I had a great experience at this optometry office. I'm not sure why there are so many bad reviews of people having a hard time to make appointments and getting wrong information at the front desk about coverage. If you don't even know about your own health plan then you should probably do a little research online first. I made my apt on the first try and the guy even gave me quotes on contacts over the phone, what discount are available, etc. The offices are very clean and the staff is nice, attentive, and efficient. I had Dr. Justin Chin and he was great. We chatted a bit during the exam, which took about 20-30 mins, normal in California because ALL optometrists are taught to make exams quick due to the high saturation of people in Cali and NY. Office rooms are clean and Dr. Chin was knowledgable and helpful with all my questions. He even went into detail about eye and contact shaping, nerve thickness, and some diseases but I asked about those things because I'm weird and like to know everything about everything. When you order contacts they can either ship it to their store or your home, but I chose the store because sometimes the stupid ups driver leaves packages outside my apt gate for anyone to take...idiot. The lady I ordered my contacts from was really sweet and chatty and the front desk receptionist even printed me an extra receipt for the mail in rebate. Overall, pleasantly surprised! read more

This location is wonderful! My friend recommended that I visit Dr Boyamian. She has been going to her for over 8 years. I loved that the Dr explained my options and answered all my questions. Overall I had a great experience and will be back next year! read more

I have been coming here for a few years and it is like two different companies; the ophthalmologist I use, Dr. Wang, is as professional and efficient a service provider you will find anywhere, period. The group that provides the eyeglasses is more old-fashioned, treating you more like a "patient" than a customer. If you are understanding and patient with that it is ok, maybe a three-star review. With Covid you will need to be a LOT more understanding as they more affected with restrictions than ordinary businesses. read more

They Suck Period! It takes longer than 2 weeks for glassses to get ready, and no one will give you a straight answer as to why it is taking this long! read more

Went here for contacts. Pretty satisfied. Front desk is not very attentive, rarely will even greet you when you walk in. Free parking (get it validated) in the building's garage is nice. The appointment center incorrectly told me that the contact exam is part of the general health insurance eye exam which is covered. It is NOT. read more

Sadly, but I must agree with the many complaints on here. I have been calling their office for three hours now. They don't answer and it's sad because you would think highly of Kaiser but this is sad. Ok and second off I have not gotten my glasses yet and it's already a month in since my last appointment. The doctor I had was great but their phone line just sucks...you can do better Kaiser come on! read more

Very friendly staff! Told me that the office was recently renovated and it showed! Very clean and bright inside. Dr. Wang checked my eyes and even showed us what changes were in my vision (thank goodness it wasn't much). It allowed me to figure out if I wanted to get new glasses made. Parking is free as long as you're there for less than 3 hours and you get your ticket validated. Just take a ticket, go to the right, and park where it says "Kaiser Visitors." Will be back next year to get my eyes checked again! read more

I'd give a much higher rating if the staff would just answer their phones but unfortunately that is not the case. Its always extremely difficult to schedule an appointment or order contacts over the phone so if you are having an emergency (i.e. your contact lens tore and youre still waiting for your order so you may need a replacement in the meantime) you may as well just go in unannounced and catch them off guard. Much better than having to play a one sided game of phone tag. Hire more staff to answer phones or train staff to be more prompt and answer the phones Kaiser!! Look at all these 1 star ratings!! It will just keep getting lower and lower if things continue as they are read more

When I made the appointment through the Kaiser line, I wasn't told to get there an hour earlier. I had to make another appointment for two weeks later. If your appointment is at 2 pm, then you go at 1 pm. I don't know why. They should just make the appointment at 1 pm. read more

Come here for your exam. Optometrists are wonderful. And actually, the Optical Technicians are extreemly helpful. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR YOUR GLASSES! The service here is terrible. The glasses are made offsite and who knows when they will get around to making them. No phone call when they were done. I called after 3 weeks (and they were supposed to be done in 2 weeks). The receptionist kept making excuses with no apology. I asked to speak to a manager. Surprise-Surprise, "not available". If Kaiser Permanente cannot deliver this service, KP should contract with a company that can. Went to pick up my glasses. Wrong Frame!!! I canceled my order. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR YOUR GLASSES! read more

All the staff here is amazing, Nova ( sorry if i have your name wrong) is super amazing so helpful and patience is outstanding never i come here often as my young son finds many ways to break his glasses and we are in and out no super long waits even without an appointment for repair. read more

Kaiser is great, but, there are times when I feel like people are just getting by. The woman who was supposed to tighten my glasses did such a poor job, took about a third of the time and effort that has been given in the past. I hesitated to post this review until I finally could not take these loose frames any longer. The long drive to Pasadena, and the irritation of worn frames during Covid, where I'm dealing with hearing aids and mask loops, wore my patience thin. Finally, I chanced asking Costco to make adjustments for me, and they did a superb job. In the future, I'll just insist on a better effort or ask for another Optical Worker. read more

Thanks fellow Yelpers! Based on the recommendations on here for Dr Irene Wong I made an appointment with her. Got an appointment the next day for glasses. She is extremely warm, personable, professional and patient. The offices are clean, too. The optical department has a pretty good selection of frames too. I highly recommend Dr Irene Wong:) read more

Oh dear!! I read the review where the lady couldn't get a phone answered, I didn't believe, but I've been calling the listed number (626) 440-5659 all day and yesterday and no answer at all, or a recording. I love Kaiser and have to say this is not normal for them and it makes me sad. read more

I been here twice and have had a pleasant experience each time. This time i again was seen by Dr.Wang, she is a very nice lady, thorough and explains the results well. The staff at the front deak were very nice also. Clean and nice place. read more

I have confidence in the optometrists at this location but have had trouble with lab mistakes/delays in the past and presently. Paid for my glasses expecting them done in 2 weeks. Called several times and found out my lenses were changed from trivex to poly carb because the lab was backed up 3 - 6 months! Think someone should have consulted with me before changing what I ordered especially since the lenses paid for were more expensive. 4 weeks and still no glasses - even with the change in lenses. read more

The staff are profetional and courteous. Prices are decent, Kaiser manage to go around the law and find a way not to pay for the eyeglasses specialty for the kids. read more

Had an eye exam on April 26, 2018. Karen Wang was fantastic and was very amusing. The staff was excellent. I hardly waited for my appointment. Very quick and efficient. Also, make sure to get validation so you get free parking! There is a variety of glasses to choose from. read more

I got an accurate prescription from a kind, caring health professional. The optometrist spent time talking to me about my developing cataracts. I was able to choose frames I really like from a large, diverse selection of high quality, durable and stylish frames. I couldn't be happier with my experience here. My advice is, forget about the super-cheap places with flimsy frames, and come here for glasses you'll really like and be able to wear for a long time. read more

I was seen by Dr. Houson for an eye exam. He was patient, kind, thorough, and took the time to explain everything about my care. The staff was also very courteous and friendly. Overall it was a great experience. Thank you. read more

First time visit to a Kaiser for eye care. Typically go to a private practitioner. My appointment was efficient and when I wanted to replace lenses in my existing frames, I didn't get pressure to look at other frames or an up sell on ultra thin lenses beyond what makes a difference with my rx. I've returned twice for adjustments on three frames. They have done a great job even though I didn't buy frames or in two cases lenses from them. read more

I had my prescription sun glasses. They cost $480 (about $100 out of the pocket). After 8 months I saw small cracks barley visible all over the lenses. I tried to get them fixed through the warranty but they denied it saying that I left them in the sun. Well...if they were in the sun they were next to my $20 sun glasses that successfully survived. Poor quality. I would expect a higher costumer care from Kaiser...but apparently not through Vision Essential. read more

I prefer coming to this Pasadena vision center to get my eye checkups over the optometry departments at the Kaiser hospitals. Since there's only a vision center here, it's a lot less crowded and there's a much shorter wait time. If you park on Colorado Blvd, there's plenty of 1 hour parking in addition to the street parking on the side residential streets. I saw Dr. Richard Gin who was really helpful and nice. I was soo relieved he decided not to increase my prescription since I'm already legally blind. Last year I saw Dr. Terre Watson who I also highly recommend. Everyone from the receptionist to the optical technicians to the guy who scheduled my future appointment were super friendly and helpful. They have a wide selection of eyeglasses and sunglasses for reasonable prices. read more

Just spent 1.5 hours and talked to multiple people trying to schedule an exam here. Excellent doctor (Karen Wang) but reprehensible appointment service. Totally unreal that this place is part of the Kaiser System! read more

Awful experience. I am a new kaiser member and had my $0 copay eye exam not too long ago. I am very aware about my eye sight and i just got my glasses delivered to me w the prescription i had received from my new optometrist. However, it was the wrong prescription so i requested a follow up appointment and kaiser wanted to charge me $30 copay for THEIR mistake! So i left and canceled my appointment to talk to a higher up. I am very upset bc it is not fair that i have to deal w the wrong prescription meanwhile i wait for a response, when i need my glasses to fulfill my job duties and the only time i am available are saturdays. Now i have to go a whole other week w a serious headache. Who knows what kind of damage that will cause to my eyes... read more

i am in love with Kaiser Pasadena Vision Center 1) Friendly receptionist - no matter what kind of hectic day it is they are always extremely friendly !!! 2) Good opticians /technicians who care about your glasses 3) Great Optometrist ! Dr. Ho was one of the best!!! Can't wait for my yearly check up. He was efficient and fast! 4) Easy Parking behind the buildling - they validate for freee Vast amount of glasses and i love the customer service!!! I go to Pasadena all the time instead of Sunset b/c it's just easier to get in and out and the customer service is awesome! read more

Kaiser Permanente Vision Essentials, after waiting for about 1 1/2 weeks for my glasses they called me. I go to pick up my glasses, the receptionist gave them to one their technicians for the fitting. Upon him opening the glasses, they had a noticeably deep scratch on the surface of the lens. He mentioned the scratch on the lens and proceeded to make the fitting. Then he asked whether the deep, noticeable scratch bothered me. I said it does because 1. It was $600.00 pair of glasses and 2) it was quite obvious the scratch. The pair was rejected and asked him how long it will take to have the lens fixed. He said an additional 2 weeks probably longer. I asked him so, this means that I have to do without my glasses for an additional two weeks maybe even longer? You are telling me that in order to get my glasses is going to take a month? Then he said that he was going to see about trying to get them done sooner. I know that's lip service since he didn't commit to anything to begin with. I filed a complain with Kaiser Membership Services which was quickly answered but, until this day, it hasn't been resolved and no, I still don't have my glasses after yet another week of waiting. Ultimately, I had to go Linden to get the same prescription done in a few hours so I could see. So, no only I had to pay Kaiser but I had to pay for another pair from somewhere else for an additional $300.00 while waiting for a new pair. The pair I was using was an old prescription and I could see much out of them and couldn't afford to wait any longer for glasses. Despite the fact that I have optical coverage and an allowance for glasses, wasn't even worth it because their glasses are very expensive to begin with and the discount are just gimmicks because even after applying $250.00 allowance, the $100.00 "discount" for frames over $149.00 I still had to pay $300.00 more, wait two weeks, now four and likely even more because they didn't have the foresight to check the workmanship at the lab and upon receipt. Not wait to be unpleasantly surprised by noticeable defects and/or damaged goods at fitting time thus saving the aggravation and the waste of time. read more

Adrian was very helpful. My mother could not see due to broken glasses. He came up with a solution that was quick and cost-effective. We could not be more grateful. Thank you. read more

The pro (only one) of the Kaiser Permanente Vision Essentials in Pasadena is Dr. Karen Wang She is wonderful, extremely knowledgeable and caring. Someone you trust. The cons are: 1.-The first pair of glasses (over $500.00) had the lenses ground incorrectly. Not to my prescription. Would NEVER purchase glasses from this facility. 2.-Each time I have made an appointment for a contact lens exam it has been a monumental struggle taking several days and many, many phone calls, messages, etc. to get the appointment and then many weeks wait to see the doctor. I tried to change a contact lens exam appointment yesterday. The regular receptionist transferred me to the contact lens appointment person. Apparently there is a contact lens appointments person. The problem was (and has been a number of times) is that this person (who you cannot call directly) does not answer the phone. Sometimes there is a message, sometimes it just rings--? I have left messages and not gotten called back. Impossible to make an appointment. There is no ability to make appointments online--all of the rest of the Kaiser system has very sophisticated communications. The contact lens appointment center apparently does not have a communications system. I am a huge Kaiser Permanente fan--the system, except for the vision component--is a gift to the healthcare world. and the Kaiser members Not the vision care. There really isn't healthcare available if you can't ever see the doctor read more

Dr Irene Wong (eye exam) and Ani Sarkisiyan (contact lens fitting) are great, the appointment was on time and was finished in an hour!! Very happy with the service, and the pleasant mood of all staff members. Makes me proud to be with Kaiser (as a member and employee). The facility also very nice. read more

The best place to get eye care and glasses. The staff here are always friendly and professional. It's also been fairly easy to get in for an appointment; I've rarely had to wait very long for anything, but have never felt like I was being rushed. On my most recent visit, both the receptionist Anna and the dispenser Jenia were very helpful and pleasant. read more

Even though I didn't like the outrageous price that I paid for cheap looking glasses, I have to admit, the doctor and staff that helped me were outstanding. The doctor's prescription was a lot different from one that I had gotten about 5 months ago. Once I got my glasses I had a headache for two weeks and couldn't get used to them. I went back and the same doctor helped me and was extremely patient and nice about doing another eye exam. Once I got my glasses back again, I didn't have any headaches at all and was completely satisfied with the prescription of the lenses. Three different staff members helped me choose out my frames and they're were super nice and seemed that they truly cared about providing a positive experience. I didn't like the idea that I paid $300 for a frame that felt cheaper than $5 to make, but at least I can see better now. read more

I always get my glasses and contacts here. Doctor's are great and the selection of frames is very good. Very conveniently located near my home. The staff are always friendly and helpful and are great at answering questions and helping you get the most from your benefits. The office is clean and well organized and the staff have readjusted my glasses months down the line as they settled in. They also made sure my contacts fit really well and were comfortable. read more

I had a nice experience there while having my contacts and glasses updated. However, my experiences before and after the appointment were rough. I had to wait at least a few days to schedule an appointment, because the phone wouldn't be picked up when I would call. Eventually I was able to schedule my appointment. Then, after my appointment, my contacts were shipped to the wrong address! Thankfully it was sent to a place where I still knew the people who lived there, and I was able to drive (out of my way) to pick them up. After clearing up the situation with my contacts, I tried calling a suggested number to check the address on my glasses. I was put on hold for at least 30 minutes before I was able to spend 30 seconds confirming my address with the person on the other end. I think this facility just needs a few extra receptionists, and it would be better. read more

I don't know why They give apt. Times here. The past 2 visits I have shown up on time and they don't see me for 20-30 minutes.

With an appointment, the process of getting a contacts and glasses exam and choosing a pair of glasses is quick and efficient. The optometrist who helped me was very attentive, kind, and welcoming. I decided to use my benefits for a pair of new prescription glasses and received paper prescriptions for both contacts and glasses. Since it is a Kaiser, the selection of glasses was limited and small. They didn't have many designer brands, only ones such as Ray Bans and Tiffany's. I was disappointed in the selection, but now I know. Their glasses also tend to be overpriced and on the higher end of the price range compared to other places I've been to. But with insurance and FSA, it comes out to be affordable. They also have coupon deals with premium bundles. I was told my glasses would be ready within 1-2 weeks. However, I never got a call 3 weeks later so I had to make the call myself and sure enough the glasses had come in and had been sitting there. They could do a better job of calling to inform members their glasses are ready. But overall I'm happy with my glasses. The downsides are the prices, small selection, and informing me my glasses were ready for pick up. The service was overall good. read more

I expected more from Kaiser. Absolutely horrible (lack of) customer service. Have been calling all day and no one is picking up. I have 2 small kids, I don't have the time or energy to put this much effort into scheduling an appointment. read more

I had already had an eye exam on my VSP vision plan, but I have a lot of floaters and am very nearsighted. Previous doctors have sent me to a retinal specialist, just to make sure everything is ok. After taking the pictures of my retinas, my optometrist wanted to dilate my pupils and have a deeper look. I figured I might as well do that at Kaiser, in case there was any kind of medical issue. I got an appointment within just a couple of weeks, and explained myself at the desk. The receptionist said to let the doctor know. Dr. Paul Ho did a quick exam, and kindly agreed to go ahead and dilate my pupils to check my retinas. He was super thorough, and even called in another doctor to verify his findings. He spent a lot of time looking, and also explaining to me what he saw. Both doctors were also wearing double face masks, which I really appreciated. Eye exams are unavoidably close face-to-face contact, and I really respected their commitment to safety. Very pleased & felt very well cared for by everyone here! read more

I got the worst pair of glasses at this Center that I've had in decades. The optometrist who did the exam seemed very good, and the people were friendly. The location is convenient for me. However, my progressive lenses are giving me a lot of eye strain, particularly when reading. I've had better progressive lens experience with another vendor, and I will be going back to them right away. I have Kaiser insurance and hoped that this would reduce my cost. The eye exam was covered, but the lenses were not, and they were over $300, not including frames. So this was not really a bargain for me. I have had great experiences with Kaiser as a provider of medical services, but I have no plans to return to this establishment for vision care. read more

I had purchased glasses from the location on sunset I wasn't able to get them fitted do to my hectic work schedule I walked into this location on a Saturday and I was surprised I only waited about 2 minutes tops to be seen super friendly staff and very efficent thanks for the awesome service read more