Michael Durbin of Whitehouse eats two tacos for lunch at Torchy's Tacos in Tyler on Tuesday March 28, 2017. Durbin hopes to make the Guinness Book of World Records for consecutive days of taco eating. As of Tuesday he was four days away from his goal of eating tacos for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 365 days. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

If there’s a place in Smith County that has tacos on the menu, chances are Michael Durbin, of Whitehouse, has been there. The “tacoteur” has eaten tacos made from alligator, venison, ostrich, duck and many other proteins. He’s spent the last year documenting his love of tacos and attempting to eat his way into the Guinness Book of World Records.

“I’ve contacted Guinness,” Durbin said. “There is currently not a record for consecutive days of taco eating. I’m setting the record. When I do the paperwork to certify the record it’ll be added to the record books.”

On Saturday, Durbin will have eaten tacos for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 365 consecutive days.

“It started as a way to get out of the house and combat depression,” Durbin said. “In 2015, the taco boom came to Tyler. East Texas was not represented in Texas Monthly’s article, “120 Tacos You Must Eat Before You Die.” I started looking and comparing the tacos in East Texas to the ones in the article.”

Durbin’s recommendations in Tyler are Taqueria Palacios Tortilleria, Mama Olivo’s, Bar Bq Hernandez and Cork Food and Drink.

“When people ask me who has the best tacos in Tyler, I tell them it depends on what you’re looking for,” he said. “Even in Mexico, tacos are different in different locations. You won’t get the same tacos in Mexico City that you can get in Tijuana.”

Durbin relies on social media to document his travels and meals. Through his Instagram page, with over 15,000 followers, he has gained notoriety in the taco industry.

Some of the top chefs in the country attended Top Taco in New Orleans last month. Durbin was invited to judge the competition.

Durbin says the only taco he’s spit out was an Indian inspired taco that he said, “was remarkably disgusting.” And, the craziest he’s eaten is a crawfish and octopus taco.

His initial goal was to eat tacos for a year, but as the one-year anniversary date approached, he wasn’t ready to give up the tacos and get a pizza. The plan is to extend the taco-eating streak to 500 days into August.

“The goal was to get out and see new places and do new things,” he said. “Traveling alone is hard on your body. This next year, I’d like to try to eat better. I want to do a whole month of vegetarian tacos and see what that does for me.”

Durbin has been going to Cork Food and Drink for Taco Tuesday for the past few months. 

“Right now, he loves the the baja taco,” Ace Estrella, Cork Food and Drink’s general manager said. It’s a marinated cod filet with cabbage, pico cilantro and jalapeno ole. 

Cork is planning to honor Durbin on Tuesday, April 4, for achieving his goal of eating tacos for an entire year. 

“For Mike, it’s all about the food,” Estrella said. “He’s passionate about the food and how we create tacos with different ingredients. He really is inspiried by what the chefs are feeling. I think he’s more passionate aobut the tacos and how the chefs come up with it.” 

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IF YOU GO

WHAT: Tacoteur’s One-year Anniversary

WHEN: Doors open at 4 p.m. Party starts at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cork Food & Drink, 5201 S. Broadway Ave., Tyler

DETAILS: Live music and taco menu