Heard about this place last year and it has been on my list to try. The first time we came was last year, as we were on our way to Canyon Lake. We got there about 10:30 am, and the line was wrapped, wrapped, and wrapped some more, with the last guy holding a sign of the things they were sold out of already, which was pretty much everything. We knew that this wasn't going to be the day for us to try it, but based on the smell filling the air, knew that we'd have to make it back out.
The second go was a success. We did some research and knew that we needed to be there early to get in line. We were coming from Houston, so we got up early and left by 7 am to get there around 10 am, I believe. There was already a line in place, and people were prepared for the wait. The location is in the middle of the downtown square, so all the parking says 2 hours, and we knew we'd be there longer than that, so we found some side street parking by a cute cafe that was a quick walk over. People had their chairs out, some coolers, and some speakers with some tunes going, so they could just hang out and chill. I'd recommend doing the same!
Burnt Bean opened right on time at 11:00 am, however, being that we were about #20 in line, the line did appear to move rather slowly. We waited maybe about 25-30 mins to get in and get food ordered. Thing to note, they have one guy cutting the meats as you order, another person for ribs and slicing some other things, and then the owner, that was firing up some shrimp for their Lent special. So there's not a ton of people working the meats to make the line go faster. I will say though, the employees were great. Super helpful while we decided what we wanted, and to ensure we got enough for us to all try, as we were going family style to try a little bit of everything. They answered all our questions, and were super patient. As you move down the line, you can see all the sides, and then at another counter, you can order desserts separately.
The variety we went with was the a mix of lean and moist brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. There were 3 types of sausage: regular, jalapeño cheese, and an el cinco sausage. In addition to all of this, we ordered burnt ends, the Red Onion Cheeseburger and fries (on special that weekend), Kings Ranch mac & cheese, and cowboy beans.
Ooof I'm full just thinking of it all again!!! I'll start off with a mix of my likes and end with my favorite! The brisket for me was really good. I am a lover of more of the lean brisket, and this to me was good, with just enough seasoning on the bark, I loved it with the BBQ sauce, the mustard-forward one, just seemed to elevate it more. The sausages I didn't care too much for, but in all fairness, I haven't come across a sausage that I absolutely love from the variety of BBQ spots we've gone through on our TX BBQ tour. The ribs were absolutely delicious! They were fall off the bone, which some people don't like, but I do! They were seasoned nicely as well, didn't need sauce, but I ended up dipping anyways!! The burnt ends, we were the first to get them that day I believe. They needed time to rest, so they weren't my favorite day of. But the next day!!! BABYYYYYY, I wished I had more, they were super tender and tasty, so note to self, or myself, if it's early in the day, that will be a to-go order so they have time to do their thing!
The sides, I am more of a sweet baked beans kinda gal, so the flavor wasn't my all time favorite. If they were sweet, I'd go all in, because the texture of the beans was really good. I almost think of a chili bean, for those of you that like beans in their chili, this would be a good bean for that!! Don't come for me! We also got the mac and cheese, which you never really know what to expect with mac and cheese now a days. It could be baked, creamy, or a mix of the two. I like all kinds, I don't discriminate! I liked the mac and cheese, but it was missing a little something for me. Would I get it again, yes! And last but not least!! My absolute favorite item, which I don't think is a regular item, was the Red Onion Cheeseburger and fries. Most BBQ spots don't do fries, so I was excited that they had some, but this place doesn't have it as a side dish on the menu, so really, I was being extra by ordering the burger to get the fries! Hands down, best dish! The fries were home fries like I like, crispy but not too crispy.
The burger deserves a paragraph of its own. It's the only thing you don't get at the end of the counter, because they make it to order. You can tell it's grilled in the red onions, and there was a really nice lace crust on the burger with the perfectly melted cheese, and just every bite was so good. We split this burger 3 ways, and let me tell you, next time, I'm not sharing!!
Overall, this was a win in my book for a successful trip. One of my friends was doing Lent, and couldn't eat meat on the day we went. He ordered some to go and when he did eat it, he said it SLAPPED! read more