Empire Tattoo Studios

My friend and I were referred to empire for our piercings. Nick was AMAZING. He made explained everything so well and was easy to talk to. He did our hidden helix and I was basically painless. He is very good at what he does. We loved him so much and how good he is at piercing, we went back the next day and got more piercings😂 so two great experiences. 10/10 recommend

Got pierced by Nick and had a great experience. Smooth, cleanly, n fast! He’s definitely a cool dude and always makes his clients feel comfortable and psyched to get pierced. All my piercings done by him have healed up great.

Nick Sida pierced me. Theyve healed fully since the picture was taken. Healed well and quickly. He was very professional and got me in and out super fast with some free stickers to boot. Funny, friendly guy. Cool staff. Beautiful studio.

I had most of my face piercings done by nick sida ( 3 out of 4) and he gets it perfect everytime! Not only does he get the piercing perfect but it heals so fast with no issue! So pleased with all of my experiences with getting pierced by him and will definitely be going to him again. And to top it all off my daughter got her nose pierced by another piercer and he didn’t do it right, I took her to nick and he fixed it and it healed beautifully! Great piercer highly recommend!

Empire Tattoo in Riverside is the greatest establishment Ive ever been in. I entered this building for the first time 4 years ago for some simple piercings, and I left with a life long friend.Nick Sida is the greatest piercer known to man. Besides his friendly attitude, he has a strong professionalism and always makes sure his customers feel welcome and comfortable. Ive gotten ten piercings from Nick and every one feels worth it thanks to him helping me with any issues Ive had with them (for free).And next onto Gabriel Funk. His tattoos are cheap and the linework is unmatched by any. Ive had four tattoos done and plan on getting every last one done by him, and his warm personality makes it easy to pass the time while hes stabbing your arm.All in all, this is one of the greatest establishments known to man and I would highly recommend this place for all of your tattooing and piercing needs.

Got a tattoo from an artist I believe was Dave or David, and I absolutely love my little firefly. I also went back to get my tongue pierced with Nick and he pretty much talked through it, didn’t even feel a pinch! It’s been a good year and all has healed good.

This is the only place I get my piercings now I’ve gotten five done here so far and all healed nicely and price is unmatched. Just recently got a flat piercing and wait time was nonexistent and staff is always nice.

Got my nose redone by nick today. My friend got her nip done and he made us feel very safe, respected and taken care of. Our procedures were quick and clean. He’s a really nice guy and told us we could call with any questions. Good price and good vibes. Very little pain with our piercings even though they were done before. Will def come back!

I’ve been going to nick for my piercings since I was 18 and he’s the only piercer I’ll ever go to. Fair pricing, great guy and does a great job. Absolutely love him and everyone at this shop

I’ve been getting my piercings from nick (smiley, nose, septum, conch) for a while now and i haven’t had any problems !! he’s always helpful when i loose my balls or need a downsize as well !! if you wanna be hot n sexy def go to nick for your piercings !! (he’s not expensive at all either)

Gone there for two of my piercings (helix and nipple). So far they are healing nicely.Was very quick. Professional. Clean. To the point (pun intended).The shop is full of nice people and I didnt feel intimidated.

Used to love coming to this shop. Most staff is great. However, my last experience was very unpleasant. The last tattoo I received from there was done by the owner and he completely blew out my tattoo. Now I’m left with a piece that is scarred and so over shaded it’s going to look like a black blob in a couple years.Not to mention the two front desk girls were rude and talked badly about customers after they went back to get worked on.

I’ve gone to Nick for 5 piercings over the last 3 years and every single one of them has healed with no issues. He’s super funny and professional. Haven’t looked to anyone else for piercings since

Great people just got my leg done and my arm a few months ago the quality work is worth the price. So many compliments on my leg work and I let them know I got done here.

Kindness goes a long way!I called to ask about doing a walk in, and the person on the phone was extremely rude! I didn’t end up going because they just gave off negative vibes.

Pretty cool studio super clean. Super chill. Nick was awesome. The nose piercing was painless and done right.

Been pierced here a couple times by Nick. He’s the best! Super friendly, quick, and knowledgeable. I recommend Nick to all of my friends that love piercings.

Was in the area for school and decided to check out this location, needed my nose piercing replaced and my belly button pierced again. Nick was so professional, very clean technique and absolutely no pain. I’m impressed. Highly recommend.

Nick, the piercer was quick, friendly and very knowledgeable. My Daughter didn’t feel a thing with her new ear piercing and looks great!

I took my niece here for a belly button piercing, The shop seemed clean, popular, and efficient. The piercer was very nice and professional. My niece was 17 and wasnt scared at all. I will be coming back here for my daughters ears to get pierced!

I went to Empire on the spur of a moment idea to get my Septum pierced. I walked in and their piercer greeted me at the door and told me his name was Nick. Ive had many experiences with shops, yet for some reason Nick stood out. He was extremely professional, caring and all around based on all the information he explained is very knowledgeable.I was terrified of the horror stories Ive heard regarding septum, but to be honest Nick made the whole experience completely painless. So far he has done my bridge and septum and if there ever is anyone I know or I get anything else done Nick at Empire is my go to professional. Thanks for the great experience Nick. Make sure you get some of his stickers too.Much Respect !

Piercer Nick was great. My daughter fainted after getting pierced and he shot not rush is it the door. Let her lay down and wait until she was able to stand up and walk.

The guy I usually go to isn’t doing piercings anymore so I went with this shop and I have to say Nick did a good job I went to get my Medusa pierced and he talked me through the whole process asked if I was ready for the needle then talked me through the healing process. He told me if the bar was too small due to it swelling up to come back and change for a longer bar I had to go back a few days later cause my lip got huge. He apologized that I was having issues and changed it talked to me the whole time he was changing the bar very cool guy highly recommend him and will definitely go back.

Nick Sida is a great body piercer... he did my daith piercing. And my cartilage piercing. They healed well!... xoxo

Nick was great, funny and I was out of there in 10 min. tops. Pierced my belly button and it looks great. Thanks Nick

I got my belly button pierced here for my 16th birthday about a week ago and so far so good! the place is super cool, it was quick and the piercing he used for the healing process is super cute and the guy was super nice. I forgot his name, but if you are going to get a piercing I would totally go here :)

Brandon was great. This was my first tattoo and I kind of knew what I wanted in general but let him choose what he thought looked good. I was happy with how it turned out and with the price. It was exactly how much I expected it to be and pay. Brandon did great work and if I get more Id go back as long as he will do it. He even added some color without charging any extra. Added a recent photo. Great work, no problems at all with anything. Clean work and person it was for loves it. This person has several tattoos and told me the work was very well done.

My niece and I absolutely love Nick! He is the resident piercer. He takes great care, and time. On top of that, he is actually a really nice guy and it shows through the way he treats his customers. I strongly suggest him if your nervous, if its your first piercing, or in our case, taking your 15 year old child to get a piercing. My baby girl was shaking she was so nervous, but he is super funny and kept her distracted❤❤❤❤

First time there and its nice and clean. I asked a girl there how much it would be for a Rose tattoo and she asked if she can see it and being that I didnt have it on hand she said I can text her to her number with a picture of the rose, so I text her and 2 hours later no response so I decide to call the store and ask, the guy who works there said they dont give prices out over the phone which I understand but I was trying to ask for the girl employee {which I didnt get her name} and the guy said the number I text is Nicks number and he doesnt do tattoos just piercings and I said I know that I just dont understand why the girl gave me 5 business cards with Nicks info on it when she clearly told me it was her number and well thats the reason for a 2 star because if someone, a tattoo artist cant give me the right information how can I trust the tattoo artist to tatt on me? I was really looking forward to going there but not anymore.

I have been getting tattooed here for years, but very recently I got two brand new nose piercings within a few days of each other. Nick was very helpful and made sure to check with me how they lined up with each other. He explained everything thoroughly and got them done quickly, properly, and pretty painlessly (coming from someone who already had a few piercings before this) They are healing wonderfully and I will definitely be getting pierced by Nick again.

Nick Sida the piercer did a great job walking through what he was going to do and made sure I was comfortable the whole process. Informed me how to take care of and clean my ear piercings.

Took my 12 year old daughter here for her 2nd ear piercing and they were great. They charge per ear but it includes a really nice bar that has a flat back with the stone popping on in the front. Good quality. End result safe piercing, happy child, $80 lighter, no infection = birthday success

I got my septum pierced 6 months ago by Nick and he did a great job. Super quick, easy and clean. My septum has healed perfectly and I’ll definitely be coming back for my next piercings

WOW! I went in to get jewelry and was not only greeted the second I walked in but was tended to super quick. I asked their piercer nick some questions and he didn’t hesitate to answer and provided the BEST customer service I’ve ever had at a shop. After purchasing the jewelry I asked if I could pay him to put it in and he didn’t hesitate since I already bought the jewlery and he even kept telling me if something goes wrong with the jewelry to come back and he’ll take care of it. Seriously wish I had gotten my original piercing here. 1,000% recommend this shop!!

I went to get my ear pierced (the migraine one) and Nick was great. I was comfortable the entire time, the establishment is extremely clean and Employees are kind. I highly recommend Empire Tattoo for piercings. Nick also pierced my daughters nose and again fantastic job with explaining the procedure. he’s gentle which eliminates stress and tensing up therefore Minimal pain in fact I hardly felt anything at all.

Places sucks nose piercing got a big bump and I took care of it

Got pierced by nick sida. I asked him to go through my original scar holes for my bridge. He gave me this anatomy talk about shifting (which is possible) but regardless , you should always do what your customers ask of you nick. Because if it comes out incorrectly ( which it is still crooked a week later) it falls back onto you. If you went thru the original holes like I had asked in the beginning it wouldve fell onto me. Try listening to your customers more. I wont be coming back for you to create even more scars on my face. I will be doing my own piercings from now on. Call yourself a professional? Cant even do a straight piercing. Waste of $60.

I got my septum and lobes pierced two weeks ago. The piercer, Nick, was very professional. He shared his experience with the types of piercing I was getting and how manage the pain the pain is. He made the entire piercing process comfortable and not anxiety inducing. I want to back soon, the place is overall welcoming and inviting. Calm and quiet. This place deserves 5/5.

Nick was great! He explained the process while he was doing my piercing. And I was very impressed when he told me he would change my nose stud when Im ready..

I love it so much they did a snake bite and the process was so quick and easy the guy was so friendly they are polite and funny fair price and definitely will be on my list for my next piercings

We took my 6 year old daughter to Empire Tattoo to get her ears pierced for the first time. The piercer, Nick, was so gentle and kind. He talked her through every step of the process, on her level, so that she felt comfortable. She was expecting it to hurt a little, but it didnt, and she was so happy afterwards. They look great. We received solid aftercare instructions.Big thanks to Nick and the staff at Empire.

Just popped in to buy a curved barbell and it was super easy. Good quality jewelry with interior threading and sterile packaging 🤌🏼

Love Steves work, he is a great tattoo artist with years of experience, definitely check out his portraits, absolutely amazing. Nick Sida, the piercer, isnt worth the wait. Lies to clients with zero follow through. Doesnt know what he is doing

Last minute stop in he still made time for us and did one hell of a job very professional and clean no worries about covid

Brian Crank did an awesome job of my DMX tribute tattoo! Had a good time in the shop chatting with him during the whole thing. Really recommend him to do any of your work & very reasonable prices!

Nick ( the piercer ) was so professional, made me feel at home, and was just so genuinely nice, i highly recommend if you guys want to get a piercing done, to come to him. best one out there hands down

I got my first tattoo from Gabriel with Empire Tattoo and he did a great job! I definitely recommend him and his work to anyone.

Great team! I first went in n got the lining done. Unfortunate events pressured me to move to Oklahoma b4 my piece was finished. But while visiting SoCal I made an appointment to get it done. The image wasnt in their books no more so he free handed the shading to finish it up. I am very satisfied!! I recommend them to 2 others n they r most satisfied as well.

The shop? Sick. The boys? Dope. The overall quality of work from all the artists working there? Extremely good as hell. Ive gotten like, 8 or 9 tattoos from Jerry, the shops resident Chicano man. All great stuff. Nothing better that getting some firme work in and then cracking open some ice cold crispy boys with Jerry once the day is done.Word of advice though, if youre in the market for a butterfly tattoo on your thumb, you shouldnt get it here or at any other shop because not only is that idea trash, it also indicates that youre trash, your life is trash, and you probably smell like trash. Im out.

Erin did my tattoo on Friday the 13, Jeffery the year before her. Both has wonderful customer service and took the time to my me feel comfortable in the midst of it allWould go back again

I got my nose peirced here and it healed pretty nicely, the jewelry used was also really good and worth the price. I recommend getting your nose peirced here because the peircer, Nick, did a really good job on keeping me calm since I was trippin lol hes cool go get peirced here!

Great and friendly place. Nick Sida is a great piercer and super friendly. Got two tattoos from Payton and she’s also very friendly. Overall great experience coming here

Brian Crank is my go to artist! He’s done three of my tattoos, more to come soon. Down to earth artist, can do literally any style you want, and great experience overall♥️ I definitely recommend him!

Payton is doing my tattoo work , I love her work . She’s got a great personality and her prices are awesome.

Went in for second nostril piercings, but wasnt sure exactly where I wanted them. Nick was super nice and patient, and I left beyond happy with my piercings!

Awesome manager & staff are cool.....Get your piercing for a fair price ....

I decided to get my first big tattoo here at Empire Tattoo and Jeremy was my artist. I was told my tattoo would take a while because of layers. I explained my concept and he was willing to accept. I asked if he knew about realism of roses and about anime. He stated he was very familiar with it and could accomplish it.SESSIONS: After my first session it became difficult to contact him for a following appointment. He requested I text or direct message him on Instagram. I did both repeatedly but I rarely got any response. Throughout the 3+ months I worked with him I had to call the shop to see if he was working to schedule my sessions because he never got back to me. Even when my arm blistered up he wouldnt answer any form of communication (text, call, Instagram). Only when I saw him a week later he reacted to it as if he just saw the text for the first time. Not to mention, he repeatedly showed up late to our sessions or told me he couldn’t make it and canceled our session altogether (Id find out he cant make it when Im there or half way there dealing with Cali traffic). He made up many excuses and even lied about us scheduling for a different time. It took over 3+ months to finish my tattoo in many small sessions because it was hard to get in contact with him to schedule appointments, he left appointments early or scheduled other appointments with other people (even though I was told we’d have the entire day), or he canceled appointments altogether.PAYMENT: I was quoted $650 but ended up paying over $1150 by the time we were half way done. He never even finished my tattoo completely. He got really close but never finished small details and many correction to his numerous mistakes were left unfinished. If the price of something changes it would be nice to be told upfront about it. I was a fool for paying more than the total before even getting it completed. This was my first real tattoo. Lesson learned.PRODUCT:1) Never fully finished my tattoo and never finished corrections2) Made some big mistakes on a character anime head3) Shaded into crucial parts of my tattoo that shouldn’t be shaded and had to shade over other errors that make half the tattoo seem off4) There was a blue circle he literally went through in a black (when I brought up this mistake he got belligerent and denied his error)5) Hes really good with roses but missed the simple color instructions of light light VERY light pink and a dark red rose. I got a maroon rose (not light pink) and a faded looking red rose that look very much almost the same color.FINAL REMARKS: half of my forearm looks good, as for the other side I wish I didn’t have it at all. Brought this up to the owner and was told “you enter a contract with an artist once you get tattooed with them and you need to resolve it with them”.

Quick job for my sons’s nose piercing but for my opinion too pricey.

This place is a great tattoo shop. Very clean very professional artists. Brian Crank was very professional and very patient in the whole process of helping my son get his first tattoo. Will be going back to get some ink myself.

Very clean shop and so easy to work with artist. Brandon did a great memorial to my father. I definitely recommend Empire to anyone looking to have outstanding art, detail, cleanliness, and respect for what you want, all at a reasonable price. Thanks Brandon!!

Didn’t really get the best vibes from the start but I got a piercing here about 3 months ago and it was definitely pierced wrong not to mention in the wrong spot too. 🤦🏻‍♀️ He didn’t let me even look at the placing before it… now my body is regecting it. I don’t recommend this place and ima go back for my money. 🚮

I took my daughter here to get her belly button pierced, it was comfortable and fast. Nick does a great job.

Bad customer serviceI came to this shop, and waited for about 40 minutes.No one approached me to ask what I needed.What surprised me the most is the girl that seemed not busy at all noticed another customers that came after me who was waiting right behind me outside. She called them in and asked them what they needed, and started helping them. I mentioned to her that I was here before them, but she didnt care. Seriously?

This is a great, friendly tattoo shop. Its very welcoming, friendly and clean. Nick is so wonderful calming fears with 1st time piercing.Highly Highly recommend this shop.

Wonderful place! The piercer was very professional and nice! The septum piercing hurt only for a second and was definitely worth it! 10/10 recommend.

Nick the piercer, is professional, clean and affordable

Erin did an absolutely amazing job for my first tattoo. Will definitely be coming back for more!!

So ive gotten two tattoos from here, my first was done by Crank and the other I cant remember his name. well, my first was quite elaborate an fully colored on my right shoulder. it was done very well, line work very clean and Cranks little personal style he added to the piece went very well with the scene COST..200 I ended up paying 300 because I was so pleased with the work. the second time I went back and wanted to get a small symbol on my wrist and Crank was not there and they told me the tattoo would be 150$!! I was very disappointed in the price but got it anyways because I didnt want to spend time looking for another shop. all I can say is Crank is reasonable in price and excellent in skill. im not going to get another tattoo from here unless I book him. the guys are always nice though

Empire tattoo is awesome. Jerry does wonderful work. I have a half sleeve and cant wait to finish. I highly recommend coming here to get work done. Very professional and creative.

Got my ears pierced by Nick, and it was quick and painless, and when I lost the cap or the piercing he even replaced it for free. Was friendly and professional.

My artist was Brandon. It was my first tattoo. He was super nice, helpful, and made me feel at ease. Will definitely be going back to him!

Just finished getting my tattoo with Erin. Outstanding! Will definitely return 😊

I got my first Tattoo here, I got to say it looked Amazing, Special thanks to Jeremy, He was nice, his work was 100x better than the original, I’m getting my second today with him and honestly the price is reasonable Thank you I will coming back for more 😊🙏

100% recommend!! Very friendly people at this place. I am super happy with my first ever tattoo!

Unfinished lion on my hip and left a scar. During my session the guy took smoke breaks and was creepy, really unprofessional. Go to Mission tattoo, good vibes.

Piercer is really nice! did a good job

Great service. Nice people. The wait was a little bit but they are popular

Got an awesome tattoo in honor of my son from Steve Varner. Amazing artist and great work. Well be coming back again!

Went to get my dermal and they placed it exactly where I marked it ! ...I dont know the gauge though. 🤷‍♂️lol but they were cool.

Jerry is the best if you want cool cartoon/comic/movie based tattoos. All of the guys are friendly, very clean, and very professional.

Brian Cranx is amazing, I have loved his work forever. Professional and caring. Really awesome Shoppe

I went yesterday and got a tattoo and Brian ask what I was looking to get and let me tell you he came back with a drawing and I loved it there very reasonable on there prices here thank you empire tattoo

DO NOT GO HERE! This place will rip you off. Quoted one price and the charged a different amount. Very dishonest. Very disappointed! Cannot be trusted.

Nick you the man 🤘🏼 thanks for the bridge piercings you did for me and my lady. Much love bro

Loved how Brian made our dream come true. Cool guy. Clean place. Great prices . Thanks again

Bestvplace ever. Got my first tattoo here and it was an amazing experience. Will be going back to get more

Jeremy did a great job! He got down! Plus I liked the ambiance! :)

Been coming here for years... staff is easy going and do good work. Brian is a good artist

Best tattoo shop in the riverside/downtown area. The boys at the shop are top notch. 10/10 would recommend this shop

BAD ASS TATTOO PLACE.. REALLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE FOR YOUR TATTOOS.ME AND MY WIFE GOT TATTOOED BY SEAN EAREY AND ARE REALLY GLAD WE DID HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB. THANX.

Got my nose and ear pierced also one of my tattoo. Great place

My wife went in to get my name tattooed and it looks like 2 year old did it horrible job ! Bad customer service

Better prices than where I ended up having to get my daughters ears pierced at

Great experience everytime I have been there. They are busy so have patience because it is worth it.

Nick did an awesome job on the piercing!

Everyone is great, professional, and friendly. Highly recommend this shop to anyone who wants greatvwirk.

Friendly people. Great tattoo artist. Had a good time.

Nice very professional. Great quality tattoos

Always clean and every artist follows strict hygiene and professionalism.

Good customer service had all the tattooing essentials.

Go to spot in Riverside for a tat....a clean shop with friendly experienced artists

Definitely going back when I get the chance

Nick the Piercer is awesome. Thank you Nick

Super nice piercer, clean, and great work

This place sucks I went in for a butterfly on my thumb and it fell out went again for a touch up and same thing happened will never go there again this place doesnt deserve a star

I love my Friday the 13th tattoo!

Best tattoo and they have best prices

Nick was awesome. Explained everything.

Steve Varner is AMAZING! Thank you!

Do great work

First time in. So far, Great.

Thanks Brian! Love your work!

Lack of communication, definitely lost my business

Hands down best shop in all of Southern California

This is a great place 👏I love the vibe

Good service & good people

Great people and even better artist

Excellent artist ... great experience

Nick is super nice

Nick is the best !

Great place to get tattoo and piercings

Dont go here for piercings.

The nicest people ever tysm

Nice and good tattos

Jeremy . cool easy going .

Friendly and good prices

Clean place, friendly staff.

🤤 some of the men that work here

Steve Varner is the best

Love the work and conversations.

Two words... Steve Varner

They are very professional

Crappy customer service

Excellent service!!!😜

Friendly and quick

Awesome staff!!!