Papaya King
Hot dog restaurant · Upper East Side
206B East 86th St, New York, NY 10028
Highlights
Snappy hot dogs and frothy, tropical papaya drinks
Snappy hot dogs and frothy, tropical papaya drinks
"The new location of this 1932 hot dog spot has more of a corporate real-estate aesthetic than their original corner shop, which had the brightest orange neon sign money could buy and photos of regulars on the walls. We'll let it go, because the hotdogs are exactly the same: plump, juicy, snappy, and thirsting for mustard, sauerkraut, and a creamy papaya drink. Come by for a quick snack and see if you can avoid accidentally eating two hot dogs, a knish, some fries, and a calorically-dense beverage." - sonal shah, willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja
"Papaya King was dark for over a year before it reopened in this location. The new place doesn’t quite have the openness of the original. Black-and-white life-size pictures detail the history of Papaya King around the restaurant. The menu remains intact, with its hot dog-focused menu and variations that include pastrami, pineapple, jalapenos, grated cheddar, onion rings, hot honey, and mushrooms — all for around $7." - Melissa McCart
"Papaya King, a New York icon, reopened near its original location, on 86th Street. Though it lacks the garish charm of its earlier signage, the griddled hot dogs with sauerkraut, relish, and mustard are just as snappy as always, and the papaya drinks are oh-so-creamy." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"After years of uncertainty over its building, the longtime hot-dog institution Papaya King has reopened at a new location on the Upper East Side." - Emma Orlow
"In 2022, when Papaya King closed, we thought we’d lost an icon—an institution, where New Yorkers from all walks of life scarfed snappy dogs with sauerkraut, relish, and homemade mustard, ever since it opened in 1932. The Upper East Side business is back in a new spot on 86th Street, and while the cookie-cutter storefront misses some of the charm of the original, the perfectly griddled hot dogs are just as snappy as before. These dogs are back and barking, and the creamy papaya drinks curtail any potential salt overload in your mouth." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, will hartman
