It ain't about the food, it's about the attitude
Written: Jul 13 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap and entertaining, if nothing else
Cons: Service? What service?
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| mh330's Full Review: Gray's Papaya |
Gray's is basically a New York City cliche when you think about it, but no one does. It's just a beloved little dive, and we're happy to have it here.
I say this now, after reading some of the other reviews praising the place. I guess Gray's does have a little place in my heart after these years, but there's no way you'll ever get me to admit that those hot dogs actually taste good. To me, Gray's is still the hangout of poor college freshman boys, homeless folk, and B&T guys who think this is the real "Nuu Yawk." Rarely will you find a woman in there, except maybe to pacify some screaming infants.
Reason? It's a bad hot dog! They're not that cheap because of the kindness of management, and you can almost identify which animal byproducts you're eating with each bite. I won't even mention the swimming pool of oil that they're cooked in, or the fact that the "kitchen" area doesn't look like its been mopped since the place opened. No, I'll just talk about the "service".
Granted, no one expects be waited on hand and foot at this little seating-free shop. I would, however, like to get what I ordered, or to even order for that matter. You're rushed through the process by several men standing behind the grill yelling names of various toppings at you, and generally give you onions and sauerkraut, no matter what you asked for. The different juice drinks they have are pretty good (along the lines of canned pineapple juice) but the little cup they give you with the "recession special" really earns the name. Try to get the taste of the hot dog out of your mouth, and two sips later, you're back at the counter ordering another drink.
Now, although I would never eat here by choice, I do appreciate Gray's Papaya. You've gotta love the humor of the place, with the various signs they have posted in the window, half of which are meant to be witty but just don't make much sense. And the New York cliche I mentioned earlier? Hey, I'm just as happy to see it as anyone else. Every time you walk by, there's a cross-section of classes waiting in the long line, yelling their orders in various accents and standing at the counters swallowing their meals. Gotta love it.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
mh330
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 0 members
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