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.

Easy to find location, easy parking and a very nice, attractive office (that looks brand new, but…read morehas been there for several years). Everyone there as pleasant and professional. The optometrist was very knowledgeable about contact lenses and was very familiar the ones I've been using for years. I would recommend Gaze to anyone who was quick, responsive and professional eye care.

did very little research on Gaze before my first appointment with them today, so I was absolutely…read morebowled over by how incredibly welcoming Dr. Ah-Kiné's practice is from the moment I stepped inside to the moment I left. The interior of the practice itself is decorated with obvious delight and joy, with a clear emphasis on being a safe space for clients. Dr. Ah-Kiné fosters a sense of relaxed competence and straightforward communication that is all too often a rare thing in medical professionals. They explained the procedures as they performed them, gave no judgements or lectures for any information I offered (I'm getting better about sleeping in contacts, I promise), and overall gave me their full attention for the length of my appointment. Mac was similarly a warm and welcoming help in discussing options for contact pricing and glasses, and the front desk staffperson was prompt, friendly, and had truly fantastic eyeliner wings. :) Overall: Gaze is 100% my new go-to eye doctor, no question about it. Thank you, everyone at Gaze Optical, for such a positive experience.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Zheng and had an excellent consult and eye exam with him…read more I was very impressed with how thorough and efficient he was and how kind he is to his patients. Dr. puts his patients first and goes out of his way to help them and answer their questions. No question is ever too stupid for him to answer- and he respects the inquiries of all of his patients. I always feel that I have received the right answer when I go to him. He also has a wonderful assistant called Angel - who is appropriately named as she is such a sweet woman! I do hope Dr. Zheng continues to be in practice as long as I am in the Boston area as I will not go to any other eye doctor! Thank you Dr. Zheng

I was warmly greeted by Angel when I walked in to purchase frames & lenses. They answered all my…read morequestions with thorough knowledge of their nice selection of frames & lens features. They got my insurance coverage set, quickly & efficiently. I walked out in a half hour or so with my order on the books, with a copay of $20. Couldn't ask for more.

A first visit charges $120 extra for a contact lens evaluation, no matter how long you have been…read morewearing them. Each additional year has an $80 charge for contacts. This is a total ripoff. Unless there is a very great need, measuring for contact lenses is very little extra labor. Training for first timers could take a little time. But there's no need to charge again.

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.

A co-worker recommended this place to me, and it is almost across the street from where I live, so…read morea bit biased? Maybe. I became a patient about six months ago to get contacts for the first time. This morning I dropped in unannounced to see if they could tell me if I needed a stronger prescription before I ordered my next set of contacts. Without batting an eyelash, they checked my eyes right then and there, wrote a new prescription for no charge, and thanked me for thinking to come in. Does it get any better than that?! Made my morning.

All the men who work in this office are overbearing and kind of creepy. I felt very uncomfortable,…read moreand I normally blow that kind of thing off. All I can say is, I will not be returning to this business when it is time to renew my prescription. No way. Also, the prices of their glasses are truly outrageous. WITH my insurance their prices came out comparable to other places WITHOUT my insurance. Now, my insurance kind of sucks, but their prices are jacked sky high!

High tech tools and expertise. We love visiting Dr. Barr specifically. The Office staff is…read morewonderful and helpful. Thank you!

Quickly examined, tested and treatment applied. Very professional and office well equipped and…read moreorganized. They take Medicare and private insurance. Been going there for year when it was Dr Bennett's practice.

This office recorded pupillary distance measurements of 34.5 mm, 32 mm, and 31.5 mm. While small…read morevariations can be normal, a 3 mm difference felt significant to me and was never clearly explained. Instead, I was told my brain needed time to adjust, despite ongoing discomfort and blurry vision that made computer work difficult. When concerns arose and a conflict of interest existed, this doctor did not demonstrate genuine empathy or respect toward me as her patient. Overall, it was a very bad experience with this office.

Sloppy dentist. I relocated here recently and went in for a cleaning. Never in my entire life have…read moreI had such a painful cleaning. this one was followed by pain along my bridge that I have never experienced in teh past 25 years since the bridge was placed. He does the cleaning by ultrasound equipment and is just uncareful when he does it.

I am a very satisfied new patient of Dr Melanie Macbeth's. Had an early appointment on Saturday…read moremorning. The office is very large and nice with a fireplace in the waiting room and plenty of exam rooms. Dr Macbeth's assistant did all the pre-testing with me. I opted for the Optomap even though it's not covered by my insurance. I'm definitely not cheap when it comes to the health of my eyes. I forgot the assistant's name, but she was very nice, knowledgeable and professional. Dr Macbeth continued with the rest of my exam. She is very nice, knowledgeable and pleasant. What I loved about this office was how hi-tech all the "machines" are. After being a patient at Lenscrafters, Pearl Vision and a low-tech family-run eye doctor in Watertown (for the past 5 years) I was very impressed with Dr Bennett's office. I wear contacts mostly, but I wanted to get a cool new pair of glasses and Dr Macbeth had some good tips for me. After my exam I was led to the frame specialist, April, who was great, very helpful in helping me choose my new frames. I tried on so many of them, I was very picky and it took me a very long time to finally choose the right frames. Can't wait to pick them up next week.

I'm a new patient of Dr. Maida's and was really impressed! She & her staff were very friendly,…read moreknowledgeable, & efficient. I'll agree that they seem a bit expensive - I haven't had to pay just for contact consultation before, and they took some images which was an additional cost (they let me know about that ahead of time, at least). But the quality of their exam & the rareness with which I visit justifies the cost.

do not trust that they take your insurance even though they say they take masshealth. They do not…read moreaccept all insurances and will waste your time. Dr. Edward no longer works there

highly recommended. Very patient and friendly guidance provided here. Clean and hygienic…read moreenvironment.

Unethical and unprofessional experience at Harvard Square Eye Care…read more On July 28, 2025, my daughter went in for a routine eye exam. The appointment lasted about 25 minutes, including dilation. At the end, the office charged her for a contact lens exam, even though she was never told it was being done -- and no contact lens prescription was provided. When I questioned the charge, I explained I wanted to speak with the doctor before paying. The office manager (Kathy A.) told me I could not leave without paying. When I refused, she became visibly upset and told a staff member to cancel my daughter's prescription on the spot. This felt like a threat and retaliation. The next day, the staff member (Kyle) admitted that they often withhold prescriptions if patients don't pay upfront, and that the cancellation was ordered because they assumed I wouldn't pay. I emailed the doctor, Dr. Shah, for clarification on whether a contact lens exam had even been performed -- but never received a reply. Ultimately, they sent only a glasses prescription, not a contact lens one. This kind of behavior -- surprise billing, withholding prescriptions, and refusing to clarify services -- is deeply unprofessional and possibly unethical. I've filed a formal complaint with the Massachusetts Board of Optometry. Patients deserve transparency and respect -- not billing pressure and threats.

From the moment I arrived, I was gaslighted and emotionally abused by the manager, made to feel…read morelike my concerns were invalid. The optometrist then yelled and screamed at me--verbal assault that left me feeling humiliated--and the first eye exam was completely mishandled, resulting in the wrong prescription that wasted both my time and money. I am filing complaints with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Optometry and the Attorney General's Office - Consumer Protection Division. Anyone considering this business should proceed with extreme caution.