Those burgers are downright beautiful. They are mouthwateringly gorgeous. They are a magnificent credit to their race. 

To anyone who has been there;  how large are the burgers there?  They seem to be quite small, and the price seems reasonable, even if they are small. 

MH - They do look incredible!  The onions seem reminiscent of ones at White Hut in Springfield, MA.

The burgers ARE small, but not as small as you'd think (not like White Castle, for instance).  In its own small way there's actually a little heft to the sandwich.  I find that the onions dominate, which isn't a complaint, but to my taste ketchup and pickle chips bring it all into balance.

There are a lot of places similar in New Jersey. There is the White Mana (only one n) in Jersey City, a couple of White Diamonds, and the White Rose System. The Clark White Diamond in Clark is actually on my mail route. These places all use fresh meat that has been shaped into a ball. It's flattenned out and cooked on the griddle. I think they use 2 for a bigger burger which is served on a hard roll with poppy seeds. Personally I prefer the White Rose in Roselle. There is no better fast food burger. I get the large bacon cheese burger with ketchup and pickles. Much heftier than White Diamond which seems like it has less meat and more bun.

A large bacon cheeseburger and an order of fries is a good filling meal that is a great followup to a night drinking beer and watching a movie at home.

any resemblance between these and the ones found at Crabill's, MH?

TJ Jackson


any resemblance between these and the ones found at Crabill's, MH?

I don't think so. Crabill's doesn't grill the chopped onions they add, and I'd say, based on the photos, the White Manna burgers are bigger.
 
But thanks for the reminder. It's about time for a trip to Urbana.

Odd - I cannot imagine a slider-style burger without grilled onions

You should ask them if they will grill the onions for you on your next stop down there

TJ Jackson


Odd - I cannot imagine a slider-style burger without grilled onions

You should ask them if they will grill the onions for you on your next stop down there

I don't know where they'd be able to grill onions at Crabill's. The side of the flattop where they initially cook the patties is covered with patties, and the other side with the deep grease couldn't be used for onions. Besides, I like those burgers with the chopped raw onions.

Be sure to go with a double at WM.  IMO, the potato bun smoothers a single.

In case the picture on the main page of Roadfood changes, this is the link to the subject of this thread:

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=6392
 
About that article: The prices seem to be off in that the hamburgers and cheeseburgers are the same price. It looks like those in the picture are small (Single) hamburgers NOT large (Double) hamburgers. Doubles come on a hard roll.

This is a picture that I took of 3 SMALL hamburgers that I bought today at the Roselle White Rose. They are on a 9” white plate and the hamburgers in the Roadfood article above are on a 9” paper plate. Same roll size. I took mine home so I couldn’t move the patties around on the buns. Left is a cheeseburger and right is fried onions. The one in the back is plain.



All small hamburgers are $1.30, and with cheese, $1.60. Doubles that come on a hard roll are $2.60 plus $.30 for cheese.



In these types of restaurants the burger meat is pre-formed into single hamburgers. They are shaped like small hockey pucks, one wad of hamburger for a single and two wads for a double. They put them on the grill and squish it (Single) or them (Double) to make the hamburger. For the first 40 years or so of their operation you ordered a single or a double, now you order a small or a large.

Having past the White Mana on Tonnele Ave. (Rt. 1&9) in Jersey City many times I finally stopped in to taste a burger. It was no different than any other hamburger that you can get from any White Rose or White Diamond in NJ. I’ve also past this Hackensack one many times but never bothered to stop because it is so tiny.

This is a very nice report done in June 2008 about the 2 White Manas:

White Mana
 

It's not clear to us if Food_Fan is speaking of White Manna or the other burger places, but just to clarify: White Manna's hamburgers and cheeseburgers, rounded to the nearest dollar (that's the way Roadfood.com's menu pricing works) are $1 (we're not certain these are the latest prices, but a burger is 95 cents and a cheeseburger is $1.05).
 
Both the single and the double are served on potato rolls; the double is not served on a hard roll.  The various White Roses, White Diamonds, and the White Mana in Jersey City may have certain similarities to each other, and to the White Manna in Hackensack, but they are not the same, and they are owned and operated independently from each other.  Taste is personal, and nobody is right or wrong about their preferences, but as we see it the burgers vary greatly from one to the next.

In one of the Weird New Jersey magazines, they have an article about the two White Mana places in New Jersey as well as photos.

 I wasn't quite sure the picture on the home page was of burgers. Looks more like some kind of bbq from a plastic tub to me! I guess what looks like shreds of pork swimming in sauce are really grilled onions!

A couple of years ago my wife and I did the 2 White Man(n)a's in the same day to get a good take on a comparison. We both agreed the Hackensack burger was far tastier.

The one in JC used to have a 24 hour a day webcam of the counter area. It was fun to occasionally check on what was going on at like 3AM on a Saturday night. The webcam no longer seems to be in operation.

I always ask for mine medium rare
 
If you like this type of burger, they've been there a long time and have lots of fans...
 
A nice fresh ball of meat smashed down to smithereens.  I've seen this cooking concept PROUDLY done as far away as Columbia, Mo at Boochies..Supposedly a "great burger joint"that is a college type bar..It's as much a cooking process as it is a fast food type of burger. Hey, lots of people like it.
 
I really think we need two top 10 lists for burgers...Why not have a list of the top 10 thin type burgers..Say 1/4 lb or less and a list of the top 10 thick burgers..Say 1/2 lb or more.   White Manna makes lots of these top 10 lists. 
 

I don't think you can get a true slider medium rare, given the size of the burger in question

Yes, I know that.  I was being sarcastic.  I don't like well done burgers and consequently I do not like thin burgers.  I know lots of people do though.

But, I do love White Castles....A exception.

Amen!!!

This is a blog with some pictures of the Hackensack White Mana hamburgers. (Child advisory – language!)

You will see pictures, like mine, of what the small hamburgers look like after you get them home.
 
Scroll down to the picture of the grill that is filled with cooking hamburgers and CLICK on the picture. When the very large picture opens, scroll to the BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER of the picture. You will see that the entire grill is filled with small hamburgers and that there is ONE DOUBLE HAMBURGER on the grill. That is the one that has the hard roll/Kaiser roll sitting over it as it cooks.
 
The only way that I see that this White Mana differs from the one in JC and the White Roses and White Diamonds is that they put a very large amount of sliced onions on the hamburgers that they make with fried onions. (I wonder if Beano is on the menu) That, and it looks that they may use a slight bit more hamburger than the others.
 
A couple of 2 min. White Manna videos:

White Manna, Hackensack NJ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zanf2vJXwfE

Anatomy of a Masterpiece - The White Manna Cheeseburger.

Please note that he is making small hamburgers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEccdJKg7sQ

Despite all that, several reviewers have made is clear that the White Manna burger is far better than White Rose and/or White Diamond.

You think they're the same, and that's fine, you are entitled to your opinion

TJ Jackson


Despite all that, several reviewers have made is clear that the White Manna burger is far better than White Rose and/or White Diamond.

You think they're the same, and that's fine, you are entitled to your opinion

If you don't mind, and if you have the time, would you show me where these reviews are located?

I've been eating these hamburgers since 1965 and I am always interested in learning from other people's experience.

Thanks.

Food_Fan


This is a blog with some pictures of the Hackensack White Mana hamburgers. (Child advisory – language!)

What blog?

Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle

Food_Fan


This is a blog with some pictures of the Hackensack White Mana hamburgers. (Child advisory – language!)

What blog?

Thanks for the heads up!

I didn't notice that I forgot to add the URL when I posted. I went back and made a few changes but could not get rid of the bold in the last sentence so I changed it's color.

Food_Fan

Scroll down to the picture of the grill that is filled with cooking hamburgers and CLICK on the picture. When the very large picture opens, scroll to the BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER of the picture. You will see that the entire grill is filled with small hamburgers and that there is ONE DOUBLE HAMBURGER on the grill. That is the one that has the hard roll/Kaiser roll sitting over it as it cooks.

I don't see a hard roll in that picture. 

Aw geez...I lived and worked in Maywood for a year and didn't know about White Manna!  My loss!

Foodfan - Thanks for the youtube heads up.  Terrific stuff whether you like the burger or not. So simple and yet so well thought out.  You gotta give credit where it's do.  Good for them! The kind of place eveyone in the food business wishes he or she owned! I think the words are....... Cash Cow
Just wondered, if you said to the grill guy "Can you take my 4 off a little early?" What would happen?  Anyone been there and tried that?
 
I lived in BC lots of years and I never did..But, I should have!  
 
Hey, after you guys finish chomping down on those White Mannas and you  want something sweet for dessert (late morning or lunch) head north on River Road to the old Packard's Shopping Center (Now a Target) and make a left into their parking lot and come out the other side and on that road (I forget the name?  Maybe Anderson Ave?) just before the railroad tracks on your right is the B&W Bakery.......One of the very best..."Still, after all these years." It's all good there.
 
Real good pizza place up the road as well..Brooklyn Pizza...No slices though.  Not cheap, but very good.
 

Baah Ben


I always ask for mine medium rare
 
 
 
I really think we need two top 10 lists for burgers...Why not have a list of the top 10 thin type burgers..Say 1/4 lb or less and a list of the top 10 thick burgers..Say 1/2 lb or more.   White Manna makes lots of these top 10 lists. 
 

Your idea would eliminate any burgers between 1/4 and 1/2 lb. 

Baah Ben:

Is this the place you mean?

http://www.bwbakerynj.com/

I'm not real big on bakery items, but I have driven the 45 mile round trip to B&W for thier crumb cake, which is thier signature item. It is absolutely fabulous!

Of course, I make sure there's always time for a side trip to White Manna or some other eating stop,

I've never heard of B&W but it sounds like a good place. You might also give Mazur's in Lyndhurst a try.

Bruce Bilmes & Sue Boyle said:
                                    “I don't see a hard roll in that picture. “
 
I captured the lower right hand corner of the picture that I referenced above. I think that that large roll looks like a hard roll because of the creases in it. Anybody else have a judgment on this pic?