X-TRA Cheese Bakery Merrylands

Pizza and Middle Eastern bakes are the draw at X-TRA Cheese Bakery in Merrylands, a takeaway-focused spot that opens from the early hours and runs through to late at night, every day of the week. As always, check the hours before you head in.

The menu leans toward fresh pides, pizza and zaatar, with a spread of bakery lines that are original and full of flavour. We've heard the spinach and cheese pide is a favourite, and the peri-peri chicken pizza has at least one long-time regular convinced nothing else compares. One local called it a little gem in Merrylands, and the zaatar gets a mention too. There are lighter, healthier choices on offer as well, so it works for more than a pizza fix.

Value is part of the appeal. Someone who dropped in for a quick lunch of pepperoni pizza found it fast, cheap and very good, and the friendly counter staff, especially the morning crew, come up in the kind words. Access is straightforward too, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance.

The grumbles tend to centre on consistency. Some say orders can come out wrong or a bit rough, and a few feel the evening shift doesn't match the daytime standard. A large catering-style order for a lunch party also didn't go smoothly for one customer, so if you're ordering a big batch, confirm your pickup time directly with the bakery. Peak periods can mean a wait.

If you live nearby, it's a convenient place for a quick takeaway bite, and the morning visits seem to get the warmest reports. This bakery in Merrylands is best suited to a casual pizza, pide or zaatar run, rather than a polished sit-down meal.