NYC's top hot dogs

Old dogs

New York staples so classic, they don’t need any fancy tricks in order to get by.

Gray’s Papaya (pictured): The best of the Papaya pack, Gray’s hot dogs are snappy and best eaten in pairs via the Recession Special, which for $4.45 also gets you a frothy papaya drink. (2090 Broadway, 212-799-0243)

Katz’s Delicatessen: The city’s oldest Jewish kosher deli serves a mean natural-casing all-beef hot dog that’s big enough for two. (205 E. Houston St., 212-254-2246)

Nathan’s Famous: The original hot dog king—something about the Coney Island flagship’s grilled dog and its crisp casing just can’t be re-created at its multiple fast-food chains. (1310 Surf Ave., 718-946-2202)

Papaya King: Scraggly, wimpy dogs that somehow still hit the spot, but it’s the refreshing papaya juice at this tube-steak purveyor where it’s really at. (179 E. 86th St., 212-369-0648)

Old Town Bar: The soft, skinless all-beef frank served on a lightly buttered and grilled New England–style roll is as timeless as the Flatiron saloon it’s served in. (45 E. 18th St., 212-529-6732)