The Village Of Ford Heights Receives Its First Dine-In Restaurant in Sixty Years
The Village Of Ford Heights Receives Its First Dine-In Restaurant in Sixty Years
S2 Grills Opens A location In The Village Of Ford Heights
By Tia Carol Jones
Andre Williams and Suheir Barakat opened their first S2 Grills in 2017. They recently opened a location in Ford Heights, giving the small Southland village one of its only sit-down restaurants in sixty years.
Williams had been successful in the hospitality industry, working as a concert and comedy show promoter, and eventually owning his own bar in Calumet Park. He said it was a natural progression for them to open a restaurant after having the bar. Barakat said people loved the food at the bar and told them that they should open a restaurant. She said what they thought was going to be a hobby, turned into S2 Grills having 10 locations, including one to open in Houston and another set to open in downtown Chicago on State Street.
Williams said the menu for S2 was developed based on the food that he and Barakat liked to eat. Self-described foodies, Williams came up with the recipe for S2’s popular lamb chops in his home before bringing it to the restaurant. Barakat said S2 Grills has sold more than a million lamb chops in five years. Williams said all of the recipes for the items on the menu have evolved and improved over time, with input from different chefs. Barakat said her favorite dish is the pasta.
Williams said that he and Barakat believe in giving back and altruism. In keeping with that, they decided to bring a S2 Grills to Ford Heights. He said that when Freddie L. Wilson became Mayor of Ford Heights, Wilson and Williams had a conversation about bringing the restaurant to Ford Heights.
He said that in more than 60 years, there had not been a sit-down restaurant in the Village of Ford Heights. He said because of that, it was important to bring the restaurant to the community. Williams said it is important to give back to the community because he knows what it is like to be at a disadvantage.
“Just because people are not in an upscale neighborhood doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be afforded the quality accommodations of other middle class or upper class neighborhoods; even the simplest thing as having a nice meal, where they don’t have to go downtown or go to another suburb, just to get a decent meal and a nice vibe,” Williams said.
Barakat said they met so many people from the community that they were so nice to them when they went to visit the community. She said she and Williams believed that the residents of Ford Heights deserved to have a sit-down restaurant in their community. She said they are excited about having an S2 Grills in Ford Heights and that of all the restaurant locations, it is the one that means the most.
“S2 is the only restaurant that goes into these neighborhoods that offers something other than fried foods. You can get lamb chops, pasta, catfish, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp,” she said. “We try to make sure everybody has quality food. Everything is made fresh and made to order.”
Barakat said they put their second location in Roseland because they saw fast food restaurants, but no sit-down restaurants. She said they didn’t believe people should have to travel outside of their neighborhoods to get a decent meal. With Ford Heights, she hopes people will be able to host birthday parties or special events at the restaurant.
Barakat said she believes the reason for the restaurant’s success is because they want to know their customers and they want the customers to get to know them. She said they have also been really involved in the community, donating more than 25,000 meals in 2025. They participate in Back-to-School drives, Thanksgiving and Christmas giveaways.
“We don’t want to come in neighborhoods and just be there, without making sure we know everybody and everybody knows us. It’s important for them to know our family the way we want to know theirs,” Barakat said.
The Ford Heights site of S2 Grills is located at 801 East Lincoln Highway. For more information about S2 Grills, visit 222.s2expressgrill.com.
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