5.4/10American
AI-generated summary
Order a with mustard and sauerkraut, and people say the is underrated. They still sell square knishes. Plenty of regulars think the reopened shop isn't what it was, that the dogs come out of a fryer now instead of the grill, and that $15 for two dogs and a drink is steep. Next to Gray's Papaya, the toppings here run tangier.
NYC classic — Constantine "Gus" Poulos opened the stand at 86th Street and Third Avenue on the Upper East Side in 1932, selling only fresh tropical fruit drinks. He added hot dogs to suit the neighborhood's largely German-American population, creating the papaya-drink-and-frankfurter pairing that became a New York institution and spawned many imitators. Wikipedia
“Not quite as balanced as Gray's, a little more on the sour/tangy side. Not sure if it's the sauerkraut, onions, or both, but the specific brands of things that you use do matter. I'd never turn Papaya King down, but it's never quite hit the spot for me like Gray's.”
H3
“Now both are junk, but papaya king in particular. They used to grill the dogs. Now — they leave them on the grill sometimes to warm - but they take the dogs /sausages and put them in a deep fryer to cook/heat. So the dog you get is just coated with oil. It’s absolutely disgusting…”
H3
“Papaya King hot dogs”
H2
“I'd much rather go to Papaya king or the like than get one from a cart these days. Plus they still sell square knishes!”
H2
“Hot dog, mustard kraut: papaya king or Grays Papaya”
H2
“the new shop that reopened (while solid) is expensive and lacks charm”
H2
“the papaya juice is underrated”
H2
“Papaya king for a classic hot dog”
H2
“Papaya King!! mozzarella sticks, papaya drank and curly fries FTW!”
H2
“I honestly think they just use some tangier toppings; I have no complaints about the hot dog otherwise.”
H2
“Also have a hot dog from greys papaya/papaya king.”
H2
“Dogs are great.. buns are terrible.”
H2