I just moved to the area and went to Vestavia Eye Care for the first time today. I was seen by…read moreTaylor and Dr. Essinger and they were both amazing! They were both warm and knowledgeable, making it a great experience. I highly recommend this office and will be back!

Let me start by saying I was prescribed glasses for the first time in fourth grade. Needless to…read moresay, for the past 19 years, I have been in optometrist's offices 1-4 times per year. Dr. Essinger is hands down the best optometrist I have ever seen. The staff at Vestavia Eye Care was friendly and helpful from the moment I reached the front counter. The initial tests and evaluations were thorough, especially when I told them some recurring issues I was having. (Note: make sure you have at least an hour for your exam if you have an issue.) When I told Dr. Essinger the issues I had been having for two years that were unsolved mysteries for every doctor I saw, he was the first to care. He ran texts on me I had never seen and he came up with two theories for me to test. In fact, he was so concerned that he told me to text him as soon as I had progress. His caring concern brought tears to my eyes! Birmingham- We are so fortunate to have this office here! If you need a reliable optometrist for your family, look no further! I was also told they have a pediatric optometrist on staff for those of you with little ones.

Great service! The Doctors are very attentive and ask a lot of questions to best support you eye…read morehealth.

Dr. Sanford has been my doctor for years. She cares about eye health deeply. She watches for…read morepotential tears and looks at your eye pressure consistently. They have a wonderful selection of frames and make excellent recommendations. I feel well taken of every time I visit!

Wonderful experience at Southlake Optometry. Dr. Natalie…read moreSimons was very approachable and pleasant. I would greatly recommend this practice.

I've been using Dr. Tracy Mercer for many yeary sister also has used her many years as well. she…read moresuffers with Macula degeneration in both eyes - my Dad, Mother and all three of us sisters. I have just been diagnosed with it. everyone in ther office is exremely courteous and friendly. they are the best...

I don't trust anyone else with my eyes. I have been coming to Eyecare Associates for a couple of…read moreyears now and they always make sure my eyes are in the best condition and have a great selection of eyewear. Dr. White is the best. She always makes sure I have healthy eyes and will run the proper tests to ensure that.

Called them at 12 pm asking to place an order for replacement glasses, receptionist said she would…read morehave the glasses department call me, no call until 4 pm, called again, she said the exact same thing and I still have received no call and they are now closed.

PSA WARNING: Do NOT go to Alabama Family Eye Care in Hoover (5356 Stadium Trace Pkwy #100) unless…read moreyou want to be taken advantage of. I've never had a worse medical/office situation in my life. In the state of the world right now, it would nice to be able to trust your local healthcare practitioner, but I guess that's gone out the window also. Just a warning to others so you don't have to experience what I went thru.

1) If you decide to pay for photos of your eyes, tell the doctor not to take extra pictures without…read morepermission or they'll bill you double the amount you agreed to. 2) Dr. Nguyen got distracted during my refraction test. When she said the appointment was over, I reminded her we hadn't finished determining my prescription. She insisted she had, so I took her at her word. Ordered glasses based on her Rx and everything was totally out of focus. After confirming the glasses did match her Rx, I returned them, went to another practice, and got a drastically different Rx (1.25 versus -0.25). Ordered new glasses, and I can see perfectly with them.

Friendly helpful staff. Kind and patient doc! The care was exceptional. Found an issue and…read moreimmediately referred to specialist.

Dr Cook has been my doctor for years, and i love him. I couldn't recommend him enough. All of my…read morefamily and friends have switched to see him as well. He and his staff are incredibly friendly. Even though i only see him once a year, he manages to remember our conversations from the last visit. My vision insurance at work changed and he is no longer covered. The insurance rep told me it was easy to change eye doctors, i explained that would be out of the question. I canceled my insurance and pay out of pocket for his services. I trust him completely, you will not be disappointed.

I haven't submitted a review in a while, but Red Mountain Eye Care deserves some love!…read more I've had an ongoing stye for the last few months that turned into a full blown infections a few weeks back. I couldn't get it to see my regular optimist so I called them for a last minute appointment. Not only did the receptionist put me at ease, but the doctor provided tons of feedback, solutions, and prescribed a regime that cleared it right up. A few weeks later my boyfriend and I returned for an eye exam. My boyfriend is legally blind and has trouble with optometrists in the past, but he loved Red Mountain Eye Care. They were friendly, easy-going, and really listened to the problems he was having with his vision. I would highly recommend this great practice!

I cannot recommend Dr. Gagnon and his staff enough! Not only did they explain the ranges of why my…read moreinsurance would cover and what I would be responsible for, they also never tried to talk me into the "high-end" of anything from the lenses to the frames. There was no pressure to buy anything from them at all. The prices of their frames are a fraction of what I was used to at my former eye care facility and I was truly impressed by everyone I worked with. Dr. Gagnon performed a thorough exam and helped me to understand the changes my eyes have gone through and helped determine the perfect prescription for me. I will definitely be going back and recommending Red Mountain Eye Care to everyone I know!

Just went in for the first time on Thursday afternoon, so I have yet to receive my glasses. That…read morecan be covered in a separate review. The staff were polite and courteous at check in, and during the pre-test where my base vision was assessed sans glasses. Dr. Silliman was thorough and explained the issues he discovered with my eyes. Unexpected issues are scary, but he was very matter-of-fact and honest, which I appreciated. He made sure to schedule an appointment for me with a specialist for further evaluation before I left. I appreciated the extra time he took to do that. I saw online when I scheduled my appointment that the store was having a mix and match designer sale with 2 pairs of glasses + eye exam for $69.95. I had already read on their website that they DO charge extra for an anti scratch lens coating, so I wasn't surprised by the up-charge for that. I didn't expect it to be $69- that's basically what everything else combined already cost. But, I went with it since $150 grand total w tax and all was way less than I've ever paid for everything I got. The fee also included a 1 yr warranty for one time breakage replacement. I appreciated the attention from everyone in making sure I found what I needed, and explaining everything since I was a newcomer. Their glasses take about 10 days to arrive from their lab, but sometimes sooner, as I hope will be the case with mine.

Terrible people to work with. They also lie. They never get my prescription correct. What else can…read moreI say. This pretty well sums it up.

I have been a patient here for several years and have always received great care, they seem to…read morecover everything. The staff are friendly and the doctors are very attentive and help you address my needs. If there are any negatives the doctors seem to switch every few years but that aside the new doctor is as good or better than their predecessor (that means the one before them)

All of the doctors are so sweet! very quick and efficient everytime time I go! Dr. Bearman…read moreespecially is very knowledgeabl!

My daughter, aged 23 and college educated, needed to renew her contact lens prescription. I told…read moreher to just call around and find out a place that has a good price on a contact lens exam and go see them. I knew that a contact lens exam costs more than just an eyeglass exam so I told her to make sure she was specific. She called me back surprised and said "Schaeffer Eye center has the best rate --it starts at $75. And I'll automatically have an eyeglass prescription, too." I was surprised because my sister has used them for years and spends a fortune there, but, hey, they have a stellar reputation, why would they lie?? I told her to be careful about ordering any additional procedures and sent her off. So my daughter goes in, asks specifically for a contact lens exam and when she goes to pay it is (wait for it....) $220. The optometrist and assistant (Christine Hodge) both said they were real sorry since they had BOTH told her it was only going to be $75, but she had to have toric lenses and an eye health exam so they did her a favor and marked off a mandatory followup appointment charge of $49 --so I guess I'm lucky she didn't walk out of there paying $269.' That evening I called and spoke to employee Christine Hodge, who had apologetically checked her out. Christine told me that Schaeffer eye center will not give a contacts exam unless you've already had a $90+ "eye health exam." And then, there was $60 upcharge for toric lenses. And then a mandatory appointment $49 follow-up fee for I don't even know what. My husband and I have been glasses wearers for over 30 years and this kind of price gouging is NOT standard practice--not at LensCrafters, Pearle, Eye Care Associates of Cahaba Heights, Sears, Sam's, Costco or Walmart, where all optometrists are fully trained and licensed and where we have always received excellent vision care. If anything, other eye care offices err on the side of caution ("okay, we recommend that you have this test done and it's going to cost an extra $25--please sign here if you want us to do it..") Any follow up appointments are included in the exam cost--they make sure that by the time you are through, you've got the exactly perfect prescription for your needs. Incidentally, I've had torics for almost 8 years with no up charges whatsoever. I know there are plenty of folks out there who don't mind paying Schaeffer a king's ransom for their eye care. But heads up, folks: If someone calls in to check on the price, guess what they're interested in? THE PRICE! Incidentally,during her visit, my daughter gave at least three indications of her concern for the cost of the exam. First, she said "I want a contact lens exam. It's $75, right?" When they asked her to sign a form, she pointed out a $25 dilation fee, which they crossed out and told her "that doesn't apply any more." Finally, when the technician, David King, asked her if she wanted an "Optimat" (sp??) test and she said "no" because it sounded like it might cost more money. Oh, and did I mention she still doesn't have her prescription?? After all that, they were trying to get her to make a fitting appointment. By that time, my daughter said "they had taken all my money and I just wanted to get out of there." She's scared to go back and I don't blame her. If someone had told me that for thorough, honorable, professional, eye care, your best bet is WalMart??? I would have thought they were a little bit nuts. But I know better now. Forget boiling crawfish, Dr.Schaeffer, it's your pricing practices that need sterilizing.

I will never wear glasses again, and the amazing thing is that I don't need them, thanks to…read moreSchaeffer Eye Center (I just have to write this note of appreciation). I'm taking mine today to Dr. Williams at Schaeffer Eye Center, because each year he goes on a mission to Peru -- both at a clinic they set up, and to homes -- to help people with their sight, and soon these will be doing wonderful things. For me, I never thought I would be able to live without glasses or contacts. My acuity was something like 20/1000-1200 before, plus I had astigmatism. I could not get out of bed without glasses. I even swam with glasses on. In November, I went to Schaeffer Eye Center at the Colonnade and Dr. Woolfson (he is *the* go-to Lasik doctor in Atlanta) was there to perform my LASIK. It took maybe...not sure...ten minutes tops? Very little discomfort -- and I'm very sensitive about pain, it really didn't hurt -- and only a couple or three days later I was able to drive without any aid for the first time, ever. Every single person at Schaeffer that has helped me has been amazing: incredibly professional, super-friendly, very attuned to anything I wanted to talk about or ask. Last week, I had my latest post-op visit and I have 20/20 and 20/15(!!!) vision. It's wonderful to sleep, swim, exercise, and not worry about broken glasses, fogged-up glasses, lost glasses, torn contacts, dry eyes, foggy contacts, do-I-have-plenty-of-contacts-and-solution, and all the money spent on those things. I just need a regular appointment to check the health of my eyes from now on, just as people who have great vision all their lives. I really appreciate when I see others post about the experiences they have had with local doctors, businesses, etc so here's mine. And I love that my doctor at Schaeffer does wonderful things for people in other parts of the world, and I love supporting Dr. Schaeffer and everyone at SEC because of what they do for our community (like CityFest and the money that's been raised for Camp Smile-A-Mile and many other charities). I'm so glad I did it, and am appreciative for everyone at Schaeffer for helping me achieve something I never thought I would have.