General Optical

Committed to satisfaction

Locally owned & operated

I am shocked to read the (couple of) negative reviews here. This is the best optical store I've…read moreever been to, both in Boston and New York City. John is so sweet, kind, cooperative, helpful (on and on), and Dr. Shah is thorough and kind as well. I can't fathom someone feeling "degraded" or having any kind of negative experience at this store.

Superb service from John; he was welcoming and very helpful; quickly zeroed in on the problem with…read moremy glasses and had a new pair for me within a few days. Then he realized that I needed a separate single-focus pair which would improve my close-up work on my computer - which is very helpful. I will recommend John and this store to everyone.

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241 Optical

4.8(94 reviews)

1.4 mi•Harvard Square

I'm a repeat client and he is always kind and has a great selection of glasses. He doesn't take…read moreinsurance but the price is always right 2 for the price of one you can't beat that and you can use your flex spending. He can make your glasses there and they'll be ready in a couple of hours. If he doesn't have your lens he will order them and will be there in no time at all. I just bought my first pair of glasses with progressives, yes we will all get there some time in our lives lol. I'm now stylish af and can read fine print haha( see pic for my red pair) he will let you know what fits your face and what's best for your prescription. You must visit Michael it's a no brainer! Fyi limited hours on Saturday 10-1pm not open on Sundays. Support your local community!

I fairly recently visited Michael for the first time and I quickly discovered his integrity,…read morepatience, generosity and kindness. When I went back with what seemed like a problem with the main (graduated) pair it turned out that the prescription was a little off. He did not charge me for the new lens (based on a new prescription)! In passing I had mentioned that I realized I didn't really like the reading glasses after all, and he exchanged the frame, again without charge. He knows his business and values his customers, and I am now a loyal one.

Beautifully crafted eyewear in the heart of harvard square

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Custom Eyes

4.2(198 reviews)

2.0 mi•Central Square

I love this business because it is much more than a business. They are caring and experienced…read moreprofessionals with a Cheers way of remembering me and my needs.

Friendly service with reasonable prices. I go in often to try on new frames and never feel any…read morepressure to buy. Kevork Tinkjian is lovely to deal with.

Kevork Tinkjian opened Custom Eyes in December of 2003. Kevork has been a licensed Optician since 1998.

Kevork Tinkjian

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SEE - Don't miss SEE's Spring Trunk Show - April 14-May 2!

SEE

4.2(166 reviews)

Like a dedicated employee, I went into the office where I inadvertently set a notebook on my…read moreglasses. Smush.... I brought my glasses into SEE where the arms on my glasses were realigned. They were straight and stayed on my face. I was ready to replace them but they were able to straighten them. :) If I need glasses, I am returning. They get my vote.

XLent, XLent, XLent Service, styles and Staff!…read moreNow, lets talk about their corporate design department... they are a little slow on creating new styles. For those of US who buy glasses for THAT reason it makes one want to stray but then there's Staff and Service at this location -Trang and Rob - the best. OH way, we'll just have to wait out the season and HOPE to be surprised by the mothership.

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Medford Eyeglass Shop

5.0(39 reviews)

2.7 mi

•$

I went in to have 2 designer sunglasses fixed. The man in the shop immediately fixed the in less…read morethan 10min and charged only $20. Professional, fast and friendly! Go here for your eyeglass/sunglasses needs. They are the best.

Rick is the best! Very customer service oriented and always willing to take the time to explain how…read moreto pick the best glasses for the customers needs. Highly recommend!

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Tuscany frameless eyeglass assortment and Leader sports and activity eyeglasses and sunglasses

All Eye Care Doctors

2.9(78 reviews)

0.3 mi•Porter Square

No other eye practioners ever told me i have dry eyes. It explains so much. They are helping me…read morewith this condition and stressing the importance of taking steps to combat it. I am truly thankful. Eyesight is so precious.

Bad staff, pushy sales people, they don't apply your insurance benefits and make up the prices on…read morethe spot. Total scam place, they don't even give you your prescription without having to ask for it as is REQUIRED to give you the choice of going elsewhere to buy glasses. Definitely avoid it and go elsewhere!

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Eye-Q Optical - Cambridge

4.1(154 reviews)

Certified professionals

Offers payment plans

I had a great experience here for a vision exam. The customer service was excellent and they even…read morehave a special machine that can detect changes to your eye health which my insurance covered with a small co-pay. Highly recommended!

Let's start by saying -- thank you, Lord, for always making room for a second opinion…read more I went to Eye Q Optical as a first-time customer, armed with good insurance and high hopes. But it quickly became clear that having great coverage doesn't mean much in a place that prefers to sell the Ferrari of eyewear. Now, to be fair -- the optometrist knows his craft. Truly professional, skilled, and thorough. But if you know the glasses game, you can spot a commission-based shop from a mile away. Here's where things went off track: a thousand dollars for a single pair of glasses after insurance. That's not just unreasonable -- it's why online retailers are thriving while brick-and-mortar shops are losing ground. Eye Q Optical, if you're wondering why people are turning to the internet for eyewear -- look no further than your own price tag.

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Warby Parker Cambridge

3.5(17 reviews)

The people at the store are great. But The company stinks…read more i called the store (617) number and got aomeone probably in southeast Asia to ask whether id lefty wallet at the store and they would not connect me. Not Possible. Rather I was asked, " Do you have an account with us? For your problem you should send an email to the store". I wil never do business with this company

A coworker recommended purchasing glasses at this location. In under an hour on my lunch break,…read moreJason helped me find my new pair, explain the coverage/lens/sizing options, and provided a quote with insurance. I went home to think on them overnight, and returned today to purchase. I walked back in knowing I'd be greeted by kind staff, and felt confident understanding my insurance coverage and expected payment.

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Harvard Square Eye Care

2.6(126 reviews)

I came here for an exam a couple weeks ago and was so happy with my experience that I was shocked…read moreto see the low overall rating on here. But it looks like the 1 star reviews are at least a year old. If you're in the Cambridge area and need an optometrist, go here! Truly. I stopped into and called several optometry offices around Harvard Square, and this was the only one where I immediately felt a genuinely welcoming, no-nonsense vibe. That was NOT my experience elsewhere. Harvard Square Eye Care is clearly not trying to scam you or push overpriced frames. I never felt pressured to buy anything, and I really appreciated having the option to do traditional dilation instead of being steered toward the more expensive imaging option that my insurance doesn't cover - something most other places didn't even offer. It's such a relief to find a practice that understands the simple need for an eye exam and prescription, especially for those of us who just want the most affordable pair of glasses possible. Honest, transparent, and refreshing. Ignore the negative reviews and go here!

Friendly, knowledgeable and quick. Not aggressive with their sales tactics, which is a huge turn…read moreon. Easy parking or a short jaunt from alewife station.

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8 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Jean J.

14 years ago

I love this store!!! I recently broke my glasses and needed a new pair fast. As a sales person people look at my face all day so I didn't want a junky pair of glasses. I went to General Optical and they have a great and large selection of frames. The sales women Dianne helped me pick out frames. She was really helpful and had me try on different types of frames (plastic, rimless, metal). Everyone in the store was really helpful and gave me their honest opinion. They wanted me to look my best not to just sell me the most expensive frames. I also needed to have an eye exam and they have a doctor right there. The exam was very detailed and Dr. Klaahsen is very knowledgeable. I'm so lucky I found this place! I was able to pick up my glasses the next day since mine were broken. The glasses look great and my vision is amazing. read more

Daniel S.

10 years ago

First off: I only bought lenses here... brought my own frame. Also only interacted with opticians not the optometrist This place is very pricey and very snobby! They were also unhelpful about answering my questions (though admittedly they are not eye doctors). Bottom line... the lenses are amazing. If you know what you need, they will make a great pair of lenses. I haven't been able to match elsewhere. read more

David P.

15 years ago

This is absolutely the best place in the Boston area to get your glasses. When you come in here you are immediately treated like you are family as Leslie and Ron cater to your exact optical needs. They won't push you to buy something you don't need, they'll work within your budget as well as within your needs to get the best pair of glasses for you. I wouldn't go anywhere else! read more

J S.

7 years ago

Referred by a close family friend who said the doctor is great. Unfortunately had a similar experience to others. A staff member was very unhelpful and a bully. I will not be coming to see this optometrist. Do not need to deal with this type of stress. read more

mike d.

14 years ago

Dr. Klaahsen did a great job fitting me for contacts. She was patient as I went through different contacts and responsive to my needs. Thanks. read more

Sam M.

12 years ago

Great service, everyone knows their stuff! You will walk out looking great and being able to see too! read more

Cris P.

11 years ago

if money is no object, great place.

Ivo A.

14 years ago

Great store, Leslie is the best...

General Optical - optometrists - Updated August 2026

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Overall great experience. Doctors were very attentive and…read moreaddressed all our questions and needs. I came here with my mother - who had an eye exam here. They treated my mother (who is older and does not speak English) with empathy, and understood what she articulated well. The staff was great helping my mother with testing and also helped her with glasses. When I checked in - they went through insurance coverage with us and everything was clearly explained.

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This is a review for Dr. White. I'm a former patient, and now that I've moved out of the area I…read morereally appreciate his competence. I have, I guess, a more complicated prescription: I have convergence insufficiency, and I like to wear contacts plus glasses with prism, but I also like to have the option to wear just glasses. Dr White made this so easy. He's the one who first suggested the prism, which is a huge help for me, and he wrote my several different prescriptions each year like it was no big deal. He made it so easy I thought this was pretty simple, standard stuff. Apparently not! My new optometrist, uh, to put it politely, does not seem to have Dr. White's skill or understanding of prism in glasses. I now realize Dr. White really knew his stuff, which made my optometrist visits a lot easier!

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Do not recommend - We were intending to be new patients, our appointment was rescheduled several…read moretimes due to staffing issues, the office was unreachable by phone, insurance coverages weren't verified till last minute, office staff very difficult to deal with. Most any other option would be better than this experience.

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the worst optometrist I ever dealt with! it's been 20 years I am wearing contacts and I went there…read morefor my routine eye exam to get my annual prescription. They told me my usual contacts were discontinued and found a new brand to try. The lenses they proposed were outdated and super uncomfortable but when I asked for other options they said there weren't. I know perfectly that there are other options so I requested my prescription and went to find other more competent doctors. But I needed to pay for a new eye exam fully out of pocket because my insurance already paid for their useless service. They just took my money and basically confirmed my old prescription and did absolutely nothing! They basically don't know what they arre doing! Plus the office is very old and the instruments they use very outdate! They keep the contacts in ziplock bags on a old wood bookshelf! Never again!

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•$

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I love this business because it is much more than a business. They are caring and experienced…read moreprofessionals with a Cheers way of remembering me and my needs.

Friendly service with reasonable prices. I go in often to try on new frames and never feel any…read morepressure to buy. Kevork Tinkjian is lovely to deal with.

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