ReZoom

The discriminating team at ReZoom taste tests one of summer's favorite treats. The award for best corn dog goes to ...Trying to figure out who invented the corn dog is a bit like trying to determine who invented the wheel. Plus, everybody has their own claim to fame, whether it's adding a stick or switching up the batter. And, even without those fine distinctions in corn dog preparation, there's still the matter of who showed up at what state fair when. (We know, we know ... we too were amazed, that our nation's state fairs don't keep the detailed records of their vendors that you would expect.)

Regardless of who got there first, we're just glad so many people keep cooking up corn dog goodness.* We've ranked our picks on a scale that runs from one to five, with one as the worst and five as the best.

Cozy Dog
Cozy Dog Drive-In is one of the restaurants that claims to have been at the forefront of the corn dog revolution with a birth date for their creation of June 16, 1946. (Cozy Dog is also the group that added the stick to the mix.) If you're unable to visit the original Springfield, Illinois Cozy Dog, the company lets you mail order their flour mix and sticks for at-home corn dog frying ($20.00). Unfortunately, our testers were not impressed by the Cozy Dog. "Weird smell" and "too greasy" were the prevailing conclusions.

State Fair Corn Dogs
With a name like "State Fair," you know that this particular food producer is aiming high. And while State Fair Corn Dogs ($3.29 for 6) are certainly the most economical choice in the group, as is to be expected, there's still something lacking when you microwave your corn dog rather than getting it fresh out of the fryer. One tester simply said, "I'm not real excited," after taking his first bite. The best we could get on this one was, "The dog part was ... average."

Morningstar Farms Veggie Corn Dogs
Even Morningstar Farms, the nation's leader in vegetarian-friendly fare, refuses to leave corn dog lovers out. Their meat-free dining option ($3.69 for 4) scored surprisingly well among our testers (at least, it was a surprise for those of us who could not imagine a corn dog without a "real dog" involved). Positive comments included, "It actually tastes like cornbread," and some thought the Morningstar Farms option was even more "authentic"-tasting than a State Fair Corn Dog. Although other testers claimed you could detect the addition of a "chemical flavoring" in place of meat.

Sonic
It seems only natural that Sonic, "America's Drive-In," would have corn dogs as a regular feature on the menu. As far as our testers were concerned, Sonic's corn dog ($.99) did not disappoint. As one contented diner stated, "The corn part was very crispy and quite tasty with a sweet finish to it ... All in all, it was a true treat for your mouth."

Krystal Corn Pups
Krystal Hamburgers offers a "corn pup" rather than a corn dog because the dog deep fried inside their version of this cornbread-wrapped food isn't a full-sized hot dog. (Puppies are smaller versions of dogs – hence the corn pup. Get it? Why, it's pure marketing genius!) Proving that maybe size doesn't matter, our testers loved the Krystal Corn Pup ($1.09). "Good shell with a hearty dog" and "More traditional hot dog taste" were the compliments being bandied about during the taste test.

Pronto Pups
George and Versa Boyington, the masterminds behind Pronto Pups ($19.00 for at-home batter and sticks), asserted that they invented the corn dog in the late 1930s. The story goes that the Boyingtons were having a very hard time selling hot dogs in bad weather at the beach because the rain was soaking the buns. George decided to forgo the bun for a hot dog that was encased in something that wouldn't spoil, and the corn dog came to be. Whether or not they invented the corn dog, our tasters are in agreement that they still came up with the best product. Pronto Pups were the hands-down favorite with "full taste" and "magnificent" as only a couple of the compliments.

Honorable Mention: Jimmy Dean
While it's not technically a corn dog, in the realm of meat on a stick, it seemed that Jimmy Dean's Pancake and Sausage on a Stick ($6.79 for 12) was definitely worth a mention. All of our testers enjoyed the sweet and salty combination of this yummy breakfast treat. In fact, some testers came back morning after morning, emptying the box after the taste test was complete. Plus, with chocolate chip and blueberry pancake varieties offered, we don't think you can go wrong with this one.

* It wasn't possible to include Hot Dog on a Stick in this test. And, while this might seem a travesty to many corn dog connoisseurs, please keep in mind that we don't have a Hot Dog on a Stick location near our offices, and the company doesn't do mail-order. Sorry, Hot Dog on a Stick patrons.

It's 'Summer Fun Time' here at ReZoom. So, if you want to make the most of the season, check the Travel channel often for new stories on planning the perfect summer vacation. We'll have insight from experts in addition to great ideas for all of your own adventures.