A Portland Tradition, Reimagined on Sebago Lake

The story of Sportsman’s Kitchen & Keg began long before we opened our doors in Sebago.

It started in Portland, Maine, with the Sportsman’s Grill, a beloved Congress Street restaurant operated by the Severino family for nearly half a century. Beginning in 1952, brothers John “Sonny” Severino, Jim Severino, and Tony Severino built Sportsman’s Grill into a Portland institution—a place where generations of families, friends, athletes, and sports fans came together over good food and good company.

Sportsman’s Grill became especially well known as a gathering place before and after sporting events. Located near the Portland Expo, it was a favorite stop after games and a longstanding tradition surrounding the annual Portland–Deering Thanksgiving football rivalry.

But what made Sportsman’s Grill special went far beyond sports.

At its heart, it was a family restaurant.

John “Sonny” Severino was known for treating customers like friends and friends like family. The restaurant reflected the Severino family’s Italian heritage, with food, hospitality, and family recipes at the center of everything they did.

In 1986, Sonny’s oldest son, Paul Severino, joined his father in operating the restaurant. Together they carried on the Sportsman’s Grill tradition until its doors eventually closed in 1999, ending nearly five decades on Congress Street.

The restaurant may have closed, but the tradition never really disappeared.

From Portland to Sebago Lake

Sebago Lake had always been another important part of the Severino family story.

For generations, the family spent summers together on the lake. Sonny treasured Sundays at the family camp, where the Severinos gathered to eat, relax, and spend time together. Paul’s children grew up with those same traditions, spending their summers in Maine’s Lakes Region.

One of those children was Rocco Severino.

Rocco grew up around the restaurant business, including time spent at his grandfather’s Sportsman’s Grill. Food and hospitality became part of his life from an early age, and he went on to spend years working throughout Maine’s restaurant industry.

But he always had a bigger goal: to own a restaurant of his own—and to do it on Sebago Lake.

That opportunity arrived in 2018.

When the former O.Dan’s property on Route 114 in Sebago became available, Paul and Rocco saw the chance to bring two important pieces of their family history together: the restaurant tradition that began in Portland and the place where their family had spent summers for generations.

Father and son purchased the property, completely renovated the restaurant, and created something that honored the past without simply recreating it.

They called it Sportsman’s Kitchen & Keg.

Honoring the Past. Creating Something New.

Sportsman’s Kitchen & Keg opened in 2018 as an homage to the original Sportsman’s Grill, carrying forward the Severino family name, hospitality, and Italian roots while creating a restaurant with an identity all its own.

The concept was simple: upscale pub fare with Italian roots, served in the relaxed atmosphere of Sebago Lake.

Many of the traditions remain familiar—family recipes, generous hospitality, a love of sports, and a restaurant where locals and visitors alike can feel at home. But Sportsman’s Kitchen & Keg was also designed for a new generation, with local craft beer, creative pub fare, outdoor dining, and access from Sebago Lake.

And just like the original Sportsman’s Grill, it has remained a true family operation.

What began with Sonny and his brothers on Congress Street has now passed through generations of the Severino family.

From Portland to Sebago Lake, the location has changed—but the idea behind Sportsman’s has remained the same: good food, good people, and a place where everyone feels welcome.

We’re proud of where we came from, grateful to everyone who has become part of our story, and excited to continue the Sportsman’s tradition for generations to come.