We are spending the weekend in NYC - and my sister - who has never been there before - is dead set on getting a hot dog from one of those vendors - just because she thinks that's what you're supposed to do in NY. I've always heard that you shouldn't eat them - and they are nasty. If you've had one - what do you think?
2007-06-18 11:46:13 · 17 answers · asked by liddabet 6 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ New York City
They are safe to eat. Get one with her; it will mean the world to her and will be fun.
2007-06-18 13:01:56 · answer #1 · answered by Patti C 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hot dogs and soft pretzels from corner vendor carts are a "must do" when you're in NY. I'm sorry, but Grays doesn't even come close. If you're concerned about cleanliness, by all means check out the hotdog man first before ordering. I personally recommend the vendor I buy from. She's a woman and she's in the Times Square area everyday on the NW corner of 43rd and 6th. She's the best; $1 dogs, she wears cafeteria gloves and if you get your lunch "to go", she'll throw hard candy in the bag with your wrapped up dog. :)
2007-06-19 16:04:40 · answer #2 · answered by NYC Stef 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dirty water dogs were my mainstay lunch at work for a really long time, they are addictive and when they are sold at a dollar apiece, you can't resist. Then there is the upgrade, the spicy sausage which is like double the price and triple the meal.
It all depends on the vendor really. If the guy looks shady and can't hold up the most minimum of a transaction conversation, i would stay away. Though most are inspected frequently by the city government, there still are some that get by and i have heard horror stories of those guys not having a place to pee and using their cart as the bathroom.
2007-06-18 12:05:46 · answer #3 · answered by Nooka 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Cart hot dogs are okay. If you get away from the more touristy areas (the areas in and around Central Park especially) you can sometimes find a hot dog for as low as $1, which makes for an excellent cheap lunch.
But yeah, I'm a New Yorker, I've eaten the dirty water dogs. The hot dogs at Grey's Papaya and Nathan's are better, but cart dogs are okay.
2007-06-18 16:03:54 · answer #4 · answered by fshk 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
All I know is I had a very good tastin' one in central park from a vendor. Maybe it was a beef n' pork hot dog..dunno. And the mustard was good too, it wasnt yellow, was some kind of brown mustard.
But yeah, lol, hot dogs are not good for you, theyre on the list with ice cream as two of the things you shouldnt eat.
2007-06-18 20:32:21 · answer #5 · answered by Joshua M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The hot dog vendors are okay they taste like any hot dog. If youve never been here I would say you only live once so try it. But you def dont want to order from a vendor that has dirty fingers or appears dirty.
2007-06-19 06:52:44 · answer #6 · answered by favorite1b2kfan 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get a hot dog at Gray's Papaya instead - they're cleaner, cheaper and they're grilled fresh instead of sitting in boiling water for hours. (in Greenwich Village at the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 8th Street or on the Upper West Side at the corner of Broadway and West 72nd Street) Eating at Gray's Papaya is a real New York experience - no seating, stand up counters only - two hot dogs and a fresh tropical juice drink for $2.99.
I don't think you'd get sick if you eat a dirty water dog; I haven't eat one for years, not since a tv news expose showed one of those vendors urinating in the street near his cart, didn't wash his hands and then picked up the hot dog roll with his hands. Yuck!
2007-06-18 12:13:05 · answer #7 · answered by gormenghast10014 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I have them all the time! I find them quite tasty!
Put it this way...when have you ever heard, on the news, the dangers of eating New York hot dogs? Probably never, or if so, only one or two isolated incidents. I feel no less safe eating one of those than eating anywhere else.
2007-06-19 08:31:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you see New Yorkers eating them, they're fine. I was more taken with buying shwarma sandwiches from street vendors or purchasing a morning coffee with a pastry from the trucks.
The hot dogs are nothing special (sorry to New Yorkers); I prefer the Toronto grilled sausages with all the cool condiments.
2007-06-18 11:51:41 · answer #9 · answered by JC L 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Why not? I think a hot dog's a hot dog; it's a New York experience. When I first moved to the city, I was addicted to street pretzels... And I'm doing fine!
For more NYC info, check out my site: http://www.cheaptricksnyc.com.
2007-06-18 17:00:14 · answer #10 · answered by KG 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well they're not horrible but they're nothing special. She might end up disapointed with the taste but it's the experience of being in our city doing what we do and being a part of one of the most famous cities of the world that makes it worthwhile. But PLEASE do not get a pretzel from those stands you might end up having you're stomach pumped at the nearest hospital. Have fun!
2007-06-18 13:49:01 · answer #11 · answered by scarlett 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋