Small hole in the wall. You can get your food to go or eat out back in the bar area. Flavors are out of this world. Nat is one of the best.
Charles Bookheimer
I came in from out of town and a friend took me there. A total hole in the wall, but I have to say: SOME OF THE BEST THAI FOOD IVE EVER EATEN. Perhaps even the absolute best. If you don't like spicy, you'll need to ask for it less spicy.
Mark C.
Meh, Ok..... The good, eh average part of visit: We tried to dishes. "Kobe Basil" and "Pad Tai" The Kobe Basil is basically hamburger with lots of basil over rice, spiced with fish sauce/mushroom sauce and "something sweet I could not recognize". A fair amount of chili peppers rounded out the dish. Served over rice with an egg on top, it was underwhelming. They should call it "Tai Basil Beef" but I get you need a fancy name to sell more product. No way you get Kobe beef in this dish but it was not expected for the price. The Pad Tai (I was explained they were out of the Pad Tai noodles??) was made with bean thread instead. It was also spiced nearly the same as the Kobe Basil. Fairly bland except the chili peppers made it spicy. I have a high tolerance for heat so it was not close to being too hot for me. My wife had a harder time with it. The portions were fair for the price. Lots of rice with decent amount of sauce on top. Most items come with an egg on top. Seems to be their clique. The bad eh annoying part: Parking is on the street or in a structure which is typical of downtown. During busy times you will like have a decent walk to get to it. No seating except for the Irish bar ( 3 doors down) have to walk through to the back smoking area or set in the bar which is limited also. better for take out. Also, if you "dine in" (the bar) or (Alfresco) you pay (and tip) before you get your food brought to you so it's a crap shoot if the service is great(%25) or not so great(%10) Most of the dishes could be put in a bowl as is a trend now days. Over all, decent size portions make it a go to place for young people partying downtown. Not so much for foodies or Older crowd. Wish them the best but not good enough to warrant another trip. See pictures yourself and read between the lines. A lot of the pics seem to be professionally done by owner. There are enough real ones to figure it out. Bottom line if you want cheap "ok" takeout it's worth it. but parking makes that a challenge so back to square one.
Julius Sontany
Amazing spot.Definitely THE best Thai food in Lexington, hold on let me rephrase that, THE BEST THAI FOOD IN KENTUCKY.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pad Thai, Spicy Beef Salad, Drunken Noodle, Fried Rice, Hot Wings, Tom Yum Soup
Earl R.
Kobe Basil (sweet, spicy and delicious) is my favorite dish and Nat's (situated between McCarthys and Harveys) is a great spot for on-the-go carry out Thai food. It is quick and easy and very reasonably priced.
Chip Zoller
Nat's is probably the most authentic and best Thai in Lexington and may be for a large surrounding area. I've had a lot of Thai food and Nat makes some of the best. It's spicy, no doubt about that, but the flavor is markedly better than other places. He has a different special almost every day so there's plenty of variety for repeat visits. Highly recommended.
Mara W.
Stopped in this afternoon following the St. Patrick's Day parade and ordered egg rolls, one of the specials of the day--Irish style Chicken curry over rice with fried egg on top--and tofu and vegetable stir fry over rice. Everything was delicious, flavorful, fresh, and the portions were perfect! I waited in McCarthy's next door because Nat's is tiny and I preferred hanging out with friends and family while our food was being prepared. I'll definitely return!
Zuckuss Ultima
NAT's is my absolute favorite Thai restaurant in town, but I don't really consider Nat's a restaurant. Nat is an amazing chef that make the best Thai food that anyone could have the pleasure of eating right here in downtown Lex. The food is always spot on delicious and fresh. The places is relatively small but Nat's carry out operation spares no expense when it comes to quality. There is a persistent menu as well as daily specials. I have never been let down by Nat's. A true gem in Lexington. I don't give 5 stars very often, but Nat's deserves every star. Thank you.
Sarah K.
The authentic Thai restaurant! I like this place! If you are interested in finding a authentic and mom made Thai dishes, this is the right place! Not many American elements added in their dishes! Curry and Fried rice are so good! Portion is good! It will feed you full definitely! You can also customize your fried rice, ask the waiter to add or skip any thing you don't want!
Andrew Choe
I am only leaving a review because the rating is clearly too high. Food is not bad for the price. However people are rude and not sanitary.
Well, I can't say I had an overwhelmingly positive and memorable experience at Nat's. I walked in on a Monday night and ordered the Kobe beef basil that has been recommended by so many fellow Yelper's. As of 17 OCT 2022 there was an offer for 10% off when you check in via Yelp app. Average, slightly above 'meh' but forgettable is how I would classify it. The ingredients seemed to be placed in the frying pan, swiftly prepared and placed into a styrofoam container with minimal aplomb. Transactional is how'd I'd classify the experience. The beef? Think 80% lean ground beef for taco's. The fresh basil and Thai chiles added a pleasant and complimentary dimension but after a few mouthfuls the beef grease had leeched into the white rice creating a less than desirable texture and flavor profile. The over easy egg on top didn't add umami or other value aside from protein...it simply existed on top of the entree. For $10 it'll do the trick, but it fell well short of the ambrosia descriptions that I was looking forward to.
Matt V.
This review is difficult to type. I'm struggling to regain basic motor skills after having experienced a level of euphoria rarely seen in these troubling times. My Kobe Basil lunch was, well, indescribably delicious, beyond comforting, and just plain outstanding. I'm wondering what I deserved to have the fortune of eating this unassuming dish. The flavors were rich and sweet and spicy and utterly delightful. It was just a pile of meat and spice and stuff on a pile of rice (at first glance), obtained from a hole in the wall with no seating and served in a styrofoam clamshell. But don't let that ordinary presentation distract you from the waves of culinary extract you are about to experience. Order this, find a safe space (recommend a nearby bar), and dive in. Your life will not be the same and your faith in all that is good in the world will be restored.
Vanessa B.
I've had Thai food from many different places, and this was average. We got chicken fried rice, garlic pork and Kobe basil. The chicken fried rice was the best. The Kobe beef was good, just a little spicier than I anticipated. The garlic pork was fine.
Morgan Clark
Got an order of fish and chips delivered next door to McCarthy’s while watching the UK game. The portion was decent - 3 small pieces of fish and fries filling most of the rest of the box - and the quality was good. At $12 I feel it may have been a couple dollars overpriced, but it’s a great service to have delivery next door, and I’d be curious to try their Thai food!
Morgan M.
Got an order of fish and chips delivered next door to McCarthy's while watching the UK game. The portion was decent - 3 small pieces of fish and fries filling most of the rest of the box - and the quality was good. At $12 I feel it may have been a couple dollars overpriced, but it's a great service to have delivery next door, and I'd be curious to try their Thai food!
Small hole in the wall. You can get your food to go or eat out back in the bar area. Flavors are out of this world. Nat is one of the best.
I came in from out of town and a friend took me there. A total hole in the wall, but I have to say: SOME OF THE BEST THAI FOOD IVE EVER EATEN. Perhaps even the absolute best. If you don't like spicy, you'll need to ask for it less spicy.
Meh, Ok..... The good, eh average part of visit: We tried to dishes. "Kobe Basil" and "Pad Tai" The Kobe Basil is basically hamburger with lots of basil over rice, spiced with fish sauce/mushroom sauce and "something sweet I could not recognize". A fair amount of chili peppers rounded out the dish. Served over rice with an egg on top, it was underwhelming. They should call it "Tai Basil Beef" but I get you need a fancy name to sell more product. No way you get Kobe beef in this dish but it was not expected for the price. The Pad Tai (I was explained they were out of the Pad Tai noodles??) was made with bean thread instead. It was also spiced nearly the same as the Kobe Basil. Fairly bland except the chili peppers made it spicy. I have a high tolerance for heat so it was not close to being too hot for me. My wife had a harder time with it. The portions were fair for the price. Lots of rice with decent amount of sauce on top. Most items come with an egg on top. Seems to be their clique. The bad eh annoying part: Parking is on the street or in a structure which is typical of downtown. During busy times you will like have a decent walk to get to it. No seating except for the Irish bar ( 3 doors down) have to walk through to the back smoking area or set in the bar which is limited also. better for take out. Also, if you "dine in" (the bar) or (Alfresco) you pay (and tip) before you get your food brought to you so it's a crap shoot if the service is great(%25) or not so great(%10) Most of the dishes could be put in a bowl as is a trend now days. Over all, decent size portions make it a go to place for young people partying downtown. Not so much for foodies or Older crowd. Wish them the best but not good enough to warrant another trip. See pictures yourself and read between the lines. A lot of the pics seem to be professionally done by owner. There are enough real ones to figure it out. Bottom line if you want cheap "ok" takeout it's worth it. but parking makes that a challenge so back to square one.
Amazing spot.Definitely THE best Thai food in Lexington, hold on let me rephrase that, THE BEST THAI FOOD IN KENTUCKY.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pad Thai, Spicy Beef Salad, Drunken Noodle, Fried Rice, Hot Wings, Tom Yum Soup
Kobe Basil (sweet, spicy and delicious) is my favorite dish and Nat's (situated between McCarthys and Harveys) is a great spot for on-the-go carry out Thai food. It is quick and easy and very reasonably priced.
Nat's is probably the most authentic and best Thai in Lexington and may be for a large surrounding area. I've had a lot of Thai food and Nat makes some of the best. It's spicy, no doubt about that, but the flavor is markedly better than other places. He has a different special almost every day so there's plenty of variety for repeat visits. Highly recommended.
Stopped in this afternoon following the St. Patrick's Day parade and ordered egg rolls, one of the specials of the day--Irish style Chicken curry over rice with fried egg on top--and tofu and vegetable stir fry over rice. Everything was delicious, flavorful, fresh, and the portions were perfect! I waited in McCarthy's next door because Nat's is tiny and I preferred hanging out with friends and family while our food was being prepared. I'll definitely return!
NAT's is my absolute favorite Thai restaurant in town, but I don't really consider Nat's a restaurant. Nat is an amazing chef that make the best Thai food that anyone could have the pleasure of eating right here in downtown Lex. The food is always spot on delicious and fresh. The places is relatively small but Nat's carry out operation spares no expense when it comes to quality. There is a persistent menu as well as daily specials. I have never been let down by Nat's. A true gem in Lexington. I don't give 5 stars very often, but Nat's deserves every star. Thank you.
The authentic Thai restaurant! I like this place! If you are interested in finding a authentic and mom made Thai dishes, this is the right place! Not many American elements added in their dishes! Curry and Fried rice are so good! Portion is good! It will feed you full definitely! You can also customize your fried rice, ask the waiter to add or skip any thing you don't want!
I am only leaving a review because the rating is clearly too high. Food is not bad for the price. However people are rude and not sanitary.
Restaurantji Recommends
Well, I can't say I had an overwhelmingly positive and memorable experience at Nat's. I walked in on a Monday night and ordered the Kobe beef basil that has been recommended by so many fellow Yelper's. As of 17 OCT 2022 there was an offer for 10% off when you check in via Yelp app. Average, slightly above 'meh' but forgettable is how I would classify it. The ingredients seemed to be placed in the frying pan, swiftly prepared and placed into a styrofoam container with minimal aplomb. Transactional is how'd I'd classify the experience. The beef? Think 80% lean ground beef for taco's. The fresh basil and Thai chiles added a pleasant and complimentary dimension but after a few mouthfuls the beef grease had leeched into the white rice creating a less than desirable texture and flavor profile. The over easy egg on top didn't add umami or other value aside from protein...it simply existed on top of the entree. For $10 it'll do the trick, but it fell well short of the ambrosia descriptions that I was looking forward to.
This review is difficult to type. I'm struggling to regain basic motor skills after having experienced a level of euphoria rarely seen in these troubling times. My Kobe Basil lunch was, well, indescribably delicious, beyond comforting, and just plain outstanding. I'm wondering what I deserved to have the fortune of eating this unassuming dish. The flavors were rich and sweet and spicy and utterly delightful. It was just a pile of meat and spice and stuff on a pile of rice (at first glance), obtained from a hole in the wall with no seating and served in a styrofoam clamshell. But don't let that ordinary presentation distract you from the waves of culinary extract you are about to experience. Order this, find a safe space (recommend a nearby bar), and dive in. Your life will not be the same and your faith in all that is good in the world will be restored.
I've had Thai food from many different places, and this was average. We got chicken fried rice, garlic pork and Kobe basil. The chicken fried rice was the best. The Kobe beef was good, just a little spicier than I anticipated. The garlic pork was fine.
Got an order of fish and chips delivered next door to McCarthy’s while watching the UK game. The portion was decent - 3 small pieces of fish and fries filling most of the rest of the box - and the quality was good. At $12 I feel it may have been a couple dollars overpriced, but it’s a great service to have delivery next door, and I’d be curious to try their Thai food!
Got an order of fish and chips delivered next door to McCarthy's while watching the UK game. The portion was decent - 3 small pieces of fish and fries filling most of the rest of the box - and the quality was good. At $12 I feel it may have been a couple dollars overpriced, but it's a great service to have delivery next door, and I'd be curious to try their Thai food!