Burnt Bean Co. co-owner Ernest Servantes brings his years of competition BBQ experience to Food Network as a judge on the new series Pitmasters.
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Ernest Servantes has spent years standing over smokers, competing at cook-offs, and building Burnt Bean Co. alongside David Kirkland. Now, he is bringing that experience to Food Network as a judge on its new competition series, Pitmasters.
According to MySA, Servantes joins host Andrew Zimmern and fellow judges Jess Pryles and Moe Cason as two teams compete in a series of BBQ challenges. The winning team can take home up to $50,000.
Long before Burnt Bean Co. opened in downtown Seguin, Servantes made a name for himself on the competition BBQ circuit. He competed throughout Texas and across the country, and those years on the circuit helped shape how he cooks and the food he and Kirkland would later serve at Burnt Bean.
Ernest and Dave started out cooking against each other. Dave learned from Ernest, eventually beat him, and the two decided they made a pretty good team. They went on to compete together for years before opening Burnt Bean Co. in 2020, so Ernest knows exactly how much work goes into a timed cook.
Pitmasters brings together two teams of nine contestants for challenges that test more than their ability to smoke a brisket. Competitors must break down a whole hog, prepare four BBQ essentials, and build a family-style BBQ platter in less than nine hours.
The cast also includes several familiar names from the San Antonio-area BBQ scene. Esaul and Grecia Ramos of 2M Smokehouse compete on the series, along with Al Frugoni and Ruben Santana, both of whom have ties to Boerne.
Servantes’ place at the judges’ table comes as Burnt Bean Co. continues to draw attention well beyond Seguin. Texas Monthly named the restaurant the No. 1 BBQ joint in Texas in 2025, and the Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand.
Those honors introduced Burnt Bean to even more people, but the restaurant’s story started with competition BBQ, a pair of smokers named Amelia and Belia, and a decision to open in downtown Seguin during 2020. Servantes’ role on Pitmasters brings that story to Food Network viewers across the country.
Pitmasters premiered on Food Network on July 13, 2026. Each episode became available to stream on HBO Max the day after it aired.
The challenges show just how much timing, planning, and quick decision-making go into competition BBQ. They also give viewers across the country a chance to see the experience Servantes brings from the cook-off circuit and Burnt Bean Co.
Want to try the BBQ that helped put Burnt Bean Co. and Seguin in the national spotlight? Stop by our downtown Seguin restaurant for brisket, ribs, house-made sausage, signature sides, and Sunday breakfast. Arrive early, look over the menu, and be ready to order when you reach the counter.
