I had a good experience here. It was easy to get through on the phone to schedule an appointment and the doctor was very friendly during the exam. Loses one star because it's very expensive (I have no vision insurance) and they don't have any budget-friendly frames that I saw (everything was $300 or more). Instead they push a warranty to get them fixed or replaced for cheap. However, I will never again go back to big corporate chains like Lenscrafters or Warby Parker, so I understand the price difference to some extent. I might return here for my next pair of glasses, but there are other local options I might pursue. read more

I based my expectations of Big City/ North Andersonville on 30 years' experience with other optical shops. Silly me. Here's an accurate look at what NOT to expect: 1) Your prescription to be filled accurately 2) The online appointment site to function 3) A return call or text within 3 business days 4) Accurate information on your insurance coverage 5) Your preferred frames to be held until your appointment 6) The frames you choose to be adjustable to your face 7) Any response other than "We're so busy" (even tho' I've only once seen a customer in the shop) 8) Any option to return frames that literally fall off your face, even tho' the company advertises "worry-free" & "complementary one-year warranty". The option I was given? Buy another pair. read more

Unfortunately I reviewed Big City Optical far too soon. It's a real hassle trying to get my prescription information from them. When I originally visited and had completed my trial contacts, I called to confirm the prescription and order contacts. Lee said he would send the forms I needed for the rebate along with the prescription in the mail. I waited a week or two and it never showed up, so I called to request my specs prescription and everything I need to submit the rebate request. The email I received has my CL prescription only, and it says "rebate I will scan and forward to you in a bit". So that sounds like I need something more to begin the rebate process, right? So tomorrow I have to contact them a THIRD time to request the prescription for glasses, so I can buy a new pair, and ensure that I get everything I need to get the contact lens rebate. I am regretting purchasing my contacts through them instead of an online place because I'd already have everything and be done, and it would have cost less. Unfortunately it looks like I may be looking for a new place for my next eye exam; at least I have a year. read more

See all

Two or three years ago I went to Big City Optical on Southport and got some new bifocal/progressive glasses. They screwed up the measurements and put the transition line in the wrong place on the lens, giving me pounding headaches. I finally connected the headaches to the new glasses and went back a few weeks later, and they found the problem and fixed it. OK, no problem, people do make mistakes and at least they fixed theirs. Admittedly the new lenses were the kind that turn into sunglasses in sunlight, which I hadn't asked for and didn't want or like, but at least I could see. At the end of 2023 I went to Big City Optical on Clark for new glasses and had another bad experience. My exam was done by telemedicine, with a non-optometrist assistant running the equipment while messaging a remote doctor for instructions. They did NOT tell me ahead of time that I wouldn't be seeing a real doctor. Then the glasses they made for me literally didn't fit on my head. They assured me the glasses would adjust to my head, but after another round of pounding headaches, I went back and they did, eventually, agree to remake the glasses with different frames. By that point I was sure I wanted a new eye doctor in 2024. Well, Friday I went to that new eye doctor. I was a little concerned going in because I've been having problems with slightly blurry vision for months, and my night vision felt like it was getting worse. Come to find out I've been walking around with the wrong prescription in my right eye. Not only is the prescription off, It's also correcting an astigmatism that doesn't exist. It was just wrong enough that I thought I was developing vision problems, but not so wrong that I realized it was my glasses causing those problems. Sure enough, when I switched back to an older pair of glasses, the problems with blurring and bad night vision stopped immediately. I have no idea if the bad prescription was an error on the part of the telemedicine exam, an error in transcribing the prescription when ordering my glasses, or an error that got introduced when they were remaking my glasses. I don't really care, honestly. I go to the eye doctor for ONE THING, and Big City Optical has had multiple chances and have never once gotten it right. read more

I will NEVER USE MY INSURANCE EVER AGAIN WITH THIS COMPANY! They had the nerve to tell me I can't have my PD# because Im not buying glasses from them..BS! My coworker got all of her PD#s and she had her exam after I did and DIDN'T buy glasses from them. I have never experienced this in my life, won't happen again! Frames all start at 400.00 and theyre not all that cute! I hate I wasted my eye exam here! This place is FOS! read more

I am very disappointed in the whole experience. I am disappointed that my insurance company suggested this place. I would like to start with the luke warm customer service when I walked in. I didn't feel a warm welcoming invite, but the Optometrist made up for that. He was excellent, knowledgeable, and helped me to understand why my I required a different type of glasses. Then I had to go back into the luke warm room to select a pair of glasses. I assumed the salesperson would have shown me a selection of lens that were on discount since that was advertised by my insurance company, but he didn't. He showed me a number of very expensive lens that made me question my insurance company. My appointment was 2/22/24 and I paid $495 for everything so I am not very happy at all. I feel scammed and not very positive about this place. It is now 3/16/24 and I still have no glasses. I reached out to ask about my glasses and was told they had to be inspected and if something is wrong it will push the delievery date back. For the amount I paid I shouldn't have this problem. I wish I could take back everything and go to another company. I will always tell everyone about my experience there to spare them. I would have given them a 1 star but the Optometrist was great. read more

I stopped by Big City Optical tonight because my glasses had recently become very loose and I couldn't figure out how to fix them. I figured it was a longshot: I hadn't bought my glasses from BCO, so assumed they wouldn't be willing to help me fix them. Imagine my surprise when three different BCO folks converged on my glasses, and, went to work on them while I waited in an impressively comfortable chair. Within three minutes I was presented with my glasses: good as new, and a heck of a lot cleaner than they were when I'd entered the store. When I offered to provide some form of payment, they kindly refused. I will definitely be back to this store the next time I need a pair of specs - fantastic and friendly service. read more

Great location and selection of glasses to shop from - stopped by today and ordered a pair

My doctor was kind and understand so this review doesn't reflect anything on him. Additional charges like that of exams for contacts were an extra 60 dollar copay that was not disclosed before hand. I was asked "do I wear contacts" and basically guided through this exam with no explanation of extra costs. I came in for my annual exam covered by my insurance and left with a 100 dollar copay. If you have money to spend and do not care about additional charges this is a fine establishment, but I left frustrated and no eagerness to ever return. read more

Big city optical has a wide variety of frames that work in today's fashion and AWSOME retro frames. The staff was also friendly, especially "Paula"... read more

See all

This place has beautiful glasses and beautiful people. Teto C. fixed my glasses for the price of a smile -- just totally the kind of "shop local" experience we're all craving in our disposable Amazon world. Totally coming back when I need my next pair. A+. read more

The eye exam here is really good. I thought my doctor was really knowledgable and relaxed. I thought generally everyone was nice while I was there, but I will probably never go back here again. The issue I had here is that they are generally kind of shady. They include extra charges that are not disclosed at the time of your appointment or purchase. The doctor I saw for my exam is not the same doctor whose name is on my script. They wouldn't give me an itemized receipt. They only mentioned a wellness exam at an extra rate of $69, which I declined. But they did two other tests that insurance doesn't cover in an annual exam without telling me and then it was too late to do anything about it because the exam was over. They told me the contacts exam was an extra $65 but it was actually an extra $100. They didn't disclose that they were ordering high-index lenses or that they were adding on coatings to the lenses (No matter how standard of a practice this is for your business, you should disclose what the additional charges are). They don't give you an itemized receipt and all sales are final - which is another thing they do not disclose to you at the time of purchase. (A manager mentioned days later that I could see this policy on my receipt, however there was nothing on my receipt about cancellation or refund policies- my receipt is cut off at the bottom though so I assume, should I have gotten a full receipt this policy might've been printed there.) I would make sure you inquire about any policies prior to purchase for your own well-being (I recommend a place that has a minimum of a 30-day return policy/ 24-hour cancellation policy). I had a nice experience with one of the managers when I called in to get clarity on the situation, but the first manager I spoke with talked me in circles about legalities and was just generally manipulative - just a very glasses salesperson who wants you to spend the money and doesn't care about what you actually need or are inquiring about Overall if you have money to spend and don't care about specific charges, I think this a decent place to go. If you are new to buying glasses, been awhile, or you need more guidance in your purchases and exams, I would go somewhere else. They will tell you absolutely need certain things that you don't actually need (they are just nice to have if you can afford it). I've picked them up and I don't like them because one of the coatings they put on the glasses was blue light (again i did not ask for this or want this) and they have a really extreme blue tint that bothers me when they catch the light or in photos. I'm going to go somewhere else for new frames and lenses. Hope that helps. read more

I bought a terrific pair of glasses there a couple of years ago. I brought in another pair from another shop this past Saturday that needed a repair. They were kind enough to make the repair and did a great job. They were very helpful throughout the process. I'd highly recommend them. read more

I'm new to Chicago and relied on Yelp to find a good optometrist. So glad I found this gem, the staff were so nice and super helpful. Lee picked out some frames and we ended up choosing one of his selections! They were also very sweet to my dog Lilah and I'm really looking forward to getting my new glasses in a week or so! Thanks for the excellent service and hospitality! read more

Great experience here! Friendly employees, top notch service and technology. I was impressed with all aspects of my appointment. I spent a few extra $$ to get a retina scan and it was worth it- I got to see the inside of my eye ball (scans) and the Dr explained my eye health what we were looking at. Dr.Tran was friendly, down to earth, efficient and knowledgeable. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for new glasses, prescription changes, or annual exam. I was told their other location a few blocks south on Clark has a bigger selection of frames in case you can't find what you're looking for. Highly recommend read more

Outstanding experience - beginning to end. The team of folks here from the doctors to the retail team were amazing and helped my husband find the perfect set of frames. We went to three other stores in the neighborhood, but were totally wowed and dazzled by how warm and friendly this group was. I wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

Absolutely the nicest people. Lost a screw on my Ray-Bans. Brought them in and they fixed them on the spot, free of charge. I didn't even buy the glasses from them. Absolutely recommend Big City Optical! read more

I was visiting Chicago last weekend and forgot my contact lenses.....I called Andersonville Big City Optical and River was the best! I emailed my prescription and River had a week of trial lenses ready for me in an hour. They were a life saver!! Thank you to River and all of the staff at ABCO. Lisa M. read more

I am visiting out of town, and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with this place. I lost one of my contacts and they were quick to help me out and get a replacement on my trip before flying home. Seriously can't thank them enough for helping an out of town person. Chicago you are lucky to have a good eye place as this. read more

I strongly recommend looking elsewhere for the lack of a return policy at Big City. If you are dissatisfied with the fit, prescription or lens, you are out of luck. I have very expensive progressive lenses and the work done on the lenses left a tiny lower lens window for reading that leaves my eyes crossed and there were no options to correct this and no return policy. The $500 glasses are unusable and there are no options but to go to another place (Warby Parker, which has a return policy) and start over. Proceed at your own risk. read more

Just wanted to give Big City a big shoutout for their recent generosity. I scratched one of my glasses lenses months and months ago, and in December I finally got around to calling BCO to get a replacement - a replacement which I fully expected to pay for. BCO let me know that the lenses' warranty had lapsed just ten days prior, so they would be happy to honor it and replace the lens free of charge. I didn't even know the lenses had a warranty! I appreciate that they shared this info with me and fulfilled the replacement at no cost. Sadly I'll no longer be a customer as I'm moving out of state, but everyone else should definitely give Big City Optical a try! read more

Let me start off by saying, Michael was amazing! As soon as I walked in I was greeted by name. He was very welcoming and really sincere.My frame had broke so I needed to leave them to be fixed. I definitely felt like I was leaving them in great hands, he was very knowledgeable. Within the week I get a call from Michael to update me about my glasses. Both my lenses and frame had to be replaced he said. He kept me in the loop from start to finish. I picked up my glasses and they are even better than before. I'll be back to purchase more! Thanks again Michael.. read more

I barrelled in last week, on the hunt for a place that takes my insurance and has frames that I love, and trust me its been a long jouney! April and Marguerite are AWESOME. They helped me sort through all their comparable options to what I had in mind and suggested some things I hadn't even considered. The customer service here is amazing. I found my dream frames elsewhere, but BCO Andersonville deserves a shout out for their helpfulness and kindness. -P read more

I have dealt with many opticians and I can say that Lee and Ryan are the best. They helped me on the phone and in person with much needed information about bifocals and contacts. I was able to receive my contact order in 2 days when the online companies were quoting 6 weeks. I highly recommend Big City Optical in Andersonville. Carol read more

DISCLAIMER: I did not make a purchase from this store. Street parking only, so drivers keep this in mind. It's a beautiful, clean boutique. Very pleasant with welcoming staff. However, it's paramount to understand that this is a luxury eye-ware boutique, and the prices reflect that. So if you have the financial wherewithal to explore this establishment, they appear to be worthy of your time. read more

I was in disbelief that an optician's office was not able to correctly fit the glasses I purchased from them. I was told by one employee that I needed to pick out a new pair of frames to get them to fit properly. ??? I was pleased with the examination. I was also pleased with the frames I picked out. But when I went back to pick up my glasses, they did not fit right and no one in the store knew how to fit them. Even worse, my main reason for changing glasses was to get the proper alignment of a bifocal which the doctor and I talked about in length. read more

My wife and I had been customers with Pearle Vision for quite a few years, but we were looking for something different/more local this year, especially since we now have VSP for our vision insurance. When our usual eye doctor did not take VSP, we looked at VSP's website, found Big City Optical, and gave them a try. Let me start by thanking Pearle Vision for NOT taking our insurance because we had no idea what we were missing! The office is crisp, clean, and modern. The entire staff was extremely nice, professional, and knowledgeable. Monica, Emily, and Megan helped us pick out our new glasses and their suggestions were awesome! The actual eye exam with Dr. Abigail Richie was fantastic. I've had a range of stern, weird, and confusing eye doctors throughout the years and Dr. Richie offered a refreshingly eye-opening (pun intended) experience that we both loved. The equipment used for the eye exam is very clean and state-of-the-art. We will absolutely be returning here and we cannot wait until our glasses come in! read more

This is an update to a previous 1 star review. We had a very bad experience with a store manager in north Andersonville. Glasses for my father were very expensive (on medicare with no vision plan) and took much longer than promised. He needs them to drive. We posted a bad review and within 15 minutes the store owner called both him and me to make it right. He made him a pair of distance glasses for driving the same day. We got to keep those and the bifocals for the same price as the single pair. The owner Mike really went out of his way to make us happy. I leave this at 4 instead of 5 stars only because of our original experience with the store manager. We will go to a different Big City location in the future, but stay with the company. Mike the owner really won us over. read more

amazing service and wonderful sun glasses!!!! The service is great and make customers feel amazingggg

Great service and great people. I was visiting Chicago and stopped in to have my glasses--purchased elsewhere--adjusted because they were digging into the bridge of my nose. They took the glasses, swapped out the nosepads for softer ones, altered the angle of the pads, and made sure they were comfortable. No charge. Then they told me to put a little ice on my nose and a dab of neosporin to help with the irritation. Loved this place. Highly recommend. read more

I have been going to the eye doctor for over 25 yrs. I have never felt loyalty to any specific place or doctor, eye care has been a completely impersonal experience for me. Until now. From the second I walked into the door of Big City Optical I felt comfortable. Abisi is amazing! He made trying on glasses fun, and found a pair that were perfect for me, a pair that I never would've even considered trying on if not for him He made the whole process fun and entertaining! Dr Rasa was very nice and thorough in the examination. She took the time to explain the wellness results and answered all of my relevant (and irrelevant) questions. I cannot recommend the N Andersonville location enough! If you're in the area and need a new eye doctor don't look anywhere else. You'll never find any place as welcoming, entertaining & amazing as the team at Big City Optical!!! read more

My wife and I live nearby and went here largely due the favorable Yelp reviews. The personnel were uniformly welcoming and knowledgeable. Chuck, in particular, went out of his way to understand my wife's complex situation as a result of multiple eye surgeries this year. The frame selection is fairly large, primarily upscale contemporary styles. It was hard to find a nondescript style to replace my glasses from Costco with $10 frames. Most frames listed for more than I paid for complete eyeglasses in the past. When my wife's 3 pair of glasses came in, she hated them. Not really the fault of Big City: her damaged eye couldn't cope with progressive bifocals. Without batting an eye, Chuck figured out the problem, marked a non-standard location for the lined bifocal to start, and the BC optometrist did a new refraction and updated the prescription. Within a few weeks, without any new charges, my wife had new glasses that worked perfectly. We've since brought in two more pairs of glasses to have new lenses. BC didn't try to up-sell us to new frames; they were quite willing to just replace the lenses. So, Big City is a premium quality optical center with premium quality frames, lenses, optometrists and personnel, who provide premium customer service. We're well satisfied with our care from BC and are glad we chose this office. read more

I saw doctor sunshine and she was great so this review does not reflect her. I went for my annual service and was going to order contacts and was priced extremely high. I therefore ordered theough contacts direct for $200 cheaper. I called the next day asking if I could get 1 week of temporary contacts (something that is normally provided) and the woman on the phone told me yes. I then showed up in person and was told no I could not get this even though I spend $180 on an annual review. the guy is extremely rude and I would not go back. read more

Chuck helped me out so fast and worked his magic well. Thanks Big City Optical! read more

Such a nice, clean, friendly place! It was easy to make an appointment, and they called to verify my insurance plan. When I got there for my appointment, they had all of my info ready to go, including how much insurance covers, what it would cost me, and any promotions that might apply (i.e. rebate for contacts). Everyone I've encountered there is extremely friendly and helpful. I highly recommend Big City Optical! read more

Super friendly and thorough eye exams -- I arrived late to my appointment after work, but Chuck was incredibly nice and welcoming to me still. Dr. Mark was also very friendly and thorough, not only testing my vision but also evaluating my eye health. Highly recommend as they have multiple locations and a good selection of frames if you need them. read more

It is definitely not another store around the corner... clean, friendly Boutique with an amazing doctor, wide selection of unique designer frames at reasonable prices. Experienced staff listening to customers needs , selects the frames and optics that fit your personality, lifestyle and needs. Inviting atmosphere, perfect lighting. After one visit looking for another reason to come back... read more

Unexpected service. Emily and Dr. Richard went out of their way to help me when I came in for a broken arm on my glasses. I was leaving for vacation, and I needed these glasses with my new prescription; they were not only helpful but pleasant and welcoming. This is the kind of place where we all want to do business. I manage an Ace Hardware store downtown, and I appreciate finding another business with the same dedication to service and helpfulness. Thank you Megan for having such a great team, and thank you Emily for your great attitude, and thank you Dr. Richard for rescuing me out of a jam. read more

It was almost time for a new prescription and I was searching for someplace where I didn't just feel like another number. Too many discount shops have popped up in the eye care market that I often feel left out when I'm searching for that personalized experience. Not so with Big City Optical. Walking in to the bright, beautiful new space in North Andersonville, I was pleasantly surprised to see the office manager. I had worked with Chuck at a different eye care office previously, and he really took the time to listen to my needs and wishes. Seeing him here meant the world to me and showed me the level of attention and care Dr. Rasa would give my eyes. The selection and quality are beyond compare, the service outstanding, and the atmosphere caring and comfortable. What a great addition to the neighborhood and a gem of a find. I can't recommend this business more highly. read more

Great customer service and super friendly. I brought in a pair of glasses that needed repair and they fixed them for me. I will definitely be returning when I need a new pair of sunglasses. read more