Port Pirie French Hot Bread

If you're after a bakery in Port Pirie that does a bit more than the usual loaf and sausage roll, this one is worth knowing. Port Pirie French Hot Bread mixes traditional bakery fare with Vietnamese-style food, and locals say the variety is a big part of the appeal.

The pies are what one person comes for. Locals talk about a chicken pie loaded with chunky chicken, potato and carrot in a rich gravy, and the sausage rolls have their own fans around town. We've also heard that a steak pie or a pasty with a coffee makes a good quick lunch. The banh mi is worth a try too, with one local describing a roast pork version packed with pork, crackling, salad and chilli, and filling enough to be a proper meal. Vanilla slices, cream donuts and cinnamon rolls fill out the cabinet, and locals are a little split on the sweet things, so it pays to try a few and find your favourite.

Food comes fresh from the oven, and the value is a recurring comment: regulars describe it as fair prices for good traditional bakery food. The staff are friendly and attentive, and the place has a warm, familiar feel, with regulars who seem to know each other. You can take your order away or sit in with a coffee or breakfast. The seating is basic rather than fancy, but it's clean, and it suits lunch with a friend.

On the practical side, there's free street parking, a wheelchair-accessible entrance and car park, and card and mobile payments are accepted. They open early on weekdays and close up earlier on weekends, so check the hours before you head in.

Honestly, the odd item gets a mixed word, a cold sausage roll or a coffee that wasn't quite right, but that's the exception. For pies, banh mi and a friendly counter in Port Pirie, South Australia, it's a solid local choice.