The best barbecue joints in Texas, like the Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin, nail the basics (brisket, pork ribs, and sausage), but don't stop there. They find ways to elevate every menu item, from often-overlooked sides to desserts. By the time I hit Burnt Bean, I'd already been to four of the top five spots on Texas Monthly's 50 Best BBQ Joints list for 2021, and they still surprised me. Burnt Bean ranked #4 on that list after its first year in business, but I can see it at #1 in the next iteration (the rankings are updated every four years).
Pitmasters Ernest Servantes and Super Dave Kirkland met on the barbecue competition circuit. They became friends first and later business partners when they opened Burnt Bean Co. together in October 2020. Servantes and Kirkland were named James Beard Award semifinalists for Outstanding Chef four years later.
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Our Experience
Kel and I rolled into downtown Seguin on a wet and chilly Sunday morning in November. We'd spent Saturday night in New Braunfels for Wurstfest, so it was only a 30-minute drive (about half the time from Austin). Street parking around the town's courthouse and central park was free that day, and we had no trouble finding a spot. Burnt Bean Co. opens at 8 a.m. on Sundays, so there was already a line out the door when we arrived at 11 a.m. Thankfully, we could stand under an awning while we were outside. It took about 35 minutes to get inside and another 25 minutes to place our order.
BBQ Menu Items
Burnt Bean Co. opens earlier than usual on Sundays to serve a breakfast menu including brisket huevos rancheros, barbacoa by the pound, tacos (barbacoa, molleja, carne guisada, and brisket), and menudo. In Mexican cuisine, molleja is a type of sweetbread, usually a cow's thymus glands or pancreas. Menudo is a Mexican soup made with cow stomach (tripe). The "Hangover" includes flour tortillas, a large menudo, and one pound of barbacoa. Beef "dino" ribs and bone-in pork chops are only available on Saturdays and Sundays. It was no surprise the place was humming by the time we arrived.
The renovated building's interior features two-story-high ceilings, exposed brick walls, and enough modern metal beams to support it all. As you inch toward the counter, the menu is displayed on several chalkboards to your left. Kel and I began to plot our order and decided to go big, as we could take leftovers home afterward.
When it was our turn at the counter, we ordered:
- One beef rib
- ¼ lb brisket
- Jalapeno cheddar sausage
- Sunday barbacoa taco
- Southern green beans
- Street corn pudding
- Baked sweet potato
Additional side options included a hot Cheetos queso mac, cowboy beans, bacon ranch taters, potato salad, and coleslaw. A standout among the sandwich options is the Brass Monkey, made with queso mac, sausage, and brisket. Desserts and drinks are paid for separately at the back of the restaurant, so we held off on the sweets.
Meats and Sides
Once we'd paid for our smoked meats and sides, we high-tailed it to a table by the painted pig on the brick wall opposite the counter. I'd been eyeing the spot near the front of the restaurant since we'd walked in the door. I began with the giant honking beef rib we'd been given. The photo below doesn't do its size justice. At home, we fed off the leftovers for days.
The tender, juicy meat was on par with what we've experienced at Franklin's BBQ in Austin and Goldee's in Fort Worth (each of which has been #1 in the Lone Star State, according to Texas Monthly). The beef brisket, pork ribs, and jalapeno cheddar sausage also met our high expectations.
We were in smoked meat heaven, which I've come to expect from Texas' top BBQ joints, but the sides are also worth mentioning. Each seemed a step above what we're used to, from the Mexican street corn to the baked sweet potato with toasted marshmallows. Even the Southern green beans, served in a flavorful broth, excited me.
At this point in our BBQ lunch, I realized the barbacoa taco hadn't been served with the other meats. I left our table to request it. I don't know whether I was given the usual amount of barbacoa for this $5 taco or extra to make up for the mistake. All I can say is it was one of the most impressive tacos I've ever been served.
The fresh flour tortilla alone was tasty, but add a mountain of seasoned beef barbacoa, so tender it practically melts in your mouth, and it's heavenly. The Sunday barbacoa taco at Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin was one of my best bites of 2023. I was getting full, so I only had a few bites before putting the rest aside to take home. It was time to turn our attention to the desserts.
Desserts
The first dessert to catch our eye was the bourbon peach cobbler taco, served with a scoop of ice cream. Kel was more keen to try it than I was, as I had my eye on a few of the other options. Usually, we like to share a dessert when we eat out. Since our tastes differ, we'll sometimes order two. However, the desserts at Burnt Bean Co. looked so enticing that we ordered four!
Kel took the lead on the peach cobbler taco, made with a sweet, puffy taco dusted in cinnamon sugar. I, meanwhile, was enamored with the Big Red tres leches cake. Big Red is a sweet soda that was developed in Waco, TX, in 1937. We also saved a large slice of chocolate layer cake from Burnt Bean Co. for dessert at home that evening. It was delicious.
Final Thoughts
We left the barbecue joint with leftovers of everything except the peach cobbler taco and ate well at home that week. Getting multiple meals for two people from a trip to Burnt Bean Co. helped me justify the cost, about $120 to $150 (including gratuity). At $32 per pound for prime brisket and $36 per pound for beef ribs, their prices are comparable to those of other elite barbecue trucks and restaurants around the state. Sides are $4 for a single serving, $8 for a pint, and $12 for a quart. The $12 chopped brisket sandwich or $7 brisket taco are good values if you're on a budget or looking for a quick meal.
Burnt Bean Co. is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 108 S Austin St, Seguin, TX, burntbeanco.com
