The favorite Cool Ranch onion rings. | Vina Sananikone/Your Only Friend Since opening back in January 2024 (and operating as a pop-up before that), Your Only Friend has steadily become a part of the conversation surrounding the city’s best sandwich offerings. But what really makes this pla ce a destination is its status as a low-key cocktail bar offering the Shaw neighborhood a consistent source for ambitious, whimsical drinks. It’s especially useful as other nearby cocktail bars, like the Passenger and Never Looked Better, have closed. What to order Four words: Cool Ranch onion rings. The Doritos-reminiscent side ($10), coated in an appealing beer-based batter, is worth adding to any sandwich, or ordering alone to balance out a few cocktails. The Hot Nug is the MVP order among a stellar selection of sandwiches. Just spicy enough, the sandwich takes its cues from Nashville hot chicken, with a little contrast from sweet pickles and a dose of the sandwich shop’s favorite condiment, Duke’s Mayo. Less interested in heat? Go with the Mort Mootz. The cutesy, Molly Baz-esque name is a little eye-roll (Your Only Friend’s menu is not lacking in abbreviations), but the actual sandwich satisfies with creamy mozzarella cheese and cured-meat-of-the-moment mortadella. What to drink Your Only Friend clearly loves a clarified cocktail — there were four on the menu during my last visit. The Rum and Clear Cola gives a fun, upscale spin to a rail drink classic.  Nostalgia is another theme you’ll find throughout the menu: ’90s-favorite Midori finds its way into a spin on a millennial-pandering Ecto Cooler, while Dole Whip (perennial favorite of Disney adults) gets a tribute in another rum-based drink.  Savory drink lovers should give the Rugbrod, a rye and aquavit combo, a whirl. For dessert Atlantic Beach Pie, an icon of North Carolina, can be hard to find around these parts, but Your Only Friend has a lovely version of the summery dessert with a saltine cracker crust. (Virginians, take note: Red Truck Bakery also makes a mean one.) Insider tips Your Only Friend can get packed at night, but weekday lunch is often a relatively chill time to pair your cocktail with a sandwich in the bar area.  Don’t forget to look up: You’ll be treated to an epic stained-glass tribute to the aforementioned Duke’s Mayo. ...read more read less