7 must-see roadside food stops two hours north of Sydney

Our first roadside pitstop is perched on a hilltop on the Pacific Highway with panoramic views of the Hawkesbury River. Beginning life as a railway canteen for the fettlers working on the northern train line (a railway tunnel goes under the cafe) the old canteen became the site of a Mobil petrol station.

In the 1940s, motorists stopped for fuel or water after engines boiled climbing the gradient from Brooklyn. But like so many other roadside businesses on the Pacific Highway, the original petrol station fell victim to the opening of the M1 (formerly F3), which snatched passing traffic.

The fuel stop eventually fell into disrepair and ultimately was reinvented as a pie shop, creating joyous culinary parcels such as their delicious lamb, honey and rosemary pie. As you eat, have a poke around because Pie in the Sky has a wonderful film noir aesthetic. (It was used in the film, Lantana.)

Before leaving pause at the cafe’s poignant memorial garden, dedicated to bikers who lost their lives on the road.

Where does Mad Max stop for a burger before driving into a post-apocalyptic sunset? Road Warriors Café. Upon arrival you’ll be greeted by Jackie, a brown 12-year-old Staffy, who sniffs every customer with a metronomic wag of her tail. If you need to bulk up before your adventures, order the Warrior Burger (house special).

Like Pie in the Sky, here you’ll find the usual toast rack of motorcycles and the odd vintage car, and under the shade of leafy trees, a yarn with motorcyclists sipping lattes. They love this stretch of curling road.

Chat with owner Carol about other points of interest in Mount White, like the spectacular Mount White Lookout, down a dusty dirt road. 

This charming rustic cafe has a shearers woolshed aesthetic. The corrugated iron interior is peppered with vintage Holden Monaro advertising and an antique camera collection as you walk in.

The food is generous and farm-fresh, much of it made from local produce. Indeed, you may even see trays of free-range eggs delivered by a local farmer in a moth-eaten Akubra. Out front, you’ll find the ubiquitous motorcyclists, sweating in their suits of hide. 

More roadhouse than cafe – which authentic road-trippers love – this is the place to find those salty fat chips and juicy burgers. Look around for the Jurassic-size sculptures and cannibalised motorbikes turned into street-art. Inside, pay homage to the shrine of Buddhas who owner Amanda says simply makes her happy.

Remember to chat with the people you meet on these road trips to take some stories with you. We met Fabienne Phillips, founder and lead instructor at Girl Torque.cc., who teaches girls to ride motorbikes safely and Jen Burch from Hightail Hair, who invented a helmet for female motorcyclists. They both ride this stretch of road together, often pausing at these roadside stops.

We pause here to remind you that you're motoring along the historic convict-built Old Great North Road (built between 1826 and 1836). Indeed, if you stop occasionally on the side of the road to listen, you can almost hear the picks chipping away at great blocks of sandstone or the clinking of leg-irons echoing through the valley.

Some of these poor devils worked in chains in the oppressive heat of the bush to build this vital northern artery. So take a moment to acknowledge their sacrifice and craftsmanship, shown in the handsome stone buttresses, culverts and curved walls along this road trip.

Leave historic Wollombi to follow the coiling Wollombi Wine Trail up the back road to Broke. Willows Café & Restaurant is right out of the 1991 film, Fried Green Tomatoes. But the conga line of high-viz fractures this cinematic tableau, as tradies leave the café’s adjoining petrol station with longnecks and newspapers under their elbows. 

Chat with Rashmina, the lovely Indian man who (with his family) owns the fuel-stop/eatery. And ask him why he’s selling ham and cheese toasties rather than (at least a small selection) of Indian street food. He’ll laugh at the irony of this question and jiggle his head, telling you that no one is interested in the cuisine from his home country. But if enough of you argue otherwise, he may change his mind!

At Willows you can sit on the veranda with your toastie among the fat vine leaves before topping up the car to head back to your digs. Suggested accommodation is the historic Kims Beachside Retreat at Toowoon Bay – the oldest resort in NSW and exactly 1 hour and 30 mins from either Broke or Sydney.