Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of going to optometrists or eyeglass stores for a plethora of reasons, but I accompanied someone searching for a couple of pairs of glasses, and it wasn't too bad. We were walk-ins, and we were free to roam the place freely. I'm accustomed to being hounded by people eager to help without giving you time and space to explore on your own. Fortunately, the staff here both gave us space while remaining attentive and helpful when needed. They had a flash sale, and the salesman didn't talk out of both sides of his mouth when discussing it and how it could apply. He actually made sure we got the best deal with applying insurance and taking advantage of the deal out of pocket for another pair. Guaranteeing we got more bang for our buck. Their selection was okay. I've seen bigger and better, but it wasn't too bad, and they had some decent frames. The salesperson helped and explained which would work best based on what the wearer was looking for and made sure the arms were the right length. And praise the heavens, it didn't take too long either. In and out, with not much of a fuss. Just the way I like it. Hell, I'll even give them kudos for being the only establishment in that part of the plaza who shoveled and properly salted the walkway because walking down to the location after parking further down could have been an Olympic sport testing balance. read more

Horrible customer service and incredibly shady business practices. Tried to give me defective product and attempted to say they could be replaced as a one time courtesy having me use my warranty on the merchandise was defective. This is deceptive practices. I will be calling my corporate HR and VSP to file a formal complaint. read more

I ordered a pair of glasses here and waited 4 to 6 weeks. When I first ordered, I pointed out that the floor sample had a completely loose, wobbly left arm. They promised me my ordered pair would be brand new. When I went to pick them up this past Saturday, I checked the left arm and it was completely wobbly. They either tried to give me the broken floor sample or gave me a completely defective pair. When they couldn't tighten it, I told them I wouldn't accept them. The salesperson then rudely yelled at me and claimed that if they replaced it, it would count as my "one-time replacement." Why should I lose my warranty for a broken product they tried to force me to take? When I asked for a manager, the salesperson went to the back office to bias the manager before I could even explain what happened. The original person were aggressive, unprofessional. I left the store WITHOUT the glasses. I am filing a formal complaint with VSP insurance and the corporate benefits department. Avoid this place at all costs they will try to scam you into accepting broken merchandise read more

ABSOLUTELY ZERO STARS - unfortunately I have to in order to post this review. EMBARRESSED , VERY DISHONEST - Their glasses were $230, the quality was bad, they told me that they were going to take the glasses that I brought back and put a different frame on it to help with making the glare less, seeing my reflection, and blurriness on the sides which absolutely made no sense at all, and when I brought them back today 5/5/26, for the same reasons, I told them to just take them back, but they told me I couldn't because they said that I didn't bring the old pair back which is not true - he lied knowing he took the glasses from me to put the new frame on, he said you have to give the glasses back, and I asked him "What glasses?, because you took them to put the new frame on it, the only glasses I took were my own pair" And I was shocked as a customer that he was trying to steal from me and the insurance company with his lies. So now I have to call the insurance company and update them about what happened so that others wont be fooled with Vision Works, I am absolute disgusted, I'm 17 years old and have never dealt with this problem before with other doctors with prescriptions for glasses, and they all tried to make me feel guilty in front of everyone in the room, including the staff, and this is the second time I asked him to see the doctor, and I never saw him, and so I just returned them, my eyes are very important to me, I really need my glasses, I had to wait all that time, and now I have to wait even longer to see the process of getting another pair, so now my vision has to wait - again I never had to deal with this problem from where I came from - Eyes on Harlem, Eyes on Harlem is Absolutely Amazing, and the doctor was always so caring and concerned about my vision - I give them 10 stars, and HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM Thank you for listening read more

From start to finish, everything was seemless, timely, friendly, and in a very clean facility. The range of pricing was displayed well with no confusing. Running sales were attractive and the staff was EXTREMELY prepared for my arrival and executed my optical need with precision and professionalism. Thank you Dr. Antionette Raja (you should be a permanent fixture) read more

Lack of efficiency & professionalism. Called a week ago & fixed an appointment, got here on time but they can't find any appointment in their system. Ask me come back later with an appointment. Looks like it owns by an Arabi read more

My appointment was pushed back 4 days due to a water main break. Okay, whatever. When I finally was seen the office was busy and the appointments backed up. The optometrist was not part of the staff, but was a floater filling in. The doctor offered me an Optus image of my retina so I wouldn't need to drive home dilated. Following the imaging, the doctor was having trouble making out the results and pointed to a haziness. I asked what it meant and they explained it could be indicative of an excess in spinal fluid, which could be caused by anything under the sun (including cancer) When a medical professional tells you something like this, you should take it seriously. The optometrist recommended I visit an ophthalmologist for better imaging of my retinal nerve and said they'd make an appointment for me and call the next day. I was sent out to the lobby to pick frames and purchase glasses with my heart now racing. The next day I waited until midday before calling the ophthalmologist myself - visionworks did not call me and when I rang the store no one picked up. The receptionist at the ophthalmologist was confused, the haziness I described was not usual cause for concern but I asked nicely that I'd like to be seen because the doctor had me worried. They obliged and fit me in the same week. When I went and saw the ophthalmologist that doctor asked exactly what the visionworks doctor had told me about my optic nerve and I relayed the message. He was a bit confused as well and said that it really doesn't sound atypical. He dilated me and spent some time looking at my eyes through the slit lamp and after a period, he rolled back in his chair and told me I was perfectly healthy and that frankly, he didn't think I needed to be there and there was never a cause for concern. I have come to learn the haziness in my original imagery was the result of a tilted nerve which is not uncommon and the previous doctor should have been more familiar with it. They also should have dilated me and done a second review themselves before referring me to a specialist. I believe the floating doctor at this location at this time was overwhelmed and overworked. My appointment was rescheduled once and once I was finally there it took quite some time past my scheduled slot for me to be seen. Additionally, another younger patient before me was referred to an ophthalmologist as well because the doctor couldn't find the correct eyedrops for a child. I am particularly unsatisfied with the care I received at this location because in referring me out, I have incurred a significant cost for a medical eye exam. My vision insurance only covers one exam annually from an eye doctor. By referring me out, I had to bill to my medical insurance and now I'm on the hook for hundreds of dollars following sub-par care at Visionworks. Not only that, but I also had to return to the store for remake glasses because the first set of lenses were so bad. Save the headache, stay clear of here. If management is reading this: Yes, I'd like to be contacted. I have still not been able to get through on the phone. read more

glasses came in with rhe wrong frame. They had nerve to say that was the one we picked. They did reorder the correct frame. Time before my glasses came in damaged and they had to reorder them. They never notified us glasses were in and the phone check wasn't working. Gonna try somewhere else next time. read more

Usually have a wonderful experience . This time I scheduled an eye exam 4 times and every time I confirmed online it said I didn't have an appt. I was told to "ignore the website" but they tell you to use it , and trying to actually get ahold of a human at the store is impossible. The online chat "amelia " is also a computer so"she is useless . No one answers the phone. I never received any emails with the forms they said I needed to fill out. And I got a call every day for 4 days prior and the day of my appt asking if I was coming . When I told them i confirmed it 4 times already she said There is not one note you were coming in. I'm hoping the appt goes a bit better read more

I've been to this Empire Visionworks location for two annual visits now. It is in a Tops plaza with plenty of parking, and a traffic light for easy in-and-out. For my most recent visit, I had a lot of questions for the eye doctor, as my eyes seemed to be getting noticeably worse over the course of the last year. Dr. Noworyta was entirely patient with me, and took a long time to talk through why this is happening, the different options I have, the pros/cons of each, and show me what each lens would look like. Really excellent care from the doctor here, I appreciate so much a doctor who takes the time to listen! We decided to go with bifocal glasses and to try a mono-vision contact prescription. The doctor handed me off to at tech, Rawan, who was equally as fantastic as the doc! Rawan went through every combination of my insurance options with glasses and contacts to figure out what the lowest out-of-pocket cost was for me. She was very patient with me selecting frames, and did a great job of explaining how bifocal fitting works. I left with a trial pair of contacts to try for the week, as a mono-vision prescription doesn't always work for everyone, so I needed to experiment for a few days. I'm happy to say I called back Rawan today to order a six-month supply. The prescription is indeed something that takes getting used to, but I can actually see both up close and far again, not needing reading glasses to see my phone or computer when wearing contacts. So even with the mono-vision sensation being a bit odd, I'll take it! And I will get even more used to it over time. Just SO HAPPY that I can actually work without glasses again! Rawan was a great help again today, placing my phone order, just a very kind person in general. Both last year's and my recent experience at this Empire Visionworks location were top-notch. And my insurance went a very long way here! I definitely recommend this shop if you have any eye care needs. read more

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I gave a negative review last year, basically because I couldn't even get through to talk to a person at that office. It was extremely frustrating.Because I do like their selection of glasses and the optician, I gave Visionworks another chance, and it seems as though they are reverting back to their old business practices, meaning I was able to get through to a person. The staff was friendly and accommodating. So hopefully they are on a trend for the better once again. Hopefully they will get rid of Amelia the virtual assistant, because that is the most frustrating part of the process. But if you ask for a live agent you should be able to get through. Looking better once again. read more

I made an eye exam appointment for 4pm. I did everything online prior to my visit and came in at 3:50. I was given a paper form(same form I already submitted online) to fill out. I didn't say anything and just completed it again. I gave it back and sat down. At 4:30pm, a lady walked around saying the computer systems were down or something. I walked up to the desk and asked if I am still going to get my 4pm eye exam? Or what was happening? She said "computer systems are down, sorry Chris" So i asked again, "So I cannot do the eye exam? I do not need contacts or lens." So odd, she just kept saying Sorry. I ended up leaving. A waste of time! read more

Came in to visit family in Buffalo, all the way from Las Vegas. Went in with an "emergency" (lost my contacts at a hotel on the drive here) The service was amazing, they helped me right away, and thank goodness.... fixed my vacation. I can see LOL. read more

Never ever go to this place!!! I got an incorrect vision test. Therefore my new glasses had to be redone. I waited one week for the first set of glasses, but then they were resent because the idiot who tested me gave me a worse prescription than what I had. This time I had to wait a month!!! read more

I was thrilled to find out that I could make an appointment later the same day at 5:60pm and that they take VSP insurance. I called another eye care business and they only had hours M-F and only till 4pm and I would have to wait a month and a half for my appt! I would also have to leave work early which isn't easy for me to do. I was able to quickly make my appointment online without a problem. I received a confirming email right away. The email included some health questions that you could answer ahead of time to make your appt go even quicker. I was able to park right in front of the door. And immediately, I was called back to take some tests. Then I sat down waiting to be called to see the doctor and within no time, I was seeing Dr. Joe who was like seeing your favorite uncle! Warm and friendly and caring! There was some confusion after my exam as I was waiting for Rawan. I was looking to have my current frames fitted with new lenses so I was killing time waiting for her by looking at the frames available. They had a good selection but I like it when places have less expensive glasses separated out to make the search go quicker. I did pick out frames in case my current frames couldn't be fitted. But still no Rawan. So I sat down. Then a woman asked if she could help me and I said I was waiting for Rawan and she said she was Rawan. She was waiting for me to pick out frames but had never said anything. But once she knew I was waiting for her, she apologized and immediately started to help me. She was knowledgeable and very helpful. I was concerned about pricing as I usually get the works....anti-glare, scratch resistant, progressive, and I forgot what it's called but it was "digital something" where the width of clarity was wider and the cost was almost double. I even opted for a blue filter to help my eyes with computer screens since I do a lot of computer work. Unfortunately, you can't get transitional if you want the blue filter, but transitional doesn't work in the car anyway, so no big loss! Elsewhere, I've paid around $600 for my glasses. One place I got 2 for $600 (but that place didn't take my new insurance). Visionworks only charged me $330!!! So, I was very happy as I opted for the more expensive wide view ($170). Now, I just need to wait 2 weeks or less for my glasses to be fitted with the new lenses! Yay! read more

I had an eye exam and then picked out a pair of glasses for my updated prescription. I really liked the eye doctor, he was polite, funny, and concise with his exam. My glasses were ready in 7 days, I received a text upon their arrival and picked them up, fitted, and out the door in less than 10 mins. read more

First the clunky.... I made an appointment online, submitting all my insurance information for my very first visit to an Empire Visionworks. I went for my appointment only to find that the eye doctor had left. The receptionist told me that new patients are supposed to show up 15 minutes early to fill out forms/paperwork. When i told her that I had filled out everything online, she was put off and surprised. She ended up calling the eye doctor to come back. When he returned, I made a quip about him leaving so early, but he was apologetic over the mix-up and blamed the web site for not knowing that I had submitted my forms in advance. From that point, things moved very quickly. I got my eye exam, picked out my glasses, and just a week later, was walking around with new specs. I was impressed with the speed and efficiency and the choice of frames. What also impressed me was that the optician looked at my old glasses and could determine some poor lens quality issues. As a recent transplant to Buffalo, I was wondering why my last pair of glasses were so blurry! read more

I had to find a new place to get my eye exams due to new insurance so I decided to give visionworks a try. It turned our to be a great decision! Making an appointment online was very convenient and easy. I received all the paperwork I needed to fill out as a new patient online. I received multiple appointment reminders via text and email. When I arrived for my appointment they took me right back and began the exam. The Dr was very friendly and attentive. Selection of frames was great. They worked with me to find the best price based on my insurance and wants. I will definitely be back! read more

went here despite the bad reviews, and had a wonderful experience! the staff was extremely pleasant, and personable. they had me in and out in no time, and took great care of me. i will definitely be coming back for all of my future optometrist needs :) read more

I went to Empire Visionworks on Monday January 25, 2019! They were very friendly and welcoming! One thing they could do better is arrange the frames in the designers section according to price! This would help the customers, and would save time having to go through 100's of frames! The people who work there are very well versed in their job! It will be my go to place for my glasses. read more

Completely useless and they are rude. Went in for glasses all went smooth until they wanted to ship them. The woman who took care of me was obnoxious swearing and getting angry about people coming in the door. As well as the did not put the right delivery location or phone number on the package and claim its UPS fault when they gave UPS the address to deliver to. Been in twice to try and resolve this and have got nothing back from them. Filed a claim with UPS there are somewhat helpful but vision works just simple can't or won't do anything for you. read more

I went in for my appointment today at this location and was met with immediate hostility from Dr Joseph Noworyta. I explained to him that it had been 3 years since my last exam. I explained that I moved to the area right before covid and then got pregnant and had my son. I stated that I was ready to get back on track with my eye care after the pandemic and being a new mom. Dr. Joseph Noworyta then responded with "So you're a noncompliant patient. I can't give you contacts." I responded and again explained that yes I had not been to get an exam for 3 years due to the circumstances but would still like to get contacts. He said that due to my noncompliance I could have several eye problems and he could not see me. I told him that I was shocked by his lack of compassion and understanding and could not believe how rudely he was speaking to me. I then took my things and left. As a healthcare worker I cannot fathom turning away a patient who is trying to get back into treatment. I also cannot imagine shaming a patient who is admitting to mistakes and explaining valid reasons for not being able to receive treatment. What if I didn't have insurance or couldn't afford treatment for those 3 years? What if I had a mental health or medical issue that made it difficult for me to get to an appointment? In my opinion Dr Joseph Noworyta doesn't belong in the healthcare field. His actions were negligent and not ethical. read more

Here's a little background on me - I recently noticed that my eyesight was getting worse, things in the distance started blurring and I felt like it was time to finally get an eye exam and potentially glasses. So while on a work assignment in Buffalo I figured I'd get this both done because it would likely be faster and cheaper than NYC. Eye exam - this was an easy process, I called ahead one day prior and they had plenty of availability. I arrived earlier than my appointment time and they tried to accommodate me. The doctor I saw was an older gentleman who was excellent, he addressed all my concerns and was really caring. Nice employees who try to work with you - however the pricing here was surprisingly more expensive than NYC because they try to push whatever lens they have on hand onto you. My insurance normally covers $130 for frames and an additional 20% off anything more. The frames I found here were a generic brand for $100+, the sales person offered a thick Crizal lens to go with my frames and the entire thing came out to $148. Meanwhile in NYC I was able to get a pair of Raybans originally priced at $204 with Crizal Advance lens for $107..... Additionally - They don't carry many designer frames, I remember seeing 3 pairs of Michael Kors, some Vera Bradley and Nike.... no luxury brands like Prada, Tiffany's or Tom Ford and nothing from Rayban. They were willing to order Raybans for me but the styles were very limited to what was in their system and the system had no pictures lol read more

This staff is so backwards. They made me come in telling me over the phone that my glasses were ready. I drove all the way there just for them to make me wait an hour to find my glasses just to tell me they never actually received my glasses. read more

I have been taking all 4 of my kids to the visionworks Cheektowaga Union street location for about 10 years and unfortunately I will have to find another place. The customer service I received from the store manager Marcy, was rude and condescending. i will be reporting her to corporate. No customer should be treated like that. read more

I took my 4 year old son here for his first pair of glasses. The staff did an amazing job with making him feel comfortable. He loves his glasses. Thank you guys read more

If you want a scared doctor who is worried more about lawyers than helping a patient this is the place for you

This is a great place because of its employees. One optician in particular, Gunnar Lenihan, is exceptional. My son has low vision and wears thick corrective lenses. We get a prescription from his low vision optometrist and bring it to Gunnar and he knows what frames will work with the prescription and how the lenses have to be created in order to maximize the correction while optimizing their look and feel. Not every optician has the expertise or experience with these kind of lenses. Additionally, he is very patient and kind. I won't trust anyone else with my son's prescription. read more