Lizzie B’s comes to The Backyard: Seguin gets new local flavors to taste-test

Seguin, TX, USA / Seguin Today
Cindy Aguirre

(Seguin) – Seguin’s list of local dining options has expanded to become even more delicious with the new restaurant, Lizzie B’s, now open. Whether it’s their grilled shrimp tacos, pan-seared ribeye, or their  popular Smashburger — Lizzie B’s is The Backyard’s latest endeavor, introducing restaurant-goers to its trio of menus to include brunch, lunch, and dinner.

 The Backyard is a unique Seguin spot on the campus of what was once Seguin ISD’s Lizzie M. Burges kindergarten campus and has undergone a dramatic transformation since its purchase. Where kids once played, locals now shop, drink, and enjoy concerts at the venue. The Backyard’s owner Denise Leos says she and her husband, Freddie, have been steadily working toward creating this latest addition – an addition that sits nestled in the building’s original school cafeteria space.

 “We knew that the shops here, the shops are a key so in order for them to succeed, we have to help so our purpose was let’s do a bar and it was great and we had a lot of fun but it didn’t help the shops because they were coming in at night and the shops were open during the day and then, we did do Lizzy B’s inside that one room probably for two weeks and then my husband was like, Seguin needs more because we noticed it that when we are working here — we are leaving to lunch in New Braunfels or we are going to San Antonio because we want something different. Don’t get me wrong, Seguin has great stuff. They have great barbecue and Mexican. There’s a lot of great places to eat here but we just wanted something that we normally don’t get here,” said Leos.

 Leos says each of the menus has been carefully planned. She says the menu is a collection of foods that offer something new to local tastebuds.

“When we go out, I always order Brussel sprouts. Everywhere we go, I look for it. That’s my go to and my second go to for my dinner is always salmon. So, we knew we had to have salmon on the menu. My husband loves salads so he wanted a salad and so we have the Ramen (Crunch) salad. Also, one of our favorites is the Ahi Tuna. I love that too. We just wanted to bring different stuff that we (eat when we) eat out, bring it here to Seguin. So, that was where the menu started,” said Leos.

Bringing this restaurant’s unique vision together is Chef Haley Henry. Leos says they are honored to have Henry, who has brought her talents to the table. Among those talents is her ability to inspire each dish. Henry says two of those dishes include pasta and steak.

“One of my particular things that I put on the menu is actually the Rigatoni Pasta with Scarlett Sauce. The Scarlett Sauce is actually inspired by the movie Chef. I tweaked it a little bit, added some of my own stuff to it like the mushrooms and tomatoes but it’s a sauce that was inspired from that. And then steak in general – I love steak so that’s something that I really love on the menu,” said Henry.

The restaurant this past weekend also launched its new brunch menu. Henry says the menu also includes many of her favorite recipes.

“Definitely chicken and waffles. We are going to do a sausage and gravy benedict so it’s going to be like just the typical sausage and gravy but with a pouched egg on top and then another thing is an avocado toast sandwich. I really like that one. I made that at home one time, and it was just delicious, so it was something that I wanted to add to it,” said Henry.

Leos says not only did the food have to be good, but the overall atmosphere was also important to them as they transitioned away from the bar environment.

“Then coming in here trying to figure out how are we going to turn this into a restaurant? What are we going to do? How are we going to separate because we knew we still wanted the bar area because when we go out to eat, I always grab a cocktail or sometimes if the restaurant is busy, we will sit at the bar. I actually love sitting at the bar and having dinner. So, we knew we wanted that but just have it a little bit separate so my husband decided to build that half wall there and then we were talking about doing booths and I was like well can we do them where they are a little bit private and I literally came in two days later and Freddy had these things built up and I was like ‘wow!’ He had it done,” said Leos.

Leos says the most unique aspect of Lizzy B’s is that folks can choose between a more private, intimate setting or a more family-friendly dining experience. 

“You can’t really go anywhere and eat and then have your kids play outside –have an all-in-one type thing. So, we do so see a lot of families come in that are having dinner and then outside enjoying it with their children or even grabbing a cocktail and going outside. So, that’s nice to see. That’s what we are always aiming to be is a more family friendly environment,” said Leos.

With just over two weeks under its belt, the restaurant is already claiming fame for its delicious entrees and appetizers. Of course, things take a bit to adjust with any new restaurant. However, Leos says the opportunity to stop by The Backyard finally excites her most.

“People are loving that it is something new. It’s something different. A lot of people are saying that they didn’t even know about The Backyard and we’ve here a couple of years. So, for people to come in from Seguin who still hadn’t even heard about The Backyard now to come in to find a restaurant here, I mean, that’s nice,” said Leos.

 Lizzie B’s at The Backyard is located at 225 N. Saunders St., Suite B. Hours are Wednesdays through Fridays from 11: 30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday Brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. followed by dinner from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and Sunday Brunch only from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

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