Gray's Papaya - Downtown

Keith Wagstaff

Citysearch

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.