the tattoo i was asking for (a colored line drawing), that it might "compromise his artistic integrity," so i'll say: insulting and belittling potential customers will do more to compromise a reputation and integrity than a lil bit of fallen ink will. avoid avoid avoid. read more

Dan was awesome. My first tattoo and he really listened to what I wanted and he worked off the drawing I made. He was very perfection oriented and I felt totally comfortable with him. If I get another one, I will go back to. Dan. By the way, I'm a 54 year old Mom that looks like I wouldn't ever get a tattoo. Lots of pressure for Dan, which he handled as a professional and a great artist! read more

I have been going to Stay Gold for years. Marie is hands down one of the best tattoo-artists in ABQ. The atmosphere is great, people are great, definitely check it out if you are looking for new ink. read more

Since moving to Albuquerque, I have gotten three tattoo's here (one is still in progress, sorry Leo) and each time has been a great experience. The shop has artists of many different talents and styles and they can easily execute any idea you have probably better than you can imagine it. The staff is friendly, helpful and they service their clients without hesitation. Also, Leo will probably break out and sing some Danzing, Bad Brains or whatever might be playing on his stereo while tattooing you, so don't be alarmed because it's pretty awesome. Also shop hand and apprentice Kenny has an awesome beard and is way into D&D. The folks at Stay Gold remind me of a family, a heavily tattooed, metal listening to, talented family. There is no place else to go in Albuquerque for a tattoo, period. read more

Amazing tattoo shop that makes you feel welcome every time you walk in, which is a big deal. Can't think of how many I have walked into and felt like I was bother someone. Got a shoulder tattoo from Matthew and it blew my expectations away. Definitely recommend for whatever you want to get in ABQ go to STAY GOLD. read more

I had an absolutely incredible experience here! So professional and so laid back at the same time. I went in with a tattoo idea then changed my mind and they were so flexible to what I wanted to do it was awesome and I came out with a finished product that I LOVED. Kenny was absolutely AMAZING!!!! read more

I recently had an awesome piece done by Matthew. It was the most enjoyable tattoo experience I have ever had. I almost fell asleep I was so relaxed. We jammed to cool synth music over the course of several hours. He had plenty of entertaining anecdotes and dry humor to make the time pass. He transformed a series of mismatched moons into a beautiful mandala, I couldn't be happier with the result. He definitely knows what he's doing, I was amazed at how efficient he was throughout the process, from the drawing board to the actual inking. He's rad, very professional and clean, I would recommend him and this shop any time! In three words- tight, tight, tight. read more

Awesome! I went with a group of friends and they matched us with the artist that best suite our tattoos. Dan is awesome, he gave me my first tattoo, walked me through each step and patient. My tattoo looks awesome! Thank you Stay Gold! read more