Music Fans Need Food Too: Papaya King

Another NY import! Picking up right where I left off with my last late-night-snacking-option review, I headed down to see what kind of progress was being made at the future home of Papaya King at 5 Dana Street (map) in the Old Port (formerly Big Mama’s Diner).

More photos for this post can be found in the gallery here. Full review after the jump.

To my great surprise, I found that not only was the rumored location of NY’s own legendary hot dog and fruit juice joint a reality, but the restaurant was already open! The space is bright and spacious – obviously much more so than the cart that the company had been operating in Deering Oaks Park this summer. According to the staff, they opened up last Thursday (1/8/09) and were still working out their menu and signs. Soon they’ll have hamburgers, if you can believe it. For now, a paper a la carte menu is taped to the wall, for those not quite ready to dive into a dog, side of curly fries, and cut of papaya juice (it’s great for digestion, they say).

The hot dog (help yourself to ketchup and mustard, but sauerkraut must be ordered – relish is available in a small paper dish on the counter) was a bit on the small side, but definitely delicious. At just $2, that’s not a bad deal. They also have a selection of very affordable combo meals, listed on a gigantic hot dog sign hanging just behind the counter.

Here’s what you’re waiting for: what are their hours? They open at 11am and close at 1:30am. Perfect! Another (coincidentally also NY-style/imported) late night food option that’s way better than 7-11, perfect for fortifying concertgoers before they make that cold/hot/rainy/lonely walk home.