WEST ASHLEY — Joe Walker is no stranger to building things from the ground up. He founded a fitness studio, shops and restaurants, whips up delicious meals in the kitchens and is a hands-on dad who loves projects with his two sons.
But building a 46-foot bar made entirely out of black Lego pieces might be his most exhausting and fulfilling feat yet.
The Charleston resident and owner of the up-and-coming Bad Bambino restaurant recently revealed the fruits of his labor that took months, thousands of Legos and lots of glue to build — becoming the centerpiece of his latest endeavor.
As Walker neared the opening of his new restaurant at 1301 Ashley River Road, the bar was probably the biggest challenge, both in size and concept.
Walker and a friend first crafted the concrete bar top that he said turned out better than they expected and made him up the ante on the base.
“I was completely stumped and anxious about trying to do justice with this base holding such a magnificent, huge — it ended up being over three tons — concrete slab,” he said.
Local restaurateur Joe Walker is preparing to open Bad Bambino, a new Italian restaurant in West Ashley, and has a former Costa chef signed on to lead the kitchen.
Joe Walker/Provided
For weeks, Walker sampled tile, wood and various other materials, “completely aimless” on the direction. Then one day he was staring at the bar with his two sons when they started talking abut their Lego collection, chatting away that they should bring in the Leaning Tower of Pisa kit they built to fit with the Italian restaurant’s theme.
“It clicked and I thought how cool it would be to have Legos done as if they’re holding up this monolithic slab of polished concrete,” Walker said.
He got to work instantly on the design and said it soon became an obsession.
Ali McCurdy, director of operations for Bad Bambino and the other local businesses Walker and his wife Donna own, said Walker would bring a giant Lego board to staff meetings and try to figure out how to piece it all together and make a design that works.
“We knew there needed to be a pattern, but not a simple repetitive one,” she said. “It needed a little bit of controlled chaos, an overarching pattern.”
The project became a labor of love for Walker who, once he locked in on all black Legos, got down on the floor and executed it all by hand.
“Thousands of pieces and tons of super glue later, we ended up with what I feel is an amazing center piece of the space and serves as a reminder of the power of childlike imagination and ingenuity,” he said.
Walker and McCurdy are keeping mum on exactly how many Lego pieces were used. They’re planning to share the number in a fun reveal after opening.
McCurdy noted the blocks add a creative texture to something everyone is going to be sitting around.
Joe Walker, owner of Bad Bambino, created the Lego pattern and pieced them together by hand.
Bad Bambino/Provided
The restauran will feature an open concept kitchen, and McCurdy said while the food will be the focal point, the bar is the stage that it’ll be set upon.
Bad Bambino is intended to be an intimate space with lots of wood, metal and black — complemented by the Lego bar.
“It’s definitely a date night feel,” McCurdy said, noting there’s one six-top table and all the rest are two- and four-tops for small groups. Dinner will be first-come, first-served with no reservations.
Walker also owns Cafe Roca next door — a breakfast spot he opened in May 2025— and the Corner Shop, which sells wine, local goods and takeout meals.
He and his wife also have owned and operated Shift Pilates since September 2024.
Bad Bambino is expected to open Oct. 2.
Dining and Cooking