A beloved Evansville food tradition has a new home and a new purpose.
The Evansville African American Museum (EAAM) has received a food truck donated by Grace and Peace Lutheran Church, an interracial congregation that is winding down its operations. The truck, which Grace and Peace Lutheran used to serve its popular donut burgers at community events and fundraisers, will now become an ongoing fundraising and community engagement resource for EAAM.
Grace Lutheran Church, a predominantly Black congregation, and Peace Lutheran Church, a predominantly White congregation, were both established in 1937. The two congregations joined together in 2007 to form Grace and Peace Lutheran Church.
Beginning in 2010, Grace and Peace Lutheran Church’s donut burgers became a familiar favorite at the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, where they were sold to support the church’s ministries and community service. The sweet-and-savory sandwich, a hamburger patty served with a glazed donut, became a favorite among festivalgoers and a recognizable Evansville food tradition.
The donut burger also has a notable place in Black popular culture. Often referred to as the “Luther Burger,” the sandwich has been popularly associated with R&B legend Luther Vandross, although the origins of the burger remain disputed. The association was referenced in the 2006 episode “The Itis” of the animated series The Boondocks, which prominently features a donut burger.
In Evansville, the donut burger has developed a history of its own. For more than a decade, Grace and Peace Lutheran Church brought its version to the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, where it became a familiar part of the annual event. EAAM will now carry that local tradition forward through the food truck donated by the church.
Now, as Grace and Peace Lutheran closes this chapter of its history, the church has chosen to pass the food truck on to an organization with deep roots in Evansville's African American community.
Rachel Mayes, church council president of Grace and Peace Lutheran Church, said the donation allows the truck and the tradition surrounding it to continue serving the community.
“As a church, we have held a long tradition of serving our community through many of our church ministries such as the Sounds of Grace and the Mission of Grace, to name a few,” said Mayes. “This donation to the Evansville African American Museum is another example of us living out our mission of service, as our own church journey comes to an end.”
EAAM Board President Brian Southern said the donated truck presents an exciting opportunity for the museum to build on an existing local tradition while creating a new source of support for its work.
“This donation allows EAAM to honor a tradition that has brought people together while creating a new opportunity to support the museum’s future,” Southern said. “We are grateful to Grace and Peace Lutheran Church for entrusting EAAM with the truck and the spirit of service it represents.”
EAAM will partner with the Southern Indiana Mentoring Academy (SIMA) to operate the food truck at the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival, which runs Monday, October 5, through Saturday, October 10, 2026.
The food truck will be located at Booth 41 during the festival. Net proceeds from the Fall Festival operation will be shared by EAAM and SIMA to support their respective educational and community engagement efforts.
The food truck itself will remain an EAAM asset and will be available for the museum's future fundraising and community events.
The partnership with SIMA is part of EAAM's larger goal of using the food truck as a vehicle for community connection and collaboration. The Southern Indiana Mentoring Academy provides mentoring, academic support and leadership development opportunities for young people in the region.
For EAAM, the food truck represents more than a new fundraising tool. It is also an opportunity to carry forward a piece of Evansville's African American community history.
Kori Miller, executive director of the Evansville African American Museum, said the museum hopes the truck will become a long-term part of its fundraising efforts.
“The food truck gives EAAM another way to meet the community where they are,” Miller said. “The proceeds will help sustain our exhibitions, educational programs and preservation work, while partnerships like SIMA allow us to invest in the next generation.”
The museum is located in Baptisttown, on the former site of Lincoln Gardens, a housing development dedicated by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1937. The museum itself grew from a grassroots preservation effort led by Sondra L. Matthews, who in 1997 advocated for preserving part of Lincoln Gardens when the Evansville Housing Authority planned to demolish the development.
Today, EAAM preserves and shares local Black history from 1820 to the present through exhibitions, educational programs, cultural events and its preserved Lincoln Gardens apartment. Revenue from the food truck will provide another source of support for that ongoing work while bringing the museum's mission into the community.