She's an icon. The grandma of fast food takeaways in Auckland, the family-owned hamburger truck the White Lady, has been proudly parked on a few various corners in Auckland central since the 40s. She's rated #1 best thing to do in Auckland by Lonely Planet travelers, and obviously those foreign backpackers know their stuff.
Her burgers are just amazing. If you have not tried her Hawaiian Burger ($8.90) you don't understand what a real Burger can taste like. It's a perfect see-saw balance between tangy and sweet. The beef pattie is homemade with a secret family recipe that's been around since 1948, and kept secret for good reason. Her Veggie Classic burger ($8.90) that comes with egg, cheese, pineapple, fresh lettuce, tomato, onions, aioli (and if you ask nicely with an extra helping of hashbrown), also has that classic zing to it taste-wise, especially the odd but marvellous combo that is aioli and pineapple.
Considering she's only open during week nights and 24 hours on weekends, she's more than just any old croon. She's the non-judgemental grandma that's always there for you, even when it's 3.30am and your stomach is angrily hungry, and all the other decent places have shut.
The White Lady is the quintessential staple to any night out in Auckland, something which I hope one day my grandkids will get to enjoy too.
[Photo Credit: Alex Burton]