Gonzalez said he uses space at the original location to create and test new recipes and menu items.

“You’ve got to remain innovative,” he said.

Gonzalez said he updates the Ula’s menu at least four times per year. For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant will offer various food specials and wine.

The most popular menu items at Ula’s include fajitas, Texas burritos, Los Tres ($44.95)—a pound of beef and chicken fajitas with a jumbo shrimp brochette—and the Three Amigos ($23.95). The Three Amigos dish includes shrimp brochette, ribs and a 4-ounce skirt steak served with beans and rice.

Gonzalez recommends the Mexican smoked ribs ($9.95 or $13.95), which he said are not what people expect when they come to his restaurant. The restaurant goes through about 150 pounds of the meat each week, he said.

“I promise, they will blow your mind,” he said.

Another menu item Gonzalez recommends is the tortilla soup ($10.95), which is made using his Mexican mother’s recipe.

“You’ll be really surprised what two or three simple ingredients can generate so much flavor,” he said.

Gonzalez said he enjoys pitching in at the restaurant when possible, whether that means washing dishes or helping with food preparation. He said being involved with the staff is critical to the restaurant’s success.

“You [have] got to be humble when you do stuff like that, especially with my background and how I started,” he said. “People [don’t] follow titles—people follow leadership.”

Ula's Mexican Restaurant

9009 Sienna Christus Drive, Missouri City 281-778-9345 www.texmexicanfood.com Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.