Oscar Oglethorpe Eyewear

I've been telling people this and realized I should also put a review in writing here. These are the best glasses I think I've ever had - and I've been wearing glasses for 40 years. They look awesome, fit well without repeated adjustments, the staff is great! and the place is too! ~ Leslie Millsaps

Never had such a positive experience with an optician/eyeglass place in my life! Amazing staff, good selection, couture space, with prices that Walmart can barely touch. A true gem in the heart of Downtown Greensboro... Went in for an exam + one pair, leaving with three for half the price of my old lenses! ~ Crystal Henson

Outfitted my whole family with frames. What could have been an overwhelming experience for my girls was made into a positive, self-confidence building one. ~ Blair Eleanor Smith

I live in Washington, D.C., where overworked and optically strained humans are a dime a dozen. As a result, optometries are more ubiquitous than McDonalds in our nation's capital. That being said, I came to Greensboro and visited Oscar for the first time, and now I won't even consider another optometry within 5 hours of my home. Within 15 minutes, Susie had made me try on at least 15 pairs of glasses, instantly knowing the keepers and the "nuh uh, girl" no's. She really knows how to accentuate the positive and get shed of anything in between. Then, without hesitation, we agreed on "the ones," and before I could take a picture and upload it to Instagram, she had measured my eyes and gone through my shipping options. Um, yeah...she was going to ship them to me at my home in DC after they arrived. Fortunately, I went back to NC and was able to pick them up in person. All in all, I was provided a sincerely effortless, affordable and no BS experience at Oscar Oglethorpe. Not to mention, I love my glasses and get really cute and sweet compliments daily on my frames. ~ Jen Horton

You won't find anything like them in other shops. The combination of gorgeous design and price is phenomenal. (I've seen selection like this in NYC and SF and Boston, but Greensboro? Really? And at this price? Unbelievable.) The people who help you choose frames are unusually good at seeing the shape of your face and your personality and finding the frames that make you look more attractive in your glasses than out of them. There were at least 4 frames they had me try on that I never would have picked up, but that were so flattering I didn't want to put them down. They also happen to be the perfect amount of friendly and helpful - unobtrusive until you want help, and supportive when the number of excellent choices is suddenly overwhelming. The optometrist is also great. I just can't say enough good things about this place. We're lucky to have them. (I posted this review on Yelp, too - hoping they stay in business so I can get more perfect eyeglasses whenever I need them.) ~ Fizz Brain

Oscar Oglethorpe was recommended to me by a coworker after she heard me gripe about the lack of originality in any of the local glasses stores. I continue to be totally blown away by the variety of frames in store and the sheer awesomeness of the staff. I've been in a few times for adjustments, and every single one of them were extremely helpful and friendly. I've recommended them to family, and will be purchasing my son's glasses from there as well. ~ Amy Masters

The doctor is great. The staff is great. The glasses are great. And so affordable! I will tell everyone I know how great they are. The only bad thing is parking but there's not much they can do about that. ~ Zac G.

I was on the hunt for a secondary pair of glasses, and both favorable reviews and affordable pricing led me to Oscar Ogelthorpe. Admittedly, I approached with considerable skepticism. The pricing seemed too good to be true, and the location (beside Triad Stage on Elm Street) vibed needlessly artsy. Suffice it to say, this is one time where I'm glad I was wrong.



First and foremost, the customer service here is excellent. I was able to walk in, provide my prescription and insurance card, and begin browsing immediately sans hassle. The staff helped me narrow my search and located a few pairs of glasses for me to try out based on my preferences. After selecting a suitable pair, fitting, payment, and, eventually, pickup were a snap. There were neither hoops to jump through nor last minute surprises. Everyone here is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.



Next, the pricing here is virtually unbeatable. Single vision glasses run for $125, frames and lenses included. For point of comparison, lenses alone can cost more than that at elsewhere. Of course, this raises concerns about quality, but Ogelthorpe's lenses are anti-glare, and I've yet to notice an appreciable difference in use between these glasses and my (more expensive) primary pair. Let's hope that continues to be the case.



Lastly, the selection here is quite bountiful if a bit chaotically organized. Many eyewear stores will arrange their frames by designer or style. At Ogelthorpe, you will simply find frames of varying shapes, sizes, and colors hanging on pegs across the store. The offerings range from bright and gaudy to trim and chic, and though it may take a little digging, your preferred pair likely awaits therein.



One caveat: because Ogelthorpe's lenswork is done externally, expect your glasses to be ready in one to two weeks. This wasn't a problem for me, but if you have a more pressing ocular need, look elsewhere.



All told, Oscar Ogelthorpe proved to be both a great value and a pleasant shopping experience. If you are in need of new specs, see your way toward giving them a look.

~ Danielle R. 

This place is easy to miss if you don't know where it is- but be sure not to miss it! I found it on Yelp and since I work nearby, I thought I'd swing by on my never ending 5 year search for new glasses. Alas, my search is over! The customer service I was given was absolutely fabulous. The girl greeted me, asked me what I was looking for and let me try on as many pairs as I want, as well as picked out frames for me. All frames are $150 (frames and lenses) so I didn't have to fuss around looking at prices- I just picked them up and put them on! 



What I really liked about this place is that they have a great selection of eyeglasses for people who need smaller frames. I've spent 5 years searching for glasses that fit me AND won't cost me and arm and a leg. This was the place...and the girl helping me actually picked out my glasses! I would never have picked them up myself but surprisingly I loved them! They were able to get my prescription faxed over and took my payment by phone because of bad weather. Awesome service!



Update: When I called a month later and requested an itemized receipt for insurance reimbursement, Kaitlyn was on the ball. She faxed over exactly what I needed the same day!

~ Amy G.

I wear contacts 99% of the time because I don't like how I look in glasses. My current pair are especially hideous, so I decided to treat myself to a new pair. 



I walked in unannounced and declared that I needed new frames and needed a LOT of help.



Katelyn asked to see my current glasses and asked me what I disliked about them. She also asked me all about what I'd like in a new pair. She suggested a few frames, I chose a few, and on each and every pair I tried, she gave me feedback. She helped me narrow my choices down to about 10 pairs. 



Then she organized the 10 pairs by which pairs were similar styles. She also showed me the ones I picked that were like my current glasses and pointed  out that sometimes we chose things that are familiar, even if we dislike them. 



She thoughtfully guided me towards three pairs that were all complete departures to what I have worn in the past. 



When I couldn't decide between the three, she got another employee to narrow it down to two. 



Then she took extremely flattering photos of me in each pair so I could see how I look in a photo.



When I selected my favorite pair, she gave me direction on how to make the best use of my Optical Insurance benefit.



The store is clean, neat and hip. The staff is incredibly friendly, warm and kind. The amount of time they spent with me is was unprecedented. 



Every pair of glasses is the exact same price, which gave me complete and total freedom to choose frames that looked great on me. 



For the first time in my life I cannot WAIT for my glasses to be made so I can go pick them up!

~ Nathan F.

I went to Oscar Oglethorpe yesterday, for my first eye exam in about 6 years. I've never worn glasses, but noticed I was having trouble focusing while reading my iPad in bed one night last week. I have vision insurance through work, and figured it wouldn't hurt to get an exam. When I called to book my appointment, the woman who answered the phone couldn't have been nicer or more enthusiastic. She took my information, scheduled my exam, and called me the day before to confirm. They don't have a full-time optometrist, but my understanding is there is an optometrist available at least 2 days a week for exams.

When I arrived for my appointment, I had 3 pages of info to fill out (not horrible by healthcare provider standards), which took about 4 minutes. As soon as I was finished, an assistant took me back for some basic vision tests, which took about 8-10 minutes. When she was done, the optometrist was ready for me. He immediately introduced himself as "Scotty" and started asking me some questions about my background and reason for appointment. Before he even conducted his exam, he said it sounded like I was a little farsighted, and began a series of tests that lasted about 10-12 minutes. He was very clear about what he was doing/testing, and put me at ease from the get-go. Between the various tests, he struck up friendly conversation, and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me, and sharing some of his story as well. Turned out he was right...I'm a little farsighted. He explained the diagnosis in terms that I could understand, walked me through the prescription he was giving me and what it would do to correct the problem, and gave me very clear directions about how/when/where to use my new glasses.

While he was finishing up the technical work for the prescription, he sent me out to start shopping for my first pair of glasses (doesn't sound like a big deal, but surprisingly felt like one!). The saleswoman working on the floor immediately jumped in to help, asking what styles I might like, and then grabbing some suggestions. The 4th or 5th pair she showed me jumped out at me immediately, and after polling everyone else in the store (no shame), I pulled the trigger. They took some photos of me wearing the frames (for fitting/filling the prescription, I presume), broke down the insurance coverage, explained the portion for which I was responsible, and checked me out. I should have my new specs in about a week.

Couldn't be more pleased with their service! ~ ?? NEED NAME HERE