Barnhart Lee, OD

The staff was aloof and indifferent. I felt like I had to beg the front desk to take my money. There was not a crack of friendliness from the staff.
The gal that performed the pre check and helped pick out glasses was super passive aggressive. At the end they didn’t carry the Free Form frames or anything similar so I simply asked to change the lenses. It turned out I had to sign a waiver saying neither them nor the labs would be responsible if the frame breaks because it was an old frame. And if that happens, I would have to pay for the lenses as well. I was then told to «either sign it or don’t». When I told her I needed to think about it, she stuffed all the paperworks in the disorganized drawer, half slammed it, threw her hands up, gave me a look, nods her head and said «I get it… I get it…» I think the message was that I was a POS and I’ve wasted her time. I was in disbelieve. After some thoughts, I believe she had no incentive to sell glasses since she’ll get paid the same either way. It’d just be more paperwork if she did. And judging from another review, the paperwork would have been a nightmare.
At the end there was so much tension I just wanted to get out of there. I felt like I was Tom Cruise facing Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. I could not handle the truth.
Dr Barnhardt was friendly. He was chatty. He had to rush the exam at the end because the next patient had been waiting for a while. Maybe because of the rush I was not offered trial contact lenses and fitting but I was charged for that copay. Still, I think the exam that I received was thorough and the two stars are for Dr Barnhardt.
All in all, I don’t think this office deserves the high ratings that it received. I wish I didn’t wait for nearly 3 weeks for my appointment which I could’ve gotten in a few days from other places. I found the frames I wanted from another place and had a much better customer service experience.

I never got a call back on my appointment after I did a LASIK consult I met with a woman that did a glasses and frame console returned her call multiple times and never got an answer not loving the customer service wish you would have called back so I can order the glasses and had fitter services their services

I took my daughter (7 years old) to Dr. Barnhart for her first appointment with an optometrist. She has never had so much fun at a doctor appointment. Dr. Barnhart, while doing a very thorough exam, made her laugh and explained a lot of interesting facts about the eye to her. I appreciated how he spoke to not just me about her eye health, but included her in the conversation and answered her questions too.

My kids (9 & 13) just had their first eye exams here. Dr. Barnhart was funny and engaging, and the kids not only enjoyed the exam experience but really enjoyed the time there overall (rare and wonderful for kids at a doctor appointment, right?). The staff goes out of their way to be friendly and personable. It all works. We’ll be back!

This review is for the staff of Dr. Barnhart Lee
I visited Dr. Barnhart Lee based on the good review on Unilocal.Dr. Lee is a very charming person, and I had a good prescription for contact lens. However, his staff is very unprofessional. I had my second visit last October, and got a pair of trial lens. I was bill immediately for the eye exam, which I feel a little strange, because if I was on trial, it meant the exam was not finalized. After that, I was never followed for the trial lens and did not received my written prescription until I called a few months after when I ran out of stock. Since it was just a phone call it was not a big deal. I also ordered two boxes of lens through them because it was convenient to have them bill the insurance. Big mistake! The staff mixed up the left and right eyes!
Although Dr. Lee is great, I totally lost my trust on the staff. I also start to doubt whether my glasses prescription is reliable, because the Axis for astigmatism is swapped between my contact lens and glasses prescription. Now it’s the time to find another optometrist’s office that I can trust.

I’ve been to many optometrists, but this he is my favorite. I hesitate to write this review, only because they are so well loved it can be hard to get an appointment! Dr. Barnhart is fantastic and so is his staff. Picking out glasses was by far, the best experience I’ve ever had. I switched from another OD because of the reviews and I’m glad I did. :)

First visit to the eye doctor and I was really nervous! Dr. Barnhart and staff made me feel so comfortable as soon as I walked in… on a Saturday! If I could give 10 stars I would! The good: front desk! I was maybe waiting 5 minutes and chit chatted with Lori who was so sweet! friendly and very helpful staff. Unlike most offices, I didn’t feel rushed. Dr. Barnhart took his time and listened to all of my vision complaints. The woman that helped me pick out my first pair of glasses was so fun to work with:) honest and very stylish! She also explained my insurance to me and coverage without making me feel like I would be spending a fortune. The bad: I need glasses.

After 50+ years of wearing glasses this is the best optometrist I have EVER gone to. I don’t live in this area. Broke my glasses. Seeing how I was a year over due for a new RX felt it was time to get a new pair. I through a dart at a list of names in the local area. After making an appointment thought it just might be a good idea to check out Unilocal.Everything I experienced has already been said. Most complete exam and explanation of procedures. To beat all a new RX in a week. I will be flying up here every two yrs just to have Dr Barnhart and staff be in charge of my eye care.

Just went for my first visit with Dr. Barnhart after getting the recommendation from my sister-​in-​law. I was very impressed. It is a small practice and very personable. Dr. Barnhart is incredibly knowledgeable and very thorough. I think I’ve had the most thorough exam ever and I’ve been to both either optometrist and ophthalmologist annually for the last 20 years! They have a small selection of glasses too with prices that are pretty comparable to your big chains like Lenscrafters. Highly recommend!

This review is from my first-​ever optometrist visit, but Dr Barnhart is certainly impressive, even without any real points of comparison for me to offer.
This is a small practice on the edge of the small business district in Main Street Bothell. There’s a receptionist, and a tech who does preliminary exams as well as frame fittings. They’re both really nice, very outgoing and charming. They put you right at ease. The little clinic seems to run right on time; there’s just one doctor and they all seem to know each other’s rhythms and schedules really well.
Dr Barnhart himself is very personable, thorough, and seems incredibly well-​versed in his work. An ophthalmologist is supposed to have more medical background than an optometrist, but Dr Barnhart offered clear, digestible, and useful medical information on every consideration he made during my visit. He was able to determine root causes quickly in my very slight, age-​related vision loss, and arrived at a prescription in about an hour.
I still need to go back and find my frames, which is something that can be handled as a walk-​in, provided they’re not slammed. I watched them deal with multiple patients in the lobby and over the phone, and they always struck me as concerned, thoughtful, and engaging. I’m really glad I found this place.

Dr. Barnhart really takes the time and effort to make sure whatever he’s fitting you for is absolutely perfect. He and his staff are all very good-​natured and it’s a great little office. I knocked them down a star only because I’ve been there three times and had to wait over thirty minutes for my appointment to start. It’s hard with trying to fit my appointment in on my lunch break. Next time, I’ll just call in advance to make sure they’re on time or book an appointment during their convenient after work times.

Dr. B is the best. He’s been taking care of my eyes and the eyes of my family for years. Just got new insurance and I’m so relieved he’s in-​network. I really can’t imagine letting anyone else poke and prod my eyes. His office staff always helps me look and feel amazing. They have great taste and can always make my glasses fit my large-​ish head. And whoever takes you to the appointment can check out the awesome coffee shop across the street!

Dr. Barnhart’s office is a teeny tiny little office in Bothell off of the Beardslee exit… and I can’t say enough about how thrilled I am to have found this place.
Dr. B was so friendly and put me at ease right away — he really took the time to explain what he was doing, why he was doing it, and answered the many, many questions that I had. He took an entire hour and 15 minutes with me which is something that I have never seen before in the 15+ years that I’ve been wearing contacts. I didn’t feel rushed at all and he really seemed passionate and to care about his work.
My contact lenses were outdated so he recommended another brand which, so far, has been much better — and left his office feeling like I could see much more than I could in the past.
I really liked that he didn’t seem to be «cookie-​cutter» with his treatments — and really tailored everything to my eyes.
I can’t wait to create a long-​lasting relationship at this office. 5+++++ stars!

I just had my first appointment with Dr. Barnhart. He is very personable and easy to get along with. My appointment was a full hour; he was very efficient and did not seem rushed. He took lots of time to answer questions and tell me what he was doing in his testing. He provided lots of insight into how the eye works and the various technologies available to prevent and repair problems.
He is very highly recommended.

Dr. Barnhart is without a doubt the best eye doctor I’ve seen. He was my eye doctor for about 6 years, until very recently when my company opted for discount eye insurance that’s only accepted at mall-​type optometrists.
Where to start? Dr. Barnhart is exceedingly knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He has the very latest in equipment, and is awesomely geeky when new technology comes out. He’s always up on new techniques and the latest products.
When I first went to Dr. Barnhart, I’d been wearing rigid gas perm contacts for about 14 years. I had previously tried three different times with three different optometrists to get glasses so that I’d have an option when I didn’t want to wear my RGP lenses, but had never had a pair that worked. Dr. Barnhart ordered my glasses and when they came in, I had the same experience. After 3 days of trying to wear my glasses, I called Dr. Barnhart’s office, and they made an appointment for me. He took a look and said «Well, RGP lenses change the shape of your cornea. When we took your prescription, you had been wearing your contacts consistently. Now that you haven’t been wearing them, let’s try again.» He re-​did my prescription, ordered new lenses, and in 3 days I came back to pick up my glasses, which I could finally see out of! Why no other optometrist had understood the effect of RGP lenses on my corneas is a mystery. After 14 years, I finally had glasses I could see out of, and I wasn’t sent an additional bill for the second eye exam or for the second set of lenses. Additionally, he was one of the only doctors to recognize my tendency to overprescribe myself, and made sure that I didn’t end up with lenses that were too strong for what my eyes actually needed.
Then a few years ago, when I decided to try contacts again, Dr. Barnhart thought I should try the infinitely-​more-​comfortable soft toric lenses that can correct for astigmatism. He gave me some to try, and then I came back to tell him they just didn’t stay in place. So we tried a different pair. We iterated through a number of contacts until we found the contacts that were best for me. I was only charged for my initial eye exam and the contacts I ended up going with, not for all the individual visits or for the lenses I tried that didn’t work.
All in all, I would say Dr. Barnhart and his staff are friendly, helpful, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. I have never had a bad experience there. The only area where the office falls a little short is in their selection of frames. I always got my frames elsewhere and had them put the lenses in only because I like funky, unique eyewear, and theirs tend to be more traditional. I’m sad I don’t get to go to Dr. Barnhart now, but if you’re looking for a great experience from the most knowledgeable doctor in the area, I’d highly recommend him!