A settle for The Fireplace

Yesterday was a sad day. My friends and I drove all the way to White Manna for a deliciously indulgent meal and it was CLOSED. We all teared up a little when we had just missed the last servings of sliders by only 10 minutes. When you're craving White Manna, nothing else will remotely compare or come close to satisfaction.
But, because my roommate Carly and I wanted to show our Massachusetts friends that Jersey CAN have little gems that make the state what it is, we took them to the next best thing we could think of: The Fireplace. Also a burger joint, The Fireplace is an old classic, the kind of place that has been a hidden gem for Jersey natives for decades. It sits along the truck-heavy highway of Route 17 and looks like it hasn't been redone since the early 50s. The Fireplace has a bizarre patriotic theme and the inside resembles an old log cabin. The walls are covered with Civil War memorabilia that seem like they have hung there since the war started.
The food is decent. The milkshakes are perfect. There are three different ordering stations: The Burger Station, the Chicken Station, and the Pizza Station. Weird, I know. But the Fireplace is one of those places that you visit for the atmosphere, the coziness of it all. Not necessarily for the food. It's a family place, where you went with your parents after a baseball game or with your class after a field trip. And sometimes these kinds of places are worth the mediocre food to have the childhood memories come flooding back.

CRAVING....White Manna

Unfortunately, while I was home in Jersey I didn't get to visit the most amazing and mouth watering burger joint in the world. I'm not exaggerating. White Manna, in Hackensack NJ is nothing short of a legend.This place has been around for over 50 years, some even claim it's the original White Castle. My parents have photographs of White Manna that they took in the 80s when they used to eat here. And this place hasn't changed one bit. A tiny little burger place that serves up the most delicious sliders you will ever eat. They're each a $1 and depending on how hungry you are, you could inhale anywhere from 3 to 6 of these ( or more, I've seen it done). The original way of having them is with cheese, carmelized onions, a pickle, and ketchup.

NEVER ask for lettuce and tomatoes.

Placing an order here is an art form. You can only ask for burgers from the burger guy and you better know exactly what you want when you're going to order. If you want fries (I recommend the cheese fries...why not? You're already indulging) or a drink you have to ask the drink & fries guy NOT the burger guy. The people who work here are so nice, but if you screw this up you might get a death glare. They take their burgers very seriously.
The only way to end your meal would be to leave with a milkshake in hand. They're homemade and probably the best milkshakes I have ever had. Hackensack is about a 30 minute drive from NYC and totally worth the trip if you have a car. My friends and I do it all the time and it's the perfect getaway on a Saturday or Sunday and you won't have to eat for the next 24 hours. Okay, it's decided..I need to take a trip before the end of the week!!