Wangan Bakery

Wangan Bakery is a small-town bakery in Wangan, Queensland, and it's one that travellers heading up or down the highway tend to stop at. Pies are the main event here. There's a good spread of flavours, from the classic plain pie through to steak and kidney, bacon and cheese, chilli and even a potato and pea option, alongside pasties, sausage rolls and veggie triangles. Locals will tell you the pies come out hot and fresh, and the counter staff are friendly and quick, which counts for a lot when you're on the road.

Sweet things get plenty of attention too. The lamingtons have a fan or two, and one person who stopped in for pies ended up walking out with cream buns and a caramel tart as well. Cakes and slices are part of the line-up, and we've heard the slices aren't overly sweet, which suits a lot of people just fine.

There's something for different needs, too. Gluten-free options are on offer, and you can take everything away to eat on the road, or grab a breakfast bite while you're passing through. Coffee is listed as available, though one visitor found there was no espresso machine, so it's worth keeping expectations modest if a proper flat white is the goal. The entrance and car park are wheelchair accessible, there's free street parking out the front, and debit cards and tap-to-pay are accepted, although a couple of visitors found the shop was cash only on the day and pointed to the ATM inside. Bringing a bit of cash is a sensible backstop.

Opinion is fair to say a little mixed. Some people rave about the pies and service, while others found particular items, like a few of the pastry-based treats or one of the pie fillings, less to their taste. That's the nature of a small-town bakery with a wide range, and the plain meat pies and the sweet slices seem to be the safer bets.

The hours are unusually long, with the shop opening in the small hours and running late into the evening, plus weekend trading, which makes it handy when little else is open. Check the hours before you head in.