Mace's Hot Bread Bakery

If you're passing through Miles, Queensland, Mace's Hot Bread Bakery is the one to turn off the main road for. It sits around the corner in a quiet back street, which also means easy parking, even if you're towing a caravan. There's a free car park and free street parking. The entrance and car park are wheelchair accessible too.

Pies are popular here. Locals will tell you the pastry holds together right to the last bite, the filling is generous, and the gravy has real flavour. Chunky steak, a chilli and cheese pie with a proper kick, and sausage rolls with flaky pastry all get a mention. Beyond the pies, there's a good spread of donuts, cronuts, apple turnovers and tarts, and one local rates the mock cream donut and the apple slice very highly. Sourdough and fresh sandwiches are part of the picture as well, and the bread is described as having a nice chewy crust.

It's a proper country bakery, so the doors open early, which suits anyone on the road at dawn. They do takeaway, delivery and dine-in, with coffee and breakfast on offer, and there's a basic outdoor area if you'd rather eat on the spot. Cards and tap payments are accepted. They also make custom cakes, and one grandparent called a birthday cake for a grandson's 21st light and delicious, with service.

People like the value too. Travellers who've compared it with the hot food at the service stations in town say the quality and price are better here, and it's where the locals go. Staff are friendly and smiling, even at the crack of dawn. One visitor found their cappuccino not hot enough, so it's the baking you'll want to go for. If you arrive late in the afternoon, expect the cabinet to be well picked over, which is a good sign of how fresh everything is. Check the hours before you head in, as they change on weekends.