Southern food for date night Florence SC works best when the meal feels generous and the plan stays simple enough to enjoy. At Notch8 Carolina Kitchen, that usually means one bold plate each, a side you can share, and enough time to talk before the kitchen closes. The restaurant is open for dine-in Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm, at 600 A Pamplico Highway in Florence, SC.
The current September 2026 menu is the source for the prices and dishes below. Specials, sauces, and availability can change, so check the restaurant menu or ask your server before you count on a favorite.
What Makes Southern Food for Date Night Florence SC Easy to Share?
A good date-night plate leaves room for two people to taste more than one thing. At Notch8, sandwiches and burgers already include fries, while basket combos add cornbread, one side, and a drink. That built-in structure is easier than building a tasting menu from scratch.
Sharing works when the flavors are clear. A po' boy brings crunch and heat. A basket combo brings a classic plate with a side. Wings add a second flavor without forcing both people onto the same entree. If one of you wants a lighter meal, a salad still sits on the same table as a basket.
Keep the first decision small, then let the rest of the order follow from that one choice. Pick the style of the night before you start comparing every sandwich on the board.
Comfort and crunch: a hand-breaded chicken sandwich or crispy tenders.
Coastal and spicy: a shrimp or catfish po' boy, or a shrimp Caesar.
Smoke and sauce: slow-smoked BBQ pork or a BBQ bacon cheddar burger.
Something to pass: a side of mac and cheese, collard greens, or fried green tomato.
If you are still deciding whether a full-service Southern room fits the evening, read the date night restaurants guide. This page stays on the food.
How Should a Couple Split the First Order?
Start with two different mains and one shared side. That gives you contrast without a pile of extra plates. Most Notch8 sandwiches include fries, so a second fry order is rarely the best add-on.
A simple split looks like this. One person orders a sandwich or burger. The other orders a basket combo and chooses the side you both want to try. If you are hungry, add wings in a six-piece size instead of a third full meal.
Choose two different proteins so the table has contrast.
Use the included fries as the shared starch, not a second fry order.
Spend the side choice on something the fries do not cover, such as collards or a fried green tomato.
Ask about the daily special before you close the order.
Leave a little room if you want a sweet finish later.
The menu notes that some items may contain foreign imported shrimp, and the kitchen prepares shellfish. Tell your server about an allergy before you order the shrimp po' boy, shrimp Caesar, or crispy fried shrimp.
Which Sandwich Fits a Relaxed Date?
Sandwiches are the easiest way to get a full plate without overthinking it. Each one includes fries. A substitution is $2.
The hand-breaded chicken sandwich is $13.50. It comes with pimento cheese and pickles on a toasted bun. That is a strong choice when you want a classic Southern bite and a little richness. The Pimp Daddy Chix is the same $13.50 and the same build, so ask your server how the two differ on the day you visit.
The chicken bacon cheddar melt is also $13.50. Grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar, and sriracha ranch make it the better pick when you want heat and a familiar melt. The grilled chicken sandwich is $12.25, with lettuce, tomato, and Walterboro white sauce. It is the lighter of the chicken sandwiches.
For a cooler plate, the chicken salad sandwich is $13.25, with almonds, cranberries, lettuce, and tomato. It pairs well when the other person orders something fried.
The shrimp or catfish po' boy is $13.95. Lettuce, tomato, banana peppers, and tartar sauce give it crunch and a little kick. It is the best sandwich if one of you wants something other than chicken. Read more about the local style in the shrimp and grits guide, then come back to the po' boy if you want that flavor in a handheld plate.
Are Burgers a Better Date-Night Plate?
Burgers are the right call when you want beef, a familiar bun, and fries already on the plate. Each burger includes lettuce, tomato, and fries. Substitutions are $2, cheese is $1, bacon is $2, and an extra patty is $3.
The classic Angus burger is $11.50. It is the plainest plate on the burger list and a good base if you only want to add cheese or bacon. The all American burger is $12.50. The pimento cheeseburger is also $12.50 and is the most Southern of the three.
The BBQ bacon cheddar burger is $14.50. Order it when the date needs one richer plate and the other person is eating something lighter, such as the grilled chicken sandwich or a salad. Red neck sliders are $12.25 if you would rather split a few smaller beef portions.
Pimento cheese shows up more than once on this menu. If you want the story behind that spread before you order the burger, the pimento cheese guide covers the flavor. For the mac and cheese side that often lands between two burgers, see the mac and cheese plate guide.
What Should You Order From the Basket Combos?
A basket combo is the most complete single plate for a date. It includes cornbread, one side, and a soda or tea. You do not have to build the extras yourself.
Crispy chicken tenders are $15.25. Share a few if the other plate is a sandwich.
Crispy fried shrimp is $15.25. Pair it with a chicken sandwich so the table is not all one protein.
Cornmeal fried catfish is $15.50. It is the basket to choose when you want a Pee Dee fish plate.
The wing basket is $14.95. Use it when wings are the main event, not a side snack.
Slow-smoked BBQ pork is $14.50. It fits a date that wants smoke without a burger.
Because the combo already includes a side, spend that choice on a vegetable or a fried green tomato. Fries are easy to get with a sandwich. Collard greens, mac and cheese, potato salad, or fresh fruit change the plate.
The fried chicken story is bigger than one basket. The Southern fried chicken guide explains why that plate stays at the center of a Florence comfort meal. Use the tenders basket when you want that flavor tonight and still want a second dish on the table.
How Do Wings Change the Table?
Wings are the flexible add-on. Six are $7.75, twelve are $14.95, eighteen are $22.95, and twenty-four are $29.75. A date for two rarely needs more than six or twelve unless wings are dinner by themselves.
Sauces and rubs include buffalo, teriyaki, hot-yaki, mango BBQ, maple lemon pepper, vinegar-pepper, maple balsamic, house dry rub, tangy mustard BBQ, garlic parmesan, and Flo-Ville Hot. The order comes with ranch or blue cheese. Extra sauces are $1 each.
Pick one familiar sauce and one local sauce. Buffalo or garlic parmesan is easy to share. Vinegar-pepper, Flo-Ville Hot, or mango BBQ gives the plate a point of view. If heat is a maybe, put the hot sauce on the side instead of coating every wing.
Six wings plus two sandwiches is plenty for most couples who want a taste without a second full dinner. Twelve wings plus one basket is the better plan when you arrived hungry or you are skipping a second entree.
Which Side Is Worth Sharing?
Sides are $4. The list is french fries, collard greens, mac and cheese, fresh fruit, potato salad, a side salad, and fried green tomato. A $4 side is the cheapest way to add a second flavor to a sandwich that already includes fries.
Collard greens are the side to share when you want something savory and green next to fried chicken or a burger. Mac and cheese is the side to share when the mains are seafood or a lighter chicken salad. Fried green tomato is the side to share when you want crunch that is not another pile of fries.
Potato salad and fresh fruit cool the plate down. A side salad is the right extra when one person wants greens and the other does not want to give up a basket.
Do not order three starches. If the sandwich includes fries and the basket includes cornbread, the shared side should be greens, a tomato, or a small salad. That keeps the meal filling without making the table feel heavy.
Can a Salad Still Feel Like Date Night?
Yes, if the other plate is generous. Salads are not a lesser date. They are how you balance a fried basket.
The shrimp Caesar is $15.95, with romaine, croutons, parmesan, and Caesar dressing. The chef salad is $16.95, with lettuce, tomato, egg, ham, turkey, cucumber, cheddar, and ranch. The chicken garden salad is $15.75, with romaine, tomato, cucumber, and croutons.
Dressings are blue cheese, balsamic, Caesar, honey mustard, ranch, sriracha ranch, and Italian. Ask for dressing on the side if you are sharing a few bites and want the greens to stay crisp.
A clean pair is the shrimp Caesar with the hand-breaded chicken sandwich, or the chicken garden salad with the catfish basket. You still get Southern food. You also get two textures instead of two fried plates.
What Should You Order for Different Date Styles?
Match the order to the kind of evening you have, not to a long list of dishes. These are starting points from the current menu, not a promise that every item is on the board that night.
PlatePriceBest forHand-breaded chicken sandwich.$13.50.A classic crunchy plate.Shrimp or catfish po' boy.$13.95.A coastal date plate.Cornmeal fried catfish basket.$15.50.A full combo with a side.Six wings.$7.75.A shared add-on.
After work
Order the chicken bacon cheddar melt for $13.50 and the crispy chicken tenders basket for $15.25. Share collard greens for $4.
One person wants heat
Order the shrimp or catfish po' boy for $13.95 and six wings for $7.75. Share a fried green tomato for $4.
Quieter table
Order the grilled chicken sandwich for $12.25 and the shrimp Caesar for $15.95. Share fresh fruit for $4.
Hungry Saturday
Order the BBQ bacon cheddar burger for $14.50 and the slow-smoked BBQ pork basket for $14.50. Share mac and cheese for $4.
After-work catch-up
Order the chicken bacon cheddar melt and the crispy chicken tenders basket. Share an order of collard greens. The melt brings heat, the basket brings cornbread, and neither one needs a long debate.
One person wants heat
Order the shrimp or catfish po' boy and six wings in buffalo or Flo-Ville Hot. Add fried green tomato if you want a third crunch. Keep the second sauce on the side.
A quieter, lighter table
Order the grilled chicken sandwich and the shrimp Caesar. Share fresh fruit or a side salad. This is the best fit when you want to talk more than you want to feast.
A hungry Saturday
Order the BBQ bacon cheddar burger and the slow-smoked BBQ pork basket. Share mac and cheese. Add six wings only if you already know you want leftovers.
For a wider look at budget-friendly Southern plates around the city, the cheap Southern meals guide is useful. Tonight's prices above are the ones on the Notch8 menu dated September 2026.
How Do You Plan the Visit Around the Meal?
The dining room is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm, and closed Sunday through Tuesday. A date night here is an early evening, not a late reservation. Arriving before 7 pm gives you more time to eat without watching the clock.
Notch8 is at 600 A Pamplico Highway, Florence, SC 29505, near Freedom Florence Recreation Park and the South Park area. If you are coming from downtown Florence, the meal is a short drive rather than a walk from the historic district. The Florence Downtown Development Corporation describes a walkable district with hotels, independent restaurants, and a weekend itinerary. Use that afternoon plan, then drive to Pamplico Highway for supper.
Check hours, directions, and the phone number on the visit page before you leave. The public phone is (843) 507-9919. The page also notes daily specials, ready-to-roll dinners, and wing specials, so it is worth asking what is on the board.
Takeout and curbside pickup are available through Toast when you would rather eat at home. Delivery is for pre-orders of 10 plates or more, which is an event order, not a two-person date. For a couple, choose dine-in or pickup.
What If You Want Dessert or a Bigger Spread Later?
The restaurant menu PDF does not list a dessert card with prices. Do not promise a specific sweet just because a comfort-food kitchen often has one. Ask what is available that day.
If the conversation turns to cakes, banana pudding, or a tray for a party, that is catering, not this date. Catering orders generally start at 10 plates, need 24 hours of notice, and custom cakes need 48 hours. A 50 percent deposit and a signed contract apply to corporate and other catered events. Those rules live on the catering page, and the team handles a large volume of events each year.
House-made dessert stories, including banana pudding and peach cobbler, belong to their own guides. Read the banana pudding guide or the peach cobbler guide when you want that background. Confirm the night's offer in the dining room.
The broader comfort-food map for the site is the Southern comfort foods guide. It is the right next read if you want the tradition behind the plate. It is not a substitute for the current menu.
A Simple Order You Can Copy
If you want one plan and no debate, use this for two people on a Wednesday through Saturday evening.
Order the hand-breaded chicken sandwich for the first plate.
Order the cornmeal fried catfish basket, or the crispy fried shrimp basket, for the second plate.
Choose collard greens or fried green tomato as the basket side.
Add six wings in one mild sauce and one hotter sauce only if you are still hungry.
Ask about the daily special and any dessert before you close the order.
That spread uses current menu items, keeps the proteins different, and stays in a normal date-night budget. Two sandwiches would land near $27 before tax and tip. A sandwich plus a basket lands closer to $29. Wings at the six-piece price add $7.75. Sides are $4 if you want one more.
None of those totals include tax, tip, or a special that replaces a listed item. They are a planning range from the printed prices, not a check total.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good southern food for date night Florence SC order for two?
A hand-breaded chicken sandwich and a catfish or shrimp basket is a reliable split. Add collard greens or a fried green tomato instead of a second order of fries. Ask about the daily special before you commit.
What time can we eat dinner at Notch8?
The dining room is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm. It is closed Sunday through Tuesday. An arrival before 7 pm leaves more time for a relaxed meal.
Do the sandwiches come with a side?
Yes. Sandwiches and burgers include fries. Basket combos include cornbread, one side, and a soda or tea. Extra sides are $4, and sandwich substitutions are $2.
Can we get this meal delivered?
A two-person date should dine in or use pickup. Delivery is for pre-orders of 10 plates or more. Order pickup through the Toast link, and confirm the time before you drive over.
Where do we go if the date becomes a party?
Use the catering menu for groups, office meals, and events. Most items need a 10-person minimum and 24 hours of notice. Final counts are due seven days before the event.
Bring the plan, then let the server confirm what is on tonight. A clear order is the easiest way to spend the meal talking instead of deciding.
