Gray's Papaya

• Cuisine(s): Hot Dogs
  Price: $
  Payment Types: cash
• Features: Takeout, Open 24 Hours
  Serving: Dinner, Late Night, Lunch
  Alcohol: None
• Reservations: Not Necessary
  Parking: No Parking

Description

A New York classic, this hot dog joint attracts plenty of customers with a simple concept: dirt-cheap, delicious hot dogs. Visual over-stimulation in the form of enthusiastic signs (BEST DAMN FRANKFURTER YOU EVER ATE!), hanging paper fruits and a bright yellow paint job give the place a frenetic, cheerful quality. The menu is short and sweet, consisting solely of hot dogs, plus a few breakfast items like rolls and breakfast sandwiches available until 11am. The dogs come on a lightly toast bun piled with sweet sauerkraut; order two and a drink, a.k.a. "The Recession Special," for a cheap and filling meal. During lunch hour, the counter space is packed with people standing while scarfing down their frankfurters. The drinks are almost as famous as the dogs. Served in large Styrofoam cups, they come in a wide variety of fruity flavors, including papaya, mango, strawberry and pina colada (non-alcoholic, of course).—Keith Wagstaff