Gray's Papaya, New York City

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On my to-do list was eating a hot dog on the street in New York. We got 'er done. Go ahead and laugh - this was my favorite meal in NYC. And the cheapest. And the most fun. We'd picked Gray's Papaya based on tons of good reviews and because we happened to be close to one when the munchies hit. The menu is limited, there's no place to sit and if you like chili on your dogs, you're SOL but they're cheap and really good. You can order single dogs ($1.25) or the Recession Special (two dogs and drink for $4.50) and have them covered with fried onions in an interesting tomato sauce, or sauerkraut. These pups are on the small side so if you're a big fella, you'll probably want more than two.

Drinks come in a rainbow of fruit flavors: papaya (hence the name), pina colada (yummy!) grape, orange, banana, etc. and they also have a cheap ham or sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, coffee and a few pastries in the morning.

As you can see, I chowed mine down on the street; mission accomplished.

2 locations: 402 Sixth Avenue at 8th Street, 2090 Broadway at 72nd Street. Open 24/7. Not to be confused with Papaya King or Papaya Dog.

Favorite Dish: Duh...

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NYC cheap eats. Crif on St. Marks in East Village is probably my favorite dogstand in town.

Take your significant other to Crifs for a deep-fried wiener
Crif comes with the unique addition of an evening hidden speakeasy ("PDT - PleaseDon'tTell")
accessed via the phone booth and a previous 3pm reservation. See HERE

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Another chain o'dogs I liked was Gray's Papaya , three dogshops in different parts of the city.

Though Gray's have the habit of mixing onions & ketchup for a "special sauce" (barf),
I'm a mustard/kraut guy so they taste great to me. 2 dogs and a soda for under $3. Great cheap eats.
Other good part about Gray's of course are the papaya drinks that go so well w/the dogs.

Grays Papaya locations:

My favorite:
(West Village)
402 Sixth Ave. at 8th St.
212-260-3532
Subway Stops: A, C, E, F, S, V to W. 4th St.

(Midtown West)
539 Eighth Ave. at 37th St.
212-904-1588
Subway Stops: A, C, E to 34th St.

(Upper West Side)
2090 Broadway at 72nd St.
212-799-0243
Subway Stops: 1, 2, 3, 9 to 72nd St.

Favorite Dish: Dogs (and drinks @pdt)

Gray's Papaya hot dog restaurant is not only famous for its signature dish but the restaurant has been featured in several popular movies and TV show e.g Sex & the City and You've Got Mail.

There are 3 locations in Manhattan to get a taste of its yummy hot dogs and special papaya drink. After getting a hot dog, you can pile on as much relish & mustard to your heart's delight at the counter. I'm not a fan of the papaya drink though.

For a pretty cheap meal, you can ask for the "Recession Special," (2 Hot Dogs & a Drink) for $3.50 (Oct 07').

Well, I ain't gonna tell you Grey's has the best food in New York. But it's arguably the best hot dog. For 2.95 (including tax), you get 2 hot dogs and a fruit drink. The dogs ARE a little skinny, but I just load 'em up with mustard sauce, and it's a relative bargain. Wash it down with the fruit drink and it's pretty tasty. Definitely better than Nathan's.

The place has ZERO atmosphere. It's not just fast food; it's urgent: Order, eat it and get out. But if you're in the Village or the Upper West Side, it sure hits the spot.

Favorite Dish: Favorite dish? Well, it's either the hot dogs or the hot dogs. Wait a minute: Maybe it's the hot dogs.

Don't be fooled by all the wannabe Gray's Papaya hotdogs places in Manhattan. The *real* one is down on 6th Avenue and 8th Street. This place is best known for its cheap "recession" deals of 2 hot dogs and a 16 oz. drink for $2.45 (?I think). Best for quick pick-me-ups, not best for your hips, but quick, easy, cheap, accessible, not a very long wait, great location right in the Village, stop by and pick up a quick lunch and continue on your touring! The hotdogs are typical, long, NY weiners, but at least you can see them cook them as opposed to street vendors, where the dogs come from some strange metal box...

I like Gray's Papaya, even though I'm not a huge fan of hot dogs. It's definitely recommended for those on a budget, or for hot-dog fans! :-)

Favorite Dish: Umm...my favorite dish would have to be...the hot dogs. Yeah.

When you watch movies set in NY, they're always eating hot dogs from vendors. I love hot dogs so I am definitely excited about that fact when I get to the city. Apparently Gray's Papaya is one of the best places to get them.

If New Yorkers think that Gray's Papaya serves great hot dogs... then I'm sorry, they don't know what a real hot dog is. First of all they're puny. I can get bigger hot dogs at a local 7-Eleven back home. But if you really want a good hot dog, NOTHING can compare to Pink's Hot Dog's in LA.

Another annoying thing I've noticed in NY is the eating places with no chairs. I know NY is a fast moving place... but when I eat, I want to sit down. I found it really annoying after a long day of walking and sight-seeing to end up in Gray's Papaya hungry and tired and having no where to sit.

There are two Gray's Papaya locations in New York; West Village, and the Upper East Side. There are seemingly hundreds of the Gray's rip-off "Papaya King". I beg of you not to fall for these. Because to miss Gray's, is to miss a bit of New York. I never eat hot dogs off the street..I'm terrified of poisonous ingredients such as car tire rubber, etc. But I could eat a thousand hot dogs at Gray's. It is the perfect place to go for a snack, while walking around town, and don't feel like spending too much money. Just a dollar buys you delicious little pick me up. And don't miss the juices, they are fantastic.

Erm...dunno why people go here...perhaps only due to alcohol consumption. Which is why I went there. The food is fast food crap. If you need a load of beans, then head here. And then fart a lot. It's a chain iirc so they are all over the place.

Favorite Dish: Napkins and toe nail clippings.

Where else can you get two hotdogs and a soda for two bucks at four in the morning? Open twenty four hours a day, this place is always busy and the hotdogs are always good. The Midtown branch is also a pretty fun people-watching spot-- tourists and commuters in the daytime, assorted 8th Avenue wanderers at night.

Favorite Dish: Hot Dogs (honestly, they don't make anything else.)

Alright, so you have to ask yourself what really is in a hot dog... Yea, yea we've already heard its grounded up pigs parts but thats not what your thinking when you buy one of these babies!! First off, they arent like those nasty things you get at a picnic. They are cooked with such flavor and Mmmmmm, are just as yummy! They've a thiner then regular hot dogs and are much longer too. Also, which i almost forgot, when you take a bite its like... like tasting a piece of the most juicy roasted parcel of meat you've ever tasted!!
You can find Gray's Papaya in two locations in NYC. I'll leave it up to you to discover them yourself ;) And trust me- when you do find one, believe me... you'll me VERY excited when you come to NYC and stumble upon one of these very famous hot dog servers and you'll be like, "Mmm I remember in GoodGirl's page to check it out!!"

Favorite Dish: Favorite dish?? Umm hello!! THE HOT DOG!! Oh yea.. their Papaya juice is also pretty good if your into that kinda thing.