The ONLY eye doc I'll go to. Dr. Gooderman has been my eye doctor for about 23(!) years. He's very thorough, passionate and trustworthy. Even when I lived on the east coast, I'd coordinate my eye appointments with my trips home. read more

Dr Gooderman is fantastic. He did one of the most thorough exams I've ever encountered in my ~40 years of wearing corrective lenses. He smartly identified an amblyosis (poor focusing eye) due to a childhood ptosis (droopy eyelid). He is full of great information. He's very chatty with a wonderful old school Brooklyn manner. He goes the extra mile, and I highly recommend Dr Gooderman. read more

The old guy taking phone calls has hearing probelms and unable to record patient info. I had to yeil for him to hear. It was so troublesome i decided to make an appo with another place. The guy sounded like he was 70+ in his age read more

Solid old fashioned doctor. He gives a very thorough exam and is fun to talk to as he has lived in the Bay Area for a ling time.

I won't go anywhere else. He's so knowledgeable and thorough. I trust him completely. Plus, he's kind and funny.

Great guy. Nice location. He's been in business for awhile and he knows what he's doing. I try to see him once a year. He's funny and will keep a smile on your face. read more

Very mixed experience. Read on. Good and bad over the course of a year. The good: Dr. Gooderman is extremely thorough and professional, where I find other optometrists to be lacking. If you go in as a new patient or for your yearly exam, he does EVERYTHING. He checks stuff I've never had any other eye doctors check. I feel like he is very old school in this regard; refuses to compromise for the sake of time or getting more appointments in. As far as the eye exam goes, I've never had better. I may try to go to him for my yearly exam in the future, and simply take my prescription elsewhere (read on for why). Dr. Gooderman *can* also be fun to work with. He jokes a lot. The bad: Sometimes the jokes aren't great. Sometimes he makes me feel kind of uncomfortable. Sometimes they tend to verge on rants or complaints that don't come off as very professional, and make me want to get out of there sooner rather than later. He has a somewhat abrasive personality. Your mileage may vary, but I find it offputting as much as I find it funny. What's worse is the scheduling. He's very popular, so getting an appointment can be a chore. If you ever need to go see Dr. Gooderman, for any reason, make absolutely sure he has you down in his calendar. If you just drop by, there's a good chance he'll simply tell you to go away (in basically those words). It's just him in his office and he keeps busy, so this is totally understandable, but... it still kinda sucks to drop by to pick up or drop off and have him say, "Sorry, can't talk to you right now." I feel like he would be very well served by a receptionist/medical assistant who could do stuff like that while he does the more critical tasks, but as far as I know, he has no such help. I also find his selection of frames to be underwhelming and not really that high quality. The only pair of glasses that I got through him have broken THREE times, in the EXACT same place. After the third one I finally said, "No more of this frame. Let's find something else." To his credit he was very understanding and handled the replacement process very well, but... still. I've gone through five different frames since getting glasses in my early 20s, and I've never had any of them break. These ones broke right on the nose bridge, a nice, clean little snap in an obviously weak point. My NEW replacement frames (thick, black Hipster frames instead of the thin metal I'm used to, hoping they won't break) came in today... but the lab didn't apply the antireflective coating properly, so they're getting sent out again... And it's just like, damn. I just want glasses that don't break. I've gotten glasses from other private doctors, Costco, Lenscrafters... and I've never had a breakage, let alone three in a single year. Each time they break it's a 1-3 week waiting period for new ones, and meanwhile I'm back to my scratchy backups from years ago. So I'll be getting my next pair of glasses elsewhere. Again, this is a very personal experience and your mileage may vary, but this whole experience has kind of soured me on Dr. Gooderman as a provider. I'm going to try someone else for my next round of frames. read more

Dr. Gooderman is a real find. My typical eye doctor experience is to wait awhile, talk to a tech, do the eyechart with some doctor who seems rushed, and 30 minutes later I'm handed some samples and led out the door. Rinse, eyewash, repeat. I rarely come out unhappy, but it's not particularly memorable either. Dr. Gooderman was the only person in the office when I came in on a Friday. He handled my intake solo. Worked the magic eye machines, worked the computer for scheduling, you name it. He talked to me. He made jokes. He spent a solid 2 hours, just the two of us, going over every conceivable aspect of my eyes. And it was fun! Now I have to try and find a GP like this. That is, unless Dr. Gooderman is willing to branch out a bit. read more

Dr. Gooderman has a wealth of knowledge about vision and eye health. He applies the highest standards of eye examination, not only through the use of specialized equipment, but also by asking you relevant questions and reviewing the records of any opthalmologic examination you may recently have had. He will not "oversell" you on products (although he does have some spectacular frames to choose from), and is full of good advice. The office may appear to be disheveled, but his mind and focus are totally organized and prepared to drill down on getting you your best possible vision. read more

I agree with all the other reviews on here. Dr. Gooderman is far and away the best eye doctor I've ever had. He's so thorough and really takes his time with you. It's also fun to talk to! He noticed something in my eyes that other doctors had noticed, but not been able to explain. He was able to diagose the problem and showed me pictures from a book to illustrate. Dr. Gooderman also changed my type of contact lens after I wore the same brand for years. Not only did the slight redness in my eyes go away, but my prescription actually changed slightly for the better the next day by having more oxygen getting to my eye. He's definitely a great find! read more

Dr. Gooderman is seriously the nicest person, doctor I have ever met. Seriously, my husband Jim and I have been going to him for years. He is kind, and funny, and gentle, and considerate. He looked at a problem in my eyes and solved an anemia problem that I actually had surgery to repair. Out of several doctors, my eye doctor figured this out... pretty amazing. We now sadly have Kaiser and still see him out of pocket because he is so good. I highly recommend him as a doctor and also as a wonderful character. read more

I have a really bad astigmatism in one of my eyes and my last optometrist told me it would never be 20/20. I went to Dr. Gooderman and he not only made my vision 20/20, but he had me try on 6 different lenses to see which one fit the best. He was also able to fix a couple other problems that no one else had been able to even think about. His exams are very thorough (takes about 2 hours) but that means he gets it right. His sense of humor is charming (although not all may agree) and he tends to chat it up, but it's worth it the earfull! read more

My eyes have been in the hands of Dr. Gooderman for about five years now. He is the most thorough, attentive, and caring doctor I have ever encountered - I wish I could find a primary care physician like him!!! What I appreciate most is that I never feel rushed during my visit - unlike many other doctors. During the exam, he tells you exactly what he is doing, looking for, etc - and he always checks his notes from the previous exams to see how things compare... not just the prescription but the actual health and condition of your eyes. He carries a good collection of frames, and really takes the time to look thru his inventory to find a good match for both your face shape and your style. He has a wonderful sense of humor but also tells it like it is (I got in t-r-o-u-b-l-e for wearing my lenses beyond the two weeks recommended... sorry Dr. G, it won't happen again.) I have referred friends, family, and co-workers to Dr. G. Have fun in the green chair! read more

Dr. Gooderman is phenomenal. You will never have a more thorough eye exam, or an enjoyable visit to the eye doctor. The way he practices is a paragon other doctors should follow. After sitting through a two hour session I now realize how POOR my past eye care has been. From the warm greeting at the door, the humor, the innumerable tests, the careful explanations of eye health and practice, to the frame fitting and insurance benefit explanation, I was impressed and had a really FUN time! Don't forget to bring sunglasses if you plan to be dilated! read more

Dr. Gooderman gives far and away the most thorough eye exam I've ever experienced, and as a kid who's been half-blind since the 3rd grade, I've experienced a lot of eye exams. He's also extremely knowledgeable not only about your eyes, but about what you put in them as well - something incredibly important if you're a contact wearer like I am. If he notices anything a little weird about your eyesight, he doesn't just ignore it, or prescribe around it, but tries to figure out what might be causing it in case it might be something serious. This is a Good Thing. Expect a first appointment to take at least a couple of hours, especially if you're as blind as I am. He's by appointment only, so don't try to just walk in. I cannot recommend him enough. read more

One of the best eye doctors you'll see. So many eye doctors shuttle you in and out of an appointment in less than 15 minutes. But Dr. Gooderman, spent more an hour with me, answering all my questions thoroughly, spending time with the examination and explaining everything he was seeing. I've since moved, so I can't go to Dr. Gooderman anymore. But if I end up back in the SF Bay Area, I'll definitely be back. He's the old-fashioned doctor that actually spends time with his patients. read more

I've been going to the same eye doctor in my home town for years. But I decided to finally be a grown-up and find an eye doctor in the city. I'm so glad I found Dr. Gooderman! He made getting my eyes poked and examined fun. Like the other reviewer said, he's very thorough and will explain what his contraptions are doing. He has a great sense of humor and I couldn't be more pleased with my first eye exam. Also, he's got a fabulous old green examination chair that you get to hang out in. That's almost worth the entire visit alone. I'm very happy to have him as my eye doctor. read more

Wonderful optometrist: My only optometrist for about a decade now (OMG how time flies!), Dr. Stewart Gooderman, is quite simply beyond awesome!! He leaves other optometrists in the dust for exemplary quality of service. I need an optometrist who is good at fitting contacts for my dry eyes (don't blink enough). Way back when, a co-worker ditched her glasses and gave a positively glowing recommendation of Dr. Gooderman. She was someone who had not had much luck getting fit. I went based on her enthusiasm. I am totally glad I did. Dr. Gooderman fit me in a non-standard brand of soft contact when other doctors had been trying to shoehorn me into hard lenses. Since then, I have directed other hard-to-fit friends to him. All success stories, they happily wear contacts daily now instead of glasses... But not only is he competent, he's very passionate about keeping abreast of the latest technologies in lenses and the latest frame styles and applying what he's knows to his patients. He allowed me to be his guinea pig for a new lens technology back in 2010 (the Acuvue TruEye), which we had eagerly awaited. That lens rocked my world and made wear so much more comfortable, and thanks to Dr. Gooderman, I got it as soon as US distribution was possible!! Over the years, I have additionally had an infection and corneal scratch. He has cared for me through these incidents. I have heard that he has saved patients eyesight by detecting retinal detachment and such, so when something funky arises with my vision or eyes, he is definitely the person I will continue to go too. Basically I can't say enough good things about him and his practice. He's really top-notch! read more

Before seeing Dr. Gooderman, I was forced to wait at Kaiser Permanente only to see an Optometrist for 15 minutes and find out I had trouble seeing and needed glasses. Simple, fast, little patient to doctor contact. With Dr Gooderman, be prepared for the best Eye Exam you've ever had. Within this small office is a brilliant doctor. He puts puts his skills to use and checks your eye for every detail to ensure he doesn't miss a spot. He's a professional providing the highest type of eye care and doesn't treat his patients as just a file. When i got my first check up from him, he did every exam he could to find out just how Terrible my vision is and even double checked to make sure that an odd thing in my eye wasn't glaucoma. This man is the best Optometrist you can see. He's humorous, does his job well and effectively, and accommodates your needs and makes you comfortable. He's Got a wide variety of glasses to choose from and is honest about it and does not try to rip you off. Luckily, he helped me get my first contacts and paid close attention to making sure he got every essential detail that was needed for the correct lens fitting. Overall, Dr Gooderman is a fantastic optometrist and it worth a gamble to visit him for any eye related issue you may need help with. read more

I have extreme-high myopia due to my former occupation. My vision required extra time and special care in examining that Kaiser Permanente couldn't give without seeing one of their "specialists." And even that is of limited time and quality. My eye prescription requires fine-tuned 1/4 point adjustments and high quality lenses. Dr. Gooderman takes the time and effort to get it right! Therefore, even at higher out-of-pocket cost outside of my insured plan; The quality, time, knowledge, professionalism and eye-care information Dr. Gooderman provides is worth it! He has also become a good friend. I will trust my eyes to no one else. read more

I've never had so much fun at an optometry appointment! Dr. Gooderman's eye exams are definitely quality over quantity. He doesn't rush you out like a lot of the other optometrist (i.e. Kaiser). And he is very entertaining, always cracking jokes. Expect to be there about 2 hours for your exam. His office is near Union Square so bart and muni is near by. Closes parking garage is the union square lot or take a brisk walk from the Minna Parking garage. read more

Dr. Gooderman is a terrific optician. I have seen the doctor over the past ten years and have been very impressed with his thoroughness and patience. I have never felt rushed nor have I had to wait for him. He is timely and never hesitant to explain what he is doing and why he is doing it. I highly recommend him. Terence A. Redmond read more

Doesn't get much better than Dr. G.!!! Been seeing Dr. Gooderman for 13 years. Every time I go in for an exam I anticipate it like having a date with an old friend. I've read some of the negative reviews on here and have to chalk them up to people that don't have a sense of humor or are just too sensitive. Dr. G is REAL, he is AUTHENTIC and he has more INTEGRITY that any other doctor I've ever seen. Yes, he does have many patients because of his reputation, so when you make an appointment you may have to wait a couple of weeks, but it is well worth it!! read more

I would have previously given Dr. Gooderman a decent review. I've been going to him for going on 4 years now, and he's been accommodating in some areas, but difficult to work with in others. Booking appointments is relatively easy, but he does tend to drag the appointment on longer than necessary. He's thorough, not always the easiest to deal with (his personality is such that he tends to complain about everything). That said, he's generally been kind. I am finally switching optometrists after he refused to email me my previous prescription. I had an appointment booked in 3 weeks, but wanted my pupillary distance, which he had measured. Since that's technically not part of my prescription, and since it had been over a year since I'd seen him, he refused to email me any of my prescription, and was fairly abrasive over the phone. There are so many options for good doctors in the city, who are easier to work with. Given that, I'm going to head elsewhere. read more

Remember the doctors of long ago who spend quality time with you; provided you with a thorough examination; answered all your questions; were patient and didn't rush you; you felt they really cared....well that is Dr. Gooderman. I 've been seeing him for the past 4 years and he is awesome. He's a one man show and he does...do it all. Which means, you get great service to boot. I sort of hate to write this because he will bet flooded with new patients and I won't be able to get in....but he deserves the kudos. Absolutely the best eye doctor I have ever had! read more

Best Optometrist ever! He inherited me (or I inherited him) when my former Optometrist retired about 15 years ago. I love Dr. G. He is knowlegable, thorough and caring. He has the best "chair-side" manner, and we always have interesting conversations during my exam. Late one Saturday (about 4 pm), I called to leave a message about a problem I was having with my right eye. Dr. G was in the office doing paperwork (not seeing patients) and after hearing the problem demanded that I get to his office (from Oakland to San Francisco) immediately. Five stars are not enough for Dr. Gooderman. read more

Do not go here, because if you do, this guy will be discovered. And I usually like to keep good finds to myself. Dr. G practices Optometry like in the old times - with personal attention, painstaking thoroughness, and good candid advice. He doesn't have a phalanx of assistants hurrying him through an appointment every 5 minutes. Actually, he doesn't have any assistants at all. This is a one-man operation. Great frame selection, too. read more

ok, seriously...i just saw dr gooderman for the first time for a COMPLETE eye exam...and let me just say...HE IS THE BEST! wow, i was blown outta the water. could he be any more thorough, and he KNOWS his field. yup, Dr. Gooderman is a keeper for sure. I am elated to be his patient. Patrick :-) read more

Sometimes it's a good thing to find an "old school" professional. Dr. Gooderman is exactly that--he's a consummate professional that takes his time with every patient, and is extremely thorough. Despite all this he manages to be friendly and approachable too. You want an exam and glasses in an hour? Go to the mall. They'll probably be OK, and heck your vision doesn't need to be perfect--does it? You want a world-class exam, refraction, and personal fitting and testing? See Dr. Gooderman--and allow a little time because he won't be rushed into doing an inferior job. I've seen him twice--once for a 2-hour exam, and once when I developed an eye infection. Actually that second time was four visits--and he even gave me his cell phone so I could call day or night if there were a problem. Who does that anymore? In addition, his prices are more than fair--I had to get after him when he didn't want to charge me for the emergency visit. These past few years as I've gotten older my eyes have started changing like they did when I was a kid--so now I need more frequent prescription changes. I'm glad to have someone of Dr. Gooderman's caliber available to help! read more

I have to say, I have yet to actually see Dr. Gooderman, but like a lot of these reviews say, he is a very nice person. We have exchanged voicemails and he is thorough and thoughful with the way he speaks to me. The reason I haven't gotten an appointment isn't due to Dr. Gooderman, it's me. I just need to make the time. Anyways, I will update this review once I do see him. read more

Dr. Gooderman is thee bestest eye doctor I've seen by far!! He's funny, entertaining and very careful to make sure you get the best 20/20 vision out there!! He's the best!! read more

I can't say enough good things about Dr. Gooderman. I've been seeing him for 1.5 years now and he delivers in every way. Gone are the quick 15 minute eye exams. Instead prepare to spend 2 hours with him and he does an incredibly thorough examination. All my other optometrists just thought I had astigmatism but Dr. Gooderman actually got the diagnosis right when he told me I had keratoconus. Dr. Gooderman has a great way of explaining exactly what is going on, his thoughts and concerns and course of treatment. He's responsive via email and phone and has seen me quickly when I had an urgent need (eye infection). He's honest, knows how to bill insurance companies well and has been in the industry a long time. Now if only I had a doctor and dentist as good as him. read more

Dr. Gooderman is hands down the most thorough doctor I've ever visited. He spent a lot of time asking background questions, and he ran a battery of eye tests, most of which I had never had before! You can tell he really enjoys what he does and hes funny to boot. I highly recommend him if you are looking for an amazing eye doctor in the city! read more

Dr Gooderman is fun, flexible and FANTASTIC! I don't trust just anyone with my eyes but I do trust him! Call me Dr G...I need to make an appointment. read more

Dr. G is great!! I just started seeing him, my sister's friend said he was great, boy was she right! He figured out a problem I've been having since I was 7 that has never been addressed and has taken the time to help me with it. He got me in promptly for my second round of testing/eye exam and has been emailing with me to check my progress and get me some records. He is absolutely the most attentive doctor I've ever had. I was skeptical at first too, he has no other staff in his office and the records are all over the place, but he has gone above and beyond my expectations! read more

Dr. Gooderman has been my optometrist for the past 3 years. he is the most thorough and knowledgeable optometrist I have ever been to. I am continually impressed at the time he always takes to do a careful and thorough examination of every aspect of my eye health. He clearly takes not only a professional but also a personal interest in his patient's health and well-being. Dr. Gooderman is always able to answer every question I have about my eyes, eye care and eye health. He explains things in a very easy to understand way. All of the eye care products he has recommended have worked very well for me. Dr. Gooderman is also very available and responsive. He always returns my calls or emails quickly, often late in the evening. I highly recommend Dr. Gooderman. read more

My husband and I have been faithful patients of Dr. Gooderman's for 6+ years. He is always careful to check all aspects of my eyeballs and vision to make sure all is good and groovy (I previously wore hard contact lenses, then had LASIK about 20 years ago, and now have a minimal prescription, but am rapidly -eeek!- moving toward the need for reading glasses!) We've also always been able to find affordable (free w/insurance) frames since both of us are cost conscious. We look forward to our annual conversations with Dr. Gooderman every year - he's a gen-u-ine GEM! Be prepared for a thorough exam (2 hrs usually) and the coolest green chair ever. read more

I couldn't for the life of me, remove my right hard contact lens yesterday evening. I tried and tried all night and finally had to sleep with it on. My eyes get dry so I thought after a nice shower, it would be easier to remove. No, it was still on my eye so I knew I had to find an optometrist close by to remove it, or else I would never be able to on my own. I checked Yelp reviews and saw Dr. Goodman's name. I called him up and told him I had a problem removing my lens. He asked me where I was at the moment. I told him and he asked me to come by right away.. I was in his office in ten minutes. He removed my lens and showed me how he did it. Now I have another way to remove my lens. Dr. Goodman told me to see him if I had any more problems. He was very professional and courteous and did this for me without charging me. read more

This is a real doctor, right here. As someone who has gone to a different optometrist each new frames, I can't accurately describe what an unbelievable upgrade it was after seeing DrG. Like when Wizard of Oz turns to color, only more so. He is thorough, insanely knowledgeable, very concerned with patient care - including co$t - and even tells a decent joke now and then. If he's booked and you have to schedule weeks (or even months) in advance - hold out! I promise it's worth it. read more

I can only concur with all the praise of Dr. Gooderman. I'll add that sometimes he can seem a little gruff at first, but very shortly you will see what a nice, good-humored, knowledgeable, thorough-going, dedicated guy he is. read more