KB Ranch x DougCo Social
Sunset Supper Club at KB Ranch
A four-course dinner under the open sky on a ranch in Castle Rock — a surprise menu from a serious chef, a handcrafted drink pairing with every course, golden-hour Front Range views, and communal seating. Up to 65 seats a night.
Join the list →The experience
KB Ranch sits on open acreage in Castle Rock with sweeping Front Range views — home to Highland cows, Valais Blacknose sheep, fainting goats, and mini donkeys. The animals were fenced right alongside the dinner, so guests came early to say hi, pet them, and grab a few photos before the sun dropped. Over the 2026 season, Chef Juwanza of Southern Jewel Hospitality turned that backdrop into a four-course dinner under the open sky, each course paired with a craft beer or cocktail depending on the night. Guests didn't pick a menu — the chef built a new one around the season every time, so it was a surprise. Good food, good drinks, good company, golden-hour views, communal seating. Seats were limited each night and filled up fast.
Meet the chef (and the bar)
Chef Juwanza Thomas — Southern Jewel Hospitality
Juwanza grew up in central Arkansas, learning to cook from his grandmother. Her name was Jewel — which is where the company gets its name. That Southern foundation followed him through kitchens in Dallas, Houston, and Austin, where he was a head chef in a James Beard–nominated restaurant group and built range across Italian, French, Japanese, Mexican, and Southwest cooking. In Colorado he went deep on the hands-on craft — butchery, bread, pastry, open-fire cooking, and a farm-to-fork approach — and founded Southern Jewel in 2022. These supper club nights were where all of it came together: a table he cooked for like guests in his own home.
The pairings
It depends on the night. September 29, the last one of the season, was beer-paired — a craft beer from Alidade Brewing, right here in Castle Rock, matched to each course. Other nights have been cocktail-paired, with Jaco of Intoxicology Mobile Mixology running the bar (“craft cocktails without the craft attitude”) and a handcrafted cocktail per course. Either way, every pour was built around the season to match whatever Juwanza was serving.
A taste of the first dinner
Every dinner was a surprise — a brand-new menu built around the season. To give you a feel for the caliber, here's the four-course lineup Chef Juwanza and the bar ran at the very first dinner:
First course
Crispy tuna oni-tostada
Paired with a Shochu 75 (a Japanese twist on a French 75)
Second course
Surf-and-turf salad — shaved steak, smoked catfish, cotija, and Mayan ash sauce
Paired with a Gin New York Sour
Third course
BBQ shrimp, chile grit cake, Tasso gravy, and the chef's homemade hot sauce
Paired with a Lychee Margarita
Fourth course
Caramel cake with smoked ice cream and molasses toffee
Paired with a Tawny Port Manhattan with black walnut
Each dinner had its own menu — that was the whole point.
That’s a wrap on the season
The last supper club of the 2026 season has come and gone. Join the list below to hear about future dinners in Douglas County.
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Looking for our other dinners? See the DougCo Social Dinner Club →
At the ranch
Photos: DougCo Social
Common questions
Where is it?
KB Ranch — 579 South Mountain View Road, Castle Rock, CO 80109. It was an outdoor evening on the ranch.
What time does it start?
The last dinner of the 2026 season, September 29, ran 6:00 to 8:00 PM — earlier than the summer dinners, since the sun set sooner at the end of September. Guests came a little early to walk the property and meet the animals before sitting down.
Can we see the animals?
Yes — the Highland cows, sheep, goats, and mini donkeys were fenced right next to the dinner. Guests came a little before dinner sat down to pet them and grab photos before the meal started.
What if the weather turns?
The dinner ran rain or shine — open-air under the sky by default, with a tent and side walls added if the weather turned.
What was served?
That was half the fun — the exact menu was a surprise. Chef Juwanza built a brand-new four-course menu around the season for every dinner, generally spanning seafood, beef, and a vegetarian course, with printed menus set at each seat that night. The dishes changed each time and weren't revealed until guests were there.
What about drinks?
It depended on the night. September 29, the last dinner of the season, was beer-paired — a craft beer from Alidade Brewing in Castle Rock matched to each course. Earlier nights were cocktail-paired. Either way, it was pairings only, with no separate bar.
Were there non-alcoholic options?
Yes. September 29 included non-alcoholic beer options from Alidade.
Could you do gluten-free or dairy-free?
Yes — most dietary needs could be accommodated with advance notice. About 90% of the menu was naturally gluten-free and other items could usually be modified. Guests entered any allergies or restrictions right on the reservation form at checkout, so the chef had them ahead of time (true dietary needs, not personal preferences).
Who's cooking?
Dinner was by Chef Juwanza Thomas of Southern Jewel Hospitality. Raised in central Arkansas by his grandmother Jewel — the company’s namesake — he cooked through Dallas, Houston, and Austin (including a head-chef role at a James Beard–nominated restaurant group) before founding Southern Jewel in 2022. His food blends Southern roots with Italian, French, Japanese, Mexican, and Southwest influences, plus open-fire and farm-to-fork cooking.
What was the pairing?
It depended on the night. September 29, the last dinner of the season, was beer-paired — a craft beer from Alidade Brewing, a Castle Rock brewery, matched to each course. Earlier nights were cocktail-paired, from Jaco of Intoxicology Mobile Mixology ("craft cocktails without the craft attitude"), a handcrafted seasonal cocktail per course.
What was the seating like?
Communal seating — guests sat with other diners, so it was as much about the company as the food. Seats were limited each night to keep it intimate.
Was there an age requirement?
Yes — the Supper Club was a 21+ evening.
How did payment work?
Guests reserved with a $5 per-person retainer at checkout — that was all due up front. The rest of the ticket was invoiced during the week leading up to the dinner, due that Sunday to confirm the seat. Unpaid tickets were canceled after that and the seats released to the waitlist. The $5 retainer was non-refundable.
What did people wear?
It was an elevated evening, so dressing up worked well. Since it was outdoors on the ranch, closed-toe shoes were smart, along with a layer for when the sun dropped.