Why New Jersey is Awesome: Reason 9

White Mana Diner

Amidst the chaos that is Route 1&9 in Jersey City, there lies an oasis of delicious and affordable fare at its intersection with Manhattan Ave.: The White Mana Diner. White Mana has been around since the 1939 World's Fair, where it was declared to have to world's best cheeseburger. I think we all can agree that it's no surprise that the finest burger this planet has ever seen comes from the great state of New Jersey.

The tradition of phenomenally succulent burgers has continued through the years to the present day, even managing to overcome a moment in time when this mecca of greatness was almost taken from us. In 1996, owner Mario Costa, Jr. decided to sell the lot that White Mana is on for $500,000 (can you really put a price on the lifeblood of the community?), but after making the deal with a couple of guys who planned on turning it into a Dunkin Donuts, he realized the error of his ways. After fighting tooth and nail in court to undo the deal he made, the guys who bought it from him eventually sold it back to him. A New Jersey landmark (it was declared a landmark by the Jersey City Historic Preservation Committee in 1997) was saved, and to this day it prospers in serving its customers only the highest quality, hand-crafted cheeseburgers.

When you enter this castle of superiority, you are greeted by a friendly, often toothless, smile (people lose their teeth by being nice... it's science). Unless you're there for the breathtaking breakfast sandwiches, the eggs of which are cracked open on the forehead of the cook that has been hardened by years of experience, it's not a matter of if you're getting cheeseburgers, but rather how many. Picture your standard-issue White Castle slider - the White Mana burger is a tad bigger, yet better in every way. After placing your order, a spectacle with the all the majesty of a David Copperfield performance begins.



Upon learning that you and your 2 friends want 40 cheeseburgers, the cook, nay - Grill Virtuoso, divvies up the meat on the grill while lining up the buns on the edge. The meat is then carefully, yet quickly, grilled, during which a plethora of onions are infused into the patty - an overlooked, yet crucial step in the process. After the grilling is complete, cheese produced from the milk of only the world's finest cows is carefully placed on each burger. Cheese melted, it is finally time to finish the construction of his masterpiece. One-by-one the burgers are placed on their buns and wrapped into their individual papers, which, as you would expect, come from the most majestic Redwood trees the world over. After thanking the chef for his labor-of-love, you proceed to your car (assuming you took the order to-go; you can eat-in as well), which only makes you more excited for the feast that lie ahead as the aroma of these culinary jewels fills your car and intoxicates you.

When you finally arrive home after sitting in that wonderful hotbox of White Mana scent, you feverishly unwrap the burgers and chow down, each delectable bite exploding with flavor in your mouth (and yes, I mean that in the most sexual way possible). The burger, the cheese, the onions, the incredible amount of grease running down your arms - they all combine to form one of this world's most extraordinary eating experiences. Gallen de Robuchon stopped by and sampled one of these treasures... and was rendered speechless by how amazing they were, which is incredible, because the Chef of the Century is NEVER speechless. And like I said before, it's not a coincidence that burgers of this magnitude come from the greatest state in the union, New Jersey. The best burger, from the best state. Ladies and gentlemen, make the pilgrimage.