Seguin’s Burnt Bean chosen best BBQ joint in state

Dalondo Moultrie | The Seguin Gazette

A pair of local restaurateurs weren’t just chewing the fat when they opened their barbecue joint in Seguin with a goal of becoming the best in the state.

It took a couple years, but now the owners of Burnt Bean Co. can take a bow for accomplishing their goal with this week’s announcement that Texas Monthly magazine put the restaurant atop its heralded Top 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas.

“No. 1, that was our goal from the beginning when we opened this restaurant was to be No. 1 in the state of Texas,” said David Kirkland, who owns Burnt Bean with his fellow pit master Ernest Servantes. “It takes a lot of work, that’s for one thing.”

Texas Monthly releases its list every four years of the best barbecue restaurants across the state. Having achieved recognition their first year of operation in 2021 just helped the duo know that they could achieve more, Kirkland said.

So, Texas Monthly’s recognition this time around felt doable, he said.

“Basically, when we first opened up, we were open one year and Texas Monthly came out with the list. We were ranked No.4,” Kirkland said. “When that happened, that put the fire under us because if we could be No. 4 when we came out, why couldn’t we be No. 1?”

The fourth spot made the pair hungrier, he said. They went to work crafting a memorable dining experience for anyone who crossed Burnt Bean’s threshold, Kirkland said.

While the food might have been the main draw, much more goes into making the restaurant the best in the state, he said. That includes top-notch showing from the staff, a cool interior design of the building and more, Kirkland said.

They try to leave a lasting impression anyone who steps through the doors, he said.

“It’s not just about food. It’s about an experience. It’s about talking to two guys that are super-passionate about barbecue,” Kirkland said. “It’s the line itself with people from all over the world waiting in line for barbecue.”

The restaurant, indeed, has the total package, according to a short review on the Texas Monthly website with the top-50 announcement. It highlighted the dessert, breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings but also recognized more.

“The dining room’s exposed-brick walls feel like a modern take on the old smoke cathedrals of Central Texas,” the piece read. “But other touches — high school football cheers written on the front windows, smokers on a sun-drenched patio, the shadow of the Guadalupe County courthouse — make Burnt Bean feel like a museum of small-town Texas, with barbecue perfection the main exhibit.”

The magazine’s recognition could mean additional changes at the restaurant, Kirkland said. However, the quality of the food and experience will remain the same, he said.

That’s what got him and his business partner where they are, at the top spot, which they plan to maintain for a while, Kirkland said.

At the same time, they know what being named Texas Monthly’s No. 1 of The 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas, he said.

“This is the pinnacle because believe it or not we’ve had so many people from all over the world come to our restaurant to try barbecue,” Kirkland said. “The whole world considers Texas the pinnacle of barbecue. When they come to our restaurant and now we’re considered the best in Texas, that’s pretty much the best in the whole world.”

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