White Manna
358 River Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Visited: March 12, 2011
The Great American Food Tour soldiers on after a long winter’s hibernation.
Our first stop of 2011 is a tiny building near a bend in the Hackensack River. White Manna only fits about 20 customers, the bulk of the front section of the building taken up by the griddle, which though behind glass couldn’t be any closer to you when you order. “Soup Nazi” comparisons are a little too easy nowadays but that kind of efficiency on your part, as orderer, is welcomed by the cook himself, who takes the orders and cooks, and doesn’t have any time to waste. Luckily, though, there’s a young man and woman playing good cop behind him, fetching your fries and drinks as you wait for your order.
And wait you probably will. We went on a Saturday night around 6pm. The line was out the door – again, not saying much because of the size of the place – but one saving grace is the realization that most of the customers inside are merely waiting for their food, so seats might well open up. While you wait, you may watch – watch the cook ball up the meat into no more than meatball sized chunks and toss them onto the griddle. He’ll pile the onions onto the freshly thrown meat on his right side, and ready the buns and the cheese on his left. He’ll flatten the balls of meat as they cook and soon you’ll realize it’s your turn to order. These are slider-sized burgers, so I took the recommendation to get three doubles, with cheese, and onions. I was given a helping of pickles on the side, but there was no lettuce or tomato that night. I eat too many vegetables anyway, so-
The fries are crinkle cut and aren’t as good as the same kind from Shake Shack, for one, and don’t compare overall to the fries from Five Guys, for another. They’re passable enough and that’s fine because any fry would be overshadowed by the succulent, gooey, sacred mess that are the burgers themselves. I enjoyed mine both with and without pickles, and there’s actually plenty of hot sauce flying around the restaurant, an interesting flavor of which I didn’t partake. One more picture before the accolades begin:
These burgers, we decided with little real discussion, have been the best of the tour so far, now covering a tri-state area. They’re not as crisp around the edges as our other favorites from Shake Shack and Burger Joint, but it’s also a little tough to tell because of the generous amount of cheese. For the purists it’s arguably too much – I might well have gotten a plain double hamburger for comparison – but it’s not overwhelming, really. It’s in beautiful proportion with the meat and the bun, those two themselves in good relation (on a double, two patties and one bun). One nice touch I noticed, unless I’m entirely mistaken, was that the cheese was arranged between the patties and between the bottom patty and the bottom of the bun, leaving the top wholly free for onions. Separating the toppings as such makes for a more even, cleaner bite (as far as that’s possible) but also the slight separation of tastes that your tongue itself combines before enjoying it.
These were incredible burgers. We would have stopped on the way back if the place were still open. I’d say three is ideal for one sitting, because while delicious they’re also fairly rich. The location’s very close to New York City, and if you’re ever in Northern New Jersey with a car, definitely stop by. Glorious. Number One with a bullet.
GRAFT: Burgers (as of March 15, 2011)
1. White Manna, Hackensack, NJ
2. Shake Shack – New York, NY
3. Burger Joint – New York, NY
4. Five Guys – Levittown, NY
5. Donovan’s Pub – Woodside, NY
6. Ted’s Restaurant – Meriden, CT
Click here for the complete and updated Great American Food Tour Rankings.