Destination Seguin Texas

For some reason, a few friends and I have fancied that Seguin, Tx might be on the verge of becoming a destination city.  Undoubtedly some of your thinking was influenced by the buzz centered around Burnt Bean.  The genius behind Burnt Bean is Ernest Servantes.  Ernest is the BBQ savant and the co-owner of Burnt Bean.  It’s a destination for barbecue enthusiasts. 

But there was more than just barbecue.

 Seguin has a brewery, Seguin Brewing, the brewery has been around for almost ten years.  It was founded by a couple of Texas Lutheran University graduates, Brian Wallace and Shawn Washington.  The brewery evolved from a homebrewing operation to a business in late 2014 or early 2015.  The brewery is within walking distance of Burnt Bean.

Just as a side note, we received the impression the Seguin Brewery has changed ownership sometime in the last year and a half, but I can not confirm that from any public reporting from the area.

The Seguin Power Plant has fantastic space.  The Power Plant is not downtown, so a car ride is necessary.  It is a former grist mill and later a hydroelectric dam.  It sits on the Guadalupe River.

The university (TLC) is a small private school with an enrollment of around 1500 students.  Most students are from Texas. The university is made up of mostly white and Hispanic students.  Women make up about 55% of the student body. I didn’t see much evidence of student impact on the downtown area of Seguin.

Does Seguin make the cut as a destination city?

The Burn Bean has a great barbecue.  We arrived in Seguin on Saturday, parked our car, and got in line for the Burnt Bean.  The crowd was a mix of locals and BBQ enthusiasts from all over Texas.  We waited close to two hours before we were able to order.  Fortunately, most of the offerings were still available and we enjoyed our feast.  It is an individual decision on whether standing in line for an hour or two is worth it.  We enjoyed the experience, but it may not be for the more casual barbecue person.

After we finished at Burnt Bean we walked all over the downtown area.  There has been some development of the downtown and the old theater has been renovated to the Stephen and Mary Birch Texas Theatre.  During our visit, there were no events being held and none were scheduled.  There’s a smattering of shops some open on a Saturday, some not.  We did not find any place to spend time downtown beside the Burnt Bean, which closes in the early afternoon, and the brewery.  

There was an interesting hotel called the Park Plaza on the downtown square (picture below).  I attempted to book a room online with several different dates but there was never any availability.  It appears the hotel is closed.   We booked an Airbnb, but were a bit disappointed by its neighborhood.

We enjoyed the Seguin Brewery, it was lively, had their brews on tap, and had a few other more universal beers in their cooler.  There was a full bar and wine.  The brewery serves food.  The proprietor was outgoing and made everyone, regular or newcomer feel welcome.  Highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area.

The Power Plant Texas Grill was an interesting experience.  We arrived without a reservation, there were many open tables, but perhaps they were short of staff as we were advised there would be an hour wait.  We made our way to the bar, settled in there, and had an enjoyable time.  The service was great, the food was standard pub fare.  The physical plant is the star of the show.

So, if I were to go to Sequin again, I’d condition it on a few things.  I’d go on a Third Thursday. I would arrive by 10:30 AM and get in line at Burnt Bean, it opens at 11:00.  Being there early and on a weekday should shorten the wait time significantly.  

I’d prefer to be downtown if that’s doable so I could walk to most destinations. If that’s not an option, lodgings get trickier. 

I’d make an early dinner reservation at the Power Plant and spend my remaining time between the Sequin Brewing Company and local coffee shops here and here.  I'd go to the downtown Thursday night event and close the evening at the Seguin Brewery.

Verdict- at its current state Seguin is good for a day trip or a single night stay (with conditions).  If you pair it with a special local event perhaps longer.