Had an excellent experience working with Dr. Albin. I have been using multifocal contact lenses for years, and continually told that I would need to forego distance in favor of my near-sight as I have a job sitting at a computer all day. Dr. Albin put a lot of time into working on a better option for my distance. Unfortunately, I could not get used to this new prescription as I felt disoriented the entire time. I asked if I could pick up a second sample a week later ... a sample of the original script he started with ... and they are perfect! When I went to pick up the second sample I didn't expect to meet with Dr. Albin again, but he met with me and once again spent a great deal of time testing them ... I am so happy - distance is much better than what I've dealt with for several years prior. The office staff is efficient, friendly ... and most importantly - on time. My only comment is that I don't remember contact appointments being so expensive - remember when it was one appointment for both glasses and contact lenses? I am probably dating myself! My insurance has good coverage for the eyeglass portion, but apparently not for the contact lens portion. read more

Generally good experience with polite employees and doctor. However, the lady involved in the pre-check (just before the doctor's check-up) up was extremely rude to me for no reason. Barking out commands like I was there to listen to her whims and fancies, and she was doing me a favor by even caring to examine me. I was willing to excuse it as it just being her general demeanor, but I did easily notice the difference between how she interacted with me and how she was with the follow on patient after me. Not sure if it was because of the color of my skin or my gender, but that's what it looked like. Extremely disappointing in that respect, I was hoping to make this my go-to eye place because of its proximity to work. read more

I used Dean for my eye needs for over a decade, I believe, through the retirement of several specific doctors. Was always happy with the flow of my appointments and my outcomes there. I've moved out of the area now and will miss my appointments at Dean (in that beautiful building). read more

After so much disappointment w 2 optical places here in Chicago, (rx lenses not right) hallelujah I found this place here at Dean Optical and they got it!!! Nice place in the Rookery Bldg (Adams. & La Salle), good service, very friendly, & good selection. This will be my place read more

They are all amazing at Dean Optical, from the moment your walk in, to the services provided and professional recommendations, and most importantly they genuinely care and it shows! Thank you Dr. DeeLee + Sean and the entire team! * Plus I love going into the historical Rookery bldg. where their office is located!! read more

The clerk waiting on me when I was frame shopping and deciding whether or not it to get my eye exam here was condescending and rude. He informed me that frame measurements mean nothing to the shopper, they are just there for the lab. First of all, what happened to serving the customer not correcting the customer? Second, I used to sell eyeglasses buddy, you don't know your stuff, get him some training. In the service industry, you never know who you are waiting on and oh, you just lost a potential customer. read more

Couldn't Have Been Better For about 11 years I've been a customer of Dean Optical but this time I went as a patient. I needed to talk with an eye doctor, get answers to questions about current diagnoses and prognoses for the near term. And I had an outdated order for new glasses. When I called for an appointment I was pleasantly surprised to book time with an optometrist in less than 2 weeks. Amazing! Long story short - After Sean ran tests on various instruments Dr Meifert was genuinely concerned about some early warning signs in the test results as well as changes in just the 6 months since my outdated prescription was written. It was such a relief to finally know and discuss these findings. Last time I saw my regular ophthalmologist there was no discussion as he hurried in and out. Dr Meifert took time to educate me about test results, what to expect and how to change my ways for the best possible outcome in the next year or two. Sean labored over my insurance and discount cards until he overcame a glitch with an AARP card. The final bill was very reasonable for all the tests, a long office visit with Dr Meifert, new lenses for my old eyeglasses. And the relief from anxiety was tremendous. read more

I headed over to Dean Optical after I found out my current eye doctor closes early on Fridays (previously unbeknownst to me). I'd ordered some glasses online and the prescription was super wonky, so I needed an optician to look into the issue. Fortunately for me, I was greeted by Thomas ("Tom") Green, who was incredibly helpful and friendly and identified the issue immediately. In addition, he saved me time and effort by pointing me to a storefront location of the online glasses vendor for my exchange. Tom had no earthly reason to assist me on a Friday afternoon (especially since I'm not a patient and I didn't purchase my glasses from Dean Optical), but he did. All this to say - Tom's act of kindness has renewed my faith in humanity, and next time I'm in the market for glasses, I'll be going to Dean Optical. Thank you, Tom! read more

Horrible experience here, and I would not suggest this office. I saw Dr. Olson, who is wonderful, but my complaints are due to the rest of the staff and the front desk. Before now, my main issue was that whenever I called into the office the front desk staff is SO incredibly rude - once I called in and was hung up on. This was extremely disappointing, but continued to see Dr. Olson because I was happy with the care I received... Most recently, I purchased 1 years worth of contact lenses through the front desk who told me that if I purchased the 1 year supply I would be eligible for a $50 rebate - so obviously that is the best deal after doing the math. I submitted my claim information through Alcon, and was told that my claim was denied because this brand of wasn't covered. I called Dean Optical to explain the situation, and was told that there's nothing they can do (even though they were the ones who assured me the rebate was applicable to my purchase). read more

I have been wearing glasses for ~25 years, with a high prescription (-13D), and I have no nose bridge to speak of (Asian). I think that the doctors and *especially the opticians* (Tom/Kashana/Sean) at Dean are amazing. It is very hard to find a place where everybody understands how hard it is to fit glasses properly for high scripts. Here are some of the problems I didn't even know I had before I came to Dean Optical, and how they helped me find superbly comfortable glasses: 1. Glasses too heavy - learned about width x bridge x height measurements, I now look for the smallest frames that still fit my face, with rounded corners to minimize the weight of the resulting lenses. 2. Vision blurry unless I push glasses way up - learned about proper placement of optical center on both x axis and y axis of lens. 3. Glasses slip down - the opticians are experts at adjustments so that the glasses come to rest, with the optical center exactly where it should be in front of your pupils. 4. Even after the above problems are fixed, still have headaches - new lenses had a different base curve parameter than what I was used to, had them remade (for free), no more headaches. I have been to so many different optometry practices over the years where the people responsible for fitting glasses were not really trained opticians, and never knew what I was missing out on. They will also give you an honest opinion on how frames look on you ("Yep those are too narrow for your face, no good"), which is amazing as well. I have also seen all three of the optometrists at Dean over the years (Meifert/Olsen/DeLee) and have had good experiences with all of them, they are very open to questions and also have excellent deduction skills. For instance I think it was Dr. Meifert who figured out that the optical center of my old glasses was off, which caused blurry vision. read more

I always have a great experience at Dean's optical. They are quick, friendly, and very thorough. I would recommend this place to others.

I have been going to Dr. DeLee for 10 years and still travel downtown for his precision and care. I truly appreciate this office.

Have been going here for years but cannot recommend to others given how they have handled a billing dispute. I've requested my records and will be going elsewhere. read more

I have needed vision correction since I was a child. I have lived in many places and have therefore been to many optometrists. I am beyond thankful that Dr. DeLee was recommended to me. Although my needed corrections aren't strong my vision is difficult to correct. Dr. DeLee is very patient and I am always very comfortable with him. He has state of the art equipment and he is a fantastic diagnostician. Everyone who works in the office is very personable and welcoming. I cannot even begin to imagine going to a chain eyeglass store. read more

Been going to see Dr. DeLee for over 10 years! Love the practice and recommended a few people here. We commute from the suburbs just to come here. Last time I was here, my contact prescription was not correct so Dr. DeLee was patient and made sure I had the right prescription. He also cares about your overall eye health. Staff is great too especially long time optician Shawn. Would recommend to anyone! read more

Was surprised to have to pay for a "contact fitting." This was not mentioned at the beginning or during the appointment. I was merely asked "contacts or glasses". I checked with my insurance provider and found that you charged the MAXIMUM possible for the contact fitting ($120) where I had no need to try new contact lenses, or needed any explanation of how to put in contacts. I also walked away with a sub-par brand of contacts that, as we speak, are hurting my eyes. If you really are going to charge for a "contact fitting" you should do the following things: 1. explain at the beginning that there is a charge for contact fittings and what that charge is. 2. give quality contacts for the fitting. These are the worst I have ever used. As an addition, please do not try and up-sell me on reviewing and storing photos of the interior of my eye. Once again, if you are going to pull that tactic, at least be honest up front. Don't waste my time taking photos if you are not going to look at them! You are bordering unethical behavior for taking these photos, having them immediately available to the doctor and him not reviewing them. read more

I've been to Dean Optical 4 times in the past 6 weeks. My eyes are so needy lately. I made an appointment with Dr. Meifert because my vision was blurry in my right eye. He was running late and I couldn't wait that day so I saw Dr. Olson instead. Turns out my contacts were irritating my eyes and a little eyeball tlc was in order. So, a couple weeks later and I think my eyes are back to their healthy selves. Dr. Olson has been very professional and helpful. I think I've now seen all the doctors are Dean Optical and they are all great. One of the best parts about these frequent follow ups...they didn't charge me for them! So, now I have my vision back and no ridiculous bill to pay for it. The only downside...spending so much time at the eye doctor means more time for me to look at new frames. I really don't need that kind of temptation, before I know it I'll have 5 pairs of glasses. read more

My husband goes here so I figured I might as well give it a shot. I made an appointment for 1:15 on a Friday. First of all, the buildling this office is in is beatiful! Everyone at this office is so friendly and welcoming. They had a nice selection of magazines to peruse while you wait for the doctor. Dr. Meifert was awesome! We chit chatted and had such fun! He is very professional but also very friendly. I was just happy to be out of the office for a bit on a Friday. The other person there (can't remember his name) helped me find the best tortoise shell frames! I can't wait to wear them and feel super smart. Thank you Dean Optical! read more

Because I'm diabetic, my GP has been nagging me about an annual eye exam -- rightly so, eye health is not something you want to be cavalier about. So because I was less than satisfied with my last few experiences at my old place, I asked the housemate where she went and she said Dean Optical because it was near her office, and she'd always been really happy with them. After my first visit there I can see why. When I arrived I was almost immediately taken in the back for various tests and measurements. My questions, such as they were, were answered comprehensibly, and what could be explained to me was. After a few minutes more I was shown into an examination room and I met Dr. Meifert who proved to be just as nice as everyone is saying in the other reviews. He put me at my ease almost immediately when I told him that I liked my drugstore glasses, and he said that if they were working for me that was great. Frankly I was stunned by the lack of concern with selling me on a pair of expensive prescription glasses. Stunned and pleased. We discussed my concerns, he checked my vision, assured me that there was no sign of problems, which made me quite happy. I brought up the subject of prescription lenses, and while he said I didn't actually need them, he thought I might find my work more comfortable with them because the drugstore lenses could not do an overall correction and using them would still put all the burden on my dominant eye. I decided to check to see what was covered by my insurance and I found that I could afford a pair as long as I didn't go nuts with the frames and the add-ons like scratch coating and so forth. At that point, Shawn took over and found me the sort of frames I wanted at the price point I was looking for. We went over the extras and I opted to go with the basics. Again, there was no attempt at upsell during the process. I asked to have them sent to me because getting downtown wasn't always easy, and there was no problem at all with that. With the exam, which included the tests for diabetic retinopathy, the glasses and the shipping, I was only about $100 out of pocket even with my not-so-terrific insurance, a far cry from the last pair of glasses I got which cost me close to $500 and broke within two years. The glasses arrived in a timely manner and I was kept apprised of the progress with emails. I love these glasses. They're the first ones I've ever gotten which allow me to work comfortably at the computer and read without any strain. Usually it's either or with glasses. They're comfortable, plain and do what they are supposed to do. I can't ask for more than that. To be honest, when I saw the place I thought I was going to get soaked on the tests and exam, and especially on the frames. This place is seriously upscale and high tech, and the Rookery location suggested to me that they were going to have to pay the (presumably) sky-high rent somehow. They do it by being competent, efficient and friendly, a combo that brings patients back. I am very, very glad that I took the housemate's advice, and I look forward to a long relationship with Dean Optical. read more

I came here based on a recommendation I recieved and am glad I did. I had broken my glasses a few years earlier and never really bought any new ones and so my vision was getting worse. I was using an old pair from the person who recommended me to this place just to be able to read the board at school and get important things done. Eventually that wasn't working for me anymore so I gave in to his recommendation and finally made an appointment. This place is excellent. The doctor who checked my eyes didnt seem very friendly he was sort of stern and straight to the point but that could just be his personality. They have a wide variety of frames here especially Ray Bans which I went with in the end. After my insurance I paid $100 out of pocket. Due to the fact that I had no glasses they rushed to put it in and my order was ready about 4 hours later. Excellent customer service! The guy who fits your glasses was friendly and helpful. The best place I've ever gotten glasses from. Hands down. read more

The place just gets customer service. They are prompt, polite, and productive. Two situations exemplify their greatness. First, I went in once with questions about contacts and they gave me the honest answer not the most profitable answer. They helped me sort out difficulties with my old provider and get me the prescription and fit I needed. Another example of their competence is the number of times I've gone in to get my glasses adjusted after twisting or tweaking them playing sports. Even though this is a zero revenue activity for them, they are so happy to serve me and do it quickly and effectively. I'm a natural cynic when it comes to relationships with professionals; however, at Dean Optical I honestly trust them to get me the most value and the best deal. They are fast, effective, and trustworthy. In this hectic day and age what more can you ask for? I only wish they did dental and healthcare as well. I can see a bright future for me as a patient at Dean Optical. read more

I highly recommend any of the doctors here. I'm fairly certain I've seen all of them over the years, due to my fluxuating schedule, and they're all top-notch. None of them try to talk me into things I don't need, and they're all really personable. Dr. Meifert and I talked cats last time I was there. Cats. Gotta love a guy who doesn't mind cat chat. I will say, however, that I find the gentleman who helps with frame selection to be quite aggressive. He's very nice, don't get me wrong, but when I'm looking at frames, I like a few minutes to check them out on my own. Unless I know specifically what I'm looking for (in which case I'll ask, "do you have....?") I want to find a private-ish mirror, and put things on my weird little face until I find something that makes it less weird. THEN, I'll turn and say, "I like these, I think - do you have other styles similar to this?" The salesperson - and I'm sorry I can't recall his name - is tall and swears dark plastic frames. He usually pounces about 30 seconds after I start looking at frames, and will always have me follow him to the other side of the store to try on pairs that *he* finds fun or interesting. It's just a little heavy-handed for my taste. In addition, when I tell him what I like (subtle nods to the retro look, nothing too heavy or dark, no wireless, nothing oversized) he still steers me towards really overt, trendy frames - large, black plastic, etc. He also talks a lot. A LOT. Anyone who's read my other reviews has the right to point out that I sound somewhat picky about people approaching me and / or talking too much. And they'd be right. So it's probably me, not him, but it's enough to send me elsewhere for my frames. Still love the docs, though. :) read more

Awful customer service experience twice in a row now. I'll give them two starts only because there is a very friendly member of the staff who is very helpful and knowledgeable, but he is really carrying the weight there. I came in for an eye exam towards the end of the day since the hours aren't very convenient for anyone with a day job. The technician who prepped me for the doctor rushed through the process and discarded any concerns I had about my results while being visibly annoyed throughout the entire process. Patience is everything when you are servicing customers, and a little goes a long way. If you don't like people, get a different job please. read more

Had an appointment for 3pm, needed accommodations because I had a few things going on around 3pm. They where able to squeeze me in for 1pm which I really appreciated.. I was in and out in no time and had a great experience.. thank you guys for being the best at what you do.. read more

These guys rock. While I don't always find frames that I super-love here, though when I do, a magician named Thomas works here who REALLY works the insurance and/or whatever finances you have to deal with, and... it's just perfect. And they have special frame offer / events, which are really great for finding something more unusual, and help you save at the same time. And they are ALL super-friendly and helpful. Very. Doctors and everyone in the office. It 'feels' great coming here. I really like this place. And, BONUS, it's in the fabulous Rookery building... which is so much fun to visit. read more

I'm really happy with my choice to see Dr. Meifert at Dean Optical. It's just a few blocks from my office in the beautiful Rookery Building. After I read the great reviews on Yelp I thought I'd give them a try. It was easy to get an appointment that was convenient for me. They also have good e-mail communication regarding appointments. I was pleased with the quality of care at Dean Optical. The pricing is really reasonable as well. I saw Dr. Meifert. He's great! He's very personable, thorough, patient and listened to any concerns or questions that I had. Dean Optical also does a variety of tests related to eye health and they were honest and upfront about any additional costs. I didn't feel like I was getting pressured into anything AT ALL (unlike Spex). I was happy to pay a little extra for the Optomap eye photos in place of the dilation. I would highly recommend Dr. Meifert! Dean Optical has a pretty good selection of frames for those looking for new glasses (I was). Tom helped me pick a new pair of glasses. He knew right away which frames would compliment my face. He even pointed me to the discount frames that were pretty much entirely covered by my insurance. I opted for a nicer pair, but I was really happy with the whole experience. read more

The folks at Dean optical are extremely friendly and, you can tell, passionate about there work. I have been a patient for nearly 10 years and have seen very little turnover in employees. They know me by name and are always willing to greet me with a friendly smile. They go above and beyond to make sure my needs are met and questions answered. Dr. Olson is professional and addresses all questions, concerns, and needs. I have nothing but glowing things to say about the staff, doctors, service, etc. If you are looking for an eye doctor or a new pair of glasses go to Dean. You won't be disappointed. read more

Always great service. Been seeing Dr DeLee for almost 15 years and have sent many friends and associates his way. Highly recommended!

Went to this place as recommended by a family friend, as she used to work here. Wasn't sure if I was going to get good service or the bum rush since it in the financial district - turned out to be a great place: the staff is very helpful and friendly, my doctor was Dr DeLee, who has a great personality (and a bit of witful sarcasm to make the exams pass by comfortably), and got my contacts and eyewear without any problems. When it almost sounded as if I might have a timing issue in getting my contacts, Shawn (one of the staff, maybe the office manager?) was nice enough to offer some contacts to last until my shipment came in. Wow. Just like any place, you have people with personalities, some good and some bad, but this place is nothing but good to me. Only complaint is they have a few brands for sunglasses, but hey, it's a place for prescriptions and eye care - I like to think I did good business with a year's supply of contacts and a pair of frames w/ prescription lenses, so I can go elsewhere for sunglasses (though this place does have Rayban, for example). I'd recommend this place and will come back got a yearly. Oh yeah, I am a diabetic, and they treated me well accordingly with appropriate exams and explanation of risks I may have. read more

I found this place on yelp.com and am not disappointed. I go here for my routine checkups as well as to buy contacts. Did you know that they will match competitor pricing you find elsewhere on contacts?! Pretty neat. The doctors are super knowledgeable and have great bed side manner. I go to whoever is available. And they are great with scheduling last minute appointments. I never feel like I am at the eye doctor, but instead just chatting with a friend. You can tell that the doctors here are very passionate about eye care. I have not purchased glasses from here, but they seem to have an excellent selection. And the location of this place cannot be better....The Rookery Building. read more

The most expensive pair of glasses I've ever purchased, but it was SO worth it. First of all, Dr. DeLee is just superb. He seemed to actually care, was very good with answering my questions, but the real amazing part was that he saw I had high blood pressure, recommended a doctor (who is working out great) and then took it upon himself to make sure I got in for an appointment soon, instead of the normal 1+ month wait time. Now, because of Dr. DeLee my blood pressure is just about normal, when I normally wouldn't have even been able to see a doctor yet! The rest of their staff is also very good, the woman helping me select my glasses did a very good job of finding some great selections and was extremely patient with me while also giving some great feedback. Even after I had already made the order I decided I wanted to go with Transitions lenses, and just sent in an email and they were able to make the change! They even rushed the order, getting me glasses in under a week, for a specific event. I couldn't ask for much more! To note, I had tried emailing 3 different optometrists and I got all my questions asked and an appointment made with Dean Optical before the others responded once (I've still not received any response of any kind from one of them and it is a month later). Now, the glasses I got are also superb. I can see great, the Transitions lenses work very well, the frames are nice and solid, etc. it is also great to know that if I need more cleaning solution, adjustments, or anything goes wrong with my glasses (at all) I can just stop in and get them repaired/worked on. Yes, the glasses are expensive, but for me, the service and quality was simply worth it. read more

Yay! I have new glasses and I love them! The review is really about the appointment, though. I really hate having my eyes checked. I'd rather go to the dentist. Dr. DeLee and his team go out of their way to make the appointment as best as possible. Even I admit that some of the stuff is pretty cool-- all of the health conditions that you can see by looking at the eye. They explain everything really well and were really patient with me. they always have new machines and the latest technology. I still would rather go to the dentist, but it is pretty cool stuff. A for the vsp comment. I had the opposite experience. They've been asking me for years about my eye insurance (which I had none) and were pretty excited for me that my new job came with vsp. read more

I purchased a pair of eyeglasses back in November 2020 and I hadn't had the glasses a month before I accidentally broke them. I took them back to Dean optical six months later and instead of trying to repair them they actually just replaced them no questions asked free of charge the complementary service they offer for their eyewear it's just outstanding I will recommend them to anyone read more

Dr DeLee is great. The exam process is easy to complete, the staff explains things well, and the eye exam is quick and easy to complete. Questions are answered promptly, contact ordering is a breeze, and the titanium frame glasses I ordered have survived two English Mastiffs accidentally sitting on them. When it comes to a clean office and incredible staff, eye doctors should use Dr. DeLee as a "how to" when building their offices. read more

Dr. DeLee is simply wonderful. He has corrected my aging vision to the point of perfection. The Dean Optical office provides the latest technology in eye analysis, and Dr. DeLee always takes time to explain the results. I have learned so much about eye health and how to keep mine by talking to Dr. DeLee and have recommended him to friends who share my appreciation. Everyone in the office is friendly, efficient and accommodating. I drive from out of state to visit the office because I am such a devoted fan. read more

This office was recommended by my husband, who has been a patient for 7 years. I've gone twice now for annual eye exam. It's located in the gorgeous Rookery building. Its such a treat just coming in for my scheduled appointment to see the architecture! This office offers online scheduling, and I haven't had a problem finding a lunch hour time that fits with my work schedule. The eye exams were thorough, with technology and machines that look new. The person who assisted with the tests was kind and knowledgeable. I don't wear contacts, but my husband does, and their prices are so low, even lower than the online retailers. I can't speak to the glasses because I haven't needed to purchase any. However, the staff was able to easily explain my benefits if I chose to buy through them. Looking forward to my annual exam next year! read more

My last appointment prior to Dean Optical was with a suburban eye doctor. I was not happy with them so I went back to Dean Optical and I honestly don't know why I didn't go to them when I decided to go "suburban". My doctor listened to my concerns and I felt so comfortable. I highly recommend Dean Optical. They are simply the best. read more

I agree with Christine's review that the front office staffs are not doing their job right. After writing my 1st review, the Dean's Optical regional manager called me to mitigate the problem. I appreciated the effort but did not want to try Dean's Optical again. On 11/03, I went to another facility only to find out the they couldn't see me because Dean's Optical was still holding my insurance. I had to call Dean's Optical to release the hold, but the front-office staff was not able to resolve it right away. The staff from the new facility had to call my insurance directly to rectify the situation. Of course making all these calls wasted our time and I couldn't see the doctor on time. read more

I really like this place. Dr. DeLee is so nice and very funny--he is the kind of guy I wish was my uncle or something so I could have him at the dinner table on holidays. The staff is also upbeat and really friendly--every time I go here I think about becoming an optometrist so I can work with them. The customer service is really fantastic. On a serious note, they have state of the art equipment and have always been very professional in diagnosing and treating any issues I've had. Highly recommended. read more

Great staff and thorough doctors. They provide an in-depth examine and take the time to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.