A cafe and bakery on NC-12 in Avon that shares its space with an art studio
Swept Away Cafe sits on NC-12 in Avon, one of the Hatteras Island villages strung along the single highway running through Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It's categorized as a cafe and bakery, priced at the budget end of the scale, but the business's own web address — studio12avon.com — along with an art-gallery designation attached to the listing, points to something a little more layered than a standard coffee stop: a cafe that shares its storefront with an art studio.
Swept Away Cafe keeps a shorter schedule than a lot of Hatteras Island food stops. It's open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — then closed entirely on Saturday and Sunday. That's worth building into a trip: if you're passing through Avon on a weekend, which is exactly when a lot of seasonal visitors are on the road, this isn't going to be an option, so plan a weekday stop instead.
Avon sits between the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo villages to the north and Buxton — home to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — a few miles south. As with anywhere on this stretch of NC-12, it's worth checking road conditions before a trip during hurricane season, when the highway here is prone to washouts.
83 reviews
4 months ago
Cute coffee shop connected to an art gallery and “glaze your own “ pottery studio. Great staff, excellent espresso, and açaí bowl. The crab melt was a small snack. Tasty but small. Ren was super fun to talk to and made great coffee!
a year ago
It's such a cute little spot to grab a quick coffee or smoothie! Me and my family all love it and is now on our go-to list when we visit again! I love their frappes!
4 months ago
Purchased a large latte with vanilla and almond milk and a large black coffee which cost $20. The latte literally tastes like hot water with a touch of vanilla. Overpriced and not good.
4 years ago
Bought a couple of smoothies and keto cupcakes which I’m thankful for! Even tho we missed the season for fresh fruit smoothies, it still hit the spot. Very kind service and SUCH cool artwork
a year ago
We ordered smoothies and got drinks. The smoothies were not frozen at all they were liquid. The taste was okay but the price was a little too high. 2 smoothies for us was almost $20. Tropical Smoothie is definitely better for your money and taste buds!