If a place is going to hold its fried chickpea patties in such high regard that an honorific is required, the falafel had better be damn good.

It is. This Assyrian-owned storefront just off Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park, with a handful of tables and a few English Premier League team decals decorating the walls, makes its fritters to order. When you get a falafel sandwich ($5) and bite into one of the patties, tucked into lavash with lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini, you score both a pleasing crunch from the perfectly fried exterior and lots of herbaceous flavor from the fluffy, steamy insides.

Treat yourself by adding a bountiful side of baba ghanoush ($5), silky and laced with smoky flavors, and some extra torshi ($2)—the pickled cabbage, stained a vibrant yellow by a heavy dose of turmeric, brightens up the whole affair.

6404 N. California Ave.