Before the Minnesota State Fair became a gastro-Bacchanalia drawing hundreds of thousands to its ever-increasing array of deep-fried, fusion food items, the church dining hall was king.
Seen as more wholesome than hot dog stands, more satisfyingly filling than All You Can Drink milk, dining halls were both a great way for Minnesota churches to raise money for everything from a new steeple to mission trips abroad, as well as a welcome source of healthy home cooking for rural families far from home. In 1903, according to “Blue Ribbon: A Social and Pictorial History of the Minnesota State Fair,” there were 89 such dining rooms at the Fair. Even as recently as 1951, there were 32. In 1973, nine.
And now? Two remain: The 127-year-old Hamline Church Dining Hall and the smaller, younger Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church Dining Hall, a 129-year-old North Minneapolis church celebrating its 75th anniversary at the fair.
But lest you think the last of the dining halls are heading inexorably toward oblivion, the folks still serving sit-down meals at long tables, complete with pots of coffee, insist they’re finding new ways to remain relevant. It’s not enough to be buoyed by old-timers’ nostalgia. Just ask Salem’s pastor, Eric Hoffer.
“I love the dining hall because it’s an extension of our hospitality,” Hoffer said, agreeing that it’s important to embrace tradition and highlight history. “But I also encourage Hamline and Salem to adapt as we need to.”
This could include getting something on the coveted list of new foods at the Fair. Fairgoers carry lists with them as they wander the grounds. This year, Salem scored a spot by offering a new item to its longtime roster of Swedish meatballs and Swedish egg coffee. Salem’s Swedish ice cream sundae boasts vanilla ice cream topped with lingonberry sauce and a Swedish ginger cookie crumble.
“It’s so good,” he said.

Mary Bloom, co-chair of the Hamline Church Dining Hall committee, agrees with Hoffer.