Nato’s Mexican Food

I’m new to Boise and Mexican food always draws me in for a try.
Natos is in a busy commercial center and a little tricky to get to.
The place was mostly empty at dinner time (never a good sign). First impression: it could stand a good cleaning and more lighting behind the counter.
The menu is typical Mexican favorites. I ordered chicken tacos with rice and beans. The food was ready in a decent amount of time. The retried beans looked a little off color and did not taste so good. They may have been reheated from another day.
The rice was delicious. Cooked right with good flavor.
The tacos had pulled chicken chunks in a fried shell and gobs of cheese. The lettuce was served on the side. The shells tasted non-​fresh. The meat was good. The lettuce was drenched in water, making for a messy plate.
There is a salsa bar with a variety of sauces and condiments.
All in all, Natos strikes me as a place that is struggling to stay in business, with corner cutting taking place to control costs. That’s too bad, because it usually signals a downward spiral.

If you like a Los betos type of place, then this place is for you! Personally I love great mexican food, so I don’t really like this place and don’t recommend if you want to eat great mexican food when there’s so much better. This was alright and if I want to have a quick fix then I may go again since it’s down the street

Great prices and the portions for the combination dinners are very large! Only downside is the plastic plates and silverware but if you can deal with that it is very good. I left a picture of the chimichanga combination dinner with beef on it. The waiting staff was fast and helped really well. When it came to cooking time it was less than 10 minutes! Great service.

If I could give this place less than a star, I would. The crowd was enormous and there was only one cook and one lady on the register. When they finally called our order it wasn’t even actually ours. Another 20 minutes and we got our food, which was completely terrible. The burrito was oversaturated with salty grease, the taquitos (or beef and cheese tacos as they called them) were hard/​had an odd favor, and the tamales were dried out on the inside but covered with too much sauce on the outside. I will never, ever, ever go back. I rarely leave bad reviews but this one is well deserved and then some.

This is one of the best burritos I have ever eaten. I have seriously eaten thousands of burritos across dozens of states and a few countries. The carne asada burrito was only 4.35 and had a ton of flavor. No frills, just excellent Mexican food.

Great walk in Burrito joint, you get what you would expect. Big burritos made with authentic products and plenty of it for the price. If you like a true «burrito» and not a tex mex style restaurant this is the place to go.

After reading the other reviews I don’t know what’s not to like. Very good food and prices are reasonable. Had the Chicken Burrito and it was great. It was the special of the day for under $ 7.00 with a drink. I live in MN when I come back to the area I will dine here again. Very good Mexican food.

I have tried this place twice ever and it was disgusting and greasy both times. Won’t go back.

Nato’s is my families «go to» fast food Mexican quick fix. The menu reads like a choose your own gastronomy adventure book.
What really sets Nato’s apart from the other Mexican food in Boise is their Menudo. If you don’t know what Menudo is? Google it and then give it a try because this is he best I have ever had. It is only served on weekends and they quickly run out… wait, why am I telling you this? Don’t be eaten my Menudo!
Staff is incredibly friendly and the prices are extremely reasonable.
Thanks Nato’s for your hard work, friendly service, tasty food, (awesome menudo), and reasonable prices!

So far, we have only had their bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast burritos because they are SO GOOD! We just moved form San Diego and feel that their breakfast burrito rivals our favorites in SD.

The food is bland and not that great. Big portions don’t make up for the lack in quality. Ice been twice and both times I’ve been sick after I ate. The price is good. The service was good. That’s what the two stars are for.
I’ve found better elsewhere.

I am wandering what everyone is ordering that they are rating this place so poorly. I always get a Carne Asada Burrito and theirs is one of the best I have ever had. My wife always gets shredded beef tacos and she says they have the best she has ever had. I also have tried the cheese Quesadilla and the are fantastic as well.
Breakfast Burritos are cheap and tasty as well.
As far as the service goes we have always been served quickly and food always comes out quickly.

Nato’s gets 5 stars from me because it’s one of the best authentic Mexican joints in town — something we lack! The food is excellent, cheap and fast. I highly recommend the chile verde burrito and their tamales are not dried out like most places in town. If you are looking for fresh mex like Qudoba, Chipotle or Baja Fresh, don’t go here. The customer service really isn’t much — it’s basically a walk up style joint so don’t expect someone to make you feel special and important for eating there. Go to Nato’s for the food, not the service, atmosphere or health benefits.

After my Chapala visit, I drive down Overland to find something with which I can eat and drive. I see Panda Express (I’ve never been to one) and think to myself, I’ll just take a moment and grab a chicken bowl. As I reach for the door handle, I see Nato’s across the parking lot. I get back in my truck and drive over. (Don’t judge me, it was cold outside.)
I go in and the one guy working there was eating his lunch at a table. He walks behind the counter and takes my order, rings me up (only $ 6.27) and then washes his hands (after handling my money. I’m good with that.) Then, he proceeds to walk back over to his table (thankfully within eyesight) and take one more bite of his food. He puts it down, walks back behind the counter again and throws a tortilla on the grill. Normally, that would have been grounds for me to ask him to wash his hands again. Because I saw what he did with his hands, not a big deal.
Anyway, he makes my large burrito, gives it to me and I leave. I hit the interstate and start eating. OMG! It was awful! It was so bland and tasteless. I quickly went through the Unilocal reviews in my head and remember the one the guy wrote about dog food. I quickly concurred. I wrapped it back up, stuck it in the bag, never to be seen again.
Sorry, Nato’s. Awful. Really. I don’t even see a redeeming visit in your future. At. All.
Throat punch… not necessary.

TERRIBLE!!! I would rather eat dog food this get served the waste they serve! Terrible customer service! Terrible food! Do yourself a favor and hit up a legit place to eat. This place is bottom of the barrel and not even worth the walk from the car to inside there place.

Nato’s gets one star for quick service and one star for being cheap.
My husband got a combo plate with a tamale, enchilada, chile relleno and rice/​beans. I got a combo plate with a taco, enchilada, and rice/​beans. I assumed since it was listed as «beef taco and enchilada» both would have beef in them, boy was I wrong! The «enchilada» on both of our plates was one of the worst things either of us has ever tasted. They were cheese only (no meat), with a flaccid uncooked tortilla. The enchiladas were COLD to the touch and contained some shredded unmelted cheese in the center. The red sauce over it was inedible. They were so cold, there is no way they were brought up to correct serving temperature before being brought to us. I left it on the plate (and I rarely leave food on a plate). The rest of the food was okay. The crunchy taco was pretty good.
We had little interaction with the staff, so I can’t comment on that aspect.

My husband and I were looking for a place closer to our house other than Los Betos for some burritos.
Nato’s Mexican Food was amazing. The burritos are bigger than at the other place and also more affordable. We got a burrito an nachos and had plenty of food for our family of four.
The staff was super friendly and fast. I was surprised how fast we got our food with a full restaurant and only two people working.
The Restaurant was extremely clean which is a huge bonus!
We have found our new burrito place!

My family ate here to mixed reviews. Most if us quite liked it. A couple didn’t quite as much. The food is mostly authentic and there is a yummy salsa bar as well.

Very good and authentic. Not a Tex-​Mex kind of place, just straight Mexican food.

Awful customer service. Mediocre food.
My sister found what seemed to be a pebble in her tamale. She lost her appetite, told the cashier, and asked if she could have a refund and gave her the half eaten dish back. After the cashier complained extensively she hesitantly gave her half of the money owed. My father, in witnessing this, told the lady that her customer service was lacking. She finally gave my sister the full refund after complaining again. We will not be coming back.