waldoSun and Mon 7:00 to 14:00, Tue to Sat 7:00 to 16:00Walk-in onlyOld-school cakes, doughnuts, sweet rolls
McLain's Bakery in Kansas City's Waldo has run since October 1945, making it the city's longest-running independent bakery. Cakes, doughnuts and sweet rolls anchor the case.
Tip: Cake doughnuts and birthday cakes are the must-orders; the kitchen closes at 14:00 daily.
Worth the queue: Cake doughnuts
missionTue to Sun 7:00 to 18:00Walk-in onlyVegan baked goods, gluten-free options
Mud Pie Vegan Bakery on Johnson Drive in Mission, Kansas runs a 100 percent vegan and largely gluten-free programme. The brownies and breakfast pastries are anchors.
Tip: Friday 7:00 to 18:00 is the late shift; weekends are family-friendly.
Worth the queue: Vegan brownie
crossroadsDaily 7:00 to 17:00Walk-in onlyCoffee-paired pastries
Messenger Bakery shares the Grand Boulevard flagship with Ibis on the ground floor. Pastries change daily, with morning buns and laminated croissants leading the case.
Tip: Walk between Messenger, Blip Roasters and Cafe Ca Phe; all are close on a Crossroads coffee crawl.
Worth the queue: Cardamom morning bun
river-marketDaily 10:00 to 17:30Walk-in onlyItalian breads, cannoli, biscotti
Carollo's Italian Grocery and Deli on 3rd Street in Kansas City's City Market has run since 1989, with Mike Carollo's imports plus a daily run of cannoli and Italian breads.
Tip: Pick up imported tomatoes and olive oil; the deli builds sandwiches on the same bread out front.
Worth the queue: Filled cannoli
leawoodTue to Sun 7:30 to 17:00Walk-in onlyWhole grain breads, pastries
Ibis Bakery's Leawood outpost on Roe Avenue in suburban Kansas City sells the same breads as the Crossroads flagship, with parking and a quieter pace.
Tip: The Leawood store opens earlier than the flagship; pain de campagne sells out by mid-morning.
Worth the queue: Pain de campagne
overland-parkDaily 7:00 to 17:00Walk-in onlyCakes, cinnamon rolls, lunch counter
McLain's Market in Leawood is the suburban Kansas City spin-off of the 1945 Waldo bakery, with a wider cafe menu and a full case of cakes, doughnuts and rolls.
Tip: Cinnamon rolls hot from the oven at 09:00. The cafe runs daily breakfast and lunch.
Worth the queue: Cinnamon roll