Gray’s Papaya

Gray’s Papaya — probably the most well known of the «cheap» hot dog spots in the city. I’ve been to many of the knockoff joints that imitate Gray’s, but I’ve never eaten at the original, so I thought I’d give it a try.
And man was I disappointed. I’ve had way better hot dog from the street vendors. And their papaya drink tasted like they used spoiled papaya to make it.
Also, guys behind counter do not speak English, so don’t bother talking to them.

Fast, cheap, and tasty. All you can really ask for in a hotdog place, and Gray’s delivers.
There’s no reason not to get the recession special. For $ 6, you get a meal: 2 hot dogs and your choice of any drink other than OJ and pineapple juice. It’s not fancy, it’s not ridiculously filling, and it’s definitely not pretty, but it gets the job done. Sauerkraut and onions are free, cheese, chili, and relish are $ 0.10 extra. You walk up, order, and walk away within 3 minutes. Standing room only, and even that is limited.
The hot dogs here aren’t going to blow your mind, so don’t come here expecting that. What they will do is satisfy your craving for some good old fashioned fast food (or drunchies). They’re grilled well and have a nice snap to them. I didn’t love the onions since they’re cooked a bit soft and sweet, but that’s personal preference.
I’d highly recommend getting a drink here, especially the papaya juice or coconut champagne. For someone who’s not a big fan of papayas, I REALLY liked the juice. It weirdly feels like the perfect thing to be eating with your hot dog. The coconut champagne is lighter and has little chunks of pineapple in it, which is cool if you’re into that.
Overall, go to Gray’s for a fast, cheap bite and don’t act like you’re above it. Give in to the fact that you’re here to fulfill your cravings for unhealthy comfort food like the rest of us, and you’ll have a great experience.

Finally had a chance to hit up this institution. Yeap– for this style of dog it’s pretty damn good. I think the secret is that they get so much volume everything is freshly made and perfectly cooked.
I didn’t dig as much the grimy, minuscule eating counter overlooking the trash cans. Or the haphazard layering of toppings. But to be honest after I finished the first one with all the toppings, I went back and got another one «naked», to-​go. There. Problem solved…

A Gray’s chili and cheese dog and a frosty papaya drink is simply the best way to start your day in NYC. They do right here, and I had no trouble converting two of my friends to the way of the Grays. It’s a delicious taste treat every time, and it is just as iconic as the Empire State Building… A must do when you’re in New York.

My daughter’s friend, a longtime New Yorker, insisted Gray’s is one of those legendary NYC «have to go to» places. On a Saturday night with a wine buzz going and the munchies rearing their ugly head, it seemed like a good time to try some dogz. I got 2 loaded with everything. They were ok, but I’m partial to Chicago-​style dogs, so…
There were several types of tropical fruit concoctions available that I didn’t partake of. The standing-​only counters lent a view of the pedestrian traffic on Broadway. I liked the juxtaposition of né’er do wells mingling amongst the spilt condiments with couples dressed to the nines for their Saturday night in Lincoln Center. I would suggest Gray’s as a good place to alleviate hunger pangs cheaply on the Upper West Side.

Not sure what the big deal is. I had a hot dog on a white bun with fake liquid cheese and a sugary papaya juice got $ 4.10. So what?

I love me a hotdog once or twice a year. And it often comes from here. Something about being in the area and coming across this location, which was my «first» papaya experience, compels me to try to relive that first time.
But it’s a hotdog. The price is right. That’s what the 4^th star is for.

This is my favorite place to eat when I’m in New York. I won’t leave the city unless I’ve had a Gray’s Papaya hot dog. Don’t let yourself be fooled– there are many imitators of this place (for instance, Papaya King). There are only 3 Gray’s Papaya original locations in NYC, make sure you check one out. It’s a little hot dog stand, there aren’t even tables in there. You can get it plain, with sauerkraut, or chili. They also have really great smoothies. My dinner– which consisted of two hot dogs and a smoothie– cost me $ 2.75. Can’t beat it, folks. Hands down, my absolute favorite food stop.
(This review is from a 2006 blog. Pricing and menus have changed… but their awesomeness has not.)

Long live Gray’s Papaya. Known for their flavorful hot dogs and Papaya drinks and really great prices. The «Recession Special» is now $ 5.95, still a great deal – it gets you two hot dogs & your choice of drink. There are a variety of drink choices. I would recommend getting the Recession Special, because if you think you only want one hot dog, you will soon realize… shoulda, woulda, coulda, that you should have ordered two hot dogs. So start smart – just order the special. The flavorful hot dogs are not as wide in diameter as your average hot dog. You will be able to eat two. When ordering you can tell the nice folks behind the counter that you’d like mustard & sauerkraut. I will post photos & one will show which condiments have an extra 10 cent charge. No extra charge for mustard & sauerkraut. You can also read about Gray’s Papaya in the ZAGAT GUIDE. This place is beloved by many. Rich & poor come here. I have to try the Coconut Champagne drink sometime, only because I’m curious. It’s hard to try another drink when you’re in love with the Papaya Drink.
Located on Broadway at the corner of West 72^nd Street. Trader Joe’s is across the street. Always eat BEFORE grocery shopping. I LOVE GRAY’S PAPAYA & I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. If you are visiting NYC, Gray’s Papaya belongs on your «must try» list. Sooooo good! And thankfully still NICELY PRICED. Enjoy!!!

Mos def one of the better locations, imo. It seems like there is a never ending supply of costumers and therefore a rather high turnover of dogs and buns. I think this helps to keep the dogs hot and buns fresh.
Also, the staff here are pretty chill and understanding. I’ve seen on more than a few occasions them helping first timers through the ropes.
Personally, I think you should get two dogs with sauerkraut and relish with a squirt of mustard, then whatever you want for a drink.

Was really looking forward to trying out New York’s staple food; hot dogs. We had to make a stop here before we left to the airport. It turned out to be less memorable that I had hoped. There’s no doubt that the recession special is a good deal. $ 6 for 2 dogs and a drink! I opted to try out their papaya drink which was interesting. I can’t say that I liked it but it was definitely something I’ve never tried and glad that I did.
I added both sauerkraut and onions to my dog which were free but I kind of wish I didn’t get the onions as it was somewhat too sweet. In my honest opinion, I would much rather prefer a bacon wrapped hotdog grilled on a pan and served from one of those carts in DTLA. There wasn’t anything special about this place in my books.

Every time I’m in the city we frequent here. What can I say. We love the recession special. $ 5.95 for two dogs and a drink.
The hot dogs aren’t huge, but they’re perfect. They have a toasty bun and taste best with mustard and sauerkraut. (They also have onions which are on the sweeter side free of charge or relish, cheese or chili for extra)
The piña colada drink is the best! I crave it often. So good!
The place gets crowded and its standing room only, but it’s like most places in NYC. Quick and on the go.

Si alguien odia los perritos calientes, es normal, es porque no ha venido aquí. Aunque sea una cadena, cada local parece llevado como un negocio familiar, con buen rollo, pero sin lentitud. El perrito bien lleno, sin racanear y muy, muy bueno. Tanto que no creo que me arriesgue a estropear el recuerdo intentando hacer algo parecido en casa, parece fácil pero no lo es. Cuanto daño ha hecho Óscar Mayer!

While the papaya juice didn’t float my fancy, the pineapple juice hit the spot, but was 4.25 for a medium cup. I paid 6.25 for 2 Frank’s and a papaya, and the franks were great! Tasted like I hoped they would, a cheap New York hot dog!
It may not be a tourist staple for anyone but me, but if i lived here often, I’d probably go a few times a month. Open 24 hours and has been doing it for ages. Was good!

Location: 72^nd and Amsterdam
(Stars are out of 10)
Food and Drink: 7.5 star
If you’re going here for a meal the recession special is the thing to get. It comes with two hotdogs and a drink of your choice. (I would definitely recommend the papaya juice, but it is an acquired taste). The hotdogs are very tasty and come with your classic hotdog toppings. Relish, sauerkraut, chili, and onions.
Service and Wait-​times: 9.5 star
Just go up to the counter and order your dogs and drink. Very quick and efficient.
Atmosphere and Décor: 7 star
A very New York style atmosphere. No seats, just some counters to stand at while you munch down on your dog. They have some paper fruits hanging from the ceiling and they also use paper plates.
Price: 9 star
Not as cheap as your local hotdog vender, but not far off. The recession special is $ 5.95 and a hot dog is $ 2.50.

What can I say, for a once fantastic hot dog place, this place has gone downhill in my opinion. We got a couple of dogs apiece and some fries along with drinks and sat down.
The dogs were… okay, in fact, not that great. The fries were the best bit but when you’re in a hot dog place, that shouldn’t be the case. Papaya juice was similarly not that impressive. We used to go all the time in years past but it just seemed kind of sad now.
Maybe a bad day, maybe not. I just know that I wasn’t happy with my visit and probably won’t be heading there again.

Gray’s Papaya debe ser uno de los lugares más populares de New York para comer hot dogs. Todos hablan de este lugar y la prueba de esto es que el local siempre suele estar lleno de gente, todos comiendo al paso en la barra.
El local es chiquito y obviamente se especializa en hot dogs, los cuales son muy ricos y económicos. Tienen una buena promo de dos unidades + gaseosa por aproximadamente cinco dólares. Lo único malo es que no son para nada abundantes, por lo que es probable que siempre te quedes con las ganas de más o tengas que pedir otro.
En fin, Gray’s Papaya es un buen lugar en Manhattan, un tanto caótico, pero que vale la pena, al menos pasar unos minutos y comerte unos buenos hot dogs a los que encima le podes poner de todo.

Now they raised their price for $ 5.95, including two hotdogs and a drink. The papaya drink is great. Service is super fast. Cash only

Great dogs available ²⁴⁄₇. And I tell you what, nothing like a dog at 2am! They babies are fresh, tasty and cheap. Not much in NYC is a deal anymore, but these things are a value.
Went here with the wife one evening after a show at the Lincoln Center, and man am I glad that I did. The place is just a basic store front. You walk in, order your dogs and drink, and either take it to go or eat at the little stand up bar in the front window. We both loved this place.

The great thing about this place it’s open 24 hours. Ordered the recession special which is two dogs with a drink! Delicious for a quick pick me up snack if you’re hungry. The people are quick to serve. No seats just a table to place your food on but it’s limited. Must try!

Stopped by this New York City landmark– it’s hot drugs, it’s cheap and it’s filling. Can easily eat 4 – 5 of these dogs then down it with one of their fresh juices. I don’t think it’s THAT good to make you travel miles for it– but it’s a convenient quick stop to fill you up.

Recession prices have met inflation…
The new recession price is $ 5.95. You get two hot dogs with a drink (no pineapple or OJ). I went with onions and kraut w/​a papaya drink. The onion and kraut toppings are free. What’s great about these hot dogs than the water dogs at one of those vendor carts is the snap in the skin and grill of the meat. This place is cash only so make sure you bring 6 bucks. It’s going to be as good as a ‘street’ dog as it gets. Highly recommend if you want a hot dog.

While hot dogs are not a regular meal for me and rarely something I crave, I do enjoy a good one every now and then. Being born and bred in the city with the best hot dogs, Chicago (yes, I said it), I’m still open to seeing what other cities can do with meat served in tube form. Many do them quite well with New York being one of the best. I was pleased with my Gray’s Papaya hot dog. Was it the best hot dog ever? No, but was it a good one? Most definitely. I also really liked the papaya juice I got that surprisingly went really well with the dog. Service was ok, but really, I wasn’t expecting to given an oshibori before being served here anyway. I would come back for sure and recommend giving them a try.

They’ve been doing their thing since 1974. Respect.
100% Beef Frankfurters for $ 1.95.
Toppings: Sauerkraut and onions (FREE); chili, cheese, and relish ($ 0.50).
Don’t forget the famous Recession Special; it’s $ 4.95 for 2 Franks + 1 Medium Drink (except Pineapple and OJ). The price seems to have gone up a bit (and has possibly increased since my visit in February), but it’s still a stellar deal.
I was heading to dinner, so I opted for just one Frank w/​sauerkraut and onions. The frank is very tasty, but I definitely could have eaten more. Two is easy for one person. The sauerkraut was also good, but I did not like the onions. I prefer raw white onion and these were grilled with something that made it pretty sweet.
I definitely want to return and try the equally famous fruit drinks.

Wenn man in der Nähe ist und eine Kleinigkeit snacken möchte, ist Grays Papaya sicherlich eine gute Wahl. Das Preis-​Leistungsverhältnis ist mehr als in Ordnung! Ich bin kein Fachmann, aber ich glaube bei einem Hotdog kann man jetzt auch nicht sooo viel falsch machen. War echt ok!

I said it before and I’ll say it again: New York does cheap food really well. And Gray’s Papaya is only one more example of this.
A massive hot dog will only set you back $ 5 and they’re DELICIOUS. Whenever I’ll be back in NYC, I’ll go back for this new-​found favourite!

Must have walked by it a dozen times this week and had the will power to fight it but, in a moment of mental weakness got sucked in and sucked one down.
Classic old school NY dog. Not the best dog out there (in my opinion Chicago’s David Berg brand made by Vienna Beef is) but classic in its flavor.
Washed it down with a classic Papaya colada. Aahh!

There are quite a few of these types of papaya/​hot dog locations in NYC. This was the only one that we sampled. The dogs are better than the boiled dogs on the street. I like my dogs charred a bit. Never thought papaya juice and dogs go so well together!
The recession special is about 5 bucks and you get two dogs and a Papaya drink. Good deal.

leckere amerikanische hotdogs mit kraut oder gurkenrelish, ein must-​have für den downtown-​erkunder!

Gray’s Papaya — in Serien wie Sex and the City und How i met your mother futtert man Gray’s Papaya Hot Dogs, Anthony Bourdain preist den Laden als seinen Lieblings-​Hot-​Dog-​Platz an — ganz klar das ich mir das anschauen musste. Über die Jahre hat er ja regelrecht Kultstatus erlangt.
Vermutlich hat der gute Tony meine Erwartungshaltung zu hoch geschraubt denn ich war maßlos enttäuscht. Ich wählte einen Dog mit Sauerkraut und einen Chili-​Dog. Total fipsige Portionen, jeder Dog mit 2 Bissen aufgefuttert. Geschmacklich absolut nichts besonderes. Zu allem Übel war auch noch der Papaya Shake ausverkauft. Der Ersatzshake war irgendeine wässrige Brühe bei der ich die Geschmacksrichtung leider nicht erkennen konnte.
Super Marketing aber diese Wurst werde ich beim nächsten NYC Besuch sicher auslassen.

Mucho renombre para un establecimiento muy normal. Los perritos son bastante sencillos y la carne deja mucho que desear. Los añadidos, dos gratis y el resto a 50 centavos, son algo por lo que no pagaría. Habiendo probado perritos de puestos callejeros, me quedo con estos últimos.

Les étoiles que je met à cet établissement né sont pas gastronomiques, vous vous en douterez… On parle ici de hotdogs tout simplement ! Mais le concept de cette petite boutique qui fait un angle sur Broadway est sympa. Euh, né vous attendez pas à quelque chose de super impressionnant mais juste très très rapide !
Une fois la compréhension des différentes sauces et accompagnements acquise, en 10 secondes chrono vous êtes servis boisson comprise ! J’ai pris deux hotdogs avec sauce oignon avec une piña colada (non alcoolisée hein). Pour le prix que ça coute, c’est bon marché et c’est tellement américain de sortir avec son assiette de chiens chauds dans la rue qu’on en est content avant même d’avoir commencé !
Petit conseil, allez vous installer sur les bancs juste en face pour éviter les catastrophes.

Sur les recommandations de Monsieur Anthony Bourdain, en effet le prix imbattable de 5 $ pour 2 hot dogs et une boisson (ici le papaya juice) est une aubaine. Je vous recommande de commander et de manger debout en contemplant les passants, un vrai moment new yorkais!

Wenn man schon in NY ist, dann auch mal kurz bei GP vorbeischauen.
Das schöné ist, man kann soviele verschiedene Zutaten miteinander verbinden.
Hot Dogs sind jetzt nicht meine Spezialität, aber man sollte es schon mal ausprobieren. Andere Länder, andere Essgewohnheiten :-)

Gray’s Papaya sollte man auf jeden Fall einen Besuch abstatten, wenn man in der Nähe ist. Es gibt wirklich sehr leckere Hotdogs und einmaligen Papayasaft dazu. Lediglich das Restaurant an sich ist meiner Meinung nach nicht ganz so schön ziemlich eng und man merkt anhand des Abfalls in den Mülleimern und teils auch auf den Tischen, dass zum Mittagsansturm sehr viele Leute kommen. Essen aber wirklich TOP!

ein muss bei jedem new york-​besuch nicht naz so toll wie man vielleicht erwartret thüringer rostbratwurst is halt schon besser aber für hot dogs schon ganz gut

2 Hotdogs mit Sauerkraut und Zwiebeln und ein Papyasaft für $ 5
Völlig ok der Papayasaft war für mich jedoch das Highlight

Günstig, kultig
Sollte man mal gesehen haben.
1 Mal reicht jedoch, da die Hot-​Dogs und die Getränke keinen wirklichen Gaumenschmeichler sind.
Aber das sollte man von einem Imbiss eigentlich auch nicht erwarten.
Für den schnellen Hunger jedoch trotzdem empfehlenswert.

Der Kult um den Laden mag übertrieben sein und wird sicher nicht an der Qualität der Speisen festgemacht. Aber mal ehrlich, die Dinger sind schon lecker und nach einem anstrengenden Tag zu Fuß in Manhattan tut der Mix aus Kalorien und eiskaltem, pappsüßem Papayasaft schon ziemlich gut. Allemal besser als die IKEA-​Variante. Es ist was es ist ein einfacher Hotdog! Auch wenn manche Rezensenten wohl andere Erwartungen hatten.

Les meilleurs hot dog que j’ai mangé. un délice avec ce petit pain brioché miam !

Der legendäre Hot Dog Laden in New York. Keine Ahnung was da jetzt so unglaublich lecker sein soll, du bekommst einen ganz normalen Hotdog mit eben Sauerkraut und Ketchup und Mayo. Trotzdem ist es ein Brötchen mit einer Wurst, normalem Ketchup und normaler Mayo, den Hype versteh ich nicht, hat geschmeckt wie am Eckstand. Der Hype ist übertrieben. Schmeckt ok, lecker Saft gibts halt dazu, das ist was Feines!

Klar, der Laden ist Kult. Zum Teil halt auch, weil er in einer Stadt, in der Fressbuden täglich kommen und gehen, seit Jahren die Kunden bedient. Aber der beste Hotdog der Stadt? Please! Der einzige Unterschied zu den Dingern, die man an jeder Straßenecke in Manhattan bekommt (von 1 Dollar für Einheimische bis 3 oder 4 Dollar für dumme Touristen) ist der etwas bessere Geschmack des Würstchens selbst. Als Toppings gibt es eh nur Zwiebeln in einer roten Sauce, Senf und Sauerkraut. Standard halt. Das alles ist ganz nett wenn man noch nie einen Hotdog gegessen hat! Aber selbst in good ol germany habe ich schon weitaus bessere Dogs vorgesetzt bekommen (möge DD in Köln in Frieden ruhen). Von einem Chicago Style Hot Dog mal ganz zu schweigen
Was das Rezessions-​Spezial angeht (Drink und zwei Dogs): Das gibt es nicht etwa erst seit diesem Jahr — wo es gut passen würde — sondern schon ewig. Dafür setzte es kürzlich, mitten in der Finanzkrise, eine satte Preiserhöhung um fast einen Dollar auf nunmehr 4,45!

Kult-​Hot-​Dog-​Laden in New York. Schon im Flugzeug wurde ich bei einer Sendung über New York darüber informiert, dass man da unbedingt mal hin soll. Witzig was das Rezensions-​Spezial, das alle Preise um einen Dollar drückte. Der Zusammenhanng zwischen Hot Dogs und Papayasaft hat sich mir nicht ganz erschlossen, vielleicht als Ausgleich, weil ersteres keine Vitamine enthält, es sei denn man nimmt das draufgeklatschte Sauerkraut drauf, was angeboten wird. Auch das schmeckt widererwarten lecker.