Restaurants - Avon

Avon Café

• 40774 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-7866

“Fine dining in your flip flops.” That’s the slogan at Avon Café. It’s upscale dining, Hatteras style, where you’ll enjoy great service and a nice meal without having to dress up. The atmosphere is fun, with good music for good times. Avon Café serves dinner only, focusing on prime steaks, hand-cut to order, and fresh seafood. An award-winning chef from D.C. brings special flair to the entrees, and a good wine and beer list complements the offerings. There’s a bar area, and they have live acoustic entertainment a couple of nights a week in the summer. It’s open nightly for dinner and closes in the winter.

Cafe 12

• 41934 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 995-3602

Cafe 12 is an awesome spot to satisfy everyone’s craving for a big, hearty lunch or casual dinner. The specialty of the house is the Hatteras Flat, an herb tortilla crisped on the grill, topped with blended cheeses and a choice of toppings — it’s like a California pizza and so delicious. The menu also offers tons of options for wraps, sandwiches, salads, burgers and appetizers, ranging from familiar comfort foods to the chef’s creative inspirations. Children have their own menu here. Beer and wine are served, and you can eat in or take it out. Cafe 12 is open for lunch and dinner every day; call ahead in the off-season.

Chinatown Chinese Restaurant

• 41934 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 995-0118

Specializing in Szechuan, Hunan and Cantonese fare, Chinatown offers all the Chinese favorites and then some. The menu is so long you’ll have trouble making up your mind, and there is also a buffet. You can’t go wrong with daily specials. Lunch and dinner are offered, and you can eat in or take it out.

Coastal Blue Waterfront Dining Restaurant

• 39450 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-3800

Winner of 2008’s Hatteras Island Chowder Cook-Off, Chef Cleat Van Meter features simply prepared, elegantly presented dishes that are surprisingly affordable. Van Meter describes his style as “Coastal Fusion” and “Seasonally Southern,” and his range extends from shrimp and grits to molasses-glazed pork tenderloin to dry-rubbed NY strip to all kinds of creative renditions of local seafood. The menu changes seasonally, there are chalkboard specials every night, and an impressive wine selection is available. With its nice atmosphere and expert service, you might be tempted to describe Coastal Blue as fine dining, but the owner says it’s more casual than that, and the entree prices won’t set you back too much. Coastal Blue is open for dinner only every night except Sunday. Call for reservations, especially if you want to be there for the sunset view. 

Dairy Queen

• 39774 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5624

You probably know what to expect from the Avon Dairy Queen. Stop here for delicious soft-serve ice cream, old-fashioned dip tops, Blizzards, sundaes, cool drinks and other eats.

Dirty Dick’s Crab House

• 41934 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 995-DICK (3425)

A longtime Hatteras Island and Nags Head restaurant, Dirty Dick’s has a brand-new building (opening in June 2010) in the same shopping center as Food Lion in Avon. Judging by the name, this might sound like a simple seafood shack, but Dirty Dick’s is actually a nice restaurant with a fun-loving atmosphere and seriously good food. The menu pays homage to New Orleans and Louisiana cuisine with dishes such as seafood gumbo, jambalaya and Po Boys, but it also offers a vast array of classic seafood favorites, including the biggest variety of crab preparations we’ve ever seen. Steaks, chicken, pork, burgers, ribs, salads, unusual sides and appetizers and sandwiches round out the offerings.  Check out their popular T-shirts and other merchandise.

Island Time Cups and Cones

• 40146 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-0202

At Island Time, cool down with a Hawaiian ice, hand-scooped or soft-serve ice cream or a delicious malt, shake or smoothie. Or go for the coffee — Island Time serves all of the favorite coffee and espresso-based drinks. While you’re here, play a board game, Wii or shuffleboard, or put together a puzzle. You can’t miss Island Time in its bright pink building. They’re open only in the summer, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. Every summer night, Island Time shows a family-friendly movie on an outdoor movie screen at dusk. Sit outside on a blanket or lawn chair, or pull your car up like the days of drive-in theaters.

Java Junction

• 39774 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-7020

Java Junction, part of The Glass Bead store, serves coffee and espresso drinks. It’s also an internet café, with high-speed access on their computer or yours. While you’re here, create your own jewelry with more than a thousand types of beads.

Mack Daddy’s Seafood Grill and Raw Bar

• 40396 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5060

Mack Daddy’s specializes in fine coastal cuisine in an island casual atmosphere. Chef Seth Foutz has an appreciation for local ingredients and all-natural foods; he features fresh fish, shellfish and produce and makes everything by hand, never using processed or prepackaged foods. Specialties of the house include shrimp and grits, crab cakes, game fish and prime steaks, and Foutz creates a couple of not-to-be-missed specials every night. The menu, which changes seasonally, also includes chicken, duck, pork, pasta, a vegetarian option, homemade soups and desserts and a children’s menu. Specialty beers and draft beers and a full wine list are available. Mack Daddy’s is open for dinner daily only from April through November. A private dining room can accommodate large parties and special events. Catering and private chef services are available.

Nino’s Pizza

• 41188 Palazzolo Rd., off N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5358

Come to this Hatteras Island favorite for homemade Italian specialties — pizza on hand-tossed dough, calzones, spaghetti, pasta dishes, lasagna and subs — along with hamburgers and salads. Whatever you order, it’s guaranteed to be great. Nino’s has been serving meals on Hatteras Island for nearly 30 years, so know you can trust that longevity. Lunch and dinner are served daily, and delivery is available in Avon. They serve beer too.

Oceana’s Bistro

• 41008 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-4991

Oceana’s has the casual, cozy atmosphere of a neighborhood pub. Oceana’s breakfast includes the standard fare plus delicious steak and eggs, quesadillas, omelets, pancakes and French toast. The all-day menu for lunch and dinner features freshly made, well-seasoned burgers, seafood, salads, stuffed baked potatoes and the very popular create-your-own quesadillas. It also has some fancier offerings like prime rib, rib eyes, pastas, chicken, daily specials and a very nice wine selection. The bar area is sports-oriented with plasma TVs and all the sporting event coverage you need, including football on Sundays and Monday night. Oceana’s is open every day year round.

Outback Kitchen Bakery and Catering Company

• N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 305-2452

Kylie Simpson, who is from Australia, hence the name of her business, is Hatteras Island’s hardest-working caterer. Outback Kitchen offers catering for all types of events, including weddings, reunions and business conferences, and has a mobile catering truck that makes it easy for them to cater anywhere. They also create amazing custom wedding cakes. Outback Kitchen also offers a food-to-go service, preparing restaurant-quality, family-style meals delivered straight to the doors of vacationers who don’t want to cook. Kylie’s personal chef services are quite popular.

Opening in July 2010 is Kylie’s new Outback Kitchen Bakery in the Hatteras Island Plaza in Avon (near Food Lion). They’ll be offering full breakfasts and lunches and bakery items as well as meals to go, personal chef services and private dining in their restaurant. Breakfast includes pancakes, eggs, meats and breakfast sandwiches, while lunch features salads, sandwiches and daily specials. Pastries, breads and wedding, specialty and novelty cakes are made on site.

Outback Kitchen is open for private dinners, like having a personal chef, only you go to them instead of them coming to you. Give Kylie a call to set up a customized dinner and dining experience in the restaurant.

Subway of Avon

• 40548 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-6881

Swing by Subway to pick up picnics for the beach or lunch for your fishing trip. You’ll find all the usual Subway offerings –- design-your-own subs on several types of fresh-baked bread, healthy sandwiches, flat bread and salads, chips, cookies and drinks. This location also serves breakfast. Eat in or take it out. Subway is open year round.

The Mad Crabber

• 40606 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5959

The Mad Crabber has a friendly staff, great food and a fun atmosphere that has built up a loyal following of customers since 1992. The restaurant serves four different types of crab – blue, snow, king and Dungeness. Steamed and grilled seafood is the specialty here, but you can get it fried too. The Mad Platter, a huge pizza pan piled with steamed seafood, is the most popular menu item. Salads and entrees, including steaks, are available as well. Kids like the pool table, video games and crayons, and adults like the top quality, reasonably priced food, plus the beer and wine. It’s open for dinner every night in season, Monday through Saturday in the shoulder seasons, and they close in the winter.

Topper’s Pizza and Pasta

• 41934 N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Island Plaza
• Avon
• (252) 995-3109

Topper’s offers pizza with hand-tossed dough and homemade sauces, calzones, pasta entrees, subs, appetizers, salads and desserts and daily specials. The atmosphere is warm and friendly; you’ll want to hang out. There’s a good selection of beer and wine. Lunch and dinner are served, and seasonal delivery is available in Avon.

Uglie Mugs Coffeehouse

• 40534 N.C. Highway 12
• Avon
• (252) 995-5590

Located next to Subway, Uglie Mugs serves coffee and all sorts of espresso-based drinks, tea and delicious baked goods. Internet access is available on your computer or theirs. This shop also houses a bead shop where you can make your own jewelry from thousands of beads. All the jewelry-making supplies you’ll need are available here. They also sell jewelry and photography by local artists.