Gray's Papaya: The Best Hot Dog in New York City

Street corner hot dog vendors are an iconic image of a bustling street in the heart of New York City. These vendors are not all created equal though, and no other hot dog is as popular, nor as delicious as the dogs sold at Gray's Papaya. These hot dogs are simply the best in the city, and no where else do the dogs live up to the reputation and taste of Gray's.

Begun as a spin-off of the very popular Papaya King, Gray's Papaya opened for business in 1973 and quickly earned a cult-like following. Today, Gray's has been featured in movies like You've Got Mail, Fools Rush In, Die Hard with a Vengence, For Love or Money, as well as the overwhelmingly popular show, Sex in the City and the Travel Channel's No Reservations. As a favorite amongst New Yorkers, celebrities, and movie-makers alike, Gray's has become recognized as an underground tourist destination and favored haunt of locals.

Although not the original New York, hot dog papaya restaurant, Gray's has been ranked number one over it's top two competitors, Papaya King and Papaya Dog, in a 2006 issue of Time Out: New York. Only three locations of Gray's Papya exist; 539 8th Avenue at 37th Street, 402 6th Avenue at 8th Street, and 2090 Broadway at 72nd Street. All three are open 24 hours a day. For the real hot dog experience, the dog must be purchased inside the restaurant and not from the street vendor. While still delicious, the indoor dog is a better, more delicious version and worth every cent of the $1.25 price tag.

The real reason to go to Gray's Papaya is not because it's in movies, it's popular with celebrities, or because it's a cultural icon. The real reason is because you won't find a more delicious hot dog in the entire island of Manhattan...or any other borough for that matter. The Recession Special is the most popular item on the menu, consisting of two tasty dogs and a fruit juice of your choice, papaya being, of course, the most popular option. The Recession Special has recently increased in price, but at $3.50 it's still one of the cheapest, gourmet meals you'll find in the city that never sleeps. Each dog is served on a lightly toasted bun and comes with onions and/or sauerkraut. Large containers of delicious brown mustard and ketchup top off the most delicious hot dog you'll ever eat.

Gray's Papaya may not be the reason you'll travel to New York, but after you discover the delight that is the Recession Special, it'll be the reason you crave hot dogs and papaya juice in the middle of the night, and probably the reason you'll go out of your way walking to Penn Station just so you can swing by. Once you've tried them you may just discover that you're telling everyone you know about them.