The Cult of the Jersey Diner Burger, with Padma Lakshmi | The Burger Show

The Cult of the Jersey Diner Burger, with Padma Lakshmi | The Burger Show


In Northern New Jersey, sliders reign supreme. The tiny, 1oz patties smashed thin on a griddle, smothered with onions, and placed between steamed buns are a regional speciality that have been perfected at the Jersey City landmark, White Mana.


The history alone is worth the trip, which is why host Alvin Cailan invited Top Chef judge/host and fellow burger burger fanatic, Padma Lakshmi, to soak up some Jersey lore. Get to know the diner’s ties to 1939 World’s Fair, as well as its surprising connection to heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, from longtime owner Mario Costa. This is a piece of burger mythology you don’t want to miss.

38 Comments

  1. she's a food snob.. She'll never understand classic Americana food. F her

  2. This is the kind of old neighbor I would like to live in. Love Mario what a cool dude.

  3. i remember the first time i ate at the white mana. it was the very first day i had ever gotten my license. i just wanted to go around and explore, and i ended up getting horribly lost in jersey city. i was honestly terrified. i was just some punk kid from the suburbs and now i was in real, unfamiliar, urban territory. i pulled into the lot, and sat there trying to figure out where i was and how to get back home before i ran out of gas. i finally broke, went in, completely oblivious to where i was and what i was about to eat. ive been a foodie all my life, so to calm down i decided that id eat some food. ill never forget just how kind and understanding the staff was, and how good the food tasted. they let me use the phone to call home, and thank god my mom answered. if it was my stepdad id still be at the white mana today. she was able to come to my rescue and tell me how the hell i had to get home. jersey city is a place i feel i could always know more about. the roads are confusing, the drivers are assholes, the rush hour is painful, but the people there are some of the best in the world, as long as you look in the right place. this video really brought back that memory in full, very well done.

  4. Everybody know the White Mana in Hackensack is wayyy better. Only time you go to the JC one is if you drunk lmaooo

  5. WTF!? I must have missed something here. White Castle was around ten years before White Mana.

  6. i'm going to dislike this for hating on In-N-Out burgers. Diaper pins or diapers, they make amazing burgers and fries.

  7. Yo what's up grew up across the Hudson. Enjoy the show special we got this beautiful woman in there

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