Local pit masters named James Beard semifinalists
28 Jan 2023
Downtown, Quality of Life, News
Local pit masters Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland have received various accolades in their two-and-a-half years of business.
But none of the awards and honors has surprised the co-owners of Burnt Bean BBQ more than to hear they once again were named semi-finalists for the James Beard Award Best Chef: Texas.
“No one gets back-to-back, especially the first two years you’re open; it’s unheard of,” Servantes said. “When we were first recognized, we were just floored. I cried. I cried the first time a lot more. This one I’m more in shock.”
“Last year was unreal,” Kirkland said. “We were both, like, what in the world. This year when it happened, we were jumping up and down and celebrating.”
The James Beard Foundation recognizes the country’s food culture in various ways, including honoring the best of the best with awards. Servantes compared the honors to widely know entertainment awards.
“James Beard is the Emmys of the culinary world,” he said. “To get James Beard nominated is just phenomenal. That means we’re getting noticed. That’s not just Texas; that’s nation-wide.”
While Servantes and Kirkland are honored to receive the recognition, they admit the pressure is on to earn the coveted title.
“Now what happens is they bring more critics in here to see if we qualify,” he said. “We don’t know when they’ll come in. So we have to do our thing every day. And I told these guys from here through March, we have to be perfect. I hate to put that pressure, that pressure every day takes its toll on you, but now, we have to really dot our I’s and cross our T’s.”
The nomination pits the pair against top chefs across the state, all vying for the honor.
“You wouldn’t think a small, little barbecue joint in Seguin, Texas, could be with the big boys in the big cities,” Servantes said. “And we’re cooking barbecue. We’re not cooking fine dining on China and table cloths. We’re going against these chefs that have endless budgets and are in the big cities… we’re these little small-town dudes who are cranking out barbecue and we’re getting noticed.”
The duo opened their boutique barbecue joint in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. They started with popup’s that would sell out in a matter of minutes. Eventually, they expanded their options and offerings, and would sell out within a matter of hours.
The small operation located in the heart of downtown Seguin has served thousands of customers, and has earned recognition along with rave reviews.
“This just solidifies that we’re doing something right,” Servantes said. “Our whole thing was to make destination barbecue in this town and bring thousands of people and we’re doing it. And the community is supporting us. We’re just trying to put Seguin out there on the culinary map. We’re blessed and we love to see Seguin’s name out there.”
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