We walked in and they helped bend back glasses that were sat on, no charge, very nice!

They have an amazing frame selection with lots of funky options but my glasses were just terrible. The frames didn't fit right and they could never adjust them properly. I got progressive lenses and because the fit was bad, I was constantly looking through the wrong part of the lens. I suspect the initial measurements were wrong. I will never buy glasses here again. No matter how cute they are if they don't work as glasses there is no point. read more

Amazing glasses collection I heard by so many people they had the best collection in town. Finally I discovered this to be true. They are like an eyewear dream land read more

I want to start by saying that, for the longest time (due to frugalness and/or being a poor student) I got my prescription glasses from online places that do prescription + frames for less than $100. So for me to come in here and give a 5-star review to a shop that costs MUCH MORE is a testament to the quality of both product and service. I had a pair of frames I loved & was getting re-fitted with updated prescriptions over the years. After 3 cycles of this I thought it might be nice to have something new and different. I scoured the internet at all of the typical glasses places and bought a few but they didn't fit right, didn't flatter my face, etc, and returned them. I visited a number of Austin area frame shops, both local and chain stores, to find a set of frames that I liked enough to commit to. One of my friends, who worked in a glasses shop in town, exhausted her supply of frames on me and then told me to go to Santa Fe Optical. "They are THE place to find awesome frames," she said, with the added caveat that they weren't cheap. The Jefferson location (which doesn't seem to have a Yelp page) was beautifully decorated, organized by designer, and teeming with helpful employees, one of whom set me down at an antique vanity and brought me drawers of glasses frames. After picking out a frame and sharing my prescription (I got my eye exam done elsewhere), I had to wait two long weeks for my glasses to come in. I have a prism in my prescription, which apparently takes a while to shave. (I realized this when I went to a one-hour glasses shop in Japan; my sister's prescription took twenty minutes of turnaround; mine required two weeks.) I was fitted carefully and thought that was going to be it. BUT NO. Something happened to the lenses, I'm not sure what.. I noticed that they scratched REALLY easily, even with the soft microfiber cloths they gave me. One lens started showing a weird spray of pitting on the outer edge. I received the glasses in October and was fed up enough that I walked into their Arboretum shop a few months later, when the artifacts in the lenses were giving me enough trouble to distract me. I told the worker there how disappointed I was, and after verifying with the Jefferson store that I was indeed a customer, they re-ordered my lenses (stating that my current ones probably weren't "cured" long enough or the coating was bad), had me in for a swap when they were in, re-fitted, re-cleaned, re-gifted me a set of microfiber cloths, for free. It's easy to say that a business gets your 5 stars for selling you a beautiful product (my frames get so many compliments, and they are truly a work of art), but it's another for a business to give good customer service when shit happens. My lenses weren't up to their standards and they fixed it for me on their dime. It's been almost a year since I received my frames and every day I marvel at how much I love them. They were probably the best investment I made in 2015. Thank you for your great customer service, SFO!! read more

Life is too short to wear boring glasses. If you want to some really creative and cool looking glasses check out this place. They have the designs that no one else has. European brands with strange shapes that will immediately set you apart. Be ready for major sticker shock though. Any time I look at a frame it has a price starting with five or thereabouts. But then, you'll be wearing your glasses for quite a while and they are essentially part of your identity. (In case you're wondering, my profile photo is the first of two pairs I bought at Santa Fe in my years in Austin.) read more

I needed a repair of a pair of sunglasses that I didn't even purchase there. They were able to help me out quickly and with no charge. Highly recommended. read more

Extra fees for lense drilling not disclosed in quoted price until paying the bill.

The absolute "go to" place for artsy European style eyeglasses. Great selection.

I purchased my current pair of glasses at the central location about 5 years ago and have since been back for adjustments and to have the temple pieces replaced, which the staff was more than happy to help me with. Ibfinally decided to get a new pair of frames and some prescription sunglasses. Scott helped me pick out so many frames that I would have never gone for, but fell in love with. The store was fully staffed as opposed to my experience at LensCrafters with the lone teenage employee who was no help at all. Santa Fe has the most awesome selection of hip, edgy, fun, and funky frames. They all cost a pretty penny, but Scott helped me find some that fit my budget. When I was finished shopping, I mentioned an issue with my current frames and he quickly volunteered to take them in the back and fix them up for me. I have never before or since experienced the level of service and the amazing selection that Santa Fe has to offer. I don't think I will ever purchase frames anywhere else! read more

Very small selection. If you are one that can use your imagination and buy glasses without seeing them...this might be a great place for you. They can get things in many different colors and customized in many ways, but for me...I want to try on the glasses I'm going to buy. I was told it would take 2-4 weeks minimum for any frame. The one in particular that he was trying to sell me was going to take 8 weeks. I had already told him that I needed the glasses quickly. I was not impressed. The service was just bad. They also don't take insurance. No insurance + small selection = no thanks. read more

I was instantly impressed by the level patience and attention to detail the opticians had while having some sunglasses I received as a gift adjusted. The ladies that work at this location provided refined customer service and I will be shopping for my next pair of sunglasses /optical frames from here. Highly recommended!!! read more

Best little optical shop in Texas! After hearing from my husband about my problems with Big Box Opticians, his office mate recommended Santa Fe Optical. My first visit to the store convinced me that I'd never need a different optician. That was in 1998, when I found a spectacles frame that was so perfect I wore them almost daily for 15 years. I updated my Rx occasionally and bought other specs from Santa Fe as well. I finally bought brand new frames in fall of 2014 when the Jefferson Square manager (Rachel) told me they could no longer get straps for my favorite frame and would be unable to replace the lenses for fear of breaking a strap. Change is tough, especially when one's appearance is what changes. Stacy stuck with me through hours of quibbling. She gave me sound advice on frame shapes and colors that suited me, then helped me make the final materials decisions for my new bespoke (made just for me!) spectacles. Stacy even let me try on her own spectacles so I could get some sense of how Progressives work and whether I might like them or might opt into bifocals. Stacy and Rachel go above and beyond in accommodating my self-identified perfectionist requirements - my specs have to fit just so, which makes me a frequent visitor to the Jefferson Square location. Stacy and Rachel have both spent hours on my fitting demands - paragons of patience, both of them. I ordered a second bespoke frame from a different designer shortly after my first new specs came in last fall (2014). The second frame just will not take adjustments, so Stacy is going to "do whatever it takes" to get them to work for me, even if that means having the frame re-made. The last pair of "won't adjust properly" spectacles I had ended up in the bin when the Big Box place refused to work with me so you can imagine how impressed I am with Stacy's willingness to make things right for me. More kudos for Stacy for the Gail Spence frame - you know what I'm talking about! That's a "pay it forward" gift that I fully intend to honor when the opportunity arises :D Dear reader: your take-away from my review should be this: Skip the big box place. Go directly to the nearest Santa Fe Optical location, and be prepared to be blown away by the variety and quality of frames on offer and by the superlative customer service. It don't get better than this, folks. read more

Have you ever visited those eye doctors that claims they always get the newest technologies and equipments but no one in the office from the nurses to the doctor themselves know how to properly operate the machine? Well, that's how I would describe my one-year relationship at Santa Fe Optical...sort of. I'm a frequent traveler and an avid eyeglasses shopper that has visited many high-end European and Japanese glasses boutiques both in the states and abroad. When I moved to Austin, I was searching around for a high-end boutique that I can rely on locally and came across Santa Fe Optical. Everything about Santa Fe Optical is nice looking, from the store design, staff, to the large selection of expensive beautiful designer display frames. When one walks into a store that asks around $1,000 for a pair of glasses, this is what you'd expect. However, the part that customers don't get to see is the most important part of Santa Fe's problem: the finished quality of the customer's very own glasses. Let's be fair here since it is the nature of how all glasses stores operate, the customer rarely knows how their glasses will turn out before they pay. But since I have had some past experiences, after I found my desired pair of rimless frame and lens choice, I asked my optician to show me a pair of customer's finished glasses to check out their lab's quality. I noticed that the edges of the lens although polished shinny, has a bit of wavy and uneven appearance. I asked if that is something the lab can take caution of when they make my pair and my optician said no problem. After I paid and patiently waited around 6 weeks, the glasses finally arrived. One of the first things I checked is whether the lens were cut smoothly and evenly around the edges, and that my frame has no scratches from shipping and lab processing. To my surprise, I found both of my lenses to have unfinished bumps that can both be felt and seen. There was also some minor paint scratches near the arm joints. I made note of the problems to the store manager and they agreed to remake the pair whenever I am convenient to bring the glasses back in. A few months went by and after I've obtained an extra back-up pair from another boutique, I brought my Santa Fe pair in to get the lens smoothed out. After 2 weeks, the shop called and said that one of my lens coating cracked when they pulled my glasses apart so they are in the process of ordering brand new lenses to remake my pair. Another month went by and finally I received the call that my glasses are ready for pick up. Again, I went in and checked out the quality. This time, one of the drill holes was drilled too wide and have chipped edges from drilled tool mark at the hole entry. Due to the falsely large drill, extra glue had to be applied and it over-flooded onto the surface of the lens. The look was simply unacceptable for a pair of "high-end" glasses and I pointed out that every single demo pair on their display shelf looks better than mine. The manager asked me whether I wanted to take my pair home and wait for him to consult with the owner to see if they can remake that one single lens for me. After waiting impatiently for 2 more weeks, the store manager called me and apologized that my account has "run out of re-makes". I left the store as an unsatisfied customer now having to either live with an ugly drilled $1000 rimless glasses or having to find another responsible boutique elsewhere. Like I said, the people working at Santa Fe Optical are cool and friendly, but the lab's quality and consistency is probably as old as the chain itself from the 80s. Do not believe their words when they say that their lab has invested in lots of expensive high-tech systems, because the lab technicians obviously don't know how to correctly assemble glasses. read more

Never again. If only Yelp had a 0 star button that would be great. I called about some frames and ordered them through the phone. The next day I while out shopping I found the exact frames in stock so I called to cancel. They told me No returns. No one told me there was a "no return policy". I also wanted to add that I have never been to this store. Right off the bat the girl who answered the phone (Rachel) was extremely ugly and rude. First of all, how is there not a return policy? They aren't coming with my prescription in them. They are just the frames. I also don't have the product in my hands. Yet they will not refund the money back to me. Stating it says so on your receipt, Well lets recap I DIDN'T GET A RECEIPT OR SIGN ANYTHING. Apparently all the managers are all out too how convenient. If you can return a car you can return some frames that are not even in my possession. What upsets me the most is I didn't wait a week or two weeks to say anything I called within 24 hours to tell them this. Just to get blown off and be told you can pick them up when they get here. That has to be the WORST customer service I have ever experienced. I will never EVER shop here again. If you want great customer service and a better price on frames go to Fine Eyewear. I forgot to add I'm paying 60 dollars more for the same frames at Santa Fe. That place is a rip off. That was my lesson learned. read more

Just bought regular glasses and sunglasses here. Customer service was fantastic! Scot, the manager, was especially helpful, knowledgeable, and courteous. He was very good at matching my face, hair color, sense of style etc. with enough frames that I had lots of options, but wasn't overwhelmed. Best selection of unique and stylish frames that I found in Austin. Latest technology in frame and lens materials. Upper end of price range, but I felt like I got what I paid for. Overall very impressed and would definitely go back! read more

Santa Fe Optical is still the best! I had purchased sunglasses from Santa Fe Optical years ago and they were far and away the best store to find the most stylish glasses as well as offering great service. When it came time to get my most recent pair of prescription glasses, I was very pleased to find that they haven't changed. They still carry the best products and offer impeccable service, to say the least. I needed a new pair of glasses fairly quickly and was very interested in a pair of high-end frames I had found on the internet that no retail store that I contacted seemed to carry or even be familiar with. After an exhaustive and unfruitful search of just about every store in San Antonio I thought of SFO in Austin. I called the Arboretum store and reached Rachele. I could not remember the specific model name, only the brand, so I described the lens shape and color of the frames I was looking for. Surprisingly, she was able to identify the exact frames I was describing based on my description (Finally, someone that knows their business) and she promised to make her best effort to find them for me. Within minutes, I received a return call informing me that she had located them at one of their other stores and I could pick them up at whatever location was convenient for me. I requested the Arboretum store. Before heading to Austin, upon her suggestion, I sent a copy of my prescription to Rachele via email for her review to ensure the glasses would work for me before I made the trip. She promptly replied that there wouldn't be any problem and I let her know that I would be leaving from San Antonio within the hour. The hour drive was well worth the trip. When I arrived the frames had been delivered the store as promised. I tried on the glasses and was very happy with them. Regardless, I was still encouraged to compare them to other frames in the store so I would be certain these were the best fit. Rachele and one other rep gave me their honest opinions, which I agreed with, about all of the frames I tried including specifics as to why some frames worked for me and why others did not. After settling on the frames, she took precise measurements from several angles. This was a first for me as reps from other stores in the past had always hurried through this process. I purchased the frames and lenses which are the best I've ever owned. I get quite a few compliments on them as well. Santa Fe Optical is a business that remains on the cutting edge of style, but more importantly for me, they are a business that adheres to a high standard of professionalism and expertise. I was becoming very tired of dealing with reps from other stores that simply didn't know their business. I give SFO 5 stars in the categories of selection, style, professionalism, expertise and customer satisfaction....what else is there? read more