Heatherbrae's Pies Ourimbah

Heatherbrae's Pies Ourimbah is a pie shop that suits the road. A short detour off the highway gets mentioned, and it's a classic stop on roadtrips. Locals know it for pies made onsite and served fresh from the oven, with coffee and sweet treats alongside.

The range includes plenty of varieties of pies. Steak and mushroom, pepper steak, curried chicken, cottage pie, shepherd's pie and a garden quiche all get a good word, along with sausage rolls and a spinach and cheese roll. Anyone with a sweet tooth tends to mention the custard tart, with its biscuit base and a custard that isn't overly sweet, and the lamingtons. Old-fashioned milkshakes go well with a pie.

The gluten-free side offers a dedicated café with its own kitchen and eating area. There's a dedicated gluten-free bakery café in the same building, upstairs, with its own kitchen and eating area, separate from the standard shop downstairs. One visitor made a day trip from Sydney just for it and found a wider spread than at the other outlets, with pies, tarts, lamingtons, friands, cheesecake and cookies. We've heard a coeliac visitor say they didn't know what to choose, given how many options there were. Vegan options are on offer too, though one local felt the vegetarian choices were fairly limited.

Sit-in, takeaway and a drive-through are all available. The place is spacious and kept clean, with plenty of tables, some outside where people bring their dogs. It's also set up for wheelchair access, with an accessible entrance, car park, seating and toilet, and street parking is free. The staff come across as friendly, and they once happily served a late customer who walked in near closing time. The hours run long, from early morning into the evening, but check before you head in.

Opinion on price is a little split. A couple of people feel the pies are on the dear side, and one found a steak pie underwhelming, though the desserts won them over. Custom cake orders are available too.

For a hearty pie, a coffee and somewhere comfortable to stop in Ourimbah, this is a familiar name on the Central Coast run.