Gray's Papaya

What we love…

• Open 24/7 this place has become a favorite for the late-night crowd for their iconic hot dogs that are extremely cheap—we're talking nothing over $5.
• The 'Papaya Dog' is different from your run-of-the-mill street cart variety. This dog is grilled, not boiled and comes with sauerkraut, sautéed onions, and their famous fruity tropical drinks. This tradition was born in the 70's when the Papaya King opened it's doors selling this killer combo. Gray's is a former employee from King, and as the story goes they are still bitter rivals to this day.
• The papaya drink is either loved or hated, there's not many that fall in between. The combination of dog and drink isn't our favorite but some locals swear by it—especially as the cure to a massive hangover.
• Gray's has been raved about from many a celeb chef. Bourdain and Batali both eat here to name a few, and give it their expert thumbs up.
• The dogs will run you $2 each, but do what every local does and pick up the 'Recession Special' that consists of two hot dogs fully loaded plus a tropical drink for $5. The cheapest of the cheap, and a real piece of New York, you just can't beat that.