Miriam Vale Bakery

If you're driving the highway through Miriam Vale, this bakery is the kind of stop locals and road-trippers alike tend to pull off for. It sits just off the main road, across from a park with public toilets, which makes it an easy place to sit and eat rather than juggle a pie behind the wheel.

Pies are the main drawcard. People talk about the potato pie and the chicken pie in particular, with one local saying the pastry was perfect and the filling full of big chunks of chicken. The sausage rolls and traditional cornish pasties get plenty of praise too, and several travellers have called the sausage roll one of the best they've had in years. There's a good run of sweet things as well: soft-dough donuts that people rave about (the giant doughnut is a hit with kids for photos), plus lamingtons, citrus tarts and long johns. Fresh from the oven is how people describe most of it, and it's known as good value for a country-town stop.

It's more than a pie counter. You can dine in or take away, and there's a breakfast menu with bacon and eggs, wraps and burgers, along with coffee that's good. They also take custom cake orders. Staff get a lot of friendly mentions, with locals noting a warm greeting and quick, easy service.

We've heard the odd grumble about pies arriving lukewarm, popular fillings selling out later in the day, and a wrap or two not made as ordered, so it pays to check your order before you leave. Most people seem happy with the food and even happier with the welcome.

Access is good, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance, seating and car park, plus free street parking and a free car park nearby. Cards and tap-and-go payments are accepted. The bakery opens early most days and keeps shorter hours on weekends, so check the hours before you head in.

Miriam Vale Bakery is a handy, friendly bakery in Miriam Vale, Queensland, for a pie, a sausage roll or a donut on the way through.