Sideshow Tattoo and Piercing

It was not just a tattoo it was a family bonding experience we will remember forever. My mom, 73, along with my sister and young nieces planed for matching tattoos and decided on Sideshow. We were lucky enough to walk in and encounter Kip and Bennett, the best tattoo artists ever. Not only were they skilled but they seemed to understand how important the outing was to me and my girl family and really came through with compassion, enthusiasm and understanding. These guys are a class act. I can’t imagine a better pair to make this experience more memorable. Clean, artistic, fun, caring, competent, handsome and invested in our commitment. It put the cherry on the great experience of three generations of women marking themselves together for life. They understood, respected and that was very cool. Also, the shop and the skill was beyond beyond. You have a choice on Garnet, it’s no secret. Do yourself a favor and choose Sideshow. You will not regret it and you will return again and again, they are just that amazing. Xoxoxo

I went into side show to see a friend, and realized I needed to get naval rings for both my top and bottom naval piercings. One of them had lost its ball and the two have never matched. The issue with my naval piercings is that the idiot who pierced them (no one at side show did the actual piercings), pierced them way too short, so any normal naval ring is way too long for my little belly button. I was getting sick and tired of the clicking and having them completely cover my belly button or get stuck on things.
Brandon was available to help me. He is a recent hire/​apprentice/​I don’t actually know lol. They did not have shorter naval rings available, and he absolutely could’ve just told me to fuck off at this point. Instead, he was extremely professional and helped figure it out with me. He ended up using two eye brow rings (the bars), attaching individual diamonds to the ends on both, and then pretty much bending the bar to curve to my body.
During this, Brandon was SO personable and professional. Even though he wasn’t actually piecing me, he made me feel very comfortable. I would ABSOLUTELY go back, and you should take too.
He did not HAVE to make custom jewelry for me. He could have told me to fuck off for being somewhat picky. So Brandon, thank you.
And for you Unilocalers thinking about going to Brandon for your piercing needs, I tipped him 25% at the end and he was shocked and said that a 25% tip was too much. It’s NOT too much. That just shows me how often people don’t tip their piercer or tattoo artist and that’s disgusting. DO NOT GET WORK DONE IF YOU ARENT GOING TO TIP. And if you like them and the work… TIP THEM WELL AND DONT BE GREEDY!!!

I was in the shop about 2 weeks ago with the intention of buying some new Septum jewelry. I was greated by one of Sideshow’s Professional Piercers, Branden, who was very friendly and very knowledgeable in his profession. I had problems with some other jewelry I purchased elsewhere that rusted up on me & even turned GREEN! Branden was kind enough to explain how their jewelry was top grade stainless steel and would not give me any problems. (Which btw, still looks shiny & new)
I then decided in the spur of the moment to get my belly button pierced & Branden made it such a wonderful experience! He made sure the placement of my piercing was custom to my body shape & he even helped me steady my breathing so it wouldn’t hurt as much.
Overall, 5 star experience! I’ll definitely be getting my jewelry & any new piercings from here!

Dude pierced my septum twice and wouldn’t admit he was at fault, charged my card twice for 2 piercings unnecessarily so I spent an extra $ 6 just on credit card fees. Will not go back as my nose is ridiculously sore and this is NOT my first piercing so I know what to expect and this isn’t it.

I’ve been tattooed by 2 different artists here and both times were really good experiences. Kipper reworked a really awful piece I got done by an amateur artist a while ago and did an amazing job (and gave me minimal shit for getting tattooed by an amateur too, haha). The second tattoo I got done here was a Halloween special tattoo done by Reuben. He also does really awesome work and provides good conversation. Both artists are super chill and do amazing work and I’d recommend either of them to anybody :) Also, the last time I was there I decided to get my other nostril pierced and Issac did an amazing job! He really took his time to make sure my new piercing was in the right spot and was very friendly and thorough about aftercare. He seems like he really knows his stuff and I look forward to going back to him for future piercings :)

Found this place after Googling «best tattoo shop in San Diego» and Google didn’t lie. First came in and got my septum pierced (yikes!) by Brandon, who was SO AMAZING. Calmed me down and knew exactly what he was doing. I’ve been pierced a lot of times in a lot of places and this is by far the easiest and most calm I’ve ever felt. Pretty much painless! Not to mention the attitude of everyone at the shop… amazing. Back today to get tattooed by Kip Thomas and HOLY MOLY… so rad. I am covered in tattoos already but the tattoo he did on me today is by FAR my favorite. Perfect line work, beautiful color, and he’s just an awesome guy. I’ll fly out here from Denver just to get tattooed by him again. Five stars all around. Great place.

Isaac pierced my boyfriend’s niece’s ears tonight and he was amazing. She is only 4, so the whole expierence was scary for her and Isaac handled it like a champ. He stayed so calm when she started crying and then pierced her Tiger stuffed animal’s ears after so they could match. He was so wonderful and she was smiling and laughing by the time everything was done. I’m so happy with how everything went.
Thank you so much, Isaac!

First off, thank you Isaac! My friend and I came to get piercings that we were quite nervous about, but Isaac made us feel completely comfortable. The shop was very clean, he was extremely professional and knowledgable the entire time. He went completely in depth about aftercare needs and was very patient with all of our questions. It is now 2 days post piercing and they feel great! Will definitely be back for any piercing needs!

Was very skeptical and felt like I was cheating on issac but man Brandon is freaking awesome! Helped calm my nerves and did an awesome job on my piercing! Isaac and Brandon are both the bomb

Branden, you guys. Such a badass piercer with fantastic customer service, as well as very detail oriented and knowledgeable. My girlfriend and I were both really happy with his technique. We’ll be back for sure!

Isaac is amazing. He is very professional and educational. He always makes me feel comfortable and you can tell he is confident in what he does. When I first came to Isaac I had several crooked and irritated piercings. He assumed me if I took them out and had him redid they would be much more comfortable. He was right, only piercer I will go to.

You know there’s something legit about a place when you drop your wallet outside the shop, and they find it and keep it safe for you. Good vibes go along way. Come to this place.

I am currently in the process of completing my leg tattoo but so far, so good. Chad worked with me for a couple days to get exactly what I wanted, I had an idea, but I needed to see it on paper, and I am very picky. He is very laid back and fun and open to all your ideas and comments and will give you feed back on what will work and what wont. He wants to make sure that you get exactly what your searching for even if it takes a while. I would highly recommend him. He is really outgoing and welcoming. As for the shop, I enjoy the atmosphere and they play good music. Very modern open vibe — Love it. The other guys that work there are also really friendly, they all share ideas and ask advice from each other, its kind of cool to see artists working together. They love to see each others work and throw ideas out there. I will post more photos once my tattoo is complete-​getting color next week.

It’s been over a year since I’ve gotten a piercing with Isaac but I’m writing a review based solely on the long-​term effects of his piercings.
Isaac piercing my naval about a year and a half ago and right off the bat, it was extremely crooked. He immediately shrugged it off and said it was because my belly button is swollen and naturally crooked so over time, when it heals and the swelling goes down, it will be straight. Well, a year and a half later, the piercing is still crooked and even worse, it never healed. In fact, the piercing is so infected that I’m actually extremely worried. I have over 10 piercings and I always follow the aftercare directions for all my piercings. I did sea salt soaks, never touched it, and cleaned it consistently. However, after a couple months, it got severely infected. I’ve been so concerned that I have continued doing sea salt soaks (Even 1 ½ years later!) and nothing seems to be working. I haven’t taken out the piercing because the infection can get trapped inside.
This is my bottom belly button piercing and I have another belly button piercing (top) that healed perfectly fine, done by another piercer. I’ve come to the conclusion that the jewelry was of low quality and it’s the actual jewelry that’s causing the infection. I’m extremely disappointed and still experiencing a lot of discomfort and pain from choosing to get pierced by Sideshow. Please take your business elsewhere. It’s not worth it. :(

I’ve had the pleasure to come to this shop multiple times to get worked on. The vibe is welcoming and hospitable every time! My go to artist is Kip, he has continued to amaze me and is always incredibly professional. With the most vibrant and creative designs and color, I leave every time with a huge smile on my face ! I am always confident with my healing process as he also guides me to the best aftercare. Couldn’t be happier with my lifetime artist Kip or this incredible shop !!

Wes did my tattoo. It was a walk in and I was in and out in less than an hour. He was very friendly and the shop was very clean. I was visiting San Diego for the first time and I got the idea for this very neat tattoo. Wes took the time to get my input and give his. Overall I was very pleased.

Not sure if my previous review for this place was actually this place, the shop looked completely different. Doesn’t matter, it’s a great place anyway.
One of the guys greeted me as I entered and I told him I was just browsing. I didn’t make an appointment, was unsure if I would actually commit to it this time. After a bit, I finally asked how long a sunflower would take. Initially I wanted it on my ribs but I had heard that hurt a lot. Probably not the best idea for a first tattoo. Dude (I found out his name was Kipper after he had finished) advised me that it would really hurt and even hurt when he did it too.
It took maybe 15 mins for him to draw out my flower and prep his station. I think the whole process took 2 hours but I’m super happy with it. The shading looks amazing and I’m just stoked to have finally done it! Thank you Kipper!

InAs a member of the navy, i move around a lot. Coming accross a great tattoo shop took lots of looking around and trying to narrow it down. I accidently stumbled into sideshow tattoo and met with kip. (Hes the nicest guy by the way) and asked what style he could do. His response sold me and his portfolio. «I can do anything you want.»
I finally found an artist I was comfortable with.
I wanted an entire sleeve. He worked very very hard to get all the ideas i wanted into one arm. Which in my style is very hard. I couldnt be happier with my arm (which is still in its early stages) i have brought in numorous military members and all of us thrilled with his work. The entire shop is great. Everyone is welcoming, nice and just understanding with everything going on in your life schedule. Best prices for the best work. I felt so relaxed and comfortable here.
I get compliments on my art work i am lucky enough to have on my arm daily. Almost hourly. I think it speaks for itself. Thank you sideshow tattoo and I look forward to working with you.

This place is awesome all around, but Wes is the guy I go to for tattoos. He turned a concept into a sketch into what is now my favorite tattoo. When I got my first tattoo from Wes, there was that hesitation like «please be good at tattooing.» I’ve now got 3 done by Wes and they’re all awesome. Isaac is also awesome if you’re trying to get pierced. Really, everyone here is legit. They play dope music, it’s clean, and everyone is super nice. I wouldn’t go anywhere else in SD.

I walked by the shop and the guys were very friendly. Adiós was amazing. He was gentle. He answered every question. The prices were extremely reasonable. I had a vision of what I wanted. Adiós took the photo and made it come to life. I will be back again.