So I have these crappy Dollar Store readers that I've started to depend on to get me through the work day. You get what you pay for, ya know? These stupid glasses didn't fit well and I spent my whole day pushing them back up on top of my nose. I finally reached my breaking point and thought that I should just get them adjusted. I went to Sunglass Hut first and they happily tried but they didn't have the technology to do the job and suggested Golden Optical across the street so off I went with many thanks. Golden Optical was also very gracious about adjusting my low brow readers. A very nice and very helpful gentleman by the name of Marcus assisted me. He made sure my readers fit me just right before I left the store. Now I can perform my job with ease thanks to Marcus. I am very grateful for his assistance. 2019 - Review # 1 read more

There is a reason why some places are better than others, and the location can be an indication. I walked into Golden Optical because I needed to replace my lenses and/or order new glasses; it has been 3 or 4 years ago. From their kickass display window, I figured I was going to like their selection of rims. I made an appointment to see Dr. Lawson the following week. He was patient, kind, and took the time to get to know my issues. He explained new and ongoing technological updates, actually also recommending alternative methods to help my eyes. I am still waiting for my sunglasses so I will update this review as necessary. So far I am really happy with the new foureyes! read more

Bethany Optical - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Portland, Oregon

These guys are lifesavers! Same day eye glasses! I was just passing through on vacation down the coast and needed glasses ASAP. I lost my last pair and almost out of contacts. Lense Crafters failed me. I called to make sure they did same day glasses and told me the system was down so they would not be able to take insurance. I informed them I would be paying cash and they told me to come on down. After taking and Uber across town I was told that the system was down and orders were not able to be put in until days later. By sheer luck or fate I found Golden Optical. They were able to accommodate me immediately! The staff is stellar! They were so helpful and friendly. Just awesome! Amazing! Just above and beyond. The vibe and selection is great. I am so grateful for these guys. Since I need glasses to drive for my road trip very well saved my life! Not only were they competent, great at their job, but also hooked me up with some temporary contact lenses until my next fill. These guys rock. read more

I want to thank Marcus and his team for taking care of me and my glasses purchase. I purchased a regular glasses and a dark glasses. The regular ones did not fit properly and after two months of fussing with them Golden Optical suggested we replace them for no charge. Awesome friendly service. Thank you all. read more

I would like to start by saying I LOVE high-end eyewear. I don't really splurge on many things, but I wear my glasses almost all of my waking hours, so I want them to be perfect. That said, when I pay that much money for glasses, I want customer service with it. I went to Golden Optical and I got high-end eyewear, excellent (and personal) customer service, and to add a cherry on top, a GREAT doctor experience. I'm a critical care nurse, and I'm super particular about doctors and care providers. The doctor was personable, he listened to me, and went some extra steps to ensure that my glasses were going to be a great fit. Not my flavor, but he's also very handsome. My current prescription was almost three years old and I was having headaches from them. They were even nice enough to change my current lenses out in an hour so that I don't have to wait for the new frames before seeing a difference. This gives me a back up pair I didn't plan on having. I will be using Golden Optical from now on, and I'm going to refer people. read more

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... read more

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. read more

Perfect service, from eye exam to selecting frames and lenses. Worked well with my vsp membership, and the advice on my spectacle purchase was excellent. read more

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! :) read more

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. read more

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 read more

I searched online for the glasses I wanted. Golden Optical is 1 1/2hrs away from where I live (each way) and the only place that had the glasses I wanted. I am very happy I made the drive to meet Dr. Lawson and everyone who works here. I will be making this my new place. Everyone in the front has willingness to help out. Everyone was in a good mood and really passionate about their job. Which makes sense because Dr. Lawson is the same. I was amazed at how great he was. And, how caring he was for my situation. Thank you Dr. Lawson! And, everyone who works at Golden Optical. I am now excited about my glasses and will absolutely recommend Golden Optical to anyone I can! read more

Admittedly, I was a little nervous about trying out Golden Optical, due to some of the negative reviews here on Yelp. 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. read more

Best selection of frames in Portland. Mostly independent designers but still more reasonably priced then a lot of the other frame shops I visited around town before finding this place. Bonus points for their "Walkens Welcome" sign! read more

It must be bad service Monday? Oh no--- it's Tuesday. We can still talk about it and work through our emotions together. Golden Optical = good selection of high priced frames, if you want to look good in glasses this place can do it for you. For a few hundered. I spent about $450 the last time I purchased glasses there. But hey, the look cool and they were even in that movie Speed Racer. I also have contacts. Golden Optical = A feeling like you're being nickeled and dimed, also being looked down upon and badgered. The problem rests with the sales staff, because Dr. Nelson is one of the most professional I've met. I understand that he wants to sit back and distance himself from the sales part of his clinic, it's not his forte. Too bad that it's not the forte of the people he hired either. They're all kind of bitchy, and some of them even pop up on web reviews for the way they champion negativity. You almost feel belittled walking out of Golden Optical spending more than you should, and although several of the staff wear glasses they manage to make you feel like you've got a severe disability. I've been a few years in a row, but I don't think I'm going back now. I tried to laugh off the front desk and know what to expect but I can get a rough attitude in Portland by just ordering coffee. It's a lot cheaper than spending so much on hipster frames. read more

I was recently on vacation and experienced a problem with my vision. Of course I placed a call to Dr. Lawson. He spent quite a while reassuring me that my condition was not serious and I had nothing to worry about. At a follow up soon after vacation, Dr. Lawson confirmed his diagnosis. I value Dr. Lawson's expertise and have trusted him with my eyes for over ten years. Can't say enough about his practice, his staff and the professionalism of all in this office and his northwest office. read more

Golden optical is the best place to get your eyes examined or checked out or get new glasses. They are the nicest people and they get what you need done, my family has been going for many years and everything we go there we have such a good time and we get what we need done. I definitely recommend it to you, it's amazing. I recommend getting helped by Jessica, I have known her forever and she helps me every time. She's the nicest person ever and will help you with anything and find you really nice frames, she's amazing and u love her. read more

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

I had lasik done about 10 years ago, but thought my eyes may no longer be the 20/20 they were so i scheduled an appointment. The optometrist was very helpful and let me know that while my eye sight may not be as crisp they were still 20/20. All the staff i worked with was helpful and friendly. read more

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. read more

I had a fantastic experience at Golden Optical. I felt that Dr. Lawson really went out of his way to provide personalized care. He was thorough and made me feel comfortable. He was honest and did not seem to push for unnecessary services. Office staff was friendly and helpful as well. Overall, a very pleasant experience and I would highly recommend Golden Optical. read more

In my 2015 Yelp review of Golden Optical, I gave it five stars. Everything I said back then is still true: the state-of-the-art technology makes the exam a relative breeze, the staff is skillful and friendly, the frame selection is broad yet stylish. Etcetera, etcetera. Now I can add one more thing ... we had a minor clerical slip-up, so I got to see how the Golden Optical staff operates to resolve a problem. The verdict? Outstanding! The correction was made quickly, effectively and with full explanation ~ not an excuse, just understandable detail on how the slip-up occurred. This event further deepened my appreciation of the staff. I can now add "superb customer support" to my list of reasons why I'll gladly go back to Golden Optical when I'm next due to have my eyes checked. read more

Dr. Lawson is possibly the most conscientious eye doctor I have every experienced. He is more than professional, he is caring about your eye health. Jessica takes the prescription and helps you get the frames and style right. This is a pair a full house could not beat. Golden Optical lives up to their name. read more

I went to Golden Optical on Saturday, March 24 at the recommendation of a friend who is also an Optometrist. I was looking for a semi rimless frame and upon arriving was informed that there were 2 trunk showsgoing on that day. I looked at the various collections and did not find anything to my taste and then asked the Salesperson if they had any frames in their store selection. Repeatedly, I was told that "we have 2 trunk shows going on" and I got the very distinct feeling that that this person was quite uninterested in helping me. All he had to offer was just one frame!! read more

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! read more

Excellent service. I highly recommend and I especially like the ability to schedule appointments online with ease.

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! read more

I've been checking out their frames everytime I'd walk by and went in one day to try a few on and received such great service, that I scheduled an appointment. They have an amazing selection of frames- the best I've seen around town. My Husband and I went in last weekend to get our eyes checked and 4 days later I already have my glasses! Their staff is very friendly and so is the Doctor. I love the old school feel and service. Highly recommended! read more

Super nice guys who do a great job of frame adjustments and it's free! :)

I'm not especially vain, but I know the importance of first impressions. I've worn glasses since I was a child and know how they can contribute or detract from my appearance. I'm totally loyal to Golden Optical because their selection of frames is exceptional and they've given me consistently good guidance on frame styles and color. I know the advice is good because people frequently compliment me on my glasses and, if they wear glasses too, they want to know where I got them. That says it all. Plus, the eye doctors and support staff are super friendly and accommodating, which is another reason I recommend Golden Optical! read more

Dr. is professional and corteous. But I cannot tell the same about front desk staff. One of them is asking strange unappropriate questions, like how long I work at my job. Does it matter how long I work there? Her manner of speaking is not sincere and sometimes almost rude. And I am also wondering why to ask patients if they are married or not? read more

My company changed insurance carriers, which forced me to leave the best eye doctor in town (Blink). I read the reviews for Golden Optical, and even though most weren't good, I figured I'd still give them a shot since they were a few blocks from my office. What a horrible mistake that was! The staff is arrogant, pretentious and deceitful. I assume I wasn't formally greeted when I arrived because the two girls behind the front desk were having a very unprofessional conversation that took precedence. I got a surprise bill in the mail stating I owed them for a retinal wellness screening, that apparently was optional, but was never told, and contact lens fitting, which I never had. Very dishonest, poor way to conduct business. read more

I wish I had read the reviews before choosing to get glasses here. Terrible service. Overpriced lenses. Rude employees (except for one, maybe two). Overall horrible (never-ending) experience. Service/Attitude These people obviously do not like their jobs or perhaps their employer, and this comes through in the service and attitude. They didn't even make sure the glasses fit my face when I picked them up. Lens Crafters does that. And they gave me some old case out of the back instead of the case that was supposed to come with the glasses. Seems trivial, but you pay a ton of cash out of pocket and you want the right case. (First-world problems ... I know.) Bad, Overpriced Lenses They charge $75 more for lenses than anywhere in the area, but claim they're the best. They did a crappy job (as affirmed by other lens folks in town), making the glasses look like goggles, claiming my heavy prescription was the problem. In fact, i have a very light prescription. Do Not Exchange Policy After ten days, I decided to exchange the glasses (they looked bad and weren't comfortable), which they assured me was perfectly OK under their 30-day return policy. That's when it really went downhill. They make you feel like an a#@hole for exchanging your glasses. So much that I almost just sold them on ebay instead. Fitting? The new pair didn't fit right and I had to return 5 times to have them fumble around with my glasses. They seemed to have no idea what they were doing. The 4th time, they actually bent the shape of the frames, making one side oblong. After they made them look normal again, I gave up and decided to just get used to the way they fit. In fairness, one employee, David I think, was helpful in the end and seemed to give a damn about customer service. Oh, and they said the exchanged pair would cost the same, but in the end they billed me. Instead of arguing, I paid. I just wanted to get out of there. read more

Great service and a great doctor. The staff was fun, attentive, and even helped me find my insurance information for me. Dr Nelson is incredibly nice and attentive, and gave me lots of nice tips for a newly christened Portlander. The glasses selection is really good. Not quite as fashion forward for a lot of my taste, but they had great quality brands and a number of choices that would fit all style aesthetics. The prices were also very reasonable. Highly recommend! read more

Absolutely the worst experience I've ever had with any business in my 35 years of life on this planet. 1) Got my prescription wrong which gave me massive headaches for weeks. 2) After 'fixing' my prescription I had to wait 2 weeks to get 'replacement' lenses, which didn't get in when they said they would. 3) Talked me into buying 'custom' frames and lied about when they would be done- which took at least 2 months to finish from order until NOW- I STILL don't have them. 4) Completely full of shit. 5) Fantastically overpriced, arrogant and unwilling to help and/make things right. 6) Calling this place a business is like calling a piece of shit a golden hamburger. 7) Not only am I taking my business elswhere I'm filling a complaint with the better business bureau- companies like this need to be shut down permanently and its 'employees' sent to the unemployment line. read more

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. read more

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! Not even trying to exaggerate! The best optical place I've ever been to. From Vancouver, BC and visited this establishment not too long ago for a pair of glasses and WOW! Justin Palomo is THE BEST employee in the world! GLOWING customer service and just overall performance. I can't even begin to explain how or why.. You just have to go and find out for yourself!! THANK YOU JUSTIN & GOLDEN OPTICAL!! read more

Beware, employees may close early w/o notice. I'm sure this isn't a problem for most pdx-r's, but we made a special trip to 'town' to visit. Paid for parking, walked a couple blocks--and found the doors locked tight. This was 90 minutes before their posted closing time?!? So we paid the $6 for parking and went somewhere else. 'Nuff said. To be fair, I called them the next day.....is this normal operating procedure for GO? Receptionist was rather rude, tells me I'm free to call ahead next time to see if they're open. But I think not. read more

The customer service is the best around. I worked with the optician who was very helpful in finding me a new style. He really knew what he was doing and took the time to work with me on what would look the best on me. Both the optician and doctor took the time to take care of my eyes. read more

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 ;) read more