CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

I wrote about Buckeye Donuts, briefly, over 5 years ago, as an entry on this blog. The post was long before the Ohio Donut Trail adventures. I can’t say I look for a reason to go to Buckeye Donuts but the place deserves more attention that I gave it years ago. Two things brought Buckeye Donuts back on my radar.

Several months ago, I was contacted by a researcher looking for a food to represent the Ohio State University. They pitched me several dishes they found via web research but none of them seemed like a good fit to me based on the criteria they gave me. Try to think of any iconic food for Columbus or The Ohio State University and you are likely to be stumped. I love Adriaticos but there are pizza places on every college campus. I was looking for something that had staying power that did not suck and had at least some history. Looking at OSU today, most of the places I would have eaten at are long gone. Then I thought of Buckeye Donuts. It has been on campus since 1969 with the same owners. What could be more Buckeyecentric than Buckeye Donuts? How about a Buckeye Donut at Buckeye Donuts. Yep – a chocolate frosted yeast donut with a giant dollop of peanut butter in the center to mirror the candy of the same name. That became my suggested pick for the contest. Just as the Buckeyes did not survive March Madness, so too did the Buckeye Donut find defeat in its bracket as well. Drat.

The other inspiration that has Buckeye Donuts on my mind is my upcoming exploration of the new wave of donuteries popping up in Columbus.

A final note. When I visited Buckeye Donuts to get a photo of a Buckeye Donut (which I had never tried), I did have to pause for a moment. This little donut shop has survived over forty years on campus. It has seen nearly every small family business around it closed and it has watched the colossus of Campus Partners take the soul from High Street. It is still standing. It has added gyros, and breakfast and a 24 hour menu to the offerings and it has survived and thrived in a tiny space. Buckeye Donuts defeated the odds and it deserves respect for that alone – whether serving donuts or not.