Swedish Egg Coffee from Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall at the Minnesota State Fair

For almost as long as the Minnesota State Fair began attracting crowds, church dining halls have been a staple for tasty home cooking at the Minnesota State Fair. They proved to be a nice, inexpensive place to sit with friends and family to enjoy a wholesome meal. However, as the fair grew and more attractions were added, food easily eaten while strolling around the grounds became increasingly popular. 

Church dining halls at the fair peaked in the 1950s when there were 26 to choose from, and just about every Christian denomination was represented. Only two of these relics remain today — Hamline Church Dining Hall and Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall. 

Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall first opened in 1949, serving hearty breakfasts and simple but delicious lunches. It has always been led by volunteers of all ages who take orders and bring food to the table, unlike other dining halls that typically serve food cafeteria-style.

While the Hamline Church Dining Hall is older and larger than the Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall, Salem has something no other food vendor at the fair has. Swedish egg coffee. Egg coffee’s smooth yet strong flavor brings people back to the dining hall each year and has earned the nickname, lutheran latte.

If you stop by for breakfast, you can step back in time with a plate of pancakes and a cup of Swedish egg coffee — both from recipes used in the dining hall since 1949. You can add bacon, sausage, eggs, french toast, ham, oatmeal, hash browns, and other tasty favorites that will fuel your way through Minnesota’s 12 best days of summer. 

Meatball sundaes, a more recent addition to the menu, almost instantly became a fair favorite. Take a heaping portion of mashed potatoes, add a meatball, and top it with a generous amount of gravy and vad häftigt, you have a darn good meal!

In 2024, the Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall will introduce a new fair food: the Swedish ice cream sundae. Be sure to stop by their place on the north side of Randall Avenue near the Progress Center to try it and support one of the last remaining church dining halls at the fair.