Tailem Bend Bakery

Pies are the first thing people mention when Tailem Bend Bakery comes up, and it's easy to see why this spot just off the Princes Highway on Railway Terrace is a good choice for road-trippers on the Adelaide to Melbourne run. Locals and passing travellers talk about a beef and jalapeño pie, an egg-topped "Ned Kelly", and a chunky steak with caramelised onion and cheese. Pasties, sausage rolls and a plain beef pie round out the savoury side, and we hear the hot pies can thin out later in the afternoon, so earlier is the safer bet.

On the sweet side, there's a good range to choose from: donuts, vanilla slice, honey sticks, apple slice and a lemon-style jelly cake with cream. One local called the donuts great, and the bread gets a nod too. The bakery also takes custom cake orders, does catering, and makes custom donuts for events, so it's worth a chat if you're planning something for a crowd.

It's a large, clean bakery with cafe-style seating, plus coffee, breakfast, and sandwiches made fresh or to order. Prices are described as reasonable, and the staff come across as friendly and quick, even when the place is busy, which it often is. Takeaway is easy, and parking is simple, with free street parking and a free car park, spots that suit caravans, and a wheelchair-accessible entrance and car park. Nearby parks and benches suit families wanting to eat outside. They take cards and mobile payments.

One regular who remembers the previous owners feels the pies and sausage rolls aren't what they were, and a couple of travellers had patchy experiences with service and coffee. Most of the talk is positive, though, and the pies are what keep people pulling off the highway.

They're open seven days, with slightly shorter hours on weekends, but check the hours before you head in.