You smell it before you see it. That's the first thing everyone says about White Manna in Hackensack, New Jersey. It's a thick, heavy cloud of onions and rendered beef fat that hangs over River Street like a delicious, greasy fog. If you’re driving with the windows down, your car is going to smell like a burger joint for the next three days. Honestly? It’s worth it.
But here is the thing. Most people actually get the history totally backwards.
They see the tiny, stainless steel building and think it's just some old diner. Or they confuse it with the "White Mana" (one N) in Jersey City. They are not the same. They aren't even owned by the same people anymore. While they share a DNA that stretches back to the 1939 World’s Fair, the experience of sitting at the counter in Hackensack is something else entirely. It’s chaotic. It’s cramped. It’s arguably the best burger in the country.
The World of Tomorrow in a Shoebox
In 1939, the World’s Fair in Queens was all about "The World of Tomorrow."
It featured televisions, robots, and—strangely enough—a "diner of the future" designed by the Paramount Dining Car Company. This circular building was meant to show how fast food could be efficient. After the fair ended, a guy named Louis Bridges bought it. He eventually moved parts of that legacy to Jersey City and opened the Hackensack location in 1946.
The Hackensack building isn't the round one. That’s the Jersey City spot. Hackensack is a square, tiny box that looks like it was dropped onto the banks of the Hackensack River by a crane and just stayed there for eighty years.
How to Order Without Looking Like a Tourist
Walking into White Manna for the first time is intimidating. You don't just walk up to a register and look at a digital menu.
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There are maybe 12 to 15 stools. If they’re full, you stand behind the people sitting down. You’re basically breathing on their necks while they eat. It’s intimate in a way that would make a Victorian ghost faint.
The "line" is less of a line and more of a polite crowd. You need to keep track of who was there before you. When the cook looks up from the mountain of onions and makes eye contact, that’s your window.
Pro tip: Only order your burgers from the cook. The person at the side handles the drinks and the crinkle-cut fries. If you try to order a Coke from the guy flipping meat, he might just ignore you. Not because he’s mean, but because he’s currently managing 40 individual patties on a griddle the size of a coffee table.
- Know your count: Most people eat 3 to 5.
- Cheese or no cheese: It’s American cheese. Don't ask for Swiss.
- Onions are mandatory: Technically you can say "no onions," but why are you even here?
- Double or Single: A double isn't two patties; it's a larger amount of meat smashed together.
The Science of the "Smashed" Slider
These aren't White Castle sliders. Don't even make that comparison out loud while you’re inside.
White Manna uses fresh, never-frozen beef delivered daily. They take a ball of meat, plop it on the griddle, and then bury it under a literal fistful of thinly sliced onions. Then comes the smash. They use a heavy metal spatula to crush the onions into the beef.
The magic happens in the steam.
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They put the potato rolls—specifically Martin’s Potato Rolls—directly on top of the cooking meat. The juices from the beef and the moisture from the onions steam the bread until it’s pillowy and soft. By the time it hits your paper plate, the bun, the onions, and the beef have basically fused into one single, glorious entity.
It’s messy. You’re going to need a stack of napkins. The pickles are dumped on the side like an afterthought, but they provide the necessary vinegar hit to cut through all that fat.
Why Jersey City is Different (The Great 'N' Debate)
You’ll notice the one in Jersey City is spelled "White Mana." Just one 'N'.
Legend says it was a mistake on a sign back in the 80s and they just never fixed it. The Jersey City spot uses Wonder Bread and Heinz pickles. They claim to be the "original" because they have the circular building from the World's Fair.
Hackensack fans will tell you the food is better at the two-N location. The onions are sweeter, the buns are steamed longer, and the atmosphere feels more like a local secret, even though it’s been on the Food Network a dozen times. Anthony Bourdain famously loved this place. If it was good enough for Tony, it's good enough for your Saturday lunch.
Planning Your Visit in 2026
If you try to go on a Saturday at 1:00 PM, good luck. You’ll be waiting in a line that stretches out the door and halfway to the bridge.
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The best time to go is mid-morning, around 10:30 AM right when they open, or mid-afternoon on a Tuesday. They stay open late-ish (usually until 9:00 PM), but the vibe is best during the daylight hours when the sun hits the chrome.
Cash used to be king here, but they’ve modernized a bit—you can use a card now. Still, keep a few fives in your pocket for the tip jar. The crew works in a literal furnace behind that counter; they earn every cent.
Survival Guide for White Manna:
- The Smell: It stays on your clothes. If you have a job interview after lunch, change your shirt.
- Parking: The lot is tiny. Like, three-cars-and-a-bicycle tiny. Find a spot on the street nearby.
- The Order: Get at least one more than you think you want. You’ll regret it otherwise.
- The Wait: Expect 20-30 minutes if there’s a crowd. It’s a slow-fast-food process.
Don't go looking for a gourmet experience. Go looking for a piece of New Jersey history that you can eat. It’s loud, it’s greasy, and it’s one of the few places left that hasn't been "refined" by corporate owners or trendy interior designers. It’s just a box, a griddle, and a whole lot of onions.
Next Steps for Your Visit
To make the most of your trip to White Manna, check their official social media or website for any holiday hour changes before you drive out. If you're planning a "burger tour," map out the 20-minute drive between the Hackensack and Jersey City locations to compare the single-N versus double-N styles for yourself. Always carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer—you're going to be eating with your hands and those sliders are famously juicy.