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    Clear Optometry

    4.1 (385 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 6:00 pm

    By appointment only

    Services - Clear Optometry

    Retinal imaging

    Clear Optometry Photos

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    Love my new glasses by Dita. Thanks for suggesting  me to get these, Calvin.
    jenni k.

    This review is long overdue! I had such a great experience with Clear Optometry! I've purchased glasses here in the past and each time was very pleasant. I went for my annual check up last month, and was on the hunt for new frames. They had very safe measures for Covid, the optometrist was sooo nice, professional, informative, and thorough. And Calvin, the sales person who helped me find my glasses was also super nice, professional, and really good at finding the perfect glasses to fit my face! Most people have a hard time including myself but everything he chose looked great! He was so patient, honest, and attentive. Poor guy skipped his lunch break to help me and all the other customers! Talk about going above and beyond for customer service! He also replaced the padding of my my old glasses l that I purchased there a while back!! They have an amazing selection of glasses. I would have never thought of picking the frames he did but I love it and I've been getting so many compliments! So glad this store is still in the area! :)

    Chanel black titanium frames.
    Jeanette Jane G.

    I haven't had a pair of glasses that I've loved as much as the ones I picked out at Clear Optometry! In fact, I almost never wear glasses and go for contacts instead. After Calvin and his team helped me find the perfect frames to suit my face, I am hooked! I also want to mention that the eye exam was one of the most thorough I've had in a while and I appreciated the various tests and the time taken for each. And the cherry on top was the beautiful space and gorgeous decor, I felt like I was in a boutique in Paris or London!

    Today's special: 6/29/2014 - Lychee with one free toping @ $3.50 sampler size.
    Edwin R.

    Clear Optometry (Refresh Bar) is now serving Blue Bottle Coffee! With that alone, I'm all in! This shared biz FROYO/OPTOMETRY is ingenious. Reminds me of businesses in Asia where you can get married, get a divorce, and get a massage upstairs with a few frills (if you know what I mean). :p Froyo here was fantastic. I got the Sampler size with free toppings. My dog "Jackson Louie" and our resident foster dog "Nathan" join in the "lickin" too! I had been meaning to use their Optometry for my eyewear since with all my activity, I go through pairs like there's no tomorrow. This gives me more excuse to do so during our next visit! All the staff here are super nice including FROYO side, and DOC side too! Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

    mango froyo with rainbow mochi
    Cat C.

    Yummy froyo! They only have two flavors: original & the other one changes daily, but you won't be disappointed. I've been here twice this week! hehe I've had the mango froyo with rainbow mochi & the lycee froyo with strawberries. They give you a whole lot for three bucks (starter size). Don't let the name fool you, the starter size is huge, it's 8 oz and they give you so much froyo and a choice of one topping. The mango and lycee flavors pop out and the froyo is creamy & doesn't melt too quickly. The mochi is great too & the strawberries were sweet enough. Not in the mood for froyo? Get some organic ice cream or gelato. They also offer delicious looking Satura cakes (so close to buying one today) and cupcakes from That Takes The Cake in SF which make great cupcakes. The clean aesthetics of the store is really nice with its modern look. Besides the sweets, stopping by the store may make you tempted to spend more money then you intended because they carry some nice glasses and shades here (like Tiffanys). Clear Optometry, as funny as it may sound, based on the name, is my new favorite place for froyo in San Mateo!

    Lychee gelato and coconut Thai tea ice cream!
    Cecille W.

    I was craving some lychee gelato, so I searched it on Yelp and Clear Optometry came up. Must be some kind of mistake... I don't want to see an optometrist, I want lychee gelato! But I was curious, so I clicked in. I then saw the pictures and the reviews and not only was it a optometry place, but also a place for ice cream/froyo/gelato and drinks! From the moment I saw the pictures on Yelp with all the toppings and mochi flavors, I had to try it. The first two times I came here, the same lady was working. The first time I got lychee gelato with green tea mochi and mango agar, the second time I also got lychee gelato, but with rainbow mochi. They sometimes have a honey lavender flavor that I want to try, but somehow I always end up getting lychee. For $3.25 you get a single scoop of gelato and it costs extra for toppings but it's definitely worth it. The scoop the lady gave me was pretty big too. Hands down, the best mochi and gelato! I would give this place 5 stars, buuuut, the third time I came, the lady wasn't there, but a man came out from the back to take my order. I ordered my usual, single scoop gelato and instead of the usual cup the lady uses, the man scoops my gelato into a cup that is 2x smaller than the one they usually give me. (Mental picture: the cup the lady gave me, i hold it with the palm of my hand, but the cup the man gave me, i could hold it like an ice cream cone.) For $4, it was a super small scoop and I got about... 10 pieces of mochi on top that could barely fit. I was not very happy. I think I'll only come when the lady is working... Aside from that, the atmosphere is very nice and it's cool how one side is the refreshments while the other side is for optometry. There is also a lounge area where you can sit. I really like this place and would love to give it 5 stars, but because of that one incident, it gets 4 stars.

    refresh bar on one side...
    Shar M.

    So, I am hanging out in San Mateo for the day with my sister-in-law and family. We decided to drive down to have one of our usual "foodie days". She pitched that after lunch, we could either get gelato for dessert or maybe have some tea. She says there is a really good tea shop in the area. Tea, it is! After lunch, we look for parking and find a spot in the nearby garage. I ask her what the name of the tea shop is, and she goes, "Well... it's this optometrist... with a tea bar." Say what? We get there, and the place looks high class. Tiffany and Prada frames, shiny high white gloss, bright lights, orchids. It turns out that the owner was inspired by high end optometry shops in Los Angeles, where the stars could enjoy refreshments while having their eyes checked out. Sure, why not? I'm down. Actually, this reminded me a little bit of the kind of service I received while living in Japan -- where you step into a hair salon thinking you'll get a wash/cut/style, and end up leaving with that PLUS a massage and an iced tea. I was surprised by the menu. Local roasted coffee, frozen yogurt, Ici ice cream from Berkeley -- they even had the cones! They had a sign up that mentions they no longer serve Blue Bottle, due to they are cutting back on their wholesale business. I ended up going for Ici's Malted Vanilla Cherry in a cone. My family members ordered passion fruit/mango boba tea and mango frozen yogurt. Everything was delicious.

    New  by SALT
    Michelle W.

    Great service and selection of frames! They have everything from Prada to Paul Frank and Salt! The optometrist Ann was very friendly and thorough during my appointment and was very helpful with every question I had. The staff were very friendly and I usually go to Angela but the other associates were patient in helping me pass time picking out frames and also giving me price quotes. Outside of the array of spectacles they have here, their frozen yogurt bar also has HOMEMADE MOCHI! Yes! I'm not going to say that I didn't give this place an extra star because of the frozen yogurt bar inside because i probably did. This place is so hip and necessary in San Mateo! Next time you're in need of a new frame or prescription I suggest checking this place out :) Parking can be tough out here on the weekends but no other real complaints!

    Lychee froyo with homemade mochi!

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    Business owner information

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    Katherine C.

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    5 years ago

    Great personal service from Thai and a wonderful variety of designer glasses! Between myself and husband we've ordered 4 glasses.

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    16 years ago

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    17 years ago

    In some languages, "Clear Optometry" means "DELICIOUS YOGURT AND MOCHI OMG." True fact.

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    Page 5 of 10

    Ask the Community - Clear Optometry

    Are the hours of operation for the coffee/Ice cream stand the same as that of the optometry?

    Yup. Unfortunately this place closes at around 5pm so go early to get your gelato!

    View All 2 Questions

    Review Highlights - Clear Optometry

    Dr Chan shows great interest in her patients' health and eyesight, and gives thorough eye exams

    Mentioned in 22 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Borel Eye Doctors of Optometry - Meet our eye care professional in San Mateo

    Borel Eye Doctors of Optometry

    4.3(147 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    EDIT: update from 2 to 5 stars -- Alicia called me back and really helped me with my questions…read morestep-by-step. I was very impressed with the follow-up, patience, and helpfulness. Turns out they did have some samples in my prescription in stock! I'm glad they helped me out this time. S/o to the girls at the front desk! Generally I've had a solid experience when working with folks here (my file was transferred over from another office in the past) but just had an awkward phone call with one of the staff. I asked a few questions I was concerned about and got some answers, asked if they had my prescription in stock (which they didn't, which is fine), but after that it was followed up with awkward silences after asking if there are any options I could explore, to the point that I wasn't sure if they were still on the phone. I heard typing in the background so I wasn't sure if they were looking into it for me, but looking back I think he had mentally moved on from the conversation. I asked to see if someone else could help me -- but was met with "everyone else is busy". He asked for my info, and I asked "will I get a callback regardless or only if there's a solution", and the way he answered seemed like I probably wouldn't get a callback. Like some empathy or "we can't help you, but you can explore these options (samples, boxes or brands they do have in stock, etc)" to provide direction . Idk if Benjamin was just having a bad day, but I felt like a burden and an annoyance for asking questions and didn't really have the empathy nor the time to want to help me problem solve.

    Came over as new patients about few years ago. Recently, my kids/adult (being more hands off and…read morelet them conduct their own visits. I found in both (separate days) instances , they had done a optic scan vs a pupil dilation (covered by insurance). One signed a consent, one did not. Both were not aware there was an extra charge. The 2nd time around, I decided to point it out, and they had no problem with not charging, but it is the principle and I want to be able to trust my doctor best interest in me (financially as well) vs making a quick dime on these sneaky charges. With the first visit/kid, I let it go). 2nd visit, I had to speak up... probably going to be looking for a new optometry place...

    Photos
    Borel Eye Doctors of Optometry - Our office is bright and welcoming!

    Our office is bright and welcoming!

    Borel Eye Doctors of Optometry - Pre-test area including state-of-the-art Optomap retinal imager

    Pre-test area including state-of-the-art Optomap retinal imager

    Borel Eye Doctors of Optometry - One of our examination rooms

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    One of our examination rooms

    Just For Optical - Front door

    Just For Optical

    5.0(20 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Stopped in to find sunglasses that fit my face, I'd been having a heck of a time getting petite…read moreones given I usually had worn children's frames for eyeglasses. The inside is a compact store, housing many frames for rx lenses as well as ready to be worn sunglasses. I was lucky enough to have the owner/shopkeeper, Randa, help me. She pulled tons and tons of frames for me to try. Ultimately I did find one and she offered to hold them for me for up to a week with one courtesy call. They were fully rimmed and I elsewhere found a pair and brand that worked better. Randa was super kind and helpful, what I especially appreciated is her down to earth vibe and attitude. It's conveniently located in downtown SM and parking can be tough, especially during peak hours. They bill themselves as 'reasonably priced,' and though I'm not sure if that's the case, the customer service I got here was outstanding and the selection was vast. I guess they do offer more reasonably priced ones compared to super expensive designer frames. We did have a bit of confusion and misunderstanding about my wanting only polarized sunglasses, and her showing me three frames, which upon her checking more closely, finding that they were not polarized. But I did appreciate her honesty and checking for me.

    I highly recommend Just For Optical in downtown San Mateo. They carry a wide variety of styles and…read morebrands of glasses at reasonable prices. I have been a customer since 2019 and Randa, the owner, has helped me find glasses that I like and also fit me well. Randa is always patient while I make my selection and I never feel pressured into a purchase. She is also available on a drop-by basis for minor repairs (such as nose pads) or adjustments. Overall, great service!

    Photos
    Just For Optical - Front of the store

    Front of the store

    Just For Optical - Inside of the store

    Inside of the store

    Just For Optical

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    Ideal Eyes Optometry - Photo by: J. Chau

    Ideal Eyes Optometry

    4.6(98 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    I've been wearing glasses for nearly 8 years now and while I've always had frames that worked I had…read morenever truly loved the practice(s) I had tried out... until Ideal Eyes. This female-ran business really has it all--the staff is kind and knowledgeable, the place is clean and well decorated, and Dr. Surh is a master of her craft. Not only was she able to quickly get my prescription updated (and answer any and all questions about my eye health), she was equally great at helping me ease my way into contact lenses. Past optometrists have been reluctant to get me onto contacts because of my astigmatism, but Dr. Surh was flexible and gave me plenty of options (with follow-ups) until I found the perfect lenses. Overall, a great and painless place to keep your eye health in check. And while I haven't purchased frames from them directly I can attest to their wide and stylish selection. So happy to have found this gem!

    I've been going here for years, and I want to lead with this: the doctor herself knows her stuff…read more If eye exams were the only thing that mattered, this would be a five-star review and I'd be done typing. But apparently my appointment needed more than a confirmed booking to survive -- it needed backup documentation, a notarized affidavit, and possibly a blood oath. Here's what happened: I booked my annual checkup over a month in advance and got a written confirmation for the date and time. Fast forward to this week, and I get an automated reminder to book an appointment -- for the one I already had. I let them know, and was told, with confidence, that no such appointment existed. So I did what any reasonable person does when accused of hallucinating their own calendar: I forwarded the confirmation email. Turns out I hadn't imagined it. My slot had quietly been given to someone else, and the original booking had apparently never made it onto the calendar, even though they literally said it was confirmed. Rather than asking what would work for me, the doctor herself jumped into the conversation and unilaterally picked a new date and time on my behalf. I explained it might not fit my schedule and asked, reasonably I thought, why my confirmed spot wasn't honored in the first place. That question got a polite apology and a change of subject -- twice. I had seen this lack of explanation once before - a year or two ago, I had ordered a pair of glasses which took much longer to be delivered than promised, but they never provided updates or explained what the problem was. At the time, it was frustrating but I didn't think much of it -- now I am realizing there seems to be a larger problem. To be fair, the doctor did eventually admit that, in terms of the appointment, a quick email search by her staff would've settled the whole thing on day one. Progress, I guess. Bottom line: if you go here, save your confirmation email like it's a winning lottery ticket. The medical care itself is genuinely good -- the left hand just doesn't always know what the right hand booked. And be aware that, if there are any problems, they will just try to gloss it over, without providing transparency or trying to make things truly right.

    Photos
    Ideal Eyes Optometry - View from Burlingame Ave.

    View from Burlingame Ave.

    Ideal Eyes Optometry - Photo by: J. Chau

    Photo by: J. Chau

    Ideal Eyes Optometry - Photo by: J. Chau

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    Photo by: J. Chau

    Clear Optometry - optometrists - Updated July 2026

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