Sinners Steakhouse, the popular Point Pleasant Beach dining destination now entering its fifth year of operation, is opening a second location in Kenilworth, with doors set to open to the public on September 26, 2026. The new spot at 572 Boulevard will initially serve the same menu as the original waterfront restaurant, before owners look to expand it further down the line.
Owner Mike Kohler told NJ.com that expansion had been on the restaurant's radar ever since the Point Pleasant Beach location opened in April 2022. That flagship spot revitalized a Manasquan Inlet waterfront property that had been vacant since Superstorm Sandy, according to Lavallette-Seaside Shorebeat. Now Kohler is applying that same instinct for reviving idle real estate to Union County, taking over a Kenilworth building that underwent a complete renovation from its previous use as a bistro.
The building at 572 Boulevard has its own dining pedigree. It previously housed Boulevard Five 72, an upscale New American restaurant and catering space run by chef Scott Snyder that operated as a prominent Union County fine-dining fixture for over a decade before closing, per New Jersey Monthly. Kenilworth's Borough Council formally cleared the way for Sinners' arrival in February 2025, adopting Resolution No. 2025-85 to approve a liquor license transfer from Butternut Café LLC to Sinners Steakhouse North LLC, according to borough records.
A Speakeasy Feel With a 15-Foot Chandelier
Kohler said he wanted a speakeasy atmosphere for the Kenilworth location, and the finished space reflects it: brass fixtures, glass accents, and a 15-foot chandelier greeting guests at the main entrance, the restaurant's owner told the outlet. Upstairs, an event space with capacity for roughly 110 people includes its own full bar and kitchen, built to host bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and baby showers.
That layout fits neatly into the site's restaurant setting. Borough Ordinance 2023-11 addresses food and restaurant regulations. The location also sits off the Parkway with easy access, a detail Kohler highlighted.
Same Menu, Same Prime Beef Supplier
The Kenilworth restaurant will retain the Point Pleasant Beach menu at launch, with plans to expand it later, Kohler said. That means dishes like the tomahawk steak, cowboy steak, scallop and mushroom risotto, and lobster gnocchi will anchor the opening lineup, alongside signature drinks such as the blueberry cosmo and a smoked old fashioned served under a skull-shaped cover that releases smoke through its nostrils.
Sinners offers 28-day dry-aged steak entrees. Despite the high-end steakhouse label, Kohler said the restaurant caters to everybody and does not want to require customers to have deep pockets. Kenilworth hours will run Tuesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to close, with last seating at 10 p.m., and noon to close on Saturdays and Sundays.
Seasonal Events and Community Ties
Sinners has built a following at the Shore around themed seasonal events, including Oktoberfest, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day weekend menus, along with seasonal dessert cocktails like a pistachio martini. Its signature holiday run, dubbed A Sinner's Christmas Experience, transforms the space into a pop-up with decorations, custom cocktails, and Santa mug sales that benefit a local nonprofit, with owners matching the contribution, according to The Local Girl. Kohler and his fellow owners plan to get involved in Kenilworth community sponsorships, school systems, and town activities.
The opening arrives as Kenilworth undergoes significant commercial change. The borough approved a $1.8 billion project in 2024-2025 converting the former Merck campus on Galloping Hill Road into an artificial intelligence data center, per Westfield Patch. Against that backdrop of major redevelopment, a familiar Shore dining brand settling into a renovated Boulevard storefront offers a smaller but visible sign of Kenilworth's evolving downtown.
According to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 68.6% of Kenilworth residents are in the civilian labor force. A City of Linden redevelopment plan provides a nearby precedent for municipal review of underused commercial property, saying Lot 4.02 along West Elizabeth Avenue may be designated as an area in need of redevelopment. The City of Rahway’s Route 1 Corridor Redevelopment Plan cites the Union County Planning Board’s encouragement of preserving and adaptively reusing historic or significant buildings, sites, neighborhoods and corridors.
