Chilangos celebrates first annual taco eating contest

Chilangos mascot welcomed spectators at the taco eating competition on Wednesday as part of National Taco Day. Photo by Matthew Morgan.

By Becky McMullen and Matthew Morgan

BELLEVILLE – A Trenton corrections officer devoured 15 tacos in 15 minutes – one per minute – as part of a promotional campaign Wednesday in Belleville for National Taco Day.

Local residents and media packed into Chilangos, on Front Street, to watch a taco eating contest between three contestants, who applied for the showdown and were selected by the restaurant.

Six contestants took on the task of eating 15 tacos. The crowd roared on as the competitors dug into their plate of food.

Daryl Geesey, 46, Trenton, Correctional Officer, won the event. Photo by Becky McMullen

Corrections officer Daryl Geesey, 46, was the only contestant to clear his plate. Geesey’s official time was 15 minutes and 47 seconds. He prepared by practicing in advance.

“After I found out I was picked Saturday, Sunday night we had tacos for dinner,” Geesey said.

He was the only one to finish. The others did not eat all 15. Their plates were weighed and the person with the lighter plate given second place.

Adrian Hernandez a local resident of Belleville, who works at Procter and Gamble, was second place winner.

Buzz Collins, 52, a morning show host for Rock107 FM came in third place.

“I tapped out. I couldn’t complete the 15 tacos so I didn’t really think that I had a hope of placing but as it turned out I was not the only one who tapped out. So I ate the third most amount of tacos,” Collins said.

Geesey will have him name engraved on a plaque that will stay on the wall of Chilangos, plus he won a $100.

National Taco Day was created in 2009 to celebrate Mexican culture. Chilangos, is a local restaurant operated by two Mexican siblings. QNetNews reporter Matthew Morgan interviewed the owners describing the details about the operation in his story.

Below is the live coverage of the eating contest.