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Dar Salam Lazurdi Downtown
Dar Salam Lazurdi Downtown
Dina Avila/EPDX

Portland’s Essential Falafel Spots, Mapped

Find the best falafel on the streets of Portland

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Dar Salam Lazurdi Downtown
| Dina Avila/EPDX

A good falafel is a thing of beauty. Traditional falafel is made with either chickpeas or fava beans that are ground up, blended into a patty with spices, and then deep fried. It's a dish that's so ubiquitous and well-loved that many countries have their own regional takes on what makes for a truly great falafel—a highly contested subject in some circles.

Portland is its own delicious falafel-verse of options. Whether you're craving a more traditional Egyptian-style falafel, or something a little more modern, here's a list of a few of the best spots to get a bite of falafel in the city.

Is there a falafel that makes your world go round we missed? Share it in the comments! (The points on this map are not ranked but organized geographically).

—Janelle Albukhari

All photos by Janelle Albukhari unless otherwise noted.

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Chickpeadx

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Chickpeadx is more than just a cute name. Voted the best falafel in Portland by PoMo and The Oregonian, owner Yair Maidan’s falafel is one that’s definitely worth the hype. Made with freshly ground Washington chickpeas and a secret house blend of spices, the falafel comes in a pita, salad, or in a bowl served with brown rice. It’s most delicious in sandwich form, though the bread itself—while definitely fluffy—isn’t a traditional pita.

Wolf & Bear's

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[Photo: Yelp/Amanda W.]

Nicholas Restaurant

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[Photo: Yelp/Emily A.]

El Masry

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Translating to “the Egyptian” in Arabic, the name of this Downtown food cart tips its hat to the origins of the mighty falafel, thought to be Alexandria, Egypt. The falafel sandwich here is one of the best looking: wrapped in a large, fluffy piece of bread and filled with a handful of falafel. It’s a portion size that’ll happily accommodate even the hungriest of lunch goers for $8. Opt to get “spicy sauce” added on for a little extra kick of flavor.

Dar Salam Lazurdi

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[Photo: Facebook/Dar Salam]

Aybla Grill

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With five locations around town and one at the airport, Aybla Grill serves a traditional chickpea-based falafel mixed with onions, parsley, and coriander. It's all about the crunch. Grab a basic sandwich with lettuce and tomato for a mere $6, or supersize it for another $2. You can even add on chicken or lamb for an extra $2 if you’re feeling up for the challenge.

World Foods at Everett

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[Photo: Facebook/World Foods]

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Chickpeadx

Chickpeadx is more than just a cute name. Voted the best falafel in Portland by PoMo and The Oregonian, owner Yair Maidan’s falafel is one that’s definitely worth the hype. Made with freshly ground Washington chickpeas and a secret house blend of spices, the falafel comes in a pita, salad, or in a bowl served with brown rice. It’s most delicious in sandwich form, though the bread itself—while definitely fluffy—isn’t a traditional pita.

Wolf & Bear's

[Photo: Yelp/Amanda W.]

Nicholas Restaurant

[Photo: Yelp/Emily A.]

El Masry

Translating to “the Egyptian” in Arabic, the name of this Downtown food cart tips its hat to the origins of the mighty falafel, thought to be Alexandria, Egypt. The falafel sandwich here is one of the best looking: wrapped in a large, fluffy piece of bread and filled with a handful of falafel. It’s a portion size that’ll happily accommodate even the hungriest of lunch goers for $8. Opt to get “spicy sauce” added on for a little extra kick of flavor.

Dar Salam Lazurdi

[Photo: Facebook/Dar Salam]

Aybla Grill

With five locations around town and one at the airport, Aybla Grill serves a traditional chickpea-based falafel mixed with onions, parsley, and coriander. It's all about the crunch. Grab a basic sandwich with lettuce and tomato for a mere $6, or supersize it for another $2. You can even add on chicken or lamb for an extra $2 if you’re feeling up for the challenge.

World Foods at Everett

[Photo: Facebook/World Foods]

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