Banjo’s Bakery Café - Warragul

Banjo's Bakery Café in Warragul is the sort of place locals drop into for a bit of everything: a pie and a coffee on the way through, a breakfast sit-down, or a box of something to take home. It's a franchise bakery café, and the baking is done fresh on the premises each day, with breads, savouries, donuts, cakes and handmade treats filling the cabinet.

Pies are what most people bring up first. We've heard the pastry described as flaky with a generous, flavourful filling, and the party pies and sausage rolls have their own fans. Vanilla slice and donuts come up often too, along with the Cajun chicken roll and the chicken parma pie. If you're after something sweet, there's plenty to choose from. One local who has worked in a bakery themselves rated the quality and the food's presentation, and you can watch the baking through the window.

The coffee gets its share of praise. Regulars talk about a good iced coffee and iced chocolate, and a few staff are mentioned by first name: Skylar for the coffee, Tina for a friendly chat, and Jasmyn for a standout iced coffee. Locals consistently describe the team as friendly, helpful and quick on the counter, and the space as warm, modern and welcoming.

Getting your order is easy. You can dine in, with a mix of booths, single seats and bench seating inside and out, or take away. There's a drive-through, kerbside and in-store pick-up, and delivery. They also take custom cake orders and do catering. Accessibility is covered, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance, car park, seating and toilet.

Not every visit has gone smoothly. We've heard the odd complaint about order mix-ups and about how clean the tables were at quieter times, so it pays to double-check a takeaway box before you leave if you're ordering something larger. Overall, though, people keep coming back, and plenty call it their regular stop in town. Opening hours are long, starting early in the morning, but check them before you head in.