New barbecue restaurant opening in Seguin by champion BBQ competition Ernest Servantes, Burnt Bean Co.

“This has always been my ultimate goal,” Servantes said. “I think I’ve proven everything that I needed to prove in competitions, and this is the opportunity to share those techniques and flavors with the public.”

Located behind the building, two 1,000-gallon steel pits outfitted with 18-foot smoke stacks and loaded with oak wood cook an assortment of briskets, ribs, turkey, barbacoa and whatever else Servantes decides to put on the menu during his pop-ups.

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Servantes also grinds and processes his own beef, jalapeño and cheese sausage links, which have been so popular, he is now making 300 of each per week. Most area barbecue joints get their sausage from other providers.

“The difference between being good and being great comes down to the question of how far are you willing to go?” Servantes said. “I want people to get the full barbecue experience with no shortcuts.”

The public has already taken notice. Lines start snaking around Burnt Bean as early as 10 a.m. on Saturdays, and on Sunday the line was more than 30 deep for lunch service. It’s akin to the famous lines at Franklin BBQ in Austin, which often requires hours-long commitments before customers get their food.

“That was the part of these pop-ups that I didn’t expect,” Servantes said. “That was a goal that was further down the road. But during our first pop-up in October 2019, we sold out in 45 minutes. I was blown away.”

Burnt Bean serves a classic barbecue menu on Saturdays, and opens earlier on Sundays with special menu options and breakfast tacos to go along with the standard barbecue offerings. Sides include beans, potato salad, rice and cheese casserole and banana pudding. There is also a full bar outside near the pit area.

Burnt Bean Co., 108 S. Austin St., Seguin. Hours: 11 a.m. until sellout Saturdays, 8 a.m. until sellout Sundays. Facebook:

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Chuck Blount is a food writer and columnist covering all things grilled and smoked in the San Antonio area. Find his Chuck’s Food Shack columns on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.comTo read more from Chuck, become a subscriber. cblount@express-news.net | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver