Best eye doctor in the Bay Area! Dr. Marcus is thorough, knows his stuff, and makes you feel like he cares (whether or not he actually does is beside the point, cuz I def believe him). He actually remembers you even if you go once every other year! His frames are a little on the expensive side, and up until a week ago, I'd say it wasn't worth it. BUT my glasses fell three stories onto cement, and there's not a single bit amiss. I have never been happier with a pair of glasses than the ones I got here. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend any other eye doctor within a 50-mile radius. read more

Love Dr. Marcus! I've been going to him for several years now and every single time I leave very happy. Dr. Marcus is extremely knowledgeable, patient, friendly, and efficient. It's obvious he cares about his patients -- even though I missed my appointment last year, making it over a year and a half since I've last seen him, he still remembered me and where I even completed my undergrad! The office is very cozy but clean, and the receptionist Karen is also a darling. Communication with the office is always great. I can't wait to come back! read more

Have been coming here for years. Always a pleasant experience. Feels like a family experience and I always leave seeing life a little clearer. read more

Dr. Marcus was my first experience with an eye doctor. He was extremely knowledgeable, witty, and thorough. He explained everything and appeared so happy to do what he does for a living. I can't understand the negative reviews (which are only a few out of an overwhelmingly large amount of positive reviews), some people just won't be happy no matter what. Wonderful, caring doctor, it was a very positive experience. read more

Dr. Marcus is amazing! He was incredibly friendly and respectful. He discussed at depth different options for contacts and answered each and every question I had with utmost professionalism. I had multiple appointments with the eye exam and trying out contacts for the first time. Dr. Marcus wanted to ensure I had the best fit possible and made sure I was absolutely ready and comfortable to take care of my lenses. He allocated a large amount of time for contact fittings to allow the patient to properly learn the correct and safe way to put them in and take them out in addition to going in depth about proper care and precautions. Each step for the eye exam was explained to me in clear detail about what he was doing or looking for. Front desk staff was also very friendly and accommodating. Dr. Marcus is fantastic and I wish I had found him sooner! read more

I agree, he is a good doctor, and he does very good eye exams. I used to see him all through high school. HOWEVER, he tries to sell you things you don't need and charges you for things you don't need. Firstly, I wear contacts but I also get a pair of glasses for when I'm not wearing my contacts. I got contact lenses through him the year before and the following year I went to him and wanted to get glasses and he said that it was okay and tried to order me glasses but it turns out that the insurance didn't cover it. In other words, he looked at my papers and knew that my insurance didn't cover it which meant I'd have to pay for it out of my pocket. Trying to sell me glasses when I didn't want them. Secondly, the same happened to my dad. My entire family (and relatives) go see him for vision care but he definitely tries to take advantage of us, trying to make money. My dad went in for an exam but didn't want glasses because he didn't need them. 2 weeks later, Taylor calls and said that his glasses were ready, trying to make my dad pay for them. So as a result, my entire family stopped going to him for eye exams even if he is a good doctor because he's a businessman before he is a doctor, selling us unwanted things. read more

My husband was having flashes of sight inhibition and "Rainbow acid trips" across his eyes. We had no idea what was going on, so I took to yelp and found Dr. Marcus. I called on Thursday Jan 5th, and was able to book a new patient visit for Tuesday Jan 10th. I was able to find their website, download the new patient paperwork, and email it along with his insurance info to the office manager. Great communication, and we arrived 5 minutes early for our appointment and were seen right away. Everything was set to bill to our insurance and the office manager thanked me twice for emailing the paperwork ahead of time. * Pro tip- anytime you can email insurance and paperwork ahead of times to doctors, dentist.. it makes your like and theirs much, much easier. Worth noting my husband HATES, going to the Doctor, dentists, pretty much anyone in an office who will touch him and talk about his health. So I'm always crossing my fingers the appointments go well and change his mind. Dr. Marcus was incredible. He took his time answering all my husbands questions, and told light jokes along the way. I've never seen my husband so at ease with a doctor. He ran extra tests not included in our visit. He promised a Hanna Montana sticker, and true to his word my husband left all smiles, sticker in hand. Turns out my husband was experiencing his first ocular migraines. Dr. Marcus checked everything from his vision prescription to inside his eyeballs. Now my husband is all set for his vision prescription as well. His mind is at ease that it's not something more serious. ( his dad has cataracts, so he was freaking out a bit.) I cant recommend Dr. Marcus enough, he's had his practice for 36 years, and now I know why. 100% class, 100% awesome. 100% Hanna Montana stickers... read more

Richard H Marcus, OD - Eye exam time! - Optometrists Near Me - Alameda, California

Dr Marcus may be a good doctor, but he made me feel extremely bullied in terms of trying to get me to pay for glasses over and over and over which were not covered by my insurance, putting stuff in my eyes that prevented me from seeing properly for 5-6 hours after without telling me, and regarding how I only allocated 30 minutes for his appointment which took two hours (I allocated an hour). If you want good beside manner try a different practitioner. read more

Dr. Marcus is very thorough and I always feel well taken care of. He and his staff are very friendly and always offer a great conversation. He does a great job of explaining exactly what he is inspecting and why it's important. read more

I chose this office by mistake, my fault, but not until after going through the exam process and deciding I didn't want to by glasses from them did I understand the gravity of my mistake. The doctor is very kind and thorough, but his equipment is old. Nothing modern here at all, not even the office space. But the worst part was the doctor's support staff, a woman at the front desk. She was friendly until we decided we didn't want to purchase glasses from them. She wouldn't give us the prescription when we left and said she had to email it. The next day I called LensCrafters to make sure they took my insurance, and they confirmed they did but the office where we had the exam had placed a hold on my insurance. No clue what that means but I had to call the doctor's office and ask again for the prescription and I mentioned the hold and was told the prescription would be coming and the hold would be on for another 24 hours. Never had that happen before. Long story short, she was rude and I felt like the lag on receiving the prescription and the "hold" were all intentional. Don't go here. read more

Dr. Marcus and his staff were the best i've ever encountered. - Professional and very knowledgeable with years of experience. - Friendly and warm with a great sense of humor! - While offering them he's not pushy about his products or opinions. - Service was fast and my glasses were ready sooner than promised. - Quality of the lenses in the frames I provided are great. Highly recommend! read more

Got glasses here 6 months ago. At first, the service was really nice but recently called about a warranty claim and got a lot of attitude. It was just an inquiry to see if the lenses were covered (they weren't) but the lady that helped me seemed personally offended that I asked. I really wasn't upset at all (I figured that the lenses were not covered because I waited too long past warranty, my fault there) but she got really defensive. This place is also traditional and therefore expensive, and with new lower cost chain places like JINS coming up, I think I might be switching over service. I thought it would be nice to get personalized service (and it was!)... until it wasn't. It was unfortunate because the first visit was nice. But between the follow-up service and the price, I would not go back. Might have caught them on a bad day, so overall still a positive place, but not for me. read more

I really like Dr. Marcus; he is thorough, truly caring, and does great exams. However, this is dampened by the fact that his office has found every way possible to over charge it's patients. Unlike other offices where my insurance covers most if not all expenses, Dr. Marcus' office charged almost double what my coverage was, leaving me with large out-of-pocket expenses for contacts last year, and for glasses this year. As much as I would like to continue to see Dr. Marcus for his quality of work, I have to sadly say that I can't afford him even WITH insurance. If money is of no issue to you, then I highly recommend Dr. Marcus. If you are on a budget like myself, I would say shop elsewhere. read more

I have been going to Dr. Marcus for 10 years now. Even though I moved to San Francisco from the East Bay 4 years ago, I still drive over the Bay Bridge and through the tunnel to Alameda every 6 months for my exam. The reason is, it's rare to find a doctor of any kind who treats their patients like real people. Dr. Marcus does a very thorough exam, taking the time to review my previous year's exam notes with me, and to do the tests thoroughly. He is always warm and asks lots of questions about my life as well. I have referred several family members to him, and he always asks after everyone. The staff is always pleasant and acts happy to see me. After all these years they greet me like an old friend. Despite the reviews some others have written here, I have never once felt "pressured" to buy glasses or contacts. In 10 years I have only bought one pair of glasses from Dr Marcus, since I mainly wear my contacts, and the staff helped me pick out really cute frames that I have loved for years. I have always felt like my eye health and comfort has been their top priority. If anything they always seem concerned about how much things will cost me, and when I request to have my contacts shipped (so I don't have to make the drive again the next week) they always warn me carefully about the few extra dollars for shipping. read more

I went to this office after reading the reviews on Yelp. The doctor (a woman) was great, very patient, answered all my questions and I was never rushed. The staff there is one of a kind. Taylor is friendly, knowledgable, and above all very caring. She helped me find two new pairs of glasses in less than 20 minutes. Never happened before for me (it usually takes two hours of putting and taking off glasses). She looks at your face, skin tone, nose bridge and helps you find the best for you without feeling desperate. I can highly recommend this office! read more

Don't do it. I only went to this place because it was walking distance from my house at the time, but really there is no reason to go to Dr. Marcus' office. Yeah, he's thorough and all that, but they try to sell you on everything. After I declined to get glasses from them (way overpriced and not a good use for your money; get your frames online after you get your prescription), everyone started treating me pretty rudely (Dr. Marcus himself and his rude staff). Just don't do it. If you really have to though, just be sure not to get suckered into buying overpriced frames or contacts from them. read more

woohoo! As good as it gets! Seriously... I surf the net before I choose to get service. I could not ask for more. Dr. Marcus and his employees are awesome... very Professional. I had my 7 year old daughter checked up, and got her first glasses recently this early July. I get my eye exam in Berkeley, CA but change I must say. I recently had an eye exam and got my glasses today. I prefer Dr Marcus and here is the reason why. He is gentle, provide good service, does not sell you things you do not need. It is all in the insurance.. .. Seriously.. since i recalled good memory I will bring my 4year old.. Thanks Doc.. read more

I have used Dr. Marcus as my primary optomologist and found him to be one of the most friendliest and knowledgable optomologists I have ever encountered. I have also brought both of my teenage children there in the past year and his eye test and thorough exam is second to none! Both kids were very satisfied and both wanted to stop going to the Kaiser Optomology dept. and continue to see Dr. Marcus. Dr. Marcus is highly recommended. I have read some of the other comments here as well. I think his main lady that works with him is very good. She checks the insurance and recommends frames and handles all the appointments. However, when she is not in the office, there is another Filipina lady there who is almost worthless. On my trip there, she was rude and misinformed about my appointment and account. With this being said, Dr. Marcus is still one of the best optomoligists in the Bay Area. read more

I only recently started seeing Dr. Marcus this year after my sister had referred him to me. And I am glad that she did, because Dr. Marcus is very knowledgeable, friendly, and thorough. The office staff was great especially with my needs and explaining my vision coverage. My entire family are now patients of Dr. Marcus... And, I certainly did not feel that Dr. Marcus tried to sell anything to me during my visits and always provided me with options which is always good. I would highly recommend Dr. Marcus to anyone!!! read more

What I liked about Dr. Marcus is his patience even I was not very easy person those days:) Explains good enough; was open to answer my questions via email, so I don't need to come to the office (which I find very convenient). Though to be honest, one thing made me mad: his assistants didn't explained me that it is ABSOLUTELY necessary to wear contact lenses (the day you have an appointment) if you need a prescription to be renewed. I have been wearing lenses for many years, but no one before told me to wear them when I come to see an eye doctor. So I had to come there twice to get the prescription for glasses and then for contact lenses. read more

Dr. Marcus is very thorough, funny and personable. Five stars to his work. His office loses two stars for being pushy despite having very ordinary collection of eye glasses. read more

I visited Dr. Marcus for an eye exam not too long ago. I found him to be one of the most thorough and patient doctors I've ever visited. He really cares about his patients and helping them improve their vision. I had an eye infection at the time, and Dr. Marcus was easily able to assess the issue and give me the medication I needed to treat it. He also has a nice selection of glasses and sunframes in his office, and works with you to ensure you are provided with a frame that is sturdy and best protects you from the sun. read more

Since moving to the Bay Area from NY I'd only used the Eye Doctor at whatever LensCrafters was closest to where I was living at the time. After recently having my eyes examined by Dr. Marcus I feel like I have had my first real check up in years. Dr. Marcus and Karen were very friendly and it was very easy to schedule my appointments. Dr. Marcus is clearly an experienced professional who cares about his patients. My eyesight isn't terrible but he adjusted my prescription and I did notice an immediate difference in my vision. If I ever have a serious issue in the future with my eyes it's comforting to know Dr. Marcus will be there to help. read more

I love the service that Dr. Marcus gives to his patients. He is so nice, takes the time to explain what he is doing and gets the time to know you. His staff is also very nice. It is a pleasure visiting him. Highly recommended. read more

Now that everyone is always staring at a screen these days I'm convinced that a great optometrist is more necessary than ever before. For that, Dr. Marcus is your guy. My family has been going to his practice for nearly a decade now, and have never had an issue. He's very knowledgeable and although I only see him once a year he still remembers what we talked about last year, which shows that he really cares. When I was in Alameda and in high school, I really appreciated the location. Now that I live in San Leandro and work full time in he city, the location is not as convenient but they make up for it by having Saturday appointments available. Great doc! Highly recommend! Random fact - Dr. Marcus also knows quite a bit about meteorology! read more

Dr. Marcus deserves a 5-star rating. Very thorough exam, he caught some things that my previous office missed and I was very happy with the result. I now have contacts that I can use. He is charismatic and organized, represents his Cal Bears well! read more

Dr. Marcus and his team are the best ! As a Real Estate Broker I'm so delighted to have the best eye care. Always informative , and wants the best for my vision. Been a patient for almost 20 years . Love the option of Saturday appointments. read more

We have been going to Dr Marcus for close to 25 years, always a great experience, caring, professional and great selection. As far as we are concerned there is no one better. We have moved far away but still return each year for our exam and glasses, he is well worth the travel. Professional staff and great location. read more

I highly recommend Dr. Marcus and his staff. Dr. Marcus performed a very meticulous checkup of my eyes. He was concerned that I get the best pair of glasses, and gave me a lot of helpful tips on eyecare. Although I have been wearing glasses for years, I found that there's a lot more I can do to take care of my vision. After my glasses arrived, they called me in, and again, gave a good deal of time and attention that my glasses fit. I will definitely be going there in the future. read more

Great bedside manner, spent a lot of time helping me out. Couldn't be more happy. Before I went in, I was struggling to see because of focus issues. Now my eyes feel better than they have in a long time. read more

I've been a patient at Dr. Marcus' office for about 8 years. I've received great care from him - he's kind and excellent at what he does. Get in touch for any kind of eye issues and he can help you out. His staff has also been extremely helpful and as an added bonus will act as a sounding board when you're choosing a new pair of glasses. read more

I've been going to see Dr. Marcus since I was 6 years old. I'm 22 now and I'm still a patient, as well as my husband now. He's great with people. The staff is amazing, I feel at home every time I'm there. Great OD!! read more

Best Optometrist I have ever been too. He goes above and beyond to check for everything. I had to leave early before my glaucoma exam, so he let me come back the following week to finish the exam (free of charge). Besides being a great optometrist, he's genuinely a good person. He gave me a list of good places to visit in SF and recommended a few shopping places. If It wasn't a weird thing to befriend your optometrist, I would've totally asked me to be my friend. On top of all that, his staff is soooo nice. They made sure that I understood what my insurance offered and the best deals to use. They have really nice glasses and contacts prices, but if you find something cheaper they will match you. Overall, a great experience and I would recommend everyone to go to him. read more

Recently found the office of Dr Marcus through a search for people who can work with "hard to fit" contact lens wearers. I have astigmatism and there was absolutely no trouble with getting everything worked out. Dr Marcus and staff are accommodating and very sweet and sincere. I'd recommend his office to anyone, not just hard to fit patients. Can't go wrong. Wonderful experience all around. read more

I have to agree with some of the others here: this office is business first and eye care second, which is a shame, since Dr. Marcus is actually a very good optometrist. I have been going there for years, but I keep not making an appointment this year. I guess we're not going back. Here's what happened last year: 1) The exam was shockingly expensive, over two hundred just to see the doctor. There was the usual exam fee, but apparently my contacts had been discontinued, so I had to pay an unexpected contact lens fitting fee which tripled the cost of the exam. No one mentioned this until I was in the exam chair. 2) During the exam, the doctor tended to talk over me. He was pretty convinced that a new lens (from a company he likes) was great, and he really didn't listen to my doubts. 3) The woman at the front desk pressured me to buy a year's supply of that lens from the office. For some reason, I actually did this. 4) When the new contacts left me with a painful, red eye, I took my many unopened boxes of lenses back to the office, where the woman at the front desk completely ignored the fact that my eye was red and painful, instead putting her energy into trying to charge a significant restocking fee. After much argument, the restocking fee was waived, but the health of my eye was never considered. The office did eventually provide an appropriate contact lens Rx--the lens that should have been tried first, the one designed to replace my discontinued lenses--but the process took over two months. read more

I am a recent transplant to the west and was in need of an eye doctor asap! After meeting with Dr. Marcus, I was hooked! He is an awesome doctor and very kind to his patients. He is extremely attentive and obviously loves what he does. His office also has a wide selection of wonderful frames to choose from. I was extremely happy with the service and certainly felt like I got my money's worth! Trust me, you will be in good hands :). Wherever you reside in the East Bay he is worth the travel to the tiny island :) read more

I'm sad to lower my rating for this office, but lately my experience here has been disappointing. Dr. Marcus himself is still a wonderful optometrist, but I have been finding that the office is a bit disorganized, and the staff has been more pushy than I'm comfortable with about getting me to purchase contacts and glasses from them. On my last visit with Dr. Marcus year, he found that my prescription had changed (improved, w00t) in my right eye. During the exam, he asked if I was thinking about purchasing new glasses - he very honestly told me (which I greatly appreciated) that I probably didn't need to if I was happy with my current pair; so I told him that I would pass this time (I bought my current glasses from there only a year ago, and I really like them). When I was done with the exam, I decided to purchase some new contacts since I needed new ones for the right eye anyway. This is where my impression of the office started going downhill. Minus star #1: The staff started being surprisingly pushy about getting me to purchase a year's supply of contacts. I don't know if it's the economy or what, but I honestly never experienced this kind of pushiness in an optometrist's office before - this was seriously on the same level as the Asian optometry offices I've been to, which can get pretty bad! I told them I was only interested in half a year's worth to start off with since I wasn't prepared to spend that much that day, and would let them know if I needed any more. Still, they kept reminding me over and over again to REMEMBER to purchase from THEM when I wanted to get contacts, and was I sure I didn't want to buy a year's supply (to which I replied "yes, I'm sure" at least 3 times)? When they were finally done bugging me about getting contacts, the staff members (note this was the staff working at the reception, and NOT Dr. Marcus) started asking me if I wanted to get glasses that day. When I said "No", they AGAIN started to emphasize that I buy glasses from THEM when I decide to. The whole time this was happening, my husband was quietly waiting for me in the waiting room. When we left, even he had to admit that they were being overly pushy. After putting in my order and making sure that they got my updated prescription, I was pretty much just ready to leave and have it all over with. Unfortunately, things didn't end there. Which leads to... Minus star #2: Several days later, I received a call from the office to say that my contacts arrived. However, when they told me the prescription they ordered, it was wrong! They still had my old (previous) prescription. The receptionist I talked to didn't quite believe me when I explained that Dr. Marcus had updated my right eye prescription, and that it should actually be lower (and I remembered specifically verifying this on the day I ordered the contacts). Dr. Marcus himself called me later that same day, but it turned out that he, too, could not find where he had written my updated prescription. This honestly baffled and worried me, because honestly - who likes the feeling that you can't count on your optometrist's records? Apparently, Dr. Marcus had written a small note of the update somewhere on my patient chart, but it was not very clear and easy to find for the receptionists (or even himself, apparently!), who were in charge of placing the contacts order. When they eventually figured it out, the receptionist called me back, but rather than apologize, she just sounded annoyed with not being able to find the correct prescription (which is understandable), but then proceeded to make sure I wouldn't mess up and take the wrong contacts when I picked them up. The whole tone in her voice just rubbed me the wrong way. I eventually went in and got the correct contacts, but not without yet ANOTHER reminder to make sure I purchase more contacts and glasses from that office. Dr. Marcus is a great doctor, but it honestly worried me that he could be so careless/disorganized as to not even be able to find my updated prescription. The staff is friendly, but I was just completely put off by how pushy they were about me purchasing contacts and glasses there. If anything, their pushiness just makes me want to order elsewhere more! read more

I am new to Alameda and was looking for a new optometrist. My friend recommended Dr. Marcus. I am really glad I found his office. The office staff is wonderful, informative and very helpful. Their frame selection is nice and up to date!!!! I bought two pair of glasses. Jojo one of the office staff was nice and fixed my other glasses I bought elsewhere. Dr. Marcus explained every step of the eye-exam and helped me understand my vision needs. He is very kind and has a great sense of humor. I highly recommend Dr. Marcus office. read more

I really like Dr Marcus. He explained everything to me after every task is finished. Beside that, he is super friendly and professional. He is really a good doctor. read more

I have been going to dr Marcus for many years He is what alameda is all about Small town personal service So much better than a lens crafter type corporate business He has saved the day for me several times when I have had eye infections He goes above and beyond to take care of his patience I highly recommend him read more