Dr. Lam is a great optometrist! The first time I went to see her was about 5 years ago when I needed to get my eyes checked. I came back to her because I needed a new prescription. Dr. Lam is very nice!! She is very knowledgeable, and very thorough. I didn't feel like the appt was rushed. She took time to explain the exam process. I highly recommend Dr. Lam if you need a new optometrist! read more

Great specialist, I recommend. My visits always go well. I always get the right advice. Thank you read more

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Dr.Lam explains the eye exam process well. It took time for my eyeglasses to be available from its source. But she called me as soon as these were available. read more

Teresa was very kind and informative and really listened to me as I explained my medical history. I appreciated the fact that I didn't feel rushed out of her office and she took the time to help me figure out my insurance. read more

Amazing! Sorry I didn't leave a review before!!! The prices for an eye exam are what they should be. Customer service is amazing! I have not felt this comfortable with an eye doctor since childhood. read more

Dr Lam is outstanding! Cant say enough good things about her Professional, courteous, responsive. All the things you'd want in an optometrist. Will be coming back here for many years read more

I really enjoyed going to Dr. Lam. She's very personable and patient. She does her best to make sure you are comfortable and aware of what she's doing during the examination. She has some interesting tests I'd never done like a Magic Eye-looking book to test for color vision. I actually had fun doing the eye exam, which is not something I thought I would ever say. She listens well to any concerns and makes sure to address them. She also doesn't push products and is just a really nice person in general. I ended up buying my pair of prescription glasses online as she didn't have the brand I was looking for, and she was happy to chat with the retailer to provide the prescription details. A few months later, I scheduled for my husband go there as well. I walked in and she still remembered my name (she didn't know we were related). My husband also had a great experience and ordered the lens from her. She was very helpful in helping us nail down what features we wanted. Dr. Lam does take care of the filing with insurance part and with fine-tuning the fitting of the frames. She is just a joy to work with and we will be back! read more

Best eye doctor I've been too! The office, staff, and tech used are top-notch. Dr. Lam is personable, comforting, knowledgable, and very gentle, unlike prior doctors I've tried, which were rough and invasive. I've had several appointments and she has been consistently patient and very informative. I've never felt rushed or like a number. Another thing that makes her stand out is that she offers several solutions verses just putting me on a prescription. By utilizing her recommendations, my eyes feel anew. I didn't realize how irritated they were before getting relief. To sum it up, after struggling with constant eye problems for over ten years, my eyes now feel great and I haven't had a single issue over the last few months, due to Dr. Lam's expertise and guidance. Highly recommend! read more

I just wanted to give a shout out to Dr. Lam. I have been seeing her for a few years just for annual check ups and updates on my reading prescription. On Monday, I had a super scary eye problem which required immediate attention by an opthalmologist. I booked an appt for the next day (Tues) with an opthalmologist but called Dr. Lam to ask if she could just look at my eye to see how bad of an emergency it was and if waiting until the next day was too long. I was over to her office within 1.5 hours and while she said I did need to see an opthalmologist, she assured me that I would be okay until the next day. I don't know many other optometrists who would be that receptive and caring. Just being able to have her look at me on such short notice and get some peace of mind was invaluable. I will be going to Dr. Lam as long as I have eyes! read more

Appreciating everyone has different priorities, if you value a high-gloss lux retail office with designer frames that can be perfectly modeled under high-end lighting, it's possible Dr. Lam may not be the best Instagram moment for you. If you're looking for highly competent medical professional to provide you with a comprehensive eye exam and provide 1:1 personal care, then I highly recommend Dr. Lam. I've been a patient of hers for nearly 20 years and she takes the time to ask the questions that impact your vision and how best to provide corrective care. My last appointment with her lasted 1.5hrs, where she spent additional time investigating my eyes for family history concerns. Yes, I believe an assistant could benefit her, but the order of her desk isn't reflective of the care she provides. read more

Dr. Lam is great and amazing but she is working by herself. Work may be too much for her to handle! I ordered contact lenses in August and she told me it's arrived. I went to pick it up but she said it's missing. Then she said she will order it again and deliver to me. I am still waiting. It is crazy that you paid and need to follow up with her! Not recommend! read more

Dr. Lam spent a lot of time explaining the issues I was experiencing with my eyes. I really appreciated her depth of knowledge and the time she spent with me. read more

Dr. Lam is a gem! She spent quality time with my daughter and I and she wasn't into the annoying upselling so many independent offices do. She was very genuine, honest, incredibly helpful and was very knowledgeable on our VSP plan. She has a great selection of designer glasses, we walked out purchasing 6 pairs! I'm excited we finally found a Dr. we can trust! read more

The kindest most thoughtful optometrist. Very thorough, never tries to upswell you. If you don't have insurance she is super reasonable. Love her. read more

You know I can understand why Dr Lam has such great reviews. She's very personable, friendly, and you never once get the feeling she's just helping you in hopes to upsell you on frames or anything. My negative review is that I just happened to have a horrible experience with her. Yes, she was all of those things I listed above so I ordered some frames with her. Here's where the problems started. First I waited a month and heard nothing from her. After reaching out, she said she forgot to put my order in. Another month goes by and still nothing. This time she says the manufacturer didn't receive my order... By the time I called and they were in, she had forgotten what I ordered and added extras to my order that was $70 more than what I ordered... She politely took the cost off my final bill though. I think she could be better if she had an assistant or if she cleaned her desk. Her main desk looks like she's a hoarder. There's papers and crap everywhere it's no wonder she lost my original order then had forgotten I didn't order extra coatings to the lenses. Or if she had an assistant, she'd have someone speaking to customers and answering calls and taking deliveries instead of her jumping up and down every 5 minutes during an appointment. Overall, as nice as she was, I'd rather spend more somewhere else and get my deliveries on time and to the correct order I asked for. read more

I like Dr. Lam. She's super nice and was very thorough during my eye exam. She was also very patient. I'm one of those that can't decide between 1 and 2, or 3 and 4.... Because I was so uneasy, she felt to do it again. I really appreciated that because I was more confident in my decision the second time around. Some of her equipment looks a little outdated, at least compared to other practices. But I feel if it's not broke, then don't fix it. The equipment gets the job done. And I agree with some of the other reviews. She is messy, and she works by herself so she can get busy. But I think she's honest and that's hard to find these days. I also like her selection of glasses. From budget friendly to high-end brands, you'll probably find something that'll fit. read more

Dr. Lam is the sweetest, most caring doctor I've ever been to. I wish she did more than just eyes because she is awesome!

Dr. Lam is terrific - I have been seeing her for more than 10 years and she has always provided excellent care. I cannot recommend her more.

Dr. Lam the only one working answer phone, see patients, etc. She messed my appointment, 1st called I told her I'd like make appointment 3.30pm, because I have other appointment 1.30pm, I wanted make sure I be on time, she said ok. My 2nd called days later to confirm & ask for address, she told me my appointment 3pm, I said No..my appointment 3.30pm, then she said ok 3.30pm. So I went there today at 3.35pm, again, she said my appointment 3pm, I said No, on phone 3.30pm. She gave me a form to be fill for new patient, so I thought everything ok, I told her at first also I need use the restroom before exam. She kept talk back-forth my appointment supposed to be at 3pm, she has another customer at 4pm...so before I fill the form I looked at her & offered her nicely I can make appointment for another day...if there not enough time ?! She said its ok...she can take me ! So I fill form quick (only name, address, phone), then she let me used the restroom, I used restroom only 2-3 minutes, after restroom, she said she can't take me..., eventhough if she take me not gonna be full exam ! I told her 2 weeks before...I wanted full exam & at 3.30pm she said ok ! She wasted my time to write my name & info on the form & my travel time, if she can't do just tell me, or take my offer that I can make appointment different day at beginning. This doctor talk back-forth & not sure what she wants, then I thought I don't trust her also for my eye exam, she might talk back-forth saying my eyes minus or plus, need glasses or not, or if something wrong can I trust her after she messed up easy simple things like my appointment ? She screwed up. Gave me the form said she can take me, then she said she can't take me, her act is weird actually. Also if she can't take my appointment 3.30pm over the phone, why she said ok 3.30pm ? Really weird. read more

Dr. Teresa Lam, OD is everything an eye doctor should be! She is remarkably thorough. I've never had a more comprehensive eye exam. She explains each procedure, is very gracious and deeply knowledgeable. I was having difficulty with contacts, and she worked very hard to find contacts that work for me. I adore her and recommend her highly! read more

8 months later and still nothing... No glasses that were already paid for. This is literally stealing. Don't go here

WOW. I'm amazed at how incredible Dr. Lam is! I have eye problems- super red dry eyes that I've had to correct through surgical means, and have had cornea damage as well. I also take a medication that can cause macular problems and retinal detachment, so I've been to tons of eye doctors- multiple ophthalmologists and even further specialized ophthalmologists, and I don't think any of them were as good as Dr Lam in many ways. She is incredibly thorough and made me feel at ease about my possible complications, and even told me about a small spot on one of my eyes that no other doctor told me about. She was informative and did every test possible, taking over two hours with me for my exam. She gives her patients an incredible deal, I actually don't know how does all that for that price- she said she hadn't raised prices for 5 years and she probably should. Other places I called were twice the price. I'm a bit of a germaphobe and she told me she wipes down all the forehead straps with alcohol pads! So great. I'm super grateful to her for taking so much time to do such a wonderful job, and will definitely be back for as long as I'm in SF. Thank you Dr. Lam! read more

Dr. Lam is an excellent optometrist, patient, thorough, knowledgeable, honest, caring and friendly. I have been her patient for about three years and I am extremely pleased with her care. I trust in her professional expertise, and I never feel like she's trying to upsell me. I appreciate how she explains the tests and she takes care to alcohol wipe her equipment. She also is genuinely concerned about the eye health of her patients - gently and politely chiding me to see an ophthalmologist for a check-up when I neglected to. I can't comment on her prices because I have insurance, but I do know she is well-versed in insurance claims administration. She is a one-person show though, so you might get her voicemail when you call and you probably will need to call to check if your order is ready for pick-up (she does diligently return calls). I think it's a small trade-off for such an excellent doctor. Strongly recommend. read more

I've been going to Dr. Lam for 20 years. Believe it. She is patient, attentive and compassionate. She really listens and doesn't rush you. She is a great doctor and I have referred many to her. Shes also open saturdays which is the original reason I chose her and I lucked out! read more

I recently saw Dr Lam for an eye check up and contacts. Dr Lam was extremely friendly and knowledgeable! I will definitely be utilizing her in the future! read more

Here's the thing - I hate writing bad reviews. But in this case, the Yelp reviews led me astray and I was severely disappointed. I went to Dr. Lam for an annual exam. Is it messy? Yes. Is she the only staff in the office (no assistant or receiptionist)? Yes. Did this bother me? No. People on Yelp seem to love her and she was really thorough during the exam. Only complaint - part way through someone came into the shop and she had to go out to greet them, which took a strangely long time. Afterwards, she had another appointment, so I checked out the glasses and the left a note with the ones I wanted to order. She called me back the next day to confirm specifics. So far, pretty great. Except I never got the glasses! I waited a month, called to follow up. Dr. Lam called back to say they would take another couple of weeks. Waited, called again, left a message. Didn't hear back. Ok... maybe she got busy and forgot since she's doing all the work. I repeated the process for a few weeks, calling every week and leaving a message. NOTHING. Not even a call to let me know that something happened and I wouldn't get my glasses. To me that's rude and unprofessional. read more

late saturday afternoon fillmore stroll...yelp nearby to locate teresa lam, od...friend recommended...quick call if time for a walk-in eye exam...yes!...finding the small shop...few selection of frames...aged interiors and file folders stacked around floors...a child running around...little messy as others mentioned...inside middle room for exam first...most thorough exam ever experienced...little lengthy...vision test, color test, reading test, pressure test, eye exam, movement test, field-of-view test in back room, etc...every test imaginable...walking out little blind and dilated...no change to vision...still negative three.zero-zero as of four/nine/eleven...both eyes! read more

Teresa Lam, OD - exam time... - Optometrists Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cliff notes: quick eye exam, moderately priced, professional service, messy desk Yes, the place is a little messy (desk area) but Teresa is professional and the soft contact lens appointment took less than an hour. Cost for the exam was $120 which I thought was fair (places I called nearby ranged from $140-$220). Box of contacts $28. If you do the eye dilation your eyes will burn and be sensitive for 3-4 hours, that's just the way it is (I've had it done in the past at other optometrists, same thing) so if you want to avoid unnecessary pain and risk having your glaucoma go undetected then don't do it. When you're done getting your eyeballs did, treat yourself to a drink at Harry's Bar across the street. read more

She is a one-woman operation, but she is one of the most thorough and thoughtful optometrists I have seen in a while. She walks you through the results and explains, and also discusses your overall health so that she can deliver better patient care. I highly recommend her. read more

Finding doctors is where Yelp has really pulled through for me. I'm fortunate to have decent health insurance that no longer has me dealing with the bureaucracy of Kaiser--instead, letting me pick and choose my own health care providers. I've been taking advantage of it big time, and I haven't found a lemon yet. The reviews on Dr. Lam are on point; she puts you and your eyes through a battery of tests. She's been the most thorough and caring eye doctor I've been to thus far. She has such a sweet disposition, and at first impression, seems meek in nature, but I'm sure her kids, who can sometimes be seen running around the office, can easily bring out the devil in her. She is filled with knowledge and extremely kind. Asking questions was a breeze, and not once did I feel rushed. I learned so much more about my eyes within my 40 min appt with her than I have in the past 11 years that I've been wearing corrective lenses. Because I never liked the look of glasses on me, I, for the most part, ignored her selection. But it sounds like she stocks some high end frames. She did have a number of contacts on hand, as well, and she gave me a few samples of my new (higher) prescription before leaving. Conclusion? I am slowly going blind. read more

I am not a big fan of doctors, BUT Dr. Teresa Lam rocks! She is the BEST optometrist I've ever had and I have been going to her for several years now. I was recommended to her by See's in the Marina. Truth be told - and I laughed so hard that I blew lemonade just now all over my table from the comment "her office is like hoarders buried alive" by another yelper. It's true! HOWEVER, despite the mountains of paperwork, recyclable items, receipts, files, samples, and more, she is surprisingly organized admist the chaos! True- she does not always answer her phone when you call (after all she is literally a 1 woman show- no gum chewing, annoying receptionist needed). However, she does respond within a reasonable amount of time if you leave her a voicemail. Also, unlike traditional hoarders, she has told me more than once, and acknowledges she has a messy office, but that she is "improving", "gotten better", and "working on it"! Okay, credit to her, she does have two kids running around the office at times. You can even check out her art gallery done by kiddos truly. She provides a very thorough eye exam and didn't even charge me extra the time that my exam took longer and into Day 2. It might cost slightly more than some of the other eye doctors out there, but well worth it! I've learned a lot of new things about my eyes and my vision has held steady since I've seen her. She is the sweetest, amazing mother to her two young kiddos, and a bit nerdy too! She has a sense of humor and is very genuine, charismatic, and kind! She's not in it for the money and truly cares about her patients. That in itself is hard to find in San Francisco. She remembers me by my first name even though I only see her 1-2x a year. She will recommend you to an eye specialist if she feels that it is beyond her scope of work of eye equipment. She takes insurance and provides contact samples while you are waiting for your orders. She provides a detailed receipt for FSA reimbursement and she has some pretty cool frames to choose from including the latest Gucci, Mark Jacobs, Armani, Ray Ban, etc.! Yes, including the hot item this season, the clear white square frames with hot pink rims. Despite being in Pacific Heights, she is sensible and conscious of those of us on a budget. She will recommend what she thinks is best and will even suggest that you order your contacts somewhere else if you find a good deal elsewhere. I wish they would make triplets and more of her in other medical fields! I have raved about her to my friends and family and everyone I've come across that needs an eye doctor in the City! She is absolutely the best and helpful! You don't need to drive. Take MUNI 22, 1, 38 (a slight walk), 3, or 2 to see her! And if you're like me, you can walk 10 minutes up the street and visit the cute dogs and cats at the shelter after you visit her! Hands down a class act! read more

I have been seeing Dr. Lam for about 5 years now. I can tell from each and every visit that she cares about her patients, does a very good and thorough battery of tests and loves her job. My vision is very bad so I take my eye care very seriously (my contact lense prescription is -10). At times, I get paranoid that something is wrong with my eyes. Like one day, I was waiting at bart for my train and passing the time by looking randomly around me. As I glanced at the sky, I suddenly noticed the floaters from my eyes dancing around everywhere like i have never noticed before. I immediately called Dr. Lam and described what I saw, thinking I was on the verge of getting a detached retina. She listened to me and very calmly reassured me that what I saw was not unusual, and that certain backdrops like blue skies and white walls make the floaters more noticeable. Although I felt a bit silly afterwards, her genuine response made me feel like I was not wasting her time. I just picked out a pair of awesome Gucci frames and can't wait to pick up my glasses. Her frames selection is very nice, from high end brands to average and sale priced frames. Before I decided on the Gucci frames, I was happy to find several options for me - which has been difficult in the past because I have a big face and flat nose. =) read more

I've been going to see Dr. Lam for a few years now (she was recommended to me by a good friend). She ran a bunch of really cool tests on my eyes, and I now know more than any other eye doctor has ever told me. Just to give you an idea of how nice she is - once I called her up because I thought I had a stye, and after that she called me once a month for like 3 months just to check how I was doing. Minus one star for having the messiest office I've ever been in. Anyway, I would highly recommend her (and have done so on a few occasions). read more

Dr. Lam was a dream! She was very focused, thorough and kind. Her unique disposition allowed her to juggle two customers and a random drop in who simply needed his glasses fixed. She took the time to help while showing that those with appointments were her priority. On the exam side, her tests are superior. I've been in contacts and glasses for 15 years and she definitely knows what tests people hate and how to make them more comfortable. Additionally, she worked with my astigmatism and took time to make sure my prescription wasn't too strong, as is often the problem with people who wear both glasses and contacts. Lastly, she is extremely well priced. I checked around for sometime before going to Dr. Lam, but the combination of her fair price and wonderful reviews make her the only option! read more

I`d been going to Dr Lam for my contact lenses/eye exams for 3 years. Happy with everything. As the previous poster had mentioned, her office is cluttered, but that does not bother me. I am more concerned with the quality of the actual service, which is great. )) read more

I love Teresa Lam. I have been coming to her for 15 years, when I arrived in SF -- even commuting up from the Peninsula when I was down in grad school there. She helped me find a knockout pair of frames then (which I had for several years) and has always made sure I was using the best contact lenses for me. She has also added considerable value in terms of recommending products for keeping my lenses clean etc. I have terrible vision and a very strong prescription plus, like you, having great vision is incredibly important to me. I am very confident recommending you to Dr. Lam. She is an ultra-competent eye doctor and a great professional. Plus she has a terrific selection of frames. Thank you, Dr. Lam, for taking such great care of me over the years. read more

Still respect and greatly appreciate her knowledge, medical care, thoroughness and helpful and very friendly manner. Last visit though, I was taken aback by the mountain of papers around her desk but more so by the dirty floors. I have also experienced unreturned phone calls but I can accept her busy-ness fine with all her other good qualities. She is generous with information and has no ego to maneuver around and accommodates easily to scheduling Parking along Fillmore has skyrocketed but usually free places can be found around Alta Plaza park. read more

Dr. Lam rocks. She's very laid back and easy going. I really appreciate her kindness and patience. I tend to destroy my glasses on a regular basis and she has been very helpful at keeping me up and going when I mangle my latest pair of glasses or accidentally throw my contacts out. Plus, she's just down the street from my home. Remember: Think Global, Go to Optometrist LOCAL. read more

Dr Lam is Very Nice! I had my first, as an adult eye exam. I lost a little of my fine eye sight in, my right eye. Just a Little fuzzy-ness . Dr Lam assured me it was normal, just getting old. She hooked me up with a prescription for eye glasses. She picked out a set of frames and the first set was perfect! Dr Lam is patient and very nice. She explained every test and the results as we went through them. Also I had no insurance but i found it to be very reasonable, for taking care of one's eyesight. read more

I was in search of a new Eye Doctor after some mediocre experiences with my past two over the last 12 years or so. I discovered Teresa through Yelp searches, and was greatly happy to have done so. She is thorough, patient, articulate in explaining the reasons behind tests and how they work, and in my conversations with her she's come across as a genuinely kind and good person (which matters to me - although perhaps is irrelevant to some people). She was accommodating for our slightly conflicted schedules and overall a pleasure to visit as a patient. Definitely plan to visit again once my contact lenses are run through. read more