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Snappy Dogs!
Intrigued like some of us who heard of Gray's Papaya mentioned in movies, I had to judge these links for myself.
I got the recession special which came with 2 hotdogs and a drink for $4.95. Dressed in kraut and light colored mustard, the dogs were checking off all the right descriptors: snappy, juicy, savory and meaty.
Papayas as a drink!? Growing up eating countless halved papayas with lemon for breakfast, I never thought of it used in a drink. This was surprisingly good considering it only had a hint of papaya flavoring to go along with its orange-whip (Orange Julius) consistency.
This was a great lunch and I recommend this place as a great diversion to the usual fast food joints. A must for any visitor to the city.
It doesn't get better than this. I haven't found a hot dog establishment that touches Gray's Papaya. When I go home for the holidays, it's the second place I go after H&H Bagels. For under five bucks The Recession Special will leave you feeling generously satisfied. Two hot dogs with saurkraut and a Papaya squishy to wash it all down.
Be ready for a massive crowd of humanity muscling in to get their ketchup and mustard and then to find a place to stand. Their's one downtown too.
Oh how I remember when hot dogs were only 50 cents here ( and 40 cents next door though those weren't as tasty ).
Even though they are, of course, more expensive nowadays this place does give you a good alternative to other fast foods or a pizza slice when you combine the dogs with some tropical fruity drink.
So what do YOU want on your dogs today?
Yummy yummy yummy, I've got love in my tummy :) I have to be completely honest and say that the first time I tried Gray's Papaya, I was thoroughly disappointed. It was just a hot dog for goodness sakes!! But then, a few days after trying my first "recession special" meal, I felt like I needed more. What the heck was going on?! After all the smack I was talking about the dinky little dogs, all I could think about after was how much I needed another, and another, and another. Luckily all the walking to and from work burned off those delicious calories :)
If you're ever in New York, please try it with an open mind. Forget all the hype and just enjoy it for what it is. 2 cheap ass hot dogs and a semi-sweet frothy drink. YUMS
It wasn't as spectacular as I thought it would be (it really is just a hotdog)- but for the price and the size, it makes for a great snack! plus the service is really fast. Only downside is no sitting room. Plus the recession special is pretty awesome if your a girl looking for a cheap meal.
If there was a Gray's around here(San jose , ca) I would definitely go back. The prices are decent, and the hot dogs are pretty good. I normally like my hot dogs with mustard and onions. Gray's papaya did not have raw onions, but onions cooked in a tomato based sauce. This topping had a sweet flavor and I actually liked it. The sauerkraut was a little mushy for my liking.
As far as drinks we tried the coconut champagne, which is a mixture of coconut water ( the clear water inside a coconut) and coconut milk ( pressed coconut meat). Initially I liked the drink but towards the end the consistency was not not appealing. Of course the papaya drink was super delicious.
As we tried to taste a little bit of everything in NY I only tried 2 hotdogs, but I think I could have eaten 5. Hot dogs now please.
The workers were also very nice and no one was short with us.
My first taste of NY and it didn't start out as great as I wanted. Just off the plane, my buddies and I decided to head to Gray's Papaya for a quick and cheap meal. Hearing about the "Recession Special" (2 hot dogs and a drink for just under $5), this was a must-do.
The hot dogs had a nice charred exterior and a good bite to them. I had them with every condiment but all I could taste with each bite was the overpowering sauerkraut. The papaya drink wasn't that great. It was a sweet, tangy, diluted, yogurt-like concoction that had no essence of papaya I could determine. Maybe it's just how Gray's does its papaya drinks. I'll have to try Papaya King next time to see if this is the norm.
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Even if I DO repeat what everyone else has said, I highly doubt anyone will ever see this review as there are tons of them for this place so I'm probably not gonna make tons of impact. I'll just make it short. They have good hot dogs. I think that's about all you need to know.
Meh. Overrated.
I had no plans to try this place on my recent trip to NYC, but since I stumbled upon it one random night I decided to give it a shot. I saw the Recession Special and that's what I ordered - $4.95 for two dogs and a drink. Minor note about this "Recession Special", my NYC friend informed me that this special has been going on since it first opened and it started at around $2.95... so they didn't just create it for our current recession, let's not be fooled by their false "kindness" when its just a marketing ploy!
The dogs are simple - stuffed into buns and topped with ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut (if you want it). What a boring dog - that's all there is to this place? What's the hype about? The bun wasn't toasted, there weren't other toppings offered, but yes there was a "bite" to the dog. That's about all this place had to offer.
Do you have a beard, wear some sort of flannel and dark skinny jeans? If you answered yes, then chances are you have already rated this place a 5. By no means am I saying that there is anything wrong with being a hipster, but it just appears to me that quotes like " Every true New Yorker loves Gray's" can only come from a Hipster or someone who goes to an ivy league school up the street from the Broadway Gray's (who is probably not from New York due to admissions directors seeking diversity of in their enrollment). Of course what I am getting at is that this place seems to be over-rated. It isn't bad, it serves you the same Sabbrett meat and bread products of just about every other Papaya place in the city, only this place was some how featured in a Matthew Perry movie earning it some notoriety beyond the 5 boroughs. I have actually been told by someone from Boston that they would rather dine here for lunch than other places I suggested for them such as Chef Daniel's Bar Boulud, not because this person wanted cheap eats over french provincial, but because as they said to me "Gray's is the best place to go, and I go there every time I am in NYC"
The dogs are tasty and the "Recession Special", as was mentioned in other reviews, is a value for sure. I also like the contrast between the sweet relish and sour kraut. The papaya juice is also very refreshing. These things can be had at just about any of the numerous Papaya places in New York so don't go out of your way.
The greatest thing about this place is that its very close to a West Side Highway on ramp. This is great for non-New Yorkers like myself to go back to our wretched suburbs.
So, if your a hipster and you still eat meat, or if its actually counter culture to eat meat because everyone's becoming Vegan then you will love this place if you don't already. These hot dogs are best after a long night of PBRs. Just be careful because the steam from the kraut can fog up your designer buddy holly glasses. Enjoy!
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All this hoopla of yummy hot dogs and what do I get?
Tiny flavorless weenies and mediocre buns.
Sounds like a B-grade porno.
I get the recession special (two franks and a juice for $4.45) and decide to wash the dogs down with some papaya juice. The juice was actually pretty good, but if you're jonesing for a hot dog, don't come here. Go down near NYU for a Crif Dog. I long for a $1.50 Costco dog and soda, but of course this is New York, so get what you can. Just not a Grays Papaya dog.
Can't come to this city without trying a hot dog from a famous spot, right? This place had to be famous for a reason I thought. With not much hot dog experience under my belt besides the ones from Costco and the cheap grocery store variety that you boil in water, I was expecting this place to be grand. The hot dogs are tiny and you'd have to buy a bunch to get a decent fill. The taste was okay but for the money it wasn't all that great. This is more of a place if you're expecting a light snack. I'll take the Costco ones over this. I'd much rather enjoy the countless pizza shops in the city instead.
Low and behold... the famous Gray's Papaya.
We stopped in for a quick papaya juice and hot dog snackie. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was a must-stop for an out-of-towner like myself. Let's not lie to ourselves, I ate the dog in 2 seconds flat. It was delicious.
Whenever I want hot dogs--no matter how late or how early, sober or drunk or hungover, depressed or elated--this is where I go, it's just few blocks from my apartment -- perhaps just a little too close for comfort.
The employees are nice-enough, they don't bark at you, and they don't rush you in or out, also they don't try to screw you over when it comes to asking for a little bit extra of this or substituting this for that, they don't charge you those silly little supplements like a lot of other hot dog places.
It's a mix between a local neighborhood hangout--t has its fair share of regulars, a nice mix of school kids and crazy old people and business people on lunch and hobos--and a tourist trap, for some reason people like taking pictures in front of their "provocative" banners -- there's almost always a line here, no matter what time you come, but thankfully these guys are fast so it never takes too long.
As for the food and drink, it's just okay -- I can't eat it very often, and I can't eat very much of it when I do -- more than 2 hot dogs (I order mine "well done," both with sauerkraut, one with mustard and the other with catsup) otherwise I get heartburn... The buns are okay, the The coconut drink is okay, the pineapple drink is okay, the mango drink is okay, the papaya drink is okay, but in my opinion the pina colada drink isn't very good... They also serve bagels and croissants in the morning, again, nothing special.
I liked it, I can't believe it took me so long to try this place. The hot dogs aren't juicy or anything, it reminds me more of a big giant pig in a blanket.
Great deal, cheap food! It doesn't taste that amazing when you first eat it, but I found myself later craving for it the next day. It has that addictive quality!
Hmm..maybe it's that I'm not a native New Yorker? I dunno..but I trekked all the way over to Broadway to check out Gray's Papaya and I have to say I'm not sure what the hype is? The dogs themselves were okay but the bun was flimsy and the toppings not so much -- the onions were slimy and covered in what appeared to be grease and the sauerkraut I could've done without as well. They were cheap-- I'll give ya that, but tasty? Eh..I've had way better.
I'm sorry NYC -- I love you much but I'll take a Chicago dog over a Grey's Papaya anyday. ;-)
This was the first hot dog I've had in years. After passing by it, a friend told me that they had pretty good, inexpensive hot dogs. Perfect! Cheap and yummy. What more could a girl want?
The service was quick. I got their regular dog with the papaya drink.
The hot dog was great. I think even better than Nathan's hot dogs.
The only thing is, there was a few shady characters in there though. One guy stank/looked like he didn't shower for a year and was asking for change. Eating near that guy really was not appetizing.
Overall, I'd go back and I'd recommend this place to friends. Fast, yummy and cheap.
The hot dogs are great
but the fruit drinks always taste
a little bit weird.
I hate waking up early. I open the store I work at most days of the week now. My savior on an early Monday morning or really any day I need a pick me up...Gray's breakfast special!
$2.50 for a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich with a small coffee that taste terrific. I know it is so bad for me but it is so good to me! Its warm, its satisfying, and it sets me off right.
I especially enjoy when I ask for my coffee 'light & sweet' and the worker says "What for? You are already light and sweet". I can't help but laugh at the corniess of it all.
"How I Met Your Mother" Episode 1x11 - The Limo
(Its New Year's Eve and Robin is craving some Gray's…
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Not that big a deal.
I had the papaya drink. It tasted powdery.
I do like how it comes with 2 hot dogs and a drink though.
This was one of the "must stop"s of NY when I visited. Would I go here again? Maybe not. But I don't regret coming here.
Grey's Papaya: The papaya drink is not that good. Banana is where it's at. Their Piña colada tastes like flavored water. Ultra Cheap and delicious. Go to the one downtown or up town, they're the same. Two dogs and a drink. Don't get a coke, expand your horizons and order a fruit drink. It comes with sauerkraut and onions. They're tiny so order four if you're hungry. If you go to the one by Zabar's, make a meal out of the experience and go a few blocks up to Grom Gelato.
I don't understand how a hot dog joint can be named after a fruit. But I'm not going to loose sleep over that. I have to say that this place is a New York City jewel. It's that quick bite alternative for when you're not willing to spend much.
The hot dogs and crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the sauerkraut is tart and delicious... perfection.
The juices are fresh and sweet!
This is like that aunt that pinches your cheeks every Xmas; you wouldn't want to see her every day, but oh boy, you're glad that she's around.
Cheap and good, that's my description. The hot dogs were nice and beefy, but they weren't like Nathan's with that signature 'pop' when you bite through the casing. The fruit drink was a bit 'weird', not something I'd probably order again. It was nice though to sit in the park across the way and eat hot dogs and people watch. I'd definitely go back.
nothing like a New York style hot dog from Gray's Papaya. Got the recession special with the juice. NYC hot dogs definitely put garbage ass places like Pink's in LA to shame.
Those were the days: 2am, wasted with cheap hotdog. Good times, good times.
SERVICE = This is fast food.. boom boom boom.. move it along.
DOGS = Get the recession special and you're good to go. Not the best hot dog I've had, but it was worth the experience.
PAYMENT/PRICING = I was in NYC in May and I'm just now writing this review.. all I remember is that it's cheap and quick.
PARKING = Since my girlfriends and I took the Subway, I can't say much for parking. However the 72nd St Subway drops off practically right in front.
*EXPERIENCE* = 4 girls from the Bay Area visting NYC on our way to Central Park lookin for some grub.. this was a great choice. It was one of the places we wanted to stop at for our NYC trip and it didn't break the bank.
Didn't get to try the hot dogs.... was actually literally running from Central Park to go get David Letterman tickets.... so, we needed a quick stop to check out Gray's and to get a drink....
Didn't really get to review the menu, but, I got a Pina Colada style drink that was more like a slurpee.... It was tasty. Will go and visit them again the next time I visit NYC and try their hot dogs!
When I 21 years old, I lived in a shitty 5th floor walk-up apartment on 72nd Street between Columbus and Broadway. I was working at CBS News around the time of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, so a good thing for me that it wasn't a long trip to and from W 57th Street, CBS' headquarters and my place.
On my block I had just about everything a 21 year old guy would need - a wonderful wine/spirits store (Acker-Merrill), really good pizza place, flavorful and inexpensive Indian restaurant, a really fun Irish Pub, a dry cleaner/laundry, 24 hour bodega, ~300 yards from the subway, 1.5 blocks to The Dakota and the entrance to Central Park and "Strawberry Fields" and of course, Gray's Papaya on the corner...
Hot dogs, fresh fruit drink, inexpensive, perfect for me since my cash flow was limited. What I remember most is that no matter the weather or time of day, this place would be pretty busy and had a line.
After work, if I wasn't in the mood for pizza, I'd pick up a Gray's Papaya hot dog or two on my way home and/or to the pub for a pint of John Courage or Guinness....
Great memories, I miss the Upper West Side....
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Best damn hot dog ever. Why spend $2 at a stand (though, I love the stands -- dirty water or no) when you can spend $1.50 on a dog here? They are amazing. I appreciate toasted buns. Cash only.
Oh Grays. I cannot go to NYC without fully seeking you out for a couple dogs and an orange or pineapple juice. Say what you will about this place... I am from Boston and I wish and wish that a Grays would pop up in the city.
I decided to challenge my friends to eat 6 Grays Papaya hot dogs at Grays....There were 3 of us.. we ordered 12. We are gross. I could only eat 2, another at 4 and one friend emerged victorious with his 6 hot dogs eaten.
The hot dogs snap when you bite into them and they are grilled, hot and delicious. Sure, you can stop on the street on just about every corner in New York and grab a hot dog.. but I like my hot dogs grilled. I like my hot dogs smothered in kraut, onions and spicy brown mustard from a me sized pump. I like my hot dogs served by smiling men in bright yellow uniforms. I like my hot dogs washed down with deliciously over sweetened juices. I like to stand at a counter and eat them as New Yorkers buzz around me on their day to day not realizing how great this little place is. You people dont miss Grays because you can have it whenever you want. Lucky.
The guys who work at Grays are pimps. Plain and simple. They are always smiling, always flirting with the ladies (young and old.. they do not discriminate), and always offering a line or a joke. I used to come here all the time in college and this weekend I refreshed my tasteticular memories by biting into a Grays Papaya hot dog.
Its true what they say "a hot dog is just a hot dog"... but I prefer a Grays Papaya hot dog above all the rest.
Please Grays... come to Boston.
Gahhhh.. I know it's supposed to be a fast food type of hot dog place... but uggh. Nothing special at all. Feels like I could just microwave a hot dog at home and produce the same results. Not my thing :/
Only reason why I am compelled to review this place is for the following exchange that occured late last night - or early this morning.
I asked for "a hot dog" in my Guinness-tinged old Bostonian accent, and mistaking my King's English for "eight hot dogs" the guy behind the counter, without batting an eye, proceeded to prepare eight hot dogs. Boy was my face red!
Matthew Perry from Fool's Rush In was right! This is the best hotdog in the world! And the best part of this whole story...Grays was like three blocks from our hotel...if I could, I'd eat it every day for lunch. I didn't even know about the awesome juice they had till I went there. The coconut juice one is kinda chunky...but I think it's on purpose.
Anthony Bourdain mentioned Gray's Papaya on an episode of No Reservations so I wanted to try it, can't go wrong with Anthony Bourdain! And nothing did go wrong, I just don't think there's anything special about this place besides the fact that it's cheap and it's a thing you have to do when you're in NY.
Everyone gets the recession special: 2 hot dogs and a papaya drink for under $5. The hot dogs are bland and topped with some orange colored sauerkraut. The papaya drink is unique, sweet and thick...but mine tasted watered down. I could see how it appeals to the cheap, drunk, or hungry crowd. But otherwise, it's actually cheaper at Costco.
I really don't care for Hot Dogs.
I REALLY care for Gray's Papaya Hot Dogs.
You have to get the Recession Special with everything on the Dog and get the Papaya Drink...nothing in life compares to what you will experience. Sheer junk-food bliss.
This place gets 5 stars merely for the fact that it is a unique New York experience and something that is just so darn special and not classy at all.
Sheer bliss.
It's a hot-dog. That's all they sell + various slushies. Ok. Would go if I was just coming out of a club and it was near by but would not go out of my way. Standing room only.
Maybe it was a function of the time of night (midnight on a Sunday), or maybe I'm just not a connoisseur of New York hot dogs, but I wasn't impressed with my late night snack here. I liked how the bun was slightly toasty, but I didn't enjoy the hot dog. The skin seemed a little thick, and sometimes it resisted a clean bite. After just one dog with ketchup, my mouth felt kinda greasy after.
Not a fan.
Good Food at a Decent Price. Hard to find in NYC. Got 2 love the smoothie on a hot NY summer day.
I just can't eat it everyday. What Else Are you gonna ask for?
New York City is littered with hot dog stands from the small street vendors to the store front institutions like Gray's Papaya. The service is fast and if you're not ready to order, "get the hell outta the way" of the locals as you'll find yourself the center of some unwanted "New York" attention.
The Recession special should be your "go to" order if you've never been here, that's two hot dogs and a drink. Since the dogs are grilled, they tend to get saltier as more and more of the water content leaves the dog, so expect it to be salty and wash it down with one of many of the drinks offered. I liked Gray's Papaya with its get in and get out line without the hassle or the price tag of many of the food choices that line the streets.
I came here for my first meal in NYC. I had seen this place on Anthony Bourdain's show.
This place is really small. It's a stand up and eat place. There is no seating there. Just two counters against the wall. You order at the hot dog maker in front of you, then go and pay at the cashier who is closely nearby.
I got the recession special. It was two hot dogs and a drink for under $5. On the hot dogs, he put sauerkraut and some chili sauce on it.
The recession special was nothing special. The dogs were really small. They were the size of convenient store dogs. Half of each dog was overcooked too. Parts of it were burned and rough to bite into. The perfectly cooked part tasted good. The sauerkraut is a good-added need to an ordinary hot dog.
For the drink, I got their papaya juice. It was totally different than anything I have ever drank. It tasted like different fruits mixed into one. It is definitely sweet and over sugared when there is a little bit left but it tasted great and very unique.
I would definitely come back for the drink, but definitely not the dogs.
New York, NY
Category: Hot Dogs
Neighborhood: Theater District
Category: Hot Dogs
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Category: Juice Bars & Smoothies
Neighborhood: Theater District
Category: Fast Food
Neighborhood: Coney Island
Category: American (Traditional)
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