NAT'S

Pretty good food for a great price point. The food was flavorful and the proportion was huge (a lot of rice for the pork salad and shrimp+herbs). My favorite had to be the special pork basil with fried egg. Be patient when ordering, when we finally got to try the place, it was just one staff. We’ll definitely be back. Side note: My husband and I have been wanting to try Nat’s for a while. It just never seemed to be in our cards. Last week, we tried coming on two separate ocassions in the evening (around 7pm) but they were closed both days. I checked their Facebook/Google page to see if I misread the time but it seems they were randomly closed.

I rarely go out for Thai food because, since I'm Thai, I pretty much cook Thai at home. Friends, however, often ask me for recommendations, and I think Nat's will have to be at the top of my list from now on. We went for the first time recently, and my husband has not stopped talking about going back. He got the Kobe beef and basil and loved it. I got Tom ka shrimp and a Thai papaya salad that was just wonderful. Since we were the only ones there and decided to wait for our food to be cooked, we chatted with everyone working there including Nat. They were friendly, generous, conversational and super interesting. I have no doubts we will be back. Highly recommend that all Lexingtonians try this place at least once.

NAT's, a downtown Lexington self-named Thai takeout, nestled between McCarthy's Irish Bar and Harvey's, serves some of the most delicious dishes we've tasted. Nat (chef and owner) overcomes the equipment challenges by preparing mostly curry and soup dishes (known as "Kao Geang" ). That Kobe basil is on point. The Tom Yum gai is authentically sour and spicy, perfect for a fall night out. Inspired by unique ingredients, he never stops serving innovative and probably one-time dishes, like the Watermelon curry chicken. Though the restaurant doesn't have its own dining room, his customers can enjoy the dishes in the outdoor seating area that's shared with the Irish Bar.

Amazing food, friendly staff. One of my favorite places in Lexington. The interior is so small that you can't open the door and stand inside at the same time, but there is seating all around the exterior. Prices are not bad, especially given the generous portion sizes.

We love Nat's! If you find yourself enjoying the Irish Public House next door (McCarthy's), you can just ask your friendly bartender for a menu. The staff of Nat's will come over, take your oder, and even bring it to you! How convenient is that? They share a lovely back patio with McCarthy's so grab a pint, some grub, and enjoy a little piece of heaven in downtown Lexington! If you opt to get it to go, they will box it up for you. I suggest the pad thai. It's beautifully balanced between sweet sauce and warm peanuts is definitely something to write home about!

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!

If you are looking for amazing Tia food, this is the place. The food is excellent and authentic. I got the curry chicken stir fry and would recommend it. (caution it is spicy if you like heat go for it)

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.

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.

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.

Would love to try it...hours on Yelp states it opens till 9:30pm on Friday 8/16, got there around 8pm and it was closed.

But hours TOO unpredictable! Way so!! Food is delicious though. Please make food more available!

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.

Absolutely the best authentic Vietnamese food in Lexington! The Kobe Basil is a destination dish. I highly recommend exploring his menu and trying it all. You can't miss!

O.M.G....I have found the authentic Thai restaurant in Kentucky -- Nat's is it!! Nat's is a very unassuming lil takeout only restaurant tucked into the side of McCarthy's Irish Bar and shares a front entrance with an Irish gift shop. It sounds odd, but totally worked! My friend and I walked up one afternoon, ordered food inside the restaurant, was told by the owner to "go next door, order a drink and he will bring the food over". We went to McCarthy's, ordered a couple of Pepsi and sat in the cutest nook by the window. Our orders arrived soon: Kobe beef grapao, shrimp salad. Wow! The flavors are sharp, distinct and intense, like Thai flavors are supposed to be. I would say the grapao's spice level is about medium for me. The salad was so spicy that I couldn't finish it. If you have the tendency to want "Thai Hot" in your dishes, this is the place that can serve it up! If you look at the photos poated by other Yelpers, you'll see many other special menu items not found at any other local Thai places. i cannot wait to come back for them! Btw, there is also a nice courtyard next door w available seating during warmer months.

A tiny little takeout downtown, Nat's offers quality fresh food. They will make things vegan without fish sauce and such upon request, and my basil tofu delivered a kicking rich flavor. It's best enjoyed nearby while it's still hot. I'd be happy to go back and see what else they can do.

Literally a hole in the wall, extremely difficult to find Thai place with really great good and a great value. You can only order/pick up food from here, there is no dining in, but not that you would want to. Also the menu is limited, but again, food quality for the price point is great. So if you're in the mood for Thai food in Lexington, do yourself a favor and get it at NAT's. It is located right past the back garden of Harvey's and before the Irish Shoppe and McCarthy's, if you're coming South.

Nat's has excellent Thai food. We ordered the day's special, Green Curry with Pork Belly. The curry sauce was spicy and full of complex herbaceousness. The pork was tender and had an excellent protein/fat ratio. The spring roll was decent. It was your standard Thai spring roll. Crisp rice paper wrapping covered steaming hot vegetables and ground up pork sausage blend.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!

Legit !! Fresh to Death!! Kobe Basil on point!! Shrimp Tom Tum soup f$&king money in the bank good!!

This is one of the very few authentic Thai place in Lexington. Nat himeself cooks the food. They are not open on all the days. So it's better to call him and check if they are open. I have been disappointed a lot of times when I would go there and find it closed. He also has a facebook page where he regularly updates if the restaurant is open or closed. Nat's has a daily special and it's usually ~$13 with taxes. All the specials have their unique taste and it's a must try. I have been here so many times since it's close to work and I believe I have tried all of the specials. I like the non-special dish 'Kobe-basil' more than any of his other dishes. These days I just get the Kobe-basil without even looking at the other dishes. But my friend always gets the special and he likes it. So it's just my personal preference. One of the disadvantages is that they don't have a place to sit and eat. However you can sit at the neighboring bar (McCarthy's) where they would bring you your dish, but I recommend ordering to-go and eat it at home or at your work-place. But if you also feel like drinking some beer while munching on some authentic spicy Thai food, eating at McCarthy's isn't a bad choice.

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.

First of all, get ready for some heat. I mean, the standard fare comes pretty spicy. I'm sure if you asked for "spicy," you'd get some serious pain. Good thing I like heat, but I digress... Kobe beef basil is as good as people say it is (meaning it's pretty darn good). Spicy beef salad was great too. Nobody goes to a Thai takeout joint to get chicken wings, but they should -- oh, they should. The wings are a real rockstar here. They come with fries too. Prices are super reasonable too. Did I mention it's a takeout window? Call in your order, then come and pick it up from the window. What could be better during social distancing time?!

Finally got to try this quaint little Thai restaurant on Upper street. You order at the little corner restaurant and then find your seat at McCarthy's bar just 2 doors down. We thought that was a little strange but it was nice sitting at one of the oldest bars in downtown Lexington. The food was delicious. We started our lunch with egg rolls. They were brought to us straight from the fryer, or at least it seem like they did. The beef stir fry with curry had all the elements of Thai flavors, sweet,sour,spicy, salty goodness. The beef was not chewy and the veggies were still crunchy. The pork belly and rice also had all those Thai flavors and completely balanced. We ate every bite! I really wanted to have Papaya salad and our server informed us that usually, on Friday nights and Saturday, his mom is there and she sometimes have papaya salad and she doesn't hold back on the spice! So if the parking isn't too bad, we will for sure come back for some of that Papaya salad...and their other foods!

Whoa! This is a hidden gem for thai food. Let me start off with SPICY!!! And delicious. I had been hearing how good Nat's was and wanted to stop in. I hesitated for a while because of the location and having to order at the window, etc. But now that I've experienced it, I will definitely go back!! Basically you walk into the tiny storefront next to McCarthy's bar downtown and order, either carry-out or they will bring your food to you over at McCarthy's. I ordered mine spicy, and it was very very spicy and good. You will definitely need water!!!

I am terrified by how the owner and his worker prepared my food. First, the Chef didn't put on a mask (and the store is such a small kitchen with no good ventilation, that's why I was worried). Second, while he was cooking, he grab the raw beef and placed it on the pan without any gloves. I kept staring at him and finally he put on a glove. Then someone came in to order and gave him some cash, he use his hand with the glove that he just put on to grab the cash and went back to touch my food! Then he use his hand to wipe his nose as he was having some running nose....OMG, I took my food and trashed it after I walked out the restaurant. Someone need to give them some warning during this pandemic time.

This is the best Thai place in town. You just have to plan ahead to either get carry out or eat next-door at McCarthys. It's nice on an evening with good weather when you can sit out on the patio at McCarthys and enjoy your food and a beer. I finally had a chance to try the fish in an herb garden which one of my friends said is the most delicious thing they have. It's a lot of work because all of the bones are in the fish and you have to take time to find the meat but the combination of flavors makes it worth it. I also had the Kobe basil dish and that is delicious as well.

A great local find in Downtown Lexington. My wife and I found Nat's on Yelp. It's as close to a literal hole in the wall as you will ever find. Jammed right next to an Irish pub. There is barley room for more than three people to stand in the front of the restaurant. You are literally watching them cook and prepare your food. I ordered the yellow curry with shrimp and my wife had the Tom Yum soup. Both were scrumptious. Very authentic taste and oh so fragrant. The best part was chatting with Nat while he prepared our food. He talked about his approach of finding authentic dishes in Thailand and bringing them back ether States. Probably one of the best indicators was also see regulars come in and order their favorites. A real treasure. Lexington is lucky to have Nat's.

I tried Thai food for the first time tonight. It was excellent. The food was fresh, flavorful and spicy. They are getting 5 stars for flavor freshness, but parking is challenging and you have to take it to go. I'm glad I stepped outside my box.

Best kept Thai secret in Lexington! Went there only Wednesday night, wanting to have a working dinner. Friendly service in plenty of room, I ordered the green chicken curry extra hard. The food was perfectly authentic, the service was great, would definitely go back!

Nat's is a little hidden gem right in the center of downtown Lexington. The flavors here are amazing. I tried the Kobe beef with rice (their most popular dish). The place here is super tiny but you can get it to go or eat it at McCarthy's next door. The only downside is that the hours here are a bit spotty so make sure you call ahead to make sure they're open.

First time here and came because of a friends recommendation. I ordered the beef salad and it was amazingly delicious. This restaurant is best for take outs, but if you're here for lunch, ask the owner of you can go eat your food at McCarthy's and most times they'll allow you. My friends loved their dishes, but make sure if you don't like something spicy to let them know not to be too spicy. You must try April's papaya salad, it is a must to try!!!

This is my favorite Thai restaurant in Lexington, with an authentic Thai-inspired special each day not on the menu. This is not just a typical pad thai shop, although the pad thai here is very good as well. I highly recommend following the Nat facebook page where you will find the daily special posted

Super good Green Curry pork belly. It was a special for the day and it did not disappoint. Very complex and depth on the curry spices all mellowed out by a super creamy coconut milk . Excellent execution. Rice was light and fluffy yet still firm. Easy to order from the street right through the window on the sidewalk. We ate it on the barrels on the sidewalk outside the neighboring pub. Give it a look!

The One and Only Authentic Thai Cuisine in Lexington Kentucky. If you can't stand Hot get Out of the Kitchen!!! These are spiced the way they should be! But seriously folks there are calmer dishes to choose from as well. Like Fish in The Herb Garden a deep fried whole Tilapia smothered and covered with Shallots. Fresh Lemongrass,tomatoes, fresh lime,green onion,fresh cilantro. Geeezzzzz so delicious!!! I highly recommend

This is some of the best food I've ever had. I definitely like spice so that was a good thing as far as I'm concerned. The menu is not huge but everything on it is as high quality as it gets. Kobe beef basil was amazing. This is authentic as it gets. Phenomenal.

My favorite Thai food in Lexington! The Kobe basil is a must. The wings are also amazing.

This place is quite literally a hole in the wall. We drove by it several times not realizing it was there. Just a warning, there isn't anywhere to sit but Nat said you could take your food into the restaurant next door; he'd even have it delivered. We opted to take it home instead. I ordered the wings and my boyfriend ordered pad thai. He wasn't impressed with the pad thai but loved the wings. In fact, a couple days later he said he was going to stop in for wings. The wings were flavorful and spicy. I love spicy things and generally I'm skeptical when people say things are spicy; these wings were spicy. My lips were burning a bit after eating them but it was a good burn. I rarely rate restaurants five stars but the wings were delicious and I don't want to be the one ruining their five star rating.

You know your favorite place on earth? Think about it carefully. The smells, the sights, the food. This is better than whatever dump you thought of. The menu is sparsely populated with about 15 items, but it doesn't matter if you have food allergies because it's going to rock your world. You pretty much don't have any space to eat here, which is totally fine. You need to spend time eating with your friends and family back at home. And drinking. A lot.

Nat's is a literal hole in the wall next to Spider Well and McCarthy's. I've walked past this place for years, and it never even registered that this was a Thai carry-out place. The menu is short, the prices fairly cheap, and the food is excellent, Order your food, then head over to McCarthy's for a drink. They will bring you your food at McCarthy's. That all seems a bit unconventional. It is. But here is the bottom line: the food is excellent. I had the Kobe Basil Beef. spicy, sweet, aromatic, covering a pile of sticky rice. Delicious. I ate every morsel, every drop. My wife had the Pad Thai, and loved it. We ate at McCarthy's, had a beer and a water, and all was great.

Nat's is a little hole-in-the-wall walkup and kind of hard to find if you're not familiar with the area (I was just driving through on my way to the Carolinas and found it on YELP!). I drove past it twice. It's right next to an Irish Pub. Once I got there, the food was just AWESOME. I had a creamy chicken curry that was one of the daily specials, so I don't know if it's on the menu every day. I'm guessing it was coconut milk that made the curry creamy? Whatever it was, it was great!

This place is a true gem! Our server was amazing and made excellent recommendations. Dont be discouraged by the location the food is 100% authentic!

[possibly temporarily closed] This is my favorite restaurant in Lexington! The Kobe Beef is a perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy. I'm sadly daydreaming about it because this is the third time I've driven by it during COVID with plans to get takeout and it's been closed .

I love Nats! It's the best Thai place I have been to. My favorite is definitely the Kobe beef with basil and drunken noodles! I have had many of specials. I love to try new things. Nat always has something great. I also love the stories he gives behind the food! All around excellent food. However don't plan on eating in, there is no seating :( the only issue :D

Best thai I had in a while, so happy. 9:45pm on a Saturday evening - there are people inside and outside waiting for spicy, tasty thai heaven. If you want spicy you get that, if you want mild you can get that too! While there is no seating, you can always crawl to the bar next door and the chef will deliver the food to your table. Nothing like a cold beer to go with the food.

Wow. This is some of the best Thai food I've ever had. I'm from California so I'm experienced in Thai good and this is incredible. The hours are wonky so make sure to check out the facebook group. The Kobe Basil is excellent. Loved the chicken wings. Coming back tomorrow for the Tom Gai and Beef salad. Can't wait!

This is a hidden gem of downtown Lexington! Very good food, but a couple points take the overall score down. The negatives are that they are not open very consistently, the best way to know if they are open is to check there Facebook page for the daily special, if you don't see a post for that day they are likely closed. Another negative is a slight inconsistency in spice level, the same dish can be mild one day and super spicy the next, this is not as big a thing for me because I don't mind spice but not everyone enjoys very spicy food. For the taste of the food however, it is great! My favorite item (that I have tried, mind you I have much more to try) is the Garlic Pork and Egg Rolls. I enjoy the Ginger Chicken as well, but for those that avoid heavy spice, I would caution you to ask for it mild or stay away, good flavor but a lot of heat. During lunch time, the wait times can be upwards of 20 minutes, so if you're in a rush for lunch I would suggest ordering a little before starting your lunch break and going to pick it up once your break starts.

Can be hard to figure out whether they are open but it's the best thai I have had in Lexington. Kobe beef basil is my favorite but everything I have is worth a try.

As many Yelp reviews start, "I really wanted to like this place". It's a literal hole-in-the wall run by the most affable people ever to make and serve Thai food. I really enjoyed watching my stir-fry prepared right in front of me while conversing with the chef about the relative merits of different varieties of soy/fish/mushroom sauce. Unfortunately, however, the food ultimately tasted terrible, principally in that it was *way* too salty. I only managed a few bites before having to discard the remainder of it.

Let me first say, I know nothing about Thai Food. I did enjoy the trip to Nat's though. My girlfriend and I just walked in and ordered and there was no line. The place is TINY, so that's kinda cool... basically a hole in the wall. Nat cooks all the food with his wife and daughter. The food was good. I didn't like the Pad Thai but maybe that's because I don't know what I'm talking about. My girlfriend got the fried rice so I stole that and ate it. It was good, but not very spicy. I think if you like spicy stuff you need to add some heat. Overall, I would recommend, and I would go back. I'd like to try some of the other menu options.

This isn't just the best Thai in town, it's the best Thai takeout I've ever had. It's a tiny hole in the wall with an equally tiny menu, but the food is spicy and delicious. You can even grab a drink at the Irish bar next door while you wait and they'll deliver it to you over a pint. The chicken wings are superb and I'm obsessed with the yellow curry and the pad Thai. This is the stuff I crave when I'm sick. Or hungover. Or drunk. Or just if it's a Friday. Just make sure you check their Facebook ahead of time since Nat closes on some random days and usually posts it there, otherwise you'll show up and be very disappointed to find nobody there. (Been there. Sad times)

I suspect I decided to seek out the best Thai food in town on an off day for Nat's, but frankly it was off enough that I'm not likely to give them a second chance. I pulled up to a meter in front of the Irish bar at 12:06 - six minutes after opening. I plugged the meter with a dime, figuring this would only take a few minutes and headed inside. I ordered kobe basil, stir fry curry, and tom ka kai to go. The gentleman who was working said they didn't have any soup today. That's fine. (I was actually a little bit hesitant about the soup anyway since the "kai" usually means "chicken," but the picture showed shrimp, but we love Thai soups, and it isn't like we dislike tom ka kung (or goong), so I thought we'd try it.) Four other people ordered while I was there. 30 minutes later I was back in my car with my to-go order. THIRTY minutes! I seriously can make my own curry AND tom ka kai in less time than that. (I've never made kobe basil, so that would take me longer due to needing to find a recipe, etc..) The food was good (not great), but it wasn't worth that kind of wait, and in my opinion it was overpriced for what we got. I really hope we will find a better Thai restaurant in Lexington, but if not.... well.... Y'all are invited to my place for my homemade Thai!

2018. The Kobe beef didn't steal my heart like it did 2 yrs ago but the ginger! And the veggie curry! It's all still mad good.