Site for Sore Eyes

This place has been my choice for several years. Alex is terrific to work with and the outcome is good. Wouldn’t go anywhere else. Check it out.

I went there to buy my first pair of glasses and everyone was really helpful. Glasses were not too expensive and they also recommended to buy contact lenses on Internet as they will be cheaper! Highly recommended

LOVE ALEX!!! He’s so nice and super helpful all the time. Also, great deals. I definitely recommend going here for glasses.

I have done business with this store for a few times already over the last few years. I am not much of a Unilocal user until recently.
Overall this place is great. The business and the folks there have been there for many years. The folks are very friendly and helpful. I recently had an eye exam there. It went quite smoothly as expected.
Last year I got a pair of prescription sun glasses there. The frame was a well known brand. I went for polarized glasses. The price was very decent. They were not a member of the VSP (insurance) network, but they were able to match all the benefits I can have if I were to get that pair of glasses from a member. I actually had been to a VSP member provider before, but couldn’t find a frame that I liked. The price they quoted me was even higher with VSP benefits factored in.

My first time here, I was helped right away. Got to see the the doctor within the 1^st 10 mins I was here. Super fast service! Got my glasses done before I left. Most definitely coming back here even though I have one closer to home. Thank you.

Feeling rescued! After a horrible experience from Lens crafters in Hillsdale mall (I left crying and Im a tough chick) I called Alex. Just over the phone he made me feel like he was the light at the end of the tunnel. Sure enough, I show up and he was there to catch my Lens crafters fall! GREAT customer service regardless of my situation (cause he didn’t know till mid-​way I had an issue elsewhere) ! I scored a great deal two pairs — one 50% off — combine w my insurance AND second pair another deal– 100 $ off AND I got 25 $ off cause i checked in on Unilocal!Alex is the owner and so nice and helpful. I could tell he really cared! I paid 12. 50 for my Dolce and Gabbna ! So i added on a whole bunch of goodies — second pair free frame — I cant even keep up with the discounts ! IM SO COMING BACK! Plus where else can you listen to Pandora Guardians of the Galaxy! Alex saved me! THANK YOU!

In order to avoid a big bill, I had kept postponing getting new glasses even though the old ones were breaking and my vision was deteriorating. My wife went there for her glasses first and told me they worked with her to give her a decent price. Since she was happy with the service, I went too and was delighted with the selection of frames and the effort that Alex put in to get me the best price possible working AAA discounts, and comparing scenarios with or without VSP. The optometrist was very competent and reasonably priced, and the prescription as well. The new Transitions work a lot better than they did 6 years ago. I can se a whole lot better now, and am grateful to Alex for an excellent service.

I was hesitant to try this place based on old reviews, but learned that those comments were based on previous management. I was there a couple of weeks ago to get new progressive lenses and frames and had a wonderful experience! The owner, Alex, is so knowledgeable and patient and helped me found exactly what I looking for, unique, modern and a bit funky eyeglasses. LensCrafters in Emeryville didn’t fax my complete prescription and the doctor here checked my prescription without charging me and made sure I was getting right lenses. Great experience, wonderful service!

Best place for glasses. Staff is really helpful and had a great experience finding the perfect pair.

Alex helped me out and did an amazing job! Very helpful with styles and was very prompt about calling me when my order was ready. I brought my toddler in with me and they were very accommodating with that. Will for sure come again.

had a very good experience here today. all of the staff members and the optometrist were very nice and accommodating. my sister had an appointment and i didn’t, but the doctor gave me an eye exam anyways and also dialated both our eyes. we also spent a good amount of time looking for frames, but one of the employees, named alex was really helpful. overall had a nice experience here and will most likely come again in the future.

Alex (owner) is a gem. Contacted my «maybe» carrier (VSP) to find benefits that I didn’t know I had.
Begin with eye exam: On site doctor is very thorough, including dilation at premium price. Measured my eyes to a ²⁰⁄₂₀ adjustment. Checked for glaucoma and macular degeneration.
First round selections: Alex provided extraordinary patience in my frame selections. Offered alternatives without pressure. Held my initial selections for girl friend collaboration next day.
Next day friend and I spent another hour making final selection (s). James is as professional as his boss. Let us be as giddy as we wished. Finalized purchase and was told it would take one week, no later than 9 days.
Four days later received phone call to tell me glasses were ready: 4 days! What more could you ask for?
Pick up as professional as expected. Now have my first progressive transition lenses; love them. Second (free single vision sunglasses) are amazing, have made such a difference while driving or whale watching.
I recommend this store to all.

Ratings do not reflect the lovely experience I had here. The store is under new ownership and Alex is wonderful. I had to get a new prescription too as my eyes had changed during my pregnancy. I found the optometrist to be very professional and thorough. I got a lovely pair of Coach prescription sunglasses and got a second pair of Vera Wang glasses for free! And they had a fast turnaround which was great. Give this store a try!

Great experience from start to finish. Got 2 pairs of glasses and some awesome shades.
Alex helped me and explained the difference between all the different brands. I ended up buying transition lenses which get darker as I step outside.
Very knowledgeable staff. Polite and courteous. I appreciate the time they spent with me.
Way to go!

Great New Management and Awesome Customer Service!
I recently went to this Site For Sore Eyes because I had a Living Social deal for $ 20 off $ 150 (or something like that). It was a really smooth, easy, pleasant experience, and I feel like I got a great deal.
There were a lot of very positive things about the experience:
* Easy to book my appointment online
* I was a few minutes late and they were very nice about it
* The eye doctor who examined me was professional and answered my questions
* They took my insurance for my eye exam for glasses (Cigna)
* Alex, the new owner, was incredibly helpful about picking out frames that suited my taste and my face! He spent a lot of time with me and didn’t rush me at all. I felt like I had my own personal shopping assistant :-)
* Alex worked hard to make sure I got a good price, including honoring my Living Social deal, giving me the buy-​one-​get-​one-​free-​deal, AND adding on a Unilocal deal (which I hadn’t even known about) for a lens upgrade on both my glasses!
* My glasses were ready the same day!
* When my second pair of glasses didn’t seem right, Alex right away ordered new lenses for me that were ready the next day and fixed the problem
* I walked away with a new glasses/​contacts prescription, two pairs of glasses that I really like, and 5-​day trials for one-​day contact lenses, for less than $ 400.
* They also have an easy return policy if you don’t like the glasses you pick out.
I really have NO negatives to say about this great business! Definitely go there.

I just bought 2 pairs of glasses and 1 pair of sunglasses from here. They are perfect! Great quality and fast service.

NEW OWNERSHIP!
I brought my daughter in today after our health plan eliminated our usual eye doctor. The new owner Alex is so nice and accommodating. (I came here a couple of years ago and previous owners were just OK.)
Anyway, background: I first went to another optometrist in our plan yesterday. (SEE MY OTHER REVIEW.) They had a $ 90 – 120 fitting charge! — which seemed really high, as our previous ophthalmologist was a flat rate $ 60. Anyway, I had my daughter’s previous prescription, and I asked which fitting charge it would be, they wouldn’t say, and they also kept saying cost of contacts was variable and they couldn’t even estimate a general out of pocket until after the exam and the doctor chose which contacts he would prescribe my daughter. So, actually, I was being told up front they had absolutely no idea what my out of pocket would be at all. I don’t like this approach, it seems kind of well, whatever. So we left. No exam.
Ok, today we came here. New owner Alex great, as stated earlier. Fitting cost $ 40 – 60 (not $ 90 – 120), and he told me right up front by looking at my daughter’s previous prescription that it would be $ 40. (She had no astigmatism and the higher fitting cost is based on that.) He also explained that the medical plan will pay for half a year of contacts OR the lenses for glasses (with co-​pays on extras), plus up to $ 150 for frames. He said the contact lenses would probably be in the range of $ 200 – 240 for the year. This made sense as that was what we always paid for contacts before.
So right off the bat he gave us a ballpark before the exam, instead of God knows what from the other place, which refused to even hazard a guess on fitting cost based on her earlier prescription, or even offer a general idea of contact cost, as I was told it was 100% dependent on what the doctor prescribed.
Back to this place: in the end we opted to pay for the contacts, plus, of course, the $ 40 fitting. (The glasses lenses were $ 200, covered by insurance, and most of the frame cost was covered by insurance.)
I liked that he was upfront with estimated cost and didn’t seem like he was in the business of trying to sell the most expensive product.
The female doctor who did the exam was the same as two years ago, and she is really good, too. I seriously recommend this place. And trust me, I’m picky.

I’ve never needed glasses before but as I get older I find that things change… that includes my vision. I saw that it had a very low rating, but I stepped into this place anyways out of curiosity since I was waiting for my To Go order from across the street.
I was very impressed by the service. I was greeted right away by Alex. I really liked that they had a wide variety of frames. I told him I just wanted to try glasses on and see what fit my face best, especially since I’m very indecisive and this was going to now be a part of my every day look.
He was so helpful. He informed me on how my new VSP insurance worked, down to the dollar amount. He didn’t hound me like a pushy sales person, but instead, he guided me on how to find the best pair of spectacles that would suit me best. He handed me a few that he thought would look great on me and would feed into my sense of style. Or lack of. He was so patient and so honest that I was so ready to buy on the spot. But since there were so many options and I was pressed for time and I loved 5 – 6 frames, I couldn’t make up my mind. So I will be coming back.
I believe the rating on this place is a little misleading since it carries over reviews from the previous owner. I’m glad I was brave enough to go in against all odds and find this place. I felt very comfortable here and I believe that’s an important aspect when investing in your eyes and style.

I had a very good and a very bad experience at this same store today that I thought I should share.
Good things first — there’s a store within the store that’s operated by Dr Linda. I went there for an eye exam and she was very kind and knowledgeable. She even offered me a few pairs of contacts to try for free. She’s probably one of the best optometrists I’ve ever met.
Now for the bad experience — it’s in the main store operated by a lady with a thick foreign accent. I’m not sure if she’s trying to be nice initially, but she said «I’ll offer you the best price» — as if she was trying to rip me off. Then the insurance part — she had to call the insurance company to check my particulars and it seemed like she didn’t know what was needed in the first place. She asked me a ton of questions about my personal information that I felt was unnecessary and in the end it really wasn’t. Very unprofessional. She also addressed me as «patient» although she clearly is not a doctor and «customer» would be the right term here. Lastly, the biggest thing that got me really angry was that she kept telling me I had to pay a co-​payment for a vision test, and insisted that the co-​payment is necessary. I kept re-​iterating to her that I just did a vision test and asked her why she still insists that I go through another test and then have to pay an additional amount for it — to which she just replied again and again «the insurance company said so». It was extremely frustrating for me trying to communicate with her.
That said, there are a couple spectacle frames that I’m interested in and might be going back to check out. I’m hoping my next experience at this store won’t leave me walking out displeased.

I have had very little luck with eye glass shopping in the last few years… This year, I did my eye exam elsewhere, (I wish I had done it at the Site for Sore Eyes on 3^rd Street, but it’s a long story and not relevant why I did not). The place where I did my exam (will remain nameless) was trying to push an expensive and ugly pair of frames on me, and I instinctively walked away. I am so glad I did!!!
How very happy and lucky I did my glasses shopping at Site for Sore Eyes on 3^rd Street. Apparently, the store has been under new ownership since April. I have no idea about the previous owner, but the new owner is gracious and honest without being obsequious or needy; excellent human and store energy– impressive from the first moment through the door.
We went to the store late on Friday after Thanksgiving, and it may sound silly, but with the night and the lights and the energy of the store, I felt like I walked through the door into Manhattan. Not only does he have really awesome frames, but it is simply a classy store.
As long as I am living in the Bay Area I will not go anywhere else for my eye exam/​new glasses!!! In addition, the prices are very reasonably for the quality (excellent businessman). Site for Sore Eyes on 3^rd Street is amazing! It was the best Christmas present I could give myself. Thank you!