Had a plan and ordered 3 glasses. When asked the status of the 3rd glasses - was told that it was thrown away by "accident" and charged for a new pair of glasses. We had to follow up with them regarding the 3rd pair instead of the company following up. Told me that they had fired the employee with "poor notes". Instead of fixing the issue, they choose to say that this was not their fault when we did not receive what we paid for. Overpriced with poor service. Tammy should not be working there as the disorganization is a failure in running the business. read more

Do not in any way shape or form recommend. How am I supposed to get my kids lenses changed when he is wearing the $300 plus dollar glasses during the school day. And when I go to get them. You throw them away. Thankfully I didn't have to pay for those, since I already paid extra for the lenses that weren't supposed to become scratched anyway. So if you are on a tight budget and your kid is on all kids Medicaid, definitely don't go here!!!! I called to try and resolve the situation and Tammy hung up on me! GREAT SERVICE, you get from them. Pathetic!!!!!!! Not surprised, that's the way everybody treats Medicaid patients. read more

The best place to get kids glasses. I've gone to multiple places to get my 7 year old glasses and she continues to walk around like a librarian with her glasses on her nose. They took the time to show what really works on her face, many kinds to meet her needs and wants. So impressed, worth the higher cost than a place like Warby Parker. read more

My son is wearing the wrap around cables made to his size and his glasses always sit perfectly on his face even when he's at the park..on the swings, riding his bike, reading a book.. you know the typical 6 year old life. They're perfect for him, he loves his glasses now because of what we added to the back. read more

Aardvark Eyewear - Amazing green customized cables - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Dr Kaufman is awesome! My son is neurodiverse and Dr Kaufman was able to complete an eye exam with dilation without any issues. Personally, I appreciate Dr Kaufman's bedside manner. He is quick and to the point but very thorough in his exam. He also has all the tools and resources at his disposal. read more

I was very frazzled the first time I went to Aardvark because my one year old needed glasses. Tammy made the process a breeze. She was very patient with me and answered all of my questions. Two months later I came back to get the glasses readjusted and the process was quick and easy. Will definitely come back when my baby needs a new pair. read more

We had an amazing experience here. The staff is so helpful and knowledgeable about glasses and the best fit for children. My daughter is 2 so you can only imagine the reluctancy in this process. They were so patient with me and my little one. We bought the Miraflex and another fancier pair. I will def be back and def recommend this place for all families. Thank you Aardvarks for making a delicate situation enjoyable and exciting. read more

Aardvark Eyewear - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you have kids and they need glasses. Aardvark is the place. We recently found out Jackson is extremely farsighted. A few weeks ago, we took him to pick out glasses. Not an easy task for a one-year old. The staff is great! Tammy, who did Jack's fitting is the best. She has 25 years-plus experience fitting kids. Aardvark is the only pediatric optometrist in the city. Today we picked up the glasses. We put them on Jack. After a few minutes of protest, Jack realized he was seeing cleary for the first time. His eyes got huge with amazement! It was a great thing. Thanks to Aardvark, my boy is seeing a brand new world. Note, Aardvark doesn't except insurance, so if you have a FSA and can budget in it for kids glasses, do so. They do offer small discounts for VSP members. read more

Daughter needed sunglasses for sailing. I looked around at so many places and finally a store recommended this place. They optometrist/owner? was very helpful- we were in and out in 10 min read more

Do you have a child that needs/wears glasses? This is the place to go. Tammy, Diana and the rest of crew are phenomenal. They know how to work with the kids to get the best pair of glasses for them. We have been going to Aardvark for about five years and will continue to go there as long as we can. I highly recommend this store to everyone. read more

We have been coming here from the south suburbs for five years. When my three year old needed glasses, her doctor at Luries recommended aardvark and it is worth the trip! They have a huge selection and find frames that fit her face perfectly. We followed Tammy's recommendations for compliance and, after 3 days of distracting, we are five years strong with consistency and no broken glasses! read more

This review is for the eye center, not the Optometrist (who is on Staff at Children's). Tammy is excellent at fitting glasses. She has a wonderful range of options available and she can do it on sight. She definitely knows what she is doing. I would recommend anyone going here to get the glasses properly fitted for their children. read more

We love this place. It is so nice to have glasses that fit your kid properly. My son's glasses do not slide down and they always seem to sit properly on his face. Plus, Tammy is great at picking out frames that suit his face. The selection of frames is amazing. My son has been wearing glasses for 10 years and this is the best children's eyewear place we have seen. Two thumbs up. read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. We have been in here a lot over the past few years and it has ALWAYS been good experience. They know what they are doing - all three of the ladies in here know their eyewear! My son has been through patching, three pairs of glasses, and many repairs (he's an active kid!). My mother visited from another state and, like me, has a small face. Both she and I ended up buying that day: I got sunglasses and she got frames for her prescription lenses...oh, and we got my son's glasses fixed. Pricing is very reasonable and you get great service and knowledgeable staff with it. Awesome selection of lenses and Tammy made our first time frame shopping so easy - my son was 5 and she helped him pick out the perfect pair in no time. Before my ophthalmologist recommended this place, I had two different people tell me it was THE place to go...now I know why! read more

Giving it one star because of the receptionist/person who picks up phone. I called and a female picked up. I told her I was calling to make an appointment and she said "sure, let me transfer you" and I was like okay. She then transfers me to another line where there is no one there and sends me to voicemail. I call for a second time and she does not pick up obviously she knows it's me. Then I call a third time and she picks up and immediately transfers me to the same line where no one picked up and sent me to voicemail. What a disappointment, their customer service is terrible. I couldn't even make an appointment! At this point I'm upset and call 2 more times and they don't even transfer me anymore and just hang up!!!!! I keep trying to call until I talk to her again and she said she couldn't help me to make an appointment. To leave a message and I'll get a call back. Then why is she there? She wasn't the doctor, so I'm wondering what's the point of her even being there if she can't even do something as simple as scheduling an appointment. read more

It was crazy chaotic when we first walked in and I entered with trepidation. I sat down in the waiting room not sure what to do and started getting a bit cranky when all of a sudden a person popped over and gave me a number to wait in line. The place was super busy with families waiting for an eye exam or to purchase glasses. The wait time was not long and the selection - THE BEST I have ever experienced. The staff are so great at working with children that they were able to whittle away several options my 7 year old like to one that she is now utterly in love with. They had a great 1 year replacement policy that took quite a bit of stress out of the whole process. My daughter has a cool pair of glasses that she says everybody likes at school. I lot different from when i was a kid and got teased with ugly glasses. They make a nice statement and they are part of her personality. I will definitely be back for her next pair. read more

This is the best place to get kids eyewear. You can buy glasses anywhere I suppose but these people KNOW what they are doing. Sizing, brands, repairs, etc. it's worth the drive from wherever you live. They will sit down with you, explain options, make adjustments and make sure the glasses fit your kid perfectly. Accept no substitute! (Plus they've recently renovated and the new building is beautiful!) read more

I'm an adult, but I'm female with a small face. I was thrilled to find them. They have a large selection and great warranty/accident coverage. A rhinestone fell out of my glasses and they gave me a new pair. I'm very finicky about my glasses and Tammy is the best. They also have a few parking spaces. Will continue to go there until I move. read more

I have had two friends recommend Aardvark for my son. I attempted to make an appointment this morning. The woman who answered the phone was crazy. She was rude and condescending, wouldn't let me ask questions about how to make an appointment, and just overall completely unprofessional. I'm still sitting here fairly stunned about the encounter when I was just trying to schedule an appointment. I'm sure the doctor is great, and I'm also sure they have a great selection of glasses, but I won't be going there because this woman truly seemed like she is crazy. read more

This is THE place to take your child to if he or she needs eyeglasses. Amazing service and selection. Tammy the optician is an angel who cares for real, has great experience and answered all the questions I have with a smile and professionalism she is a true expert. We arrived at 4:45pm just 15 minutes before closing time and Tammy welcomed us with a big smile and assured us not to worry at all about how long it might take for us to finish. She worked with us from begining to finish with nothing but a perfect attitude. I can't talk highly enough of this place and of how good this experience was and I absolutely recommend it to all. What a great experience. read more

BEST EYEWEAR BUYING EXPERIENCE EVER!!! After driving all over looking for glasses for my 11 year-old fashionista, a friendly optician at Spex recommended Aardvark. (Spex has a wonderful selection of cool frames for adults, but for kids it's kind of limited.) Tammy, Aardvark's optician, was wonderful - friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. You really benefit from her 35 years of experience! My daughter wanted blue or purple frames plastic frames. Within minutes Tammy had pulled at least 30 pairs in her size. Then she quickly helped us narrow down the field based on fit & my daughter's preferences without us feeling rushed. We were done in 30-40 minutes. The glasses fit great, look wonderful and she feels terrific about them! My only complaint is that they don't carry adult frames! I've been wearing glasses since the 3rd grade and I don't think I've ever found anyone as good as Tammy to fit my glasses. read more

I cannot say enough positive things about this place. The staff is wonderful and attentive to each and every client. They speak to the kids like they are people and make sure they are not just okay, but excited to wear glasses. Their selection of kids frames is more than double I have seen elsewhere. We have been coming here for about 7 years and drive an hour to get here but I have never regretted it. read more

There is no other place to go for kids glasses in Chicago. The selection is excellent and Tammi is amazingly helpful, goes over and above and had great patience dealing with our 6 yr old. She pulled about 20 pairs of glasses for us to try and we found the perfect pair. Aardvark was highly recommended by our optometrist and we are glad we went. Oh, and check out the ear hooks that they can put on the glasses to help them stay on. No more ugly straps!! read more

If I could give a one-star rating, I would. I brought my special needs four-year-old to Aardvark to be fitted for her first pair of glasses. As we sat down, I let ViVi know that she had sensory issues, and that we would have to take it slow. ViVi was great, she took things very slow and understood as my child came to tears while trying on her first pairs of glasses. Then, Tammy stepped in. That's where everything went downhill. Tammy was in a big hurry, so she was loud and impatient. As my child continued to melt down, Tammy told me she had lots of other work that she needed to be doing and that she'd rather be posting jobs than helping us. Our family eye doctor sent us to Aardvark with the recommendation that they are pediatric specialists and special-needs-friendly. That was the opposite of what I experienced. Tammy had zero bedside manner, frightened my daughter, and was completely inflexible in her behavior and treated us like we were dogs. Please do not give Aardvark your money. read more

Absolutely love working with Jackie. She is professional, courteous and has a kindness with children. Taking the time to listen to the customers needs and discussing available options is a plus. Always a wonderful experience working with her. read more

Don't be put off by the location or the outside of the building. This place is, hands down, the best eyeglass shop for kids in Chicago. Great selection and incredibly knowledgeable staff. Because it's so great, the store is VERY crowded on the weekends - so make sure to leave enough time and bring something for your kid(s) to do in the waiting area. read more

My daughter and I went to this store with her two toddlers to have her one year old fitted for glasses. The trip was over an hour long so the energy was pent up in these two little buggers. After my grandson tried going for the frames that were in the fitting area, the clerk directed us toward the waiting room "where he can play unsupervised". When I took him around the corner to let him play, I noticed the front doors were wide open. I took it upon myself to pull the door shut and announced to the woman who was in the next room that he could not stay in that room with an open front door. The baby decided to stick with me anyway, but there was still the understanding that he would free to use the waiting room. I subsequently heard from a ways away that clerk state that they had just had the carpets cleaned and they were drying, so the door needed to be OPEN. While my daughter was wrapping up her business I went back to the waiting room to find that the woman had opened the doors WIDE OPEN again!!!! I commented to to another patron that it was scary to have them there with the doors open to the outside. Unbeknownst to me, while i was having this conversation with the other woman in the waiting room, and hovering a bit over my grand baby, my three year old grand daughter in a naughty little fit ran out the open front door. My daughter said she caught her by the nape of the neck with her toes on the curb of Western, one of the busiest streets in Chicago! She told me this in the car as we were pulling out or I would have addressed the matter in person immediately. I spoke to the manager later that day by phone. She seemed appalled, but instead of an apology for the other woman's VERY RUDE (I don't think she's stupid) actions, she said that the doors weren't always open like that, but for the carpet cleaning, (which means very little when putting children's safety at risk). She did state that the doors would be closed from then on when children were in the establishment, which is some consolation. I'm not altogether satisfied with the response from the manager of the store. Not much can be said or done after the fact, but an apology for the matter would have been nice especially since I tried my best to avoid such a happening. We won't be recommending Aardvark Eyewear to others. read more

The woman that helped us was very bossy and pushy. I was happy with the selection but when I called to get my daughter PD she said she would not give it to me. So I had to take her in to another eyewear place and have her measured. All she accomplished was losing a customer. read more

Tammy is a genius. She chooses the perfect frame for each kid. She has a great eye. We are very happy after many years of working with Tammy. read more

Largest selection of kids' frames I have ever seen, anywhere. We did our exam elsewhere but came her for frames and I'm so glad we did. Bridgit was great---very patient and has a real flair for picking out flattering glasses for children. Glasses were ready in less than a week and they do a custom adjustment when you come to pick them up. Fantastic. read more

Went to Aardvark when my son was 3, because he was squinting. I was shocked to find that he needed glasses. I was amazed at how the Dr. was able to assess him. He is a very active little guy and the Dr. was excellent in dealing with him. They are also great with helping to select a new pair. He is now 5 and I'm about to make his appointment for this year. read more

Don't be fooled by the exterior of the building, which you could drive past 100 times and never notice! We took our kids to a fancy "family" optician, and one of our little ones needed glasses. We looked at the frame selection, and to be honest, it was pathetic. Not "pretty pathetic", but pathetic. Plus, they appeared to charge top dollar. So, not liking what we saw, we left without buying anything, and remembered that a friend said that there was this "odd little store" on Western that had an amazing selection of kids frames. Well, she wasn't kidding - while the place is cramped, it's wall to wall frames, and the people working there are extremely nice and patient. We had to go back for adjustments, and they've been excellent about that as well. I would recommend this place to anyone who needs to get glasses for the kids - as simple as that. read more

When I tell you that this place is awesome. I mean this place is awesome. You can look around the city, the burbs and you won't find anyplace like it. Now let's talk about the help you receive when you're there. That Tammy has become our little one's personal frame stylist. Since we're a family that's on the go she recommended making one of his three pair transitions. The best recommendation ever. Everywhere we go people compliment how awesome his glasses are. She took her time to find frames that fit him. I mean geesh this kid has personality but those glasses amped it up times 100. Tammy's a bubble of energy and a ton of fun. Just what the doctor ordered for our 3 year old bubble energy and little loads of fun. It's hard getting our little one to focus on anything but since Tammy has a presence all of her own, her energy is just what's needed to grab his attention and keep him focus. Ooh and the funny noises she makes to get him to participate. #priceless.. I wouldn't be doing my job as a reviewer if I didn't talk price. Welp, 3 pairs of glasses w/ one pair being transitions, didn't cost us as much as we thought it would. Tammy definitely made it fun and easy to cough up the credit card. It's time for his annual eye exam and I'm super excited to see what Tammy comes it with next. Thank you Aardvark and Thank you Tammy!!!! read more