Capitol Optometry

Capitol Optometry is a perfect example of «good things come in small packages». In this compact, cozy office just steps from lite rail, Sac RT, and Yolobus intercity transit, you will find a well-​stocked and excellently staffed optometry practice.
As a «high myope” – verrry nearsighted — I have been in eye doctors’ offices on a regular basis from childhood to senior citizenship. Dr. Lu performed a comprehensive eye exam, far more than just that needed to prescribe corrective lenses; she explained her findings, answered my questions, and presented information on the newest options for contact lenses, in addition to updating my glasses prescription.
Bruce, the practice manager, took the extra time to find glasses frames which would fulfill the need for smaller diameter lenses, and adjusted the temples to fit comfortably. Because I couldn’t see how the frames would look as I tried them on — yes, I am that nearsighted! – he took a picture with his iPad to assist in deciding on a frame style and color.
Yoyo is the wizard for moving your visit along smoothly from start to finish. After a warm greeting, he assisted with paperwork for health information, obtained my current glasses prescription and performed the screening vision exam. As the visit progressed, he guided me from room to room for exam procedures, and at the conclusion of the visit provided follow-​up information for getting my new glasses.
The enthusiasm, high standards of service, and teamwork of the staff were evident in every step of my visit to this practice, and provide the perfect support for Dr. Lu’s excellent professional services.
I’ll be coming back to Capitol Optometry in 2016… and beyond!

I just love finding places that make me never want to go anywhere else ever again, and this is one of those keepers. I came a year and a half ago to get prescription sunglasses and found their selection much better than another shop I used for my regular glasses. They asked me if I had ever tried contacts before, and I replied that I had years back but they didn’t feel great because of my dry eyes. They suggested I try again because of some new types of contacts.
I finally took the plunge last month. I came for an eye exam and fitting, and they sent me home with 5 days each of two types of contacts to try. I’m not sure if that’s the norm in the industry, but I appreciated doing a comparison on my own time to get the right fit.
Dr. Lu and the other employees are just so sweet. It’s like everyone there took a chill pill and a happy pill. They are so patient, carefully explaining every step of the exams and fittings. They never try to pressure you into purchases or extras, and they take out their insurance info book so you know what every little thing will cost you based on your plan.
It’s surprising how much I love visiting the optometrist now, a chore that’s usually sterile and drawn out.

This is one of those reviews you don’t really want to write because you want to keep the place your own personal little secret, but on the other hand you want them to stay in business so you can keep going there… uh… so here I go…
It’s the end of the year and like most people I procrastinated to use my vision benefits that expire on ¹²⁄₃₁. I called another optometry place that didn’t answer there phone… twice. Left a voicemail and by lunch never heard back. Capitol Optometry answered the phone the first time and the polite receptionist confirmed they had the brands I wanted and would be open and offer parking validation for my car if needed! (WOOHOO!). I waited till about 2 (still no call back from the other optometry place) and took off.
I was warmly greeted by Kim! An adorably sweet assistant that pointed out where everything was and gave me a second to peruse around with clear instructions of what to do with the frames I found that I liked. She kept busy and you could tell wasn’t just dicking around till I was ready. Any questions I had were promptly answered by Kim and reception staff was super polite and remember me from calling earlier! (YEAH I’M MEMORABLE! ;P)
The glasses selection that I found myself most drawn to was Kate Spade! ADORBS! I found the cutest frames, I’ve also picked out 2 sunglass frames and another glasses frames… for next year. …It was at this point that Kim pointed out that the frames on the wall are mine. Meaning no one else will get them. There won’t be another customer that has the same frame as me! Cool! …It also made me not want to wait on the cute sunglass frames I found … but I’ll just have to risk it for now… I probably should have waited to write this review till after I got them… but whatever!
So, while I was there a guy came in to check if his glasses were ready. It had been 2 weeks so he was just stopping in to see if MAYBE they just hadn’t had the chance to call him yet. (Not likely, these guys are ON IT!)… they weren’t and they did advise him that there’s a heavy volume in December due to everyone wanting to use their benefits. (This prepped me to know I probably wasn’t going to get my glasses till January… no worries. It’s easier to hear this news when you first order as opposed to waiting forever and wondering what the hell is going on).
Oh yeah, and since I came in with my prescription (from last year) they even were nice enough to double check it… on the spot! Super sweet and didn’t charge my benefits because it was just a 2-​second confirmation my Rx was accurate… but still they didn’t have to do that! LOVE!
So…anyway…that was all Monday… and today (Thursday) I get a voicemail saying my glasses are ready for pick up. … I called them back to confirm because WHAAA??? O. o Turns out, YEP, they’re ready for pick-​up. Trickery I tell you, they had me ready to wait weeks for my glasses and then surpassed my expectations by leaps and bounds! Thanks Guys! :D

I visited Capitol Optometry for the first time a few weeks ago. I needed a new eye doctor after moving to the area. The day of my appointment, I ended up taking my 1 year old daughter with me unexpectedly. I wasn’t really sure how that was going to go, but Dr. Lu and her staff were wonderful and patient with us. They let me hold my daughter when she got fussy, and Dr. Lu even held her for me at one point while I washed my hands and took out my contact lenses. They made what could have been a stressful situation quite pleasant. I highly recommend. Thank you!

This was the best experience I have ever had at an optometrist!
From the moment I walked in until I left, the staff was friendly and welcoming. I appreciated how the doctor took the time to explain the tests and the results in detail. I also enjoyed being given options for add-​on services, without pressure to upgrade. Finally, Yoyo’s help in picking out the perfect set of frames was the highlight of my visit. He struck the perfect balance between letting me browse independently, and providing input when I was having difficulty narrowing down my selections. As I left, I had a smile on my face due to having a surprisingly enjoyable experience and I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new glasses.
Capitol Optometry will be my go-​to optometrist from now on!

Dr. Lu and her staff are great! I am a long time wearer of both glasses and contacts lenses. I was satisfied with the brand of contact lenses that I had prior, but Dr. Lu introduced me to a variety of options without pressuring me. She encouraged me to pick my preference based on comfort, vision, and price and she didn’t hesitate to order another sample if I liked the comfort but had issues with the vision. I think she ordered a total of 3 different samples for me!
I also bought glasses and Yoyo did a great job helping me find a frame that fit my face comfortably (nose bridges are always a challenge — I’m Asian…). He also spent time measuring my face to make sure the adjustments on the glasses were accurate. Yoyo also made sure to calculate every aspect of the glasses/​contact lens options with my insurance so that I knew exactly what all of my options were.
I’ve since moved out of Sacramento so I likely won’t be going back for that reason, but highly recommend.

Bruce and Kim are cordial, helpful, and most importantly don’t pressure you into buying. Kim suggested alternative nose pad frames made for smaller nose bridges. They’re built in with longer pads for a better fit. It was the first time I knew about them and I appreciate getting guidance on new stuff customized to me. Yoyo is super friendly, helpful and follows up as promised, every time! They do validate parking at the 11^th and I st parking garage.

I came in on a Thursday to see if they could add nose pads to my glasses (the glasses kept slipping down my bridgeless Asian nose). They were not only able to do so, but they did it in one day. The staff is friendly and competent, and did exactly what they said they would do in less time than they said it would take. I highly recommend Capitol Optometry!

Great office and helpful staff! I had never had an eye exam before but since things had been getting fuzzy for a while, I decided I needed to see an optometrist. I picked Capitol Optometry based on all of the rave reviews from Unilocalers and I’m so glad I did. The eye exam was easy, Dr. Pak did a fantastic job at putting eye drops in my eyes, and I got a huge discount on my glasses (with the help of VSP insurance). I had my appointment on Monday and I got a text to pick up my glasses today, Thursday. Super fast turnaround! They also give you a $ 5.00 parking discount card for all of the Sac City parking garages in the area (park at the one on 11^th and I St). Definitely will be back for all of my eye care in the future!

Didn’t turn out so good for me. Although I think it’s best suited for younger people who don’t wear progressive lenses. I had to return my 1^st pair after many adjustments not Dr or business fault they just hurt, after replacement staff looked perturbed and glasses felt good but are now blurry. I’ll use them and replace them somewhere else.. Like my old eye doctor who got this right just a bit far. I don’t like writing negative things but would like Dr Lu, Bruce and staff to know

I’m still fairly new to Sacramento, so when the time came for me to get new contacts, I didn’t have any idea where to start. After finding Capitol Optometry on Unilocal,I decided to give them a call because their reviews are outstanding, and I can tell you that is no accident!
Dr. Lu and her staff are incredibly welcoming. They’re very professional, and talked me through every step of the exam — which I appreciated since it was my first time being seen by her. Yoyo was great, he helped me track down my insurance and he cleaned up my glasses for me as well. I was especially blown away when Dr. Lu had no problem fitting me into her schedule to deal with a small issue regarding my contacts.
I would recommend Capitol Optometry to anyone! Dr. Lu is very knowledgable and friendly, and Yoyo and her staff make your visit enjoyable. Thanks Dr. Lu!

I love this place so much I wanted to update my review.
All the staff here are super friendly and make you feel like you’re their only customer. I have allergies and they mainly tend to affect my eyes, and they’ve seen me a couple times for that (in 2013, I managed to first get regular pink eye from the kids I nannied and then allergic pink eye immediately after). My eyes started bothering me this month again so they said they could squeeze me in between appointments to quickly check me out. They ended up having an opening though so I was seen for a full eye exam. The exam is super easy and not uncomfortable, and Dr. Lu could see that my eyes were pretty inflamed from allergies (pretty cool, since my eyes don’t look red at all) when she put in some weird eye drops. She gave me lots of helpful tips and prescribed some stronger eye drops. Then I got dilated and she said she’s never seen someone get dilated so fast ha! Those dilation drops are weird, I could feel my eyes changing and fortunately they had some flimsy sunglasses I could take because I forgot my own. SO bright outside. Bruce helped me pick out a new pair of glasses since my insurance was letting me get three (!) new pairs. They also gave me samples of daily contact lenses since with my allergies I’ve had a hard time dealing with my monthly ones, and told me how many boxes I could order if I wanted my insurance to cover it all.
TL;DR — awesome place with amazing staff.

I got my first pair of glasses here in December of ’14. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Dr. Lu was outstanding at understanding my particular issues and needs as well as explaining how my eyes didn’t work as well as they used to. My glasses came quickly even during the holiday season. They accepted and seamlessly worked with my vision insurance policy.

I am very glad I decided to go to Capitol Optometry!
Went to LensCrafters before because I thought it would be cheaper. It isn’t.
Dr. Tiffany Lu is very down to earth. She doesn’t rush you, and takes time to work with you on getting what you need in your price range.
Only complaint: Parking. It’s in downtown (12^th street between K & J) so metered parking on surrounding streets is a must.
I ended up getting glasses covered by my insurance and contacts out of pocket.
The contact lenses force you to have a follow up appointment, but it was worth it. I couldn’t wear contacts due to allergies, and Dr. Lu let me try two different brands and was very patient and informative. I am now beyond satisfied, I am confident in my contact lens choice.

Excellent optometry office. Very professional, and Yoyo was extremely helpful!

Just updating to report that I still love it here at Capitol Optometry. Since they opened, they have gotten even better. They have more staff so things run even smoother than before. They are honest and won’t try to push anything on you. They also seem to have a better selection now than they did before, so I always find something I like.
PRO TIP — If you are asian or don’t have a very strong nose bridge, ask about adding nose pieces to plastic frames. Plastic frames aren’t designed for asian faces, but just adding nose bridges to the frames makes a world of difference. They fit SO much better with them and the optician Bruce can do it pretty easily. When I get my glasses back, you really can’t tell that they were added after the fact — it looks like they were made that way. Don’t worry about the frames looking funny with nose pieces, they are barely noticable and the way the frames will sit on your face will have them looking 10x better, so the trade off is worth it. Its life changing and you will wonder how you ever lived life before with plastic frames without nose pieces.

I always hate trying new «service» places — Doctors, Mechanics, Cleaners, you know the drill. They’re necessities that require specialized education, and it’s hard for me to know whether I’m getting scammed at times. This usually leads to me going in for an oil change or an eye checkup, and end up coming out with a $ 150 «new air filter» or $ 400 lenses for low-​level reading glasses.
I felt SO comfortable at Capitol Optometry. I worked with Bruce through email to set up (and later re-​arrange) my appointment, and then with YoYo to go pick up my glasses. I LOVE the convenience of email rather than voicemail phone-​tag! Bruce discussed exam options with me, costs, and which aspects would be covered by my insurance, and I felt zero pressure to pay for any extras. They also have lots of sample things for you to try on (transition lenses in two different shades, anti-​reflective, etc).
Dr. Lu has a great bedside manner, and explained all kinds of eye things to me without requiring me to poke, prod, and question. I swear, I learned more about eyes in our 30 minute appointment than I did after a year of high school biology. All of the staff have a comfortable, joking manner, and you can tell they love the work they do. Even though I no longer work in midtown and thus can’t walk here, I will absolutely come back and recommend this place to everyone I know.

Capitol Optometry is a trustworthy and great place to stop by. The staff is very friendly and the doctors really care about your well being!
I thought that the $ 70 lens fitting fee was not worth it but I was impressed that the doctor gave me multiple contacts to try on and at least two check up appointments. I also got a prescription for dry eyes due to allergies and I was very appreciative for this extra step.
One negative would be the limited choices in frames. Now with websites like Warby Parker its hard to compare frame selections to small optometrists like Capitol Optometry.
Tip: Make sure to park in the public parking garage one block over on 11^th st. Capitol optometry will give you a $ 5 voucher.

This is my third year with Capitol Optometry and I’m still amazed by the friendly and efficient service that they provide – whether it’s during scheduling, finding glasses, or reviewing my insurance benefits. It’s the little details that make them exceptional; they’ve given me extra contacts samples to try, shades when I’ve just had my pupils dilated, etc.
They have adorable frames and will order different colors or patterns. Although their selection is on the smaller side, it’s constantly changing (and pretty trendy). I see people drop in just to try on glasses and the staff is always accommodating.
They also comp parking (city of Sac lots) in downtown. How awesome is that?

The place where I got my eye exam was so busy with last-​minute procrastinators like me, and the optician kept steering me toward the most expensive of the three «we settled on.» What would be the point of using my $ 75 insurance benefit on $ 300 glasses plus $ 130 glare/​scratch coating? I got over the idea that I deserved to be up-​sold, and got outta there. I was sure I could find something less expensive, flattering, work appropriate, and sturdy for bicycle commuting.
Unilocal to the rescue with Dr. Tiffany Lu and Capitol Optometry. «We don’t keep anything that people wouldn’t actually want to wear,» said the receptionist. How’s that for an elevator speech.
When I said I wanted to see the frames covered completely by VSP, I hoped I would have a couple of items to choose from so I could use my insurance benefit before the end of the year. In fact, Bruce, optician and office manager, showed me dozens. Dr. Lu says they order every couple of months and rotate out. She and staff are funny and sweet, and answered all my questions. They showed me the glasses website and offered to order different colors (of the free ones!) so I could look at them before buying. They like dishing about eyewear trends, like Hello Kitty embellishments, rainbow color Ray-​Bans, and gradient cat-​eyes!
My «pupillary distance» measurement is no longer a secret. You need this to order glasses online. They know this, and they don’t hate you for it.
My glasses arrived a little sooner than expected. The glasses frame was free, I purchased anti-​glare coating and paid a materials fee. About $ 100 total. Bonus, Bruce adjusted my old ones and wrapped them up in a lens cloth and case.