Corn dog summer: Where to find the best corn dogs in Portland

Crispy, plump, juicy, delicious: There’s nothing quite like the simple joy of a corn dog.

A fair food staple that has crossed over into fast food joints, dive bar menus and even fancy cocktail bars, the corn dog is an enduring classic, a sweet taste of Americana that combines three of our country’s greatest loves: meat, corn and deep fryers.

In Oregon, the gold standard is Pronto Pup, the original corn dog (according to some) found at a standalone restaurant in Rockaway Beach and at fairs around the country. Unfortunately, as far as we can tell, there’s nowhere to get a Pronto Pup in Portland, leaving the door wide open for corn dog innovation in one of the best food cities in the world.

Does Portland have a good corn dog scene? This summer, we set off to find out.

Using social media, online reviews and word of mouth (as well as a particularly helpful Reddit thread), we found nearly a dozen places around the city that are known for their corn dogs. (Korean corn dogs, which use rice flour and go heavy on the toppings, deserve their own story – more on that soon.) We then gathered a crew of taste testers, a combination of fried food aficionados and novices, tasked with ranking each corn dog according to three criteria: the dog, the batter and the overall vibe, which often included appearance, setting, service and condiments. After the scores were tallied, the dogs were sorted into three obvious tiers.

Along the way, we were struck by the clear differences in every corn dog. It’s tempting to think that a food so simple can be made only one way, but each place on our list had a distinctly different offering. There were fancier franks, gluten-free batters and a variety of condiments. That means there’s something good for everybody in Portland, from humble fans of frozen franks to high-minded fried-food foodies.

But for those in search of the top corn dogs in town, we give you this: the very best (and not so best) corn dogs in Portland.

SHORT END OF THE STICK

These three corn dogs fell to the bottom of our ranking, each with clear shortcomings that were universal among our tasters.

Schilling Cider House

The gluten-free corn dog at Schilling Cider House in Southeast Portland was honestly a bit of a disaster. The whole thing was overcooked and flavorless, coming out far too crispy and dark (to be fair, the kitchen did seem overwhelmed on a busy weeknight). The dog itself was bland, and the vegan option wasn’t much better. One reviewer noted “I’m sure there’s worse corn dogs out there,” but this one still wound up at the bottom of our list.

Open 4-10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, noon-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday; 930 S.E. 10th Ave.

Mike’s Drive-In

The classic corn dog at Mike’s Drive-In, a local fast-food chain, reminded our tasters of school lunches and freezer sections at the grocery store. While there’s something perfect about the corn dog, which was admittedly crispy and tasty, it just couldn’t hang with Portland’s hand-dipped franks. “Foster Farms” stamped proudly on the bag was also a big turn-off. Those eating on the cheap should go Monday through Thursday between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. to get one for $1.50, easily the best deal in town.

Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; 3233 N. Lombard St.

Interurban

Expectations were high for the North Portland cocktail bar’s corn dog, which is billed as “Portland’s finest” and costs a whopping $14 (the most expensive option on this list). The Olympia Provisions pork frank was excellent, but the batter was far too soft and floppy for our taste. The corn dog also lost points for presentation, awkwardly plated on a massive white platter surrounded by dollops of mustard and ketchup. We did like the small pile of pickles and mustard options, but otherwise left disappointed.

Open 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Friday, noon-1 a.m., Saturday-Sunday; 4057 N. Mississippi Ave.

MIDDLE OF THE PACK

In the middle of our ranking are six spots that earned solid reviews. These are great “if you’re there” corn dogs that might not be worth a special trip.

Hungry Tiger

Hungry Tiger, a vegan bar in Southeast Portland, is famous for its corn dogs, which come three for $8 on Tuesdays. On our visit, the batter was crispy and perfectly fried, but the vegan dog of the moment left a lot to be desired (a bartender said the brand rotates). The long list of vegan dipping sauces was a nice touch, though some tasters found it stressful to pick just one. One reviewer said the Hungry Tiger corn dog was a perfect option “if I was here and already drunk.”

Open 3 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday-Sunday; 213 S.E. 12th Ave.

Loyal Legion

Loyal Legion has perhaps the best upscale corn dog in town, serving three kinds of sausage from Olympia Provisions. We tried the frankfurter corn dog, which was an immediate favorite, though some of us found the thick batter a little too chewy. The upscale cocktail bar setting was divisive: Some loved the classy charm, others felt it was out place. “These are not my corn dog vibes,” one reviewer said.

Open noon-midnight Sunday-Thursday, noon-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday; 710 S.E. Sixth Ave.

The Lift Off Lounge

The Lift Off Lounge, a retro space-themed bar in Northeast Portland, serves its corn dog drizzled with honey. Both the beef frank and the crunchy, well-seasoned batter were good, but the honey was a bit of a mess, and eating it quickly turned into a chore.

Open 4 p.m.-midnight Wednesday-Sunday; 5216 N.E. Sandy Blvd.

Lutz Tavern

Our tasters loved Lutz Tavern, an old-school Portland dive bar found in the thick of the Woodstock neighborhood. The classic corn dog here smelled like the fair, and the beef frank was sound. The jalapeño batter was a great idea that unfortunately didn’t quite come together, with only the occasionally noticeable chunk of pepper. Lutz stood out as the only place we tried that served its corn dog with complimentary fries.

Open noon-2:30 a.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Saturday-Sunday; 4639 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.

Franks A Lot

This Southeast Portland drive-thru in a Whole Foods parking lot boasts a lengthy menu of sausages, any of which can be made into a corn dog for an extra $1. We tried the Big All Beef Frank, which came out piping hot inside a soft batter that, if we’re being picky, could have been a touch crispier. There’s something charming about the stand decorated in kitschy signs, and the milk shakes are a great amenity.

Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily; 2845 E. Burnside St.

Pine State Biscuits

We stopped by the Southeast Division Street location of local breakfast chain Pine State Biscuits, which brought its OG corn dog back to the menu in June. The flavorful pork sausage had a good snap, and the batter, while thin, was well fried and paired well with the meat. It was served with a cup of honey mixed with stone ground mustard, which was a great touch. Some tasters were turned off by the appearance, but quality balanced things out. (As a side note, the restaurant said they no longer serve the Otto’s andouille sausage or the vegan sausage corn dogs, despite both being listed on the menu.)

Hours vary at locations around Portland; find information at pinestatebiscuits.com.

TOP DOGS

Two corn dogs made the top tier of our list, blowing away all the rest of the competition. Both dogs flirted with a perfect score, and immediately became our go-to spots.

Tulip Shop Tavern

Tulip Shop Tavern has the best traditional corn dog in Portland, hands down. On its face, the Nathan’s all-beef frank wrapped in crispy house-made cornmeal batter is nothing special. But the execution – a process that requires par-frying the morning of and finishing the fry upon order – is just about perfect.

The trendy North Portland bar isn’t exactly churning out corn dogs. The kitchen serves them only on Wednesdays, and makes just 50 at a time at that. They typically run out by 9 or 10 at night, chef Nick Seabergh said, but occasionally they’ll sell more quickly. Can’t make it early enough on a Wednesday? You’re out of luck.

Our tasters’ more traditional leanings were immediately enamored with this corn dog. The beef frank was big, juicy and flavorful, while the batter was perfectly crispy outside and soft inside. A sprinkling of salt (added just out of the fryer) was a nice touch. Our more progressive desires felt let down by the simple options of yellow mustard and ketchup, but it wasn’t enough to sully the experience. This is the corn dog we were looking for.

Open noon-midnight Sunday-Friday, noon-1 a.m. Saturday; 825 N. Killingsworth St.

Honey Butter Country Fare

Brie Gneckow said her and her husband’s Northeast Portland food cart was born out of a pandemic-era yearning for fair food. Their decision to make most of their food vegan and gluten-free could have been a hindrance, but it ended up being more of an interesting side note. That’s because their corn dogs, while not traditional, might just be the best in town.

We fell in love with the sweet, perfectly crispy batter and the side of vegan honey butter (vegan butter whipped with brown mustard in an apple juice reduction), as well as the cart’s setting in a shaded patio beside Mutantis Cult Brewery. The frank itself wasn’t the best we tried, but it was still quite good – good enough to make this our best-ranked corn dog in town.

And while we didn’t take the rest of the menu into consideration, it’s worth noting that the cart also does several “loaded” corn dogs, which come drizzled in sauce and covered with toppings. The Linus and Lucy, which has peanut butter sauce, chili oil and green onions, hits all the right spots.

Open noon-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday; 6719 N.E. 18th Ave.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• We got a lot of recommendations for Holman’s Bar & Grill, but they don’t serve corn dogs anymore, despite it still appearing on their online menu. We found that out when we showed up and tried to order one.
• Gado Gado no longer serves their famous blood sausage corn dog. We have mixed feelings about that.
• There are certainly other corn dogs we’re missing here. Shout out to the spots just outside Portland and any other places we overlooked.
• Thanks to John, Sadie, Hadley, Lily, Erik and Ann, our brave team of corn dog taste testers!

—Jamie Hale covers travel and the outdoors and co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast. Reach him at 503-294-4077, jhale@oregonian.com or @HaleJamesB.

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