Julia was great with helping me select my new Sabine Be frames. But, the technical aspect of using a computer, and sending my receipt to me in an email escapes the staff at this location. And changing my name in the system to be the correct spelling. "I don't have access" doesn't cut it in this day and age, and sending the receipt in an email is a simple every day task. Owner, please enable your employees technically and train them. Please! Also, they said they would file a claim with VSP and did not. So I just went ahead and filed a claim with VSP myself. Disappointed, most likely will not be using them again. Too expensive and not enough customer service. read more

A pair of frames called to me from their window display!! Great selection. Very helpful staff. read more

Montclair Optical Berkeley The Cutting Edge - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Maggi was very helpful in picking out the right frames for reading glasses. Good guarantees too. read more

This review is for the shop in Elmwood on College Avenue. My wife and I went there last week to both look for new eyeglasses and the experience was just spectacular! Maggie was so helpful and showed us so many beautiful frames and made the whole experience, fun and lighthearted. We both walked out with spectacular new frames and will come back anytime! The selection is so good and Maggie is wonderful! read more

Julia and Anissa "got" my aesthetic better than I myself do, and had the selection to deliver my hip dreams in my petite size, often a problem for me. They worked with me patiently while I went back three times to Kaiser to tweak my tricky Rx and agonized over options. Things I love about them: Mother-daughter operation. Smart about faces and people. They have their own lab and make the lenses themselves - really know their stuff. Unique, well-curated selection with lines you don't see everywhere, including other urban boutiques. Very reasonable prices for the high-end experience they deliver. Willing to explain in detail to finicky customers like me. They have a real vocation for their craft and it shows. read more

Jose was fantastic. He helped fix/ custom fit my sunglasses. He was fast, friendly, helpful, and clearly knew what he was doing. The sunglasses fit perfectly now. Would highly recommend The Cutting Edge's services! read more

Got beautiful glasses at this place. Not inexpensive, but worth it. Maggi is excellent! She made the choice systematic and easy!

I got glasses from them and the service was great, but they never sent my claim to vsp. First time I reminded them they said it's because their office is closed due to covid, then they didn't reply to me. I went to the office as last attempt a couple of months ago and they half heartedly said they'll process my claim, but of course nothing happened. So I lost a few hundred dollars probably. At least the glasses are good, but if I need new ones I'll look around for another place. read more

Anissa is AMAZING. I stumbled in here by accident and Anissa picked out THE coolest glasses ever that fit my face perfectly. She makes the lenses herself (so cool), and the turnaround is lightning fast. Her customer service is unmatched, and she will treat you with so much kindness and warmth. It is a joy to go visit her at her beautiful shop. Also, I get asked about my glasses almost daily. Want to stand out and be well cared for? Buy from The Cutting Edge from now on. read more

The best. OMG Julia and Anissa know fashion, independent eyewear and represent a a fresh new face in Berkeley. They carry one of the most important and relevant brands on the planet, Garrett Leight California Optical and I get my glasses here. If you are looking for independent eyewear, this is your spot. read more

Fantastic place, the owner was super nice, she has great taste in frames, and helped my girlfriend find the perfect frames after we'd visited six other stores with no success. You'll spend money here, but it will be on quality. Great experience, we'll be back. read more

Wide selection of fabulous,cool, artsy glasses at very reasonable prices. Very nice staff who are not at all snooty.

I just got my first pair of glasses, and I could not be happier with my experience at The Cutting Edge. I shopped around a lot. I tried on a zillion frames in many shops. This shop I had such great frames it was very easy for me to find several that I would be happy with. The level of service is also very high. The owner has been in this business for over 40 years. She and her daughter run the store. They each, on different visits, spent a lot of time with me helping choose frames, thinking through the different options and what my needs and lifestyle are, and making recommendations. After I got my glasses they were very helpful with adjustments. I also lost my receipts but needed them for my FSA so I came back for that. Again, so helpful.If you are shopping for frames, put this place on your list. read more

10 stars! My experience with Cutting Edge Optical has been so good that I don't know where to start. Hmm - let's go with chronology. I came into the shop jittery, just as COVID-19 was ramping up. Annisa welcomed , put me at ease, asked about my preferences, looked at me carefully and then plucked an astoundingly beautiful array of frames for me to try - after sanitizing each one. She listened carefully to my reactions, offered helpful feedback and patiently shepherded my decision-making process (including taking photos & video to send to my bff). She mentioned that her shop was connected to Montclair Optical, which is owned by her mother Julia. After I'd narrowed my choices Annisa reviewed the costs and even offered me a 1st time discount. I was so impressed that I decided to update my sunglasses. Annisa then explained that the shop had its own optical lab and showed me how she could craft the color and shading of the lenses to accentuate the sunglass frames' aesthetic. When I came back a few days later to order the frames Jose was there to finalize arrangements, taking care to get the details right. He managed to be warm & reassuring even while sanitizing the frames & maintaining social distance. 2 days later Alameda County issued its shelter in place order. I thought it would be months before I'd get those glasses. I resigned myself to making do with blurry lenses. But the following Sunday (yes, Sunday) I got a call from Julia who told me the glasses were ready and offering to drop them off because she knew I probably needed them. An hour later they were on my porch. Annisa called the next day to follow up and counsel me on the best way to sanitize them w/o damaging the frames. To sum up: the best frames, the most discerning and attentive optical service, the most affirming customer experience - all at a favorable price. And a woman-owned business! One final note: Cutting Edge Optical provides an essential service and has chosen to stay open. read more

Just bought a pair of sunglasses here. Great service. Really interesting selection. Will definitely be coming back.

I've never written a yelp review but this experience warrants it. My glasses were sitting a little crooked on my face so I took them in to get them slightly bent back into shape. It should've been a routine and simple process: heat the glasses up and just bend a bit (i've had this done at eyewear shops before). But the woman just took my glasses and bent them firmly and then they *snapped*. It seemed like she had no idea what she was doing. She broke the frame by bending it and proceeding to say the frame would have snapped eventually and would have snapped if any other glasses shop tried to bend them back in shape (a completely unfounded statement on no facts, and also trying to claim no responsibility for what she did). She also then proceeded to say I clearly don't take care of my frames and stated all of the things I likely did to lead to this happening. I was shocked that she then nonchalantly tried to glue them back together and hand them back to me and offered me an option: purchase a new pair of frames at the shop but she'd give me a discount. WOW! great sales lady. Break my glasses and then tell me to buy a new pair from you? I wasn't going to do that. So I left the shop with a broken pair of glasses covered in glue from her attempt to weld it back together (they broke where she welded them together less than one week later). I'll never visit this place again and I strongly recommend others consider visiting a more professional and experienced eyewear store where staff are also able to acknowledge their own mistakes, rather than blame the customer. read more