The couple behind one of Everett's most popular birria spots is cooking up a second act. Viviana Garcia and Hugo Carranza, owners of El Mariachi Birria y Tacos, are preparing to open Ember Tacos at 3514 Broadway, Suite A, with a concept built entirely around charcoal and live-fire cooking.
The Broadway location comes from a state liquor license application, according to WhatNow, which first reported on Ember's plans. The outlet notes that Ember Tacos lists a January 2027 opening target on Instagram, though no exact date has been announced yet. Garcia and Carranza already run El Mariachi Birria y Tacos at 6100 Evergreen Way, and the new project will sit as a separate storefront elsewhere in the city.
Per the same report, Ember will focus on Tijuana-style tacos and handmade tortillas, with everything cooked over charcoal and live embers — hence the name. The owners described the experience behind the concept as something close to a backyard cookout: grilling meat and making tacos with family and friends around the fire. They’ve said the restaurant itself centers on charcoal cooking, food, family, and community.
From Tamale Pop-Ups to a Second Storefront
El Mariachi's own origin story helps explain why a second restaurant felt like a natural next step. The business began in 2019 with a three-burner stove and pots of tamales sold at pop-ups, the station's report states. By the end of 2020, Garcia and Carranza had their own food trailer, and the Evergreen Way restaurant followed in 2022, as reported by The Herald — a timeline also noted by Intentionalist, which describes El Mariachi as a beloved food truck turned restaurant specializing in birria, alongside burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas.
According to the original report, an opportunity to open another Everett storefront is what prompted the idea for Ember in the first place, rather than a long-planned expansion. The owners have credited support from El Mariachi's customers with helping make the new venture possible, and the Ember Tacos team reportedly thanked those same customers after the concept's first pop-up.
What's Still Unknown
Plenty of details remain unsettled as Ember Tacos works toward its debut. The article notes that an exact opening date has not been announced, with January 2027 standing only as a target rather than a confirmed timeline. Menu specifics, pricing, and hours for the new Broadway location have not been disclosed either, leaving Everett diners to wait for further word from Garcia and Carranza before the embers start burning.
