Columbus Corn Dogs: Old Skool

Every now and then we come across a big ol’ beefy boi and the Buford Tannen is exactly that.

Created by Old Skool in Clintonville, the Buford Tannen is a house made corn dog, sporting the same name as a Back to the Future III gunslinger, Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen. We’ll warn you, this corny boi isn’t mad, but as one of the first full-sized home made corn dogs we’ve had, it was pretty good.

Reminder, we’ve narrowed down what makes a good corn dog to cook quality, dog quality, batter quality, dippers, size appropriateness, cost per corny boi, and visual appeal.

Corny boi. Buford Tannen, Esq.

Cook Quality

This bad boy came rolling out in it’s basket a bit dark brown with a crisp outer crust. In order to not get jabbed too badly in the throat we pulled out the stick (which was a thin pointy stick) and the corn dog held together pretty well. As we were handling it with just fingers, the crust started to chunk away a bit, leaving us to pick up pieces, but overall a pretty good cook to the batter and a juicy center dog. Cook = 8/10.

A bit blurry, but you can see.

Dog and Batter Quality

Dog quality is pretty standard, but the home made batter is nice. The menu has all hot dogs listed as All Beef Dogs, and the insides register that that appears to be true. Dog quality 4/5. There’s a bit of grit to the batter, but overall the flavor is good. Batter quality 4/5.

Dippers

None. Zilch. No dippers that come with this corny boi, so we ended up using the Chipotle Maple Aioli that was left over from our Pimento Cheese Fritters. It was actually pretty darn tasty, so we’d definitely recommend snagging some of that if you procure the Buford Tannen. Dippers = 1/5 (only because the Chipotle Maple Aioli was so good).

Size and Shape Appropriateness

This is the first full-sized corn dog that we’ve reviewed, so we’re hoping we judge this correctly. As long as the inside of my hand, but only about as thick as one thumb, this is a corn dog that will have you yelling “this is one skinny corny boi!” Maybe we’re corrupted by the free range hormone corny bois that live on large farms in Montana, but this was slightly thinner than expected. Size and shape 3/5.

Length. Check. Girth. Half check.

Cost Per Corny Boi

One corny boi to rule them all, the Buford Tannen comes in at $4.00. A bit higher than we’d expect from a full-sized corn dog, but again, this is the first full-sized corny boi review. Cost 6/10.

Visual

The brownness is nice and the overall demeanor of the dog is serious and self-contained. The presentation in the basket skews the size slightly and the thin pointy stick is a bit offputting. All in all, we’re giving this an 8/10.

Final Verdict

• Cook Quality = 8/10
• Dog Quality = 4/5
• Batter Quality = 4/5
• Dippers = 1/5
• Size Appropriateness = 3/5
• Cost Per Corny Boi = 6/10
• Visual = 8/10
• Total = 34/50

After tallying up the scores for the Buford Tannen, we are left with an above average full-sized corn dog. Now, we would likely eat this corn dog again, but with no dippers and a thinner than desired girth, it will sit lower on our list. Style points for the home made batter though. Until next time, stay corny.

Be sure to check out our full ranked list of Columbus corn dogs to know where to find the best in the city.

Are you a spicy adventure seeker? Be sure to check out our spiciest dish in Columbus series and hit us up if you have any suggestions that are not already on our list!

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