food, a relaxed family friendly atmosphere and full bar. Earlier this year, the establishment changed hands with owner and local resident, Kyle Bancroft stepping up to save the café, which was facing permanent closure due in part to the pandemic and the interests of the management.
Kyle’s fond memories of frequenting the restaurant in his younger days, paired with his entrepreneurial spirit, made his decision to buy the café an easy one. Kyle owns KJ Bancroft General Contracting out of Raymond and is the General Manager of Vision Contracting & Supply in Westbrook, Maine. He figured his business background coupled with Devon Pepin, his general manager’s cooking experience, the café could continue to provide a dependable eatery for area residents and visitors.
“If it wasn’t for my team, I wouldn’t be able to do this,”
Kyle said. “I am so fortunate to be surrounded by a staff with experience and
dedication to run the day-to-day operations while I take care of the behind-the-scenes
duties.” The bartenders and servers are friendly and attentive, and the chefs
combine the freshest ingredients with a creative flair to craft dishes that
even the toughest critics rave about.
The first thing Kyle did when he purchased the cafe was dive
into renovations, modernizing the space with fresh paint, refacing the bar,
upgrading kitchen equipment, and creating an outdoor patio. He also revamped
the logo to a more modern look and changed the name to Café Sebago Bar and
Grill to reflect the food and atmosphere more accurately.
He opened in August and says the community has been amazingly
supportive. They are open every day except Mondays for lunch and dinner from 11
a.m. to 9 p.m. and serve breakfast on the weekends from 6:30 a.m. to noon. In
the evenings, they encourage you to crank up the juke box and unwind with happy
hour specials from 8 p.m. to close. Although the curfew has the night scene
ending early during the pandemic, Kyle says in the summer he will aim to be the
local go-to spot for a late-night drink and friendly camaraderie. The patio
will not only be a great space to dine in the open air but will provide live
music and entertainment as well.
The café is the perfect blend of bar and family restaurant. In
early afternoons you will find the bar filled with friendly chatter and as
dinner hours roll around, the place fills with families and couples that come
for the house made food and low-key atmosphere. For weekend breakfast they
offer lots of crave-worthy favorites and feature homemade corned beef hash and
eggs benedict along with hearty omelets and other traditional dishes. Prices
are affordable enough to treat the whole family and with a full bar, adding a
bloody mary, mimosa or some Bailey’s to your coffee is no problem!
There is something for everyone on the menu and if they can
make it in house, they do - homemade sauces, dressings, marinades, salsas, chowders,
pickles and even chips to name a few. They take pride in quality, freshness and
consistency and go the extra mile to ensure satisfaction in every dish.
Some starter favorites include their huge plates of nachos,
whole wings, lobster stew, and French onion soup. Everything is fresh never frozen and made to
order including their popular Pasta Alfredo’s in several varieties and seafood
dishes which are prepared lightly breaded and fried or baked casserole style.
Additionally, they offer chef specials daily. Be sure to stop by on Thursdays
for their perfectly cooked Prime Rib roast which is served from 4 to close or
when they run out.
Café Sebago Bar & Grill is conveniently located at 1248 Roosevelt Trail in Raymond with plenty of parking. Patrons are welcome to dine in or take out and can easily place their takeout orders on their Facebook page. You can also call 207-655-4006 to order ahead. Follow them on Facebook to keep up with their entertainment schedules and to see what they are serving up for daily food and drink specials. <
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