Ricardo Verduzco started his cooking career in a food truck for his uncle in Burlington, Wash., and decided to venture out on his own with his own business in Warsaw, never knowing how well things would go.

For eight years, the 36-year-old Verduzco and his family have built a reputation for selling tasty Mexican fare out of his food truck, Taco Jalisco, seven days a week along North Detroit Street near Center Lake.

This year, though, looks like a turning point.

A week ago, Taco Jalisco beat out two dozen other Mexican food businesses in Kosciusko County in what is deemed as “Taco Wars,” a popularity contest hosted by Kosciusko County’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Northern Indiana Tourism Development Commission.

Taco Jalisco received more than 360 votes to secure the county title and is now vying against other winners from six other northern Indiana counties.

The truck specializes in tacos and burritos and offers selections with nine different meats, including all the standards plus pork, goat and beef tongue.

“Eight years ago, when we started this, we thought this would be something small and not something as big as it turned out to be,” Verduzco said Tuesday afternoon through a translator, Kirstyn Niebbia.

Winning the county-level contest has provided “lots of happiness,” he said.

Verduzco said they’ve seen an uptick in business since winning the county title.

“We didn’t imagine getting to this point when we started,” Verduzco said during a media event late Tuesday afternoon outside of his truck.

Aside from the notoriety of winning the county title, other aspects of Verduzco’s business are doing well.

His goal has been to open a restaurant and that dream is moving closer to reality. He’s been focusing on that since May and said he is eyeing a location on Winona Avenue.

“We work hard to make sure people go away happy every day,” he said.

Verduzco was joined Tuesday by CVB?officials as well as regional food critic Marshall King, who toured all seven restaurants on Monday and Tuesday.

The other six restaurants that will vie for Best Taco in Indiana’s Cool North are Mila’s Mini Market in Plymouth, Woodfire Meat Market and Deli in Valparaiso, Cabos Ice Cream Shop & Café in Michigan City, Los Aces Mexican Food in South Bend, Los Primos in Goshen and Courtside Restaurant Lounge in LaGrange.

Taco Jalisco is the only food truck among the finalists. King said that’s a non-factor for fans.

“When people find a place that makes good food, they don’t care whether it’s on wheels or not. As long as they can drive up and get the food, they’re pretty happy to get it,” King said.

“It’s pretty cool that Warsaw’s taco truck is in the mix,” he said.

The regional round concludes Monday at noon.

Food fans can vote for their favorite restaurant at  IndianasCoolNorth.com/TacoWars.