WEST ASHLEY — West Ashley is getting some amore when it comes to dining experiences.
Joe Walker, owner of Cafe Roca and The Corner Shop in West Ashley, is finally completing his trifecta of new food businesses along Ashley River Road with an Italian restaurant.
The area’s been without one for more than five years when local favorite Al Di La abruptly shut its doors after two decades.
Walker’s eyeing an August opening for Bad Bambino, its sign already posted and lit up, igniting curiosity from passersby daily.
The restaurateur sees the new venture, which will slip into the former Taco Bartina spot across from Home Team, as complementary to his Cafe Roca breakfast restaurant that he opened next door in early 2025.
“It’s very date-night vibes,” Walker said of the walk-in only restaurant.
Whereas Cafe Roca is light and airy and open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, Bad Bambino with its 35 seats would have a darker ambiance and operate 4-10 p.m., he said.
“Someone could come there twice a day and have a morning experience and a night experience,” Walker said with a laugh.
While the menu isn’t finalized, the chef is.
Will Cammer, former executive sous chef with Costa, has signed on to head up the kitchen, Walker said. Dinner offerings will be “much more simplified” and “straightforward” Italian favorites, such as chicken parmesan, Bolognese and alfredo.
“We’re also going to to do an upstate New York-style pizza, which is a square pizza, similar to grandma style,” Walker said.
To round out the dining experience, Bad Bambino will serve up a wine and beer bar with a nice wine program to keep things fresh, Walker said. He also plans for a heavy focus on take out, especially for people driving home on the busy corridor.
Other tenants in the Highway 61 retail center include Stuart Laurence Salon, Crew Lala dog boutique and Shift Pilates — which Walker and his wife opened in September 2024.
Walker added The Corner Shop last summer in the end cap at 1301-A Ashley River Road, selling beer and wine, gourmet grab-and-go meals from local vendors like Sarah’s Dumps, and food items from Charleston Spice Co., a local jam maker and more.
“Bad Bambino represents the last piece of the puzzle in that strip center,” he said.
Dining and Cooking