Carolina Coffee Cafe & Unique Finds

Carolina Moon Coffee Cafe & Unique Finds is a cute coffee shop/cafe & gift store. They’re located in Lake Lure off of Memorial Hwy, not too far out of the Village of Chimney Rock.

 

It was kind of a haul to get there from my humble abode - but the drive was super fun and enjoyable since it was made up of pretty, rural roads - once I got off the freeway. And, since I went during off season, mid week - there was *literally* no other cars in the road (always a bonus). 

To get to Carolina Moon I also drove through the little Village of Chimney Rock which was freaking adorbs - I definitely suggest leaving extra time to stop and paruse since there’s lots of fun places to check out like gem mines, antique shops; Chimney Rock State Park - and even a brewery!

Carolina Moon Cafe is housed in the same building as Sotheby’s - just in case you’re looking for a historic Victorian home to purchase, rent out - and then haunt the tenants. (I’m not; been there done that & it ended in a very lengthy lawsuit.) 

Anyway - enough about that; I’m sure Sotheby's has some nice Lake Lure cabins for sale as well, if you’re a nice, normal (non-phantom) family. 

To get into Carolina Moon Cafe, you enter kinda around the side of the building. Once inside; check out their large selection of desserts in the case - and order on the left side of the counter.

Not only to they offer a large selection of cake, scones and coffee drinks - there's also quiche and sandwiches to choose from! 

I ordered a Small Regular Coffee to drink, piece of Quiche Lorraine for lunch, and slice of Fresh Carrot Cake for dessert. (Don’t judge - I’ve been going to the gym, so have been absolutely famished as of late.)

Once my food came up (on the right side up the counter), I moseyed on out to their patio to enjoy the fresh air and scenic mountain/river view while I enjoyed my meal.

Although the inside of the cafe is very cute - I suggest sitting outside so you can take in the beautiful scenery & listen to the birds chirping. It’s extremely peaceful.

My coffee was strong and the Quiche was yummy; very cheesy - with pieces of bacon throughout. 

The carrot cake was moist and sweet, bursting with large shreds of fresh carrots (my fave!!) and topped with a ton of noms buttercream frosting & nuts. 

It definitely tasted homemade. 

Before you leave Carolina Moon to continue your adventure - definitely check out the adorbs gifts for sale inside the cafe. 

There are tons of (very sturdy looking) mugs - including Carolina Moon brand ones, as well as others that say cute things like “rescued is my favorite breed”. 

By the looks of the shop, you can tell the owner is a huge animal lover (which is always a plus). 

Since Chimney Rock is a sleepy & quiet town this time of year; it’s the perfect spot to stop at after lunch at Carolina Moon - or (even if you don’t feel like stopping) just to drive through *very very* slowly so you can sightsee and annoy all the locals. Make sure you roll down all of your windows, turn the Dirty Dancing soundtrack up on full blast - point, gasp, and shriek “OMG, OMG!” after each charming shop & sight you pass.

On my way home I made sure to stop at the “Bat Cave Apple House” and picked up some Asheville made Jam for Christmas presents. I had seen the shop on the way in and was *dying* to stop. 

I mean I’m already dead (obv - I’m a Phantom), but yeah - I really wanted to go. 

So, not only was the lady working there super sweet - they’ve got very affordable (and local) jams, apples and ciders. Also - it’s located right on the river, so it’s a great place to stop and shop if you’ve got the pups with you. (I spotted a couple there with their dog and they were having a blast!)

*Carolina Moon has since closed but Lake Lure & Chimney Rock are still there.