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Avon Cafe

40774 NC Highway 12
Avon, NC 27915
252-995-7866
Categories:
 » Family Restaurants
 » Steak & Seafood Restaurants
Avon Cafe is the newest restaurant to Hatteras Island (formerly Hodad's Cafe). New owner Michael Lyons and his staff invite you for an enjoyable and relaxing meal with Chef Elijah B. Laney. They have changed the menu, the style and the atmosphere to create an entirely new experience on Hatteras Island. Chef Laney brings a unique blend of Outer Banks and Maryland Cuisine to Avon's newest Café, one you are sure to enjoy. Avon Café is a destination that you must not miss during your stay on Hatteras Island.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful:
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Great food Great Chef Great Owner
By Eric Howard on 12/29/2008
I was recently dining at the Avon Café with my family, absolutely fantastic!!! The food was Awesome try the Seafood Pasta and Chicken with Crab Piccata. The service was excellent, We had a good time. I will recommend The Avon Café to all my friends in Western North Carolina as a place to go in the OBX.
Sincerely,
The Howard Family
Burnsville, NC
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BEST RESTAURANT ON HATTERAS.
By Guest on 11/5/2008
I just got back from our 8th vacation in Avon and if you are headed down to the Avon area this is the best restaurant on the entire island in my opinion. I have been to many places on Hatteras which offer bland, fried ''vacation food''. The Avon Cafe's overall experience is excellent. If you don't go you will truly be missing an excellent restaurant. Please keep it up Avon Cafe! See you next year.
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Great Again
By Bob - Maryland on 10/3/2008
Last weekend I had another chance to enjoy a meal at the Avon Cafe (ate there in July as well). Once again I had a fabulous meal starting with the house salad that had wonderful fresh greens - none of the pervasive iceberg lettuce. My main course was the pork tenderloin - each tasty melt in the mouth piece was topped with a perfectly complementing slice of cinnamon apple. These along with a red wine chosen for me by Michael the owner made for a truly a memorable combination. After the main course I just had room for the perfectly done creme brouillet. From this dining experience, I have to strongly recommend going out of your way for a meal at the Avon Cafe.
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What a Delightful Treat
By Joe Deegan on 9/15/2008
My Wife and I went to the Avon Cafe on a whim for our 30th Wedding Anniversary, and were just blown away with our entire experience. The food was outstanding from the Hot and Spicy Shrimp and Scallops to the absoulute perfect Filet Mignon , and the Grand Daddy of desserts (as our witer described it) the Apple Crisp. The entire wait staff was wonderful and seemed to work very well together as a team. The owner (who was also cooking) was very pleasent and the chef also accepted our compliments very graciously. We look forward to spending our 31st Wedding Anniversary at the Avon Cafe and hope we can repeat our experience. Keep up the great work.
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Oasis of Taste
By Jim Evans (Potomac, Maryland) on 8/30/2008
There must be a great chef missing in Washington DC! This is haute cuisine disquised near surf and flip flops. Although we came at closing time, the moment I tasted the refined and suttle taste of the gazepacho I knew whoever was in the kitchen had a gift! My family has vacationed in the Avon/Frisco area for 16 years, and never has there been a restaurant that provides such incredible quality food at an understated price.
The crab dip is exquisite and light, and the lower profile warm toasted bread served along side was evidence that this restaurant rigidly demands excellence in every detail. There was a wide variety of entrees: the fine cuts of beef & lamb melt in your mouth, the texture and taste of the scallops and lobster tail really made me wonder what this kitchen does different than everyone else. I had the seafood tacos twice; they have an impressive presentation and there is startling magic in their taste.
Our waiter provided solid service and the draft beer was very cold. Do not miss this restaurant when you are near, it is incredible.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful:
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You Should Try It!
By Greg & Jynine Thomas on 8/30/2008
In the Outer Banks it seems all the restaurants serve the same thing...fried fish and steamed shrimp and crab. FOr people who actually know and like good food, there really is no where to eat in the Outer Banks; thus the throngs you always see at Food Lion. HOWEVER, we were drawn in by the sign out front stating rack of lamb...the inside of the restaurant seemed to be inline with all the other beach establishments, but the immediate service and friendly manner brought us to sit down and try it. Indecisive about the beer on tap, I was offered without requesting several tastes to try. A big wine lover in the winter, I like beer in the summer. Usually, the type of immediate service I received is reserved for that of wine. I liked the attentive nature of the manager. Next, the food was really good. We had mussels in a white wine garlic broth and the rack of lamb...absolutley done right with garlic mashed potatoes. We also has the fish tacos/ excellant as well. However the rack was one of the best I've had. Good food, Beach atmosphere and one of my favorites...live acoustic music exuding that beachy romance!
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Diana Ross
By Diana on 8/17/2008
Family had a great dining experience. I am very particular about food, especially coming from NYC & Long Island and their crab cakes were amazing, along with the deserts. Definitely will go back for more.
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Food can be improved
By Mandy on 8/12/2008
We ate at avon cafe last night and I had the creamy crab soup and fish tacos. Both the soup and the fish for the tacos had way too much salt. The rest of our group had the panko shrimp and the mussel appetizer (both excellent). The Caesar salad with shrimp was very good, but the salad did not have enough dressing (a little dry). The kids menu could be a little better suited to kids.
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By Anne Marie on 8/9/2008
My friends and I ate at the Avon Cafe last evening for the 1st time and were pleasantly suprised by the great menu, the quick service and the delicious food. I would definately recommend this restaurant. Anne Marie Fail Buxton NC
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Needs Work
By Guest on 7/20/2008
Not worth the menu price for the experience. We had a large party w/ 8 kids. Could have been enjoyable as parts of the menu were excellent and we don't mind paying the price if it's a good experience. Biggest complaint was the service/timing. Several plates were missing sides or what was stated on the menu. Although Hodad's (previous establishment) was more barfood, you knew what you were getting and the service was great.
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0 of 2 people found this review helpful:
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Not very Good
By Guest on 7/17/2008
My family and i went to the Avon Cafe and first of all as was said in previou reviews the menu had some unusual choices. Overall the food was good and prepared well but it was served stone cold.

My sons had the Baby Back Ribs and both serving were overcooked and also cold.

Prices were very high for the quality of the food. This restuarant was a welcome hope of something new in Avon but it needs a lot of work.
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3 of 3 people found this review helpful:
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What A Great Meal
By George & Debbie on 7/17/2008
We could not have been more pleased with our first visit to the Avon Cafe. It certainly will not be our last!

The roasted veggie risotto was, by far, the tastiest vegetarian dish I have ever enjoyed. The chef deserves praise for the amazing melding of flavors and textures---as well as the creative presentation of this dish.

Debbie tried the seafood taco and was simply delighted with the freshness and flavor of ''today's catch.'' Note that this menu item varies somewhat from day to day depending on the freshest seafood available to the Cafe on that particular day, according our waitress.

The service was prompt, efficient, and friendly. When our waitress was taking an order at another table, another wait person rushed over when he noticed our drinks were getting low to refill our glasses and ask if we needed anything else.

When I think of ''apple crisp'', I remember a mound of apples,raisins, oats, and brown sugar on my elementary school cafeteria plate. The apple crisp at the Avon Cafe bears little resemblance to the old school version. It is a wonderfully light apple pastry--topped with rich vanilla ice cream--and was truly the best apple dessert I've ever had. (Their creme broulet, which we shared, was also great.)

The Avon Cafe has a relaxed, ''beach'' atmosphere (naturally), but the food and service more than make up for anything it may lack in ambiance.

We can't wait for our next visit to the Avon Cafe!
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2 of 4 people found this review helpful:
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Bad Experience
By Guest on 7/12/2008
We called ahead to let them know we were coming and they had our table all ready for us, even with water set up. Based on the reviews from this site and our reception we were anticipating a great experience. Sadly, it turned out to be pretty horrible, mostly because of the service.

First the good stuff, because there was some. My husbands snapper was wonderful, the crab soup was great. The kids menu had adult portions available for a slightly higher price and the fish and chips from this menu was quite good also.

I ordered the roasted veggie risotto and it was horrible; the saffron risotto was just a mushy yellow lump of rice without flavor, the veggies were cold and tasted musty. I returned it to the kitchen uneaten other that 2-3 bites, explaining to the waitress that it was inedible. She shrugged it off and took my plate and left without offering me a replacement meal or expressing any concern about the quality of her/the kitchens product.

My friends dinner was not served until after everyone else at the table had finished eating. The waitress stated that she had forgotten to put in the order, but offered no apology or show of concern.

These were the 2 big concerns with the food/service. There were several other small ones that I could go on about at length. We mentioned to the manager that we were not happy with our waitress and he simply said ok and left. Shortly thereafter the waitress came out to our table and proceeded to scold us and say that we were the worst customers she had ever had and she had done nothing wrong. Up until this point it had been a garden variety bad experience.. but being harangued by the waitress put us over the top. In all honesty my friend lost her temper at this point and it created a scene... but again the manager did nothing to diffuse it, instead telling us his waitress had been nothing but good to us and we were just bad customers (that is a paraphrase).

Eventually we got our bills straightened out (my risotto removed and the 18% grat removed). We paid the bills (still with a grat, but less than 18%) and suggested to the manager that he should consider tasting the risotto (he had earlier mentioned that he had never tasted it.) His response was that risotto was a waste of time and he didn't know why it was on the menu.

Overall it was a sad ending to our last night at the beach and we were shocked at the complete lack of concern by the staff of the restaurant.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful:
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WHEN YOU FIND THE BEST WHY TRY THE REST?!
By Samantha on 7-03-08 on 7/12/2008
We heard about this place as soon as we arrived in Avon from several people so we went. We had a large group and ordered a variety of dishes. WOW! Creative, fresh, friendly and the best food we have ever had anywhere on the Outer Banks. We were all tasting each others food. There were plenty of excellent wines at reasonable prices too. I hope that the owner keeps this chef forever and that the restaurant catches on with everyone. Once you try it you will keep coming back.
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By Guest on 7/8/2008
Great and creative seafood dishes with steaks that are steakhouse quality, all at fairly reasonable prices. What a surprise!

I wasn't sure what to expect at first. Tried the seafood tacos. A mix of shrimp and mahi simply blew me away. The family loved it also. I knew I wasn't in Hodad's.

Typically we eat at a different place each night but we tried it again later in the week. Had a steak to die for! Normally I eat only seafood but was glad I tried it. Worth it, without a doubt.

It might be a little pricey for a family as mentioned by others but worth every cent. If need be save it for a special night out. You won't be disappointed.
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2 of 6 people found this review helpful:
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????
By an NCBeaches Guest on 7/5/2008
This place is kinda out of the realm so to speak for Avon, a fishing village primarily known for seafood, esp. their crabbing industry. They have lamb, veal, and ''Maryland'' crabcakes, which is a real insult to the local cuisine on Hatteras Island. Not sure if they really have a grasp of what a visitor wants when they come to the OBX.
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By back2obx on 6/23/2008
Went there for the first time this past week. Great menu selection - included many dishes you cannot find elsewhere on the island. I love the idea of bringing upscale dining to a casual location. Some members of our group thought the dishes were a little pricey for the amount of food you got. Small bar area - no smoking. I thought the restaurant was missing something - maybe some music or a band. When we first got there it was awkwardly quiet. I hope it will do well.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful:
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Solid
By Guest on 6/22/2008
Great new restaurant. Great service. Food presentation and tatse is excellent. A little pricey but if you want something good you have to pay for it. They deliver. Great addition to Avon.
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By John on 6/8/2008
When I travel I like to try and dine where the locals go to eat and hang out. I am not interested in all you can eat buffets with their mediocre fare or chain restaurants where you already know what you are going to order before you sit down. I want to see a wide variety of entrees but, not so many that I wonder which ones are any good. A couple of weeks ago I was visiting in Nags Head with family and friends when we went to dinner for the first time at the Avon Café. About a 30 minute drive south from Nags Head to the smaller less commercialized town of Avon. The Avon café offers a more traditional cafeteria style setting for casual dining but the décor offered enough elegance that you did not feel like your were at another fish & chips pub either. The menu was simple but well thought out. The appetizers and entrees were priced modestly especially when you considered the portions. Most importantly though, was the overall quality and freshness of the food. Even the dinner salad, which to me is typically something you forget about once you finish it and the entrée arrives, was fantastic. The seafood Taco entrée was delicious and so huge; I could not finish it all. Although stuffed, we then decided to split one of the homemade desserts the “Apple Crisp” and that was just great. During my stay I managed to visit the Avon Café for a lunch where I enjoyed a colossal sized Ruben (so big I had to split it with someone) and a couple of draft beers at the Bar. The staff was extremely professional and the experience was so good I would definitely recommend to my friends.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful:
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Great New Restaurant
By an NCBeaches Guest on 6/6/2008
I've eaten several dinners and one lunch at Avon Cafe since it opened in early May. The food is delicious, with good presentation and variety. Crab cakes and seafood just great, salads and vegetables are FRESH. The hot dog menu is fun and tasty, and there are selections for the kids. Service was great! It's a cheerful place and well worth the drive from Nags Head or Ocracoke. Will definitely visit often.
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4 of 5 people found this review helpful:
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Must Get back
By Guest on 6/5/2008
I spent a long Memorial Day weekend at Nags Head and wanted to have a nice lunch with friends I'd met while on safari last February. While heading south on Rte 12, we stopped at the Avon Cafe for lunch, expecting the usual Outer Banks fare. Were we ever taken aback with the variety and quality of the lunch they served. So much so, that although we were staying in Nags Head 32 miles away, we drove back to Avon for dinner twice more.
The food from appetizers to desserts was what I'd expect to get in Mobile 4-5 star restaurant as far as presentation and taste were concerned; and I should mention the portions were very ample as well.
If there is one complaint I have, it is their food is so good to the palate there is definitely a tendency to eat too much.
Be sure to save room for their apple crisp desert - I've never tasted one so fabulous.
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By Guest on 6/5/2008
I was on Hatteras Island with my family last week, just enjoying the weather. We stopped in the Avon Cafe before heading back home and we are glad we did. We don't go out much because our two young boys are a bit loud. The staff made us feel comfortable, as did other diners. The portions were large, and the food tasty. Try the fish tacos and the chicago hot dogs.
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Great place
By Eric on 6/5/2008
While extending our Memorial Day vacation a few extra days last week, I took my wife and kids to Avon Cafe (1st time). We've been to several places up and down the highway and thought we'd try Avon Cafe, since we've never been there. Well, looks like we'll make this place a permanent stop every time we're in OBX…maybe even a couple of evenings during our stay, as the menu had several dishes that looked mouth watering. The appetizers were awesome (shrimp and the tuna tartar), and what followed was an even better salad. Some salads you find at other restaurants can be somewhat generic…not this one…! I had the sirloin, which was cooked to perfection and extremely flavorful, and my wife had the lamb, which was tremendously tender. Oh yeah, my kids chicken tenders were just that, very tender (I even had to take a few bites " and the BBQ sauce my son had was the best I'd tasted…I want the recipe). We all had great desserts, which of course, we couldn't finish…

Overall, great food, nice atmosphere, very clean…and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Only recommendation would be to monitor the air conditioning temperature, as the men's room was quite chilly. We're definitely going back next time we're in OBX.
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By Kevin on 6/4/2008
My family has been vacationing in the outer banks for years. One thing that has always been lacking is quality food.
It is easy to find fried seafood of many varieties but that get's old.
My recent trip to Hatteras Island took me to the Avon Cafe for what turned out to be a very memorable dinner.
Great food from the start with 2 appetizers- a BBQ Sampler that I swear could have come from Memphis and a fantastic Tuna Tartare dish that I was hesitant about but the waiter talked me into it and it was fantastic!
For dinner we had seafood tacos that were the best I have ever had and an honest to goodness perfectly cooked rack of lamb that could have come from a steakhouse in Manhattan.
I was shocked to know they bake their bread in house and the desserts? Let's just say it was tough to put on a bathing suit the next morning! Fantastic!

Great food, nice location, a laid back/ casual atmosphere and quality service.
I will be back!
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Terms: Avon Cafe

Avon Cafe, located in Avon -- part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

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