Golden Optical

Great service! I came in to this shop hoping to get my sunglass lenses changed. The front desk ladies were so friendly and helpful and successfully changed my lenses when other places could not! Thank you so much!

I had a great experience here, and didn’t have to get my eyes dilated! The appointment was quick and easy, allowing me to get back to work in a timely manner. Everyone there is polite and professional. The doctor had me schedule a follow-​up appointment so that I get exactly the contact prescription that works for me. I highly recommend this office!

Five Stars Is Not Enough
If I could, I would give Golden Optical 10 stars. Here is why:
I originally went in looking for a pair of Oliver Peoples frames. I had some pretty good ideas of what I was looking for after spending a bunch of time on their website. Doing an online search for O.P. retailers led me to Golden Optical. Since I live an hour away, I was hoping that my search would be fruitful. As soon as I came in I was met by Jessica. I told her what I was looking for and would also like to take a look at some Barton Perreira frames as well. After trying on numerous frames from both companies, Jessica showed me a frame by Oliver Peoples that I had either overlooked or were hidden. As soon as I put them on it was an immediate sale. They were the perfect looking frame both in size and color. The next step was to have my prescription faxed over from my optometrist. I waited about a week for the lenses to be made and as soon as I came in I noticed that the prescription for top part of the progressive lenses was off just a bit. Jessica advised me to try the lenses for a few days just to see if my eyes adjusted to them. After a week my eyes hadn’t, so I called back and was advised to go to my optometrist and get my eyes rechecked. Low and behold, there was an error in the prescription. I spoke to Jessica again and she told me that they wouldn’t charge me for the new lenses. This was for an error that they hadn’t made and yet they would absorb the cost! At this point I was stunned. Not only had I been offered frames that have received a multitude of compliments, but now Golden Optical was going way out of their way on their customer service. They were two for two, but wait it gets better.
Business took me to Los Angeles and while in Malibu I strolled into an Oliver Peoples boutique. I liked my frames so much that I figured I would find something different for sunglasses. I was with a friend who has been collecting O.P. frames since the company first started up in 1985. In other words a big fan and she loved the O.P. frames I was wearing. We found a pair of frames that we both agreed looked good, but frankly I wasn’t quite ready to spend the money on them. I took a card with the info figuring that when I was ready I would ask Jessica to order them for me. I believe in loyalty and since I had such a flawless prior experience, I wanted to stay with Golden Optical. A short while after returning back from L.A. I found myself wandering into their store. This time I worked with Justin. He told me there would be no problem getting the frames I had liked and since they had the correct prescription now, it would be a normal process. I had to take a phone call and when I returned a few minutes later, Justin asked me to try on a different frame by Barton Perreira. It was déjà vu all over again. As soon as I saw them, I knew these would be perfect for me. They had all the qualities that I liked about the O.P. frames with details that put them over the top. It’s not everyday that I drop nearly $ 900.00 on prescription sunglasses, but I knew that I had to have them. Sold! They are great!!!
Bottom line: I have now had three perfect experiences at Golden Optical. Two where I was shown frames that I didn’t notice and in both cases, they were absolutely the best look for me. Jessica and Justin got my style, my face shape along with my coloring and then tailored the frames to be the perfect enhancement. Portland is lucky to have such a good optical resource and Jessica and Justin are the best.

I never thought I could like an optometrist office this much. But I really do. I was able to find a quick appointment within a week of calling. The shop isn’t huge, but it’s warm and inviting. The staff was all smiles and very positive when I went in. I haven’t had new glasses in YEARS and it was long over due. Dr. Lawson was awesome, he’s nice and funny and seemed interested in me, not just my eyes. When it came to picking out frames I had a lot of fun. These are going on my face, so I spent quite a bit of time and I never felt rushed or pressured. I have an amazing pair of glasses I actually wear more then my contacts now. the staff even cleaned and straitened out my old, crappy glasses while I was seeing the doctor.
Do yourself a favor and check them out. They are fantastic and I almost can’t wait to order more glasses from them

This place is freakin heaven sent! I lost a single contact on my trip here and they gave me a trial pair along with the most painless, hassle free experience. As in, I went shopping while they notified me when my information would be ready. Can you say spoiled?!
If I ever move to Portland, I already have an optometrist waiting for me! Thanks everyone! :)

My wife made me go to Golden Optical. She said the prescription and frames were the best she’d had in her life, so I went. It’s true. I love the state-​of-​the-​art technology for the exam, the excellent medical guidance, and the skills of the support staff ~ from selection and fitting of frames, to the cheerfulness of the front desk. Golden Optical is not a cut-​rate, one-​size-​fits-​all optometry place. But you get what you pay for, and when it comes to my eyes and appearance, Golden is sure worth the price!

Best service. Staff is always wicked efficient and very customer service oriented. Everything is what is most convenient and best for the customer. I always buy my year supply worth of contacts through them at very competitive pricing. Scheduling an appointment through their website is really easy and I can always get an appointment within a weeks time. Work downtown, just walk over on your break. Love these guys!

I’ve been going to Golden Optical for as long as I can remember, and I can’t imagine going anywhere else. They are fantastic. I have ordered many frames and lenses from them, and the few times I have had issues with my glasses they have been able to fix the problem for me quickly and at no cost.
I highly recommend speaking with Jessica. She has been taking awesome care of me for many years. When it comes to picking out frames or dealing with an order, I completely rely on her to get it right every time. And I especially love their line of prescription Maui Jims.

Customer service shout out to this business! I had an optical emergency while in town and the owner was super-​helpful and managed to supply me with hard-​to-​find contact lenses on short notice and on a holiday weekend yet. She knew I was a tourist, nothing in it for her; she just did it to be helpful and a real professional, understanding that for someone with severely impaired vision, having the right lenses is a big deal. I can only imagine that this attitude makes them even more awesome if you actually are a regular patient and customer! Thank you!

I had been going to Golden optical for over 3 years and up until the last 6 months I’ve had an awesome experience with them. Andrew and Hector are so helpful and everytime I needed something they totally went out of their way to provide what I needed or advice that I needed. But I have to say that as soon as I started having a more hectic schedule and for the third time in the total of three years had to change my appointment i recieved the rudest and snottiest response from Jessica that completely made me change my mind about going there. Not only am I a full time student and I work full time, but just like every other customer sometimes have life happen to me.
GO is honestly more costly than most other places. I order contacts every 3 months religiously and I also get my eyes examined which can be costly but I thought they were worth it until I was treated like trash. The interaction I had with Jessica was so astonishing to me that she could be so rude and careless about my situation and not even know her facts before she suggested I «start looking for other providers if my schedule is going to constantly change».
Best of luck to them and hopefully no one else has to feel this crappy from someone they pay for services.

So helpful and considerate. When they were running a little behind they gave me a Starbucks card to get coffee. The doctor was thorough and explained everything to me, and took his time. The staff helped me find a pair of glasses I love, and walked me through all the insurance information. They even gave me the info I needed in case I wanted to buy glasses somewhere else. Highly recommended.

Excellent experience. Great recommendations on my two different sets of glasses, one for work/​everyday and one for my sport. The doctor and optician really knew what my needs were and were really able to make me feel confident. The exam was very thorough and believe me you do not want to be cheap and thrifty with your eyes.

Golden Optical blew me away! Before my experience with them I hadn’t quite found an optometrist that I would have considered «mine». I have gone to various eye clinics over the years and never really was satisfied enough to return to any one in particular. Now that has completely changed. The front staff is AMAZING! You guys rock, and went above and beyond for me and I’ll never forget that! The optometrist I saw was intuitive, and ended up tweaking a previously poorly written prescription in such a way that I now see more clearly with my astigmatism. I would recommend them to anyone! AND their selection of frames is FANTASTIC!!! They carry the rare stuff. Designers you won’t find anywhere else in Portland. The ‘golden’ selection ;)

I have nothing but nice things to say about Golden Optical, which is why I felt compelled to write a stellar review. Although the entire team is excellent, Justin is exceptional, approachable and professional. This location is busy at lunchtimes, but Justin put me first by carving out times to ensure I was properly taken care of. He helped me find my perfect frames by showing me all the different shapes, styles, and colors. I would never have known what was out there had I not met Justin. He did a fantastic job showing me my options. Thank you for making me feel like your most important customer! Justin has just made a lifelong customer. I’ll be going back to see him for all of my future optical needs!

This place nickel and dime you for everything they do. Selection are limited, went in for a eye exam and came out with charges that i didn’t know it costs money. There are better glasses shops in Portland

Crusty sheesh 3.5 stars people?! You MUST be joking.
So here’s the dealio-​businesses change hands and it sounds like this was a happy change. I have nothing but love for this crew!
SOOOOOO my dog ate my glasses, yes I am serious, and its very possible I drug my feet for the last 7 errrrrr 8 months in getting new ones. Headaches, dry eyes and potential botox on the horizon from all the squinting induced wrinkles I decided it was time to put my big girl pants on and go and get checked out and get some new specs. After reviewing the options through my insurance I selected Golden Optical as they are local and walking distance to my office. Plus I’m not really the generic LenseCrafters kind of gal and truth be told that felt like my only other option.
I made my appointment online and can you say on top of it?! I had an email confirmation and follow up on my insurance information in literally a half an hour. I love it when people have it together and realize that the quicker you respond to your customer the more your customer will feel the love.
The inside of this spot is awesome. Granted I do love me some industrial chic spaces and Portland has them coming out their… anyway, the exposed brick and the interior design just makes it feel special in some way and very welcoming.
Dr. Chad is super nice. He apologized for running all of 10 minutes behind and explained he enjoys «getting to know his customers» and he had ran over in conversation with his patient prior to me. That instantly made me feel super comfortable. Plus we talked about football while he was checking my corneas-​welcome distraction. Football and beer are kind of my jam so it was nice to have that little side bar.
The buying part-​It was so guilt free and easy. I was being what I consider to be a slight pain in the A$$ customer and the gentlemen helping me was so gracious and sweet. Very accommodating. Did I spend some moola?! Well yes… duh…its a place you go to buy something you wear every day for the next however long. Worth it. Plus I got glasses I really really love.
So there you have it… no brainer if you are looking for a rad Doc in a cool Downtown Pdx space with some unique options for glasses, and they don’t even laugh at you when you tell them your dog ate your last pair…

Dr. Chad Lawson is a personable and highly-​qualified professional. I enjoy having him as my eye doctor. He really cared about getting my correction right and doing what’s best for my individual vision needs. He is very mindful of the cost of corrected vision for patients, and he will guide you to the best value possible. Some optical offices give you the feeling that you’re on your own with paying for your contacts or glasses — sink or swim– you figure it out. But at Golden Optical, I felt that the staff and the doctor didn’t want me to pay more than I needed to, and they were watching out for me. They gave me a detailed explanation of the numbers and rebates and it was clear that they did the legwork so I didn’t have to.
The bottom line: Dr. Lawson took his time with me, made my eye health and finances a priority, and I am very happy with my care.
Oh– and the staff are also very good, and appear to be carefully hand-​picked. Kudos to Hector, who is a 5-​star front-​desk professional.

I love this place! While visiting from California, I was lured in by the super fab frames visible from the street. I walked in and was greeted warmly by Hector, who made me feel he had all the time in the world, despite closing time in 10 minutes.
That night at the hotel, I couldn’t get those Dita frames out of my head; I poked around a bit online to peruse my possibilities for purchasing them. It turned out to be a snap to schedule an online appointment for the next day. Katie called me the next morning to confirm my appointment and get the ball rolling on my insurance.
Dr. Lawson was great — extremely knowledgable, friendly, and professional. But the fun part came when I was reunited with those sweet, geeky Dita frames. Ahhh! I freaking love them. Once I found out there’s no sales tax in Oregon (hell yeah!) I bought a pair of prescription Oliver Peoples sunglasses because they look just like the ones my Granny wore in the 60’s.
For sure, this is not the place for inexpensive eyeware. It’s a small, uncluttered boutique, with a top-​shelf inventory. Also, Dr. Lawson mentioned that he bought this business/​practice from a previous owner in early 2013, which may explain some of the negative reviews. I experienced only great service from a witty and fun staff. Professional, proficient, friendly, and modern — it doesn’t get better.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous about trying out Golden Optical, due to some of the negative reviews here on Unilocal.That is also why I am compelled to share my own experience, which in contrast, was awesome!
So why, with all of the negative reviews, did I still choose Golden Optical?
1.) Because they are a preferred VSP doctor.
2.) My allergies were killing me (super itchy, dry eyes that made wearing contacts feel like I was actually wearing sand paper in my eyes)… and my glasses were about two prescriptions out of date.
3.) Because I was really impressed with their frame selection; especially since I could view much of their inventory online.
My experience: Walking in I was impressed with the highly curated selection of frames. I was greeted right away by multiple staff members and felt comfortable walking around and trying on glasses while I waited for my appointment with the eye doctor. When I went in for the appointment itself, I was also impressed by the instruments/​technology used during the exam. At first I gave them a hard time about paying extra for the x-​ray of my eyeballs, but I’ll tell you what, it was worth every penny.* Besides being cool (um, I’m weird, I like seeing x-​rays of my eyeballs) it was WAY better than the more traditional exam which would have included getting my pupils dilated — yuck!
The doctor: The rest of the appointment went very well. I saw Dr. Schmitt, who was very friendly and thorough. He asked a lot of great questions and was clearly passionate about the work he does. He made it clear throughout that his priority was to make sure we got it right. And he did. I have had my new glasses for about two weeks now and haven’t had one headache. These glasses make my vision crystal clear and I haven’t missed my contacts at all (even despite the rainy mornings waiting for the bus).
As for picking out frames… I felt like I was able to peruse a bit on my own, but that help was there if I had any questions. After the appointment, I worked with Jessica who helped me find frames that perfectly suited me. She was super helpful and very knowledgeable about the frames (the products themselves and the brand). It was clear she too is very passionate about providing inventory that is distinct and not necessarily something you’d find just any old place. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new frames, btw! I still get a ton of compliments about them and I’ve had them for a couple weeks now.
As for feeling nickel and dimed, I never felt that way. When we were deciding exactly what types of lenses to proceed with I just pushed back on anything I was’t comfortable with. Remember, they are sales people too — that is part of their job and the buyer should always beware. If you aren’t comfortable buying something — don’t!
Would I recommend Golden Optical? Absolutely! And I already have. A bunch! Especially to my coworkers who have the same insurance as me. I do caveat my recommendation to friends who do not have vision insurance (and a limited budget) though, because they are a little pricey and it might be better in their case to consider a Binyons or Lens Crafters. Glasses (in general) are not cheap!
That said, when all was said and done, what I paid (for designer frames, lenses, exam, etc.) was not much more than what was quoted to me a few days earlier at Binyons (for what, IMHO, was an inferior product). I received my glasses within 3 business days, which I think surprised the staff as much as it did me. I was prepared to wait for at least 7 business days, which they were very up front about.
Last but not least, I got a real feeling that there has been a bit of a «change of the guard» over at Golden Optical. I felt that there was a sincere effort being made by the entire staff towards making me feel comfortable and well taken care of. I will most definitely be back and am thrilled to finally have a legit eye doctor.
*And the extra cost wasn’t terrible, it was only $ 30. And if you are more frugal than me, you can opt out and go the more traditional route.

A Haiku Review of Golden Optical:
Doc was super nice.
Took 10 days to get glasses.
I prefer Binyon’s.