Gray's Papaya - Downtown
New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 260-3532
- Price:
- $
- Cross Street:
- 8th Street
- Directions:
- A, C, E; B, D, F, Q at West 4th St.-Washington Sq.; 6 at Astor Place; N, R at 8th St.
- Best of Citysearch:
- Fast Food 2007
- Hours:
- Daily 24 hours
Editorial Review for Gray's Papaya - Downtown – by Keith Wagstaff
The Scene
The cornucopia of paper fruit decorations dangling overhead lends a festive atmosphere to this tiny New York institution. Groups of loud teenagers, downtown fashionistas, button-downed office workers--all wait patiently as a small troop of red-clad employees work at a feverish pace preparing heaps of frankfurters for the budget-minded masses. Customers wolf down their dogs while standing on the yellow-tiled floor, chatting casually and resting their drinks on a narrow countertop.
The Food
The menu is perfect for the indecisive, its sole option a long, thin, juicy hot dog served in a standard bun. Topping a dog with everything means piles of mustard, ketchup, and a sweet combination of onions and sauerkraut. The defining characteristic of this popular restaurant, aside from dirt-cheap hot dogs, is the beverage selection, which includes a light and refreshing papaya juice, an extremely sweet pineapple juice and a sweet and frothy pina colada drink.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Save MoneyGet coffee for only 25 cents from 6am to 11am, one per customer.
The ExtrasA limited breakfast menu featuring bagels, rolls and more is available in the morning.
User Reviews for Gray's Papaya - Downtown
07/14/2008 Posted by sassysweetie1920
Went to Gray's Papaya while visiting NYC on 7/12/08. OMG! The hog dogs were awesome! I had the recession special. Two hot dogs and a drink for $3.50. You can't beat it! The service was very fast. The only issue I have, was that their onions come in some sort of sauce that looks like a salsa. It didn't taste good at all! Other than that. It was terrific! I would highly recommend checking them out!
Pros: Great hot dogs, great papaya drink, speedy service
Cons: onion sauce
06/03/2008 Posted by huskyduck
You just can't beat the "recession special"-two Gray's dogs with kraut and mustard and your choice of one of their tropical fruity styled drinks. Papaya King's dogs have a "secret" ingredient that Gray's dogs lack but I can't taste the difference and Gray's dogs are substantially cheaper than King's. Too bad the "recession special" is not offered at Yankee Stadium or Shea Stadium. 24/7 hours does not hurt either. This is often the first place former New Yorkers head to when coming back home to visit. A great New York institution.
Pros: Recession Special-2 Gray's dogs with choice of tropical drink
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
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