james ranch

Everyone who has ever dined in Durango knows the quality of James Ranch beef! Now, they have opened a small "grill" to serve the best burgers (and salads) in the West!

The James Ranch is awesome. They make their own cheese from cows they milk, have an organic vege garden, beef cows, chickens, tons of grazing room. It's not supermarket prices but then again you aren't eating supermarket food. We took home 15 lbs of beef. Love the grassfed beef. Lot better flavor than store bought.

We stopped by the ranch and tasted the several cheeses made at the farm. They were wonderful! We also learned about the family and the natural life they lead on the ranch. Neat stop near Durango!

The James Ranch is awesome. They make their own cheese from cows they milk, have an organic vege garden, beef cows, chickens, tons of grazing room and all 5 James kids and their families now work with their parents on the farm. Loved getting the tour and u will too.

James Ranch is a Durango institution. From organic produce and meats to tasty sandwiches at the Harvest Grill, nothing has been overlooked. It's not the cheapest burger, or is it super convenient, but it is well worth the time to visit and relax for a few hours.

My family and I went to the Burger & Band night at the James Ranch, and had a great time! There was something for everyone and I highly recommend it.First, the eats...the burgers are amazing. Everything everyone says about the great taste of a farm-to-table burger is true. The sides, the desserts, everything has a home-grown, homemade taste that is hard to come by these days. And it is wonderful to experience.For the Burger & Band night adults pay $20 for dinner and the band, kids under 12 are just charged for the meal. We saw a local blues band that was very entertaining. But more than just the band was the sense that we were being included in a family get-together. it was really a community function with kids running around and friends gathering. And though service was a bit slow, everyone was pleasant and enjoying the evening.The setting is gorgeous - an agricultural valley in the midst of the start of the Rocky Mountains. And there is stuff for everyone to enjoy: music, scenery, goats and chickens for the kids to look at. And the food, of course! It's a great evening at a reasonable price. A few recommendations if you go... bring a blanket and/or camping chairs (seating is limited), bing bug spray, go early to get the best seats and the best pick of the ice-cream!

The setting is lovely, their meats and cheeses for sale in their shop and at the Farmers' Market are organic and tasty. We weren't impressed however with their dining area at the ranch. Our order was not well prepared, not very good and it was overpriced for what we had - gluten free cheese sandwiches...i would go there to see the ranch and take the tour but dine somewhere else...

What a unique setting! All of the food you are eating is raised or made from products grown right on the property. This is true green with minimal transportation impact. We both had the Harvest Burger with the Belford cheese. The side salad was fresh from the garden that day. They even have a small shop to purchase products from the farm. You eat outside on picnic tables looking at the farm land and animals. They also have a brochure for a farm tour of the property.

We found the James Ranch to be one of the most relaxing and enjoyable venue's we've been at ever. They really are trying to bring back the way things were grown and consumed before processed foods became the norm. They raise grass fed beef, home grown vegetables, fresh wonderful cheese, all made on site. The food prepared there is unbelievably delicious. The location was very pleasant, comfortable and family friendly. It was a wonderful experience and we will be back.

My husband, 9 yr old, 6 yr old, and I visited James Ranch on our vacation to Durango. Located about 10 miles outside Durango on a scenic drive, it's a quick trip to a hidden jewel. The ranch raises grass fed organic cattle for beef and for milk. They grow vegetables and flowers. They sell these items at their market and to restaurants and shops in town. The milk is sold and cheese is made on site. This is a family owned farm run by a Jen, her husband, and Jen's sister and brother. The farm offers tours in the evenings. If you call the market, they will most likely not be able to book you, as Jen does this on her own and keeps her own appointment book. I emailed Jen and she got back to me within a few hours. The price is $18 per person. Our tour was at 4p and we had to arrive about 15 min early to sign waivers. The ranch is located in a valley and very pretty. The Market had beef, ice cream, and cheese for sale. You could see Jen's brother making cheese through a large window. The staff were friendly. Outside was a food trailer where Jen's sister cooked hamburgers made from their beef and (I think) homemade buns.Our tour was in a open air, covered trailer pulled by a tractor. The seats were wooden and they had pillows available to sit on. The evening felt nice, but my kids and some Arizona visitors got chilly. So, for this time of year you might consider pants and a thin jacket. We enjoyed the tour as Jen talked about her plants, animals, the history of the land, struggles, and how the ranch is run. It was a rustic, bumpy, at times dusty tour- so expect that. Jen was awesome about answering our questions. She did a great job of explaining to my 6 year old how they know whether a cow is pregnant!At the end of our tour we ordered burgers from the trailer. Chips, that I believe were locally made, came with the burgers. We ordered 4 cheeseburgers, 4 chips, and 4 bottled waters and our total was $48. It was a little pricey, but I expected that the beef would be more expensive. When our burgers arrived and after my first bite- my concern about how much we spent immediately dissipated. I am NOT exaggerating. This was the BEST burger I'd ever had in all my years of burger consumption. The taste of the meat was unreal. I think it had a buttery/nutty flavor. Apparently that grass they eat converts to magic inside those cattle. My 6 year old wanted another one! I will now only buy grass fed, organic beef. Yea, it costs more, but I now know it's worth it. Make a tour reservation and make the trip to James Ranch.

Just north of Durango on 550 (Million Dollar Highway), this place is open Saturday's only in May then also during the week when the weather is more predictable into the summer.Absolutely worth the stop if you're just riding by and a MUST stop if you are staying in the area.This family owned and run enterprise has been in Durango for more than 50 years. The James parents raised 5 children here and all of them have come home to work separate enterprise sections of the farming. This is a true local success story in my book! The siblings individually support enterprises in the raising of organic chickens and eggs, organic farming, a farm to table family run grill where you can get the hands down best burger in the area, organic milk production from which they make their cheese and more!We had already planned to stop in today to check out their meat, eggs and cheeses for sale in their market. This morning a neighbor in the RV park suggested we might enjoy having lunch there - that was their plan for after errands. With that recommendation in mind, we ran our other errands and stopped in to see what was what.The Ranch provides information to allow for self guided tours. The market sells all manner of fresh frozen grass fed organic beef, sausages, 'dogs', etc. as well as fresh brown and green eggs, home made cheeses and more. We perused the items at the market and then sat down to lunch at one of the picnic tables provided. What a fantastic view we had out across the valley, the meadows where their cows were grazing and the mountains in the background!For lunch I couldn't make up my mind. The signature burger looked amazing...but then so did the 'inside out' grilled cheese sandwich with carmelized onions. Wanting both I took the high road and ordered a kid's sized burger and a kid's sized 1/2 inside out sandwich. i was NOT disappointed! The burger was juicy and more flavorful than any I can recall. Perfectly sized at 3 oz. and cooked just this side of medium it was garnished with my choice of garlic mayo, lettuce, caramelized onions and a grating of James Ranch cheese. The inside out sandwich was grilled heaven! gooey cheese melted inside the bread with my choice of additional caramelized onions was made that much better by the caramelized cheese on the OUTSIDE of the 2 pcs of bread. Hubby had the steak sandwich and said it was fantastic...must have been cuz he didn't so much as offer me a nibble. LOLWe also enjoyed conversations with 2 of the James girls today and learned a lot about the ranch and the business. Wish we lived nearby as we'd support this place heavily!the durango dogs we bought at the market will be part of dinner tonight - going along with my red beans and rice. betting they'll be as yummy as everything else we enjoyed here.NOTE: no alcohol is sold onsite so if you've gotta have a beer with your burger you're kinda out of luck. if my hearing was correct as we were leaving there was discussing about getting their license to allow sales of beer but that would be in the future. I can just see (taste) having a Durango Brewing Company Wheat Beer with a Signature Burger or Steak Sandwich!

Enjoyed a great burger prepared by a gracious family owned and run farmers. Stop by and learn the history of the James family who take great pride in the quality of their vertically integrated locally produced meats and cheeses.

I stopped here for lunch and it was delicious. My husband and I ordered one veggie and one beef burger. They were both phenomenal. I wish I didn't live so far away. At least I can order their cheese and have it shipped to me.

This is a great place to visit. They have a great tour of there 400 acre's. Everything that they have is organic, from there vegetables,meat and cheese, are all produce there. One night a week they have music. You can get a great steak sandwich and the music for $20, such a deal. A must stop.BUD CARTER

Went here with my husband and 4 year old daughter and took the tour. I thought the main attraction would be watching her see the animals, but was very interested in how the James family runs their farm and business. It really gets you thinking about where the food you eat comes from. We ate at the grill when we were done with the tour and the food was delicious! My daughter enjoyed petting the goats and eating her hot dog. Bear in mind the tour is geared more for adults than children.