Barcaldine Bakery

If you're passing through Barcaldine and want a proper pie, this bakery is the one locals point you towards. Pies are the main event here, and the word around town is that the pastry is a real strength: crisp, well cooked and holding together around a flavourful filling. Regulars rave about the mushroom, steak and pepper, and curry varieties, and the corn beef with white sauce and the curried chicken have both won fans too. If you leave it late in the day, the popular flavours can be gone, so earlier is the safer bet.

Beyond the pies, you'll find sausage rolls, pasties, vanilla slice, jelly slice, cream buns and apple turnovers in the cabinet. We hear the pasties are generous in size, and one local reckons a single one is plenty for two. The apple turnover in particular has had people raving, and the vanilla slice gets a nod as well.

This is also a bakery that handles custom cake orders, and the staff have a name for being friendly and helpful. One family organised a whole spread for a son's birthday with the manager, Jo, pulling together a lemon meringue cheesecake, pies, sausage rolls, quiche and filled croissants. It's the kind of effort people remember.

You can dine in or take away, and there's coffee and breakfast on offer, so it suits an early start before hitting the road. Travellers and caravanners make it a good choice, and there are picnic tables near the Tree of Knowledge if you'd rather eat outside. Parking is free on the street, there's a wheelchair-accessible car park, and cards and tap payments are all accepted.

We've heard the odd grumble about slow service when it gets busy, and the occasional comment that the coffee is decent rather than the highlight. The bakery opens early on weekdays and keeps shorter hours on weekends, so check the hours before you head in. For a fresh-from-the-oven pie in Barcaldine, Queensland, this is a solid place to start.