Overrated Sliders ~ White Manna ~ Hackensack, NJ

The White Manna is neither coastal nor is it in OC but I think it's worth a review. I keep a running list of restaurants that I want to try in cities that I think I will be in. New Jersey is on the list because Dan lived there until he was 28. On a trip to visit his Mom and friends after Christmas, we took the opportunity to visit the White Manna. It made the list after I saw it on The Best Thing I Ever Ate on the Food Network.

How the Food Network got their camera crew as well as Guy Fieri inside of this small diner, I will never know. It is located on the banks of the Hackensack River and is what looks like a small box car. We drove the 30 miles from Dan's hometown to Hackensack during rush hour on a weekday; it took about an hour to get there. The diner wasn't too crowded when we arrived but began to fill up quickly. It took about 10 minutes before the guy at the griddle was ready to take our order and another 10 minutes after that to get our burgers. Fortunately we were able to find a seat but the people behind us were forced to stand, shoulder to shoulder. We both ordered sliders with cheese and onions and we shared a side of fries. I wanted pickles with my sliders but it was impossible to get anyone's attention. Dan tried for a couple of minutes and then I told him not to bother because I didn't want his food to get cold. The fries were just the way I like them - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. However the sliders were nothing to write home about. After eating, it took at least 15 minutes to get the one other employee's attention so that we could pay for our food. I was standing directly next to the cash register holding money but he kept helping other people who hadn't been waiting before me.

If I lived in New Jersey, I wouldn't give the White Manna another thought. Between the hassle of getting there and the bad service, along with the average tasting food, it wasn't worth it.

It was fun to check a restaurant off of my list though!