Arcadia is getting the full Poolboy treatment.
Poolhouse Group, the Phoenix hospitality team behind Gadzooks Enchiladas & Soup and The Green Woodpecker, is bringing Poolboy Taco to 40th Street and Camelback Road with a new Arcadia location opening Monday, May 18. The restaurant will take over the former Gadzooks space at 4031 E. Camelback Road, giving one of Phoenix’s most familiar dining corners a cheeky new glow-up.
Poolboy already has a Midtown Phoenix home at 3112 N. Central Ave., Suite 102, but this Arcadia opening gives the concept a bigger, splashier stage. Before going permanent, Poolboy built its reputation as an elusive pop-up with long lines at the Aspen Food & Wine festival and viral pop-ups in Hollywood. Now, the brand is leaning all the way into its poolside persona.
A Taco Spot With Cabana Energy
The new restaurant reimagines the 1950s-era quick-service experience with a cheeky, design-forward vibe. Think retro diner, poolside cabana, pastel neon, and just enough wink to make lunch feel like a tiny vacation.
The interiors were conceived in collaboration with local design firm House of Form, with Poolhouse Group calling the experience “Quality Quick Service.” Translation: fast-casual, but make it intentional.
Guests will enter beneath striped awnings into a dining room filled with cushy vinyl banquettes, terrazzo tables, playful murals, brass accents, sculptural seating, and a PHX heart wall installation built for the inevitable photo moment. Outside, a cabana-style patio lined with hedges and striped seating extends the breezy mood.
At just over 2,100 square feet, the space will seat around 50 guests across the interior lounge, dining areas, and patio. The kitchen is enclosed in glass, giving diners a peek at the action, while ordering happens at a bold new counter with brass rails and striped fronts.
The Poolboy Taco Gets Its Moment
The menu centers on personality-packed tacos served on Poolboy’s signature “50/50” tortilla, a proprietary corn-and-flour blend, or a crispy yellow corn shell.
The namesake Poolboy Taco sets the tone with tomatillo chicken, sweet-and-spicy cornbread, jalapeño ranch, honey glaze, and cotija. From there, the lineup gets playful fast.
There is the Ric with pinto beans, onion, and jack cheese; the Ron with spicy black beans, onion, and cheddar; the Duke with bacon, smashed potato, egg, and cheddar; Craigy’s with shredded pork, egg, and cheddar; and the Aspen with Wagyu ground beef, smashed potato, egg, and cheddar.
Guests can also “Make It Gold” with heartier builds like the Walt with Wagyu beef, pinto beans, and queso; the Molly with Angus short rib, habanero, guacamole, and cotija; the Ina with Angus short rib, guacamole, cilantro, and onion; and the Palm Lane, a vegetarian option with portobello mushroom and smashed potato.
More Than Tacos, Obviously
Poolboy is not stopping at tacos.
The menu also includes Big Boy Enchiladas with chicken and short rib topped with Christmas sauce, pico, slaw, and cotija; Uncle Rico’s Nachos layered with chips, queso, pico, slaw, pickled onion, and jalapeño ranch; the Poolboy Bowl with rice, beans, chicken, cornbread, and fresh toppings; plus a quesadilla, bean and cheese burrito, and the Poolboy Burrito with tomatillo chicken and cornbread.
A salsa bar adds extra customization, while sides like queso, guacamole, beans, and cornbread round out the spread.
Dessert comes with a family touch. Curated “by Mama Linda,” the Pool brothers’ mother, the sweet lineup includes housemade carrot cake, pumpkin cookies, and chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches.
The drink program keeps things breezy with frozen cocktails, slushie margaritas, ranch water, grapefruit margaritas, draft beer, and tallboys. Drinks will be picked up at the counter and served in branded 22-ounce Poolboy cups designed as collectibles.
Easy, Fun, and Fully Dialed In
“Poolboy is really about capturing that feeling of being somewhere that offers a sense of content, where you don’t have to overthink things, and the prices just work,” Aaron Pool says. “We wanted to build a spot that feels easy and fun, but still intentional in every detail, and I think we nailed it.”
That is the Poolboy sweet spot: unfussy food, glossy design, playful details, and enough personality to make a taco run feel like an outing.
Arcadia, consider yourself splashed.
Insider Takeaways
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Poolboy Taco opens Monday, May 18, at 4031 E. Camelback Road in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood. The new restaurant takes over the former Gadzooks space near 40th Street and Camelback Road.
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Poolboy also has a Midtown Phoenix location at 3112 N. Central Ave., Suite 102.
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The Arcadia design was created with House of Form and blends 1950s quick-service nostalgia with poolside cabana style.
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The menu centers on tacos served on a signature “50/50” corn-and-flour tortilla, with options including tomatillo chicken, Wagyu beef, Angus short rib, and portobello mushroom.
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Drinks include frozen cocktails, slushie margaritas, ranch water, grapefruit margaritas, draft beer, and tallboys served in collectible 22-ounce Poolboy cups.
See more at poolboytaco.com.
