Skirt steak turned Arnie Segovia into an internet celebrity.
A how to video on grilling fajitas went viral four years ago, logging nearly 3 million views. The 20-minute tutorial catapulted Segovia from Texas barbecue legend to YouTube celebrity with a global audience.
This weekend, the pitmaster who resides in McAllen will connect with a local audience. Segovia is set to promote his new cookbook — “ArnieTex: Over 100 Recipes for Mexican-American Cooking and Texas-Style BBQ” — on Saturday at the San Antonio Book Festival.
On Sunday, he will help judge the 4th annual Fajita Lounge Showdown at Gimme Gimme.
The cover of Arnie Segovia’s cookbook: “ArnieTex: Over 100 Recipes for Mexican-American Cooking and Texas-Style BBQ”. Credit: Courtesy / Eli Infante
“I’m super excited to be in San Antonio,” said Segovia, best known as “ArnieTex.” “It’s one of my favorite cities in Texas, if not my favorite city. The book festival should be a lot of fun. And the Fajita showdown sounds like my kind of party.”
The San Antonio Report will moderate a discussion of Segovia’s cookbook at 12:30 p.m. at the Russell Hill Rogers Tent behind the Central Library. The ArnieTex cookbook covers everything from the pitmaster’s personal journey to favorite barbecue tools and recipes. A book signing with Segovia follows at 1:30 p.m.
Segovia is an accidental cookbook author. Born in Phoenix, Arizona and raised on a West Texas farm, he grew up on live-fire cooking.
“Life on the farm was rich with experiences, from my first tastes of cabrito and chicharrónes to helping harvest and cook a whole cow over the weekend,” Segovia wrote in ArnieTex, a New York Times bestseller. “The fires burned, the beer flowed, and music filled the nights until early Monday mornings.”
An uncle gifted Segovia a grill when he got married. He used that grill to cook for colleagues at a car dealership he managed in Weslaco. His fajitas were a hit. Segovia and his wife, Terry, attended a barbecue cook-off, where he was invited to judge. The heat, smoke and flavors enchanted him.
“My wife said, ‘You should compete,’” Segovia said. “The rest is history.”
Arnie Segovia will help judge the 4th annual Fajita Lounge Showdown at Gimme Gimme on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Credit: Courtesy / Eli Infante
Segovia hit the road. Over the next 20 years, he became one of the most decorated cooks on the Texas competition barbecue circuit, collecting more than 100 Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champions wins.
In 2017, he was inducted into the International Barbecue Cookers Association Hall of Fame. Two years later, he created an online Pitmaster Class, sharing backyard and competition recipes. The class grew until the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down.
During the pandemic, Segovia created a barbecue and cane asada rub. He ordered 1,500 shakers and sold out within four days. He ordered another 20,000 shakers. To sell them, he filmed videos with the help of his children, Dan and Sophie.
His tutorial on cooking fajitas drew 500,000 views within three months. An internet star was born.
“We got so much traction on the internet and YouTube, people were constantly telling me I should write a cookbook,” Segovia said.
Four years ago, Arnie Segovia posted a how to video on grilling fajitas on YouTube that has garnered nearly 3 million views. Credit: Courtesy / Eli Infante
The suggestion remained back-of-mind until an email arrived from DK, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
“They said we follow you and love your videos and would like to help you write a cookbook,” Segovia said. “It was a labor of love. Next thing you know, it’s a New York Times bestseller.”
In January, Segovia brought his cookbook to a Fajita Lounge event organized by Aaron Peña. The pitmaster legend drew a crowd.
“The response was crazy,” said Peña, who owns Southtown bars Gimme Gimme and Amor Eterno. “People were lining up to take pictures and get their book signed.”
Peña invited Segovia to judge the Fajita Lounge Showdown. The Southtown taco throwdown features nine teams, including chefs from Michelin-recognized Leche de Tigre, last year’s winner. The lineup also features James Beard-nominated culinarians from The Magpie and Naco Mexican Grayson.
Chef Alysha Brooke of Cullum’s Attaboy as she won the 2023 Fajita Lounge Showdown at Gimme Gimme. Credit: Courtesy / Christopher Perez
Segovia will serve on a panel of four judges. His company, which produces Arnie’s Asada seasoning, will award $500 to the winner.
The taco throwdown is the brainchild of Peña and chefs Jacob Gonzales and Matthew Garcia. Sizzling fajitas. Delicious tacos. Lively music. A hungry crowd. With a legendary pitmaster on the judging panel, Peña expects this year’s throwdown to be the biggest yet.
“I was able to cook with him at our event in January,” Peña said. “He’s a celebrity and it was great. We’ve been trying to get Arnie down to cook with us for years. He’s super easy to get along with. He’s super humble. He’s like a family member. So it’s really cool for him to be here.”
Dining and Cooking