What Makes Smoke Cantina One of the Best in the Region: What You Get When You Visit
- Jeremy Jetfuel
- Jun 13, 2025
- 10 min read
Smoke Cantina is arguably one of the most unique restaurants in Franklin and possibly the surrounding region. A small hallway sized restaurant with less seating capacity than Eatn Park, we understand why they painted the front of their building in such a way to keep them from standing out. The food is so top notch, they would not be able to handle the crowds breaking down their doors. It would be more violent than a shopping mob on Black Friday.
Our lead journalist, Jeremy Jetfuel, visited this restaurant on three consistent occasions requesting the staff and owner for their recommendations. We wanted this review to be as informational as possible to show people what kind of quality they can get in a restuarant that honestly needs to pack up and move to the tenth story of a New York skyscraper. What the heck are you people doing in Venango County anyway? You are way too good for us!
Our platform is comedy. However, our goal is to also promote the businesses that help Venango County thrive. For this reason, we are cutting back on the satire once again to bring a genuine review with a few jokes mixed in here and there. We highly recomend this location for a night out! This is what Smoke Cantina had to offer us.....
Pork Chops with Grits
Every time I hear the word grits, I think of a term that should be used to describe a person with guts. Aparently it also classifies as a sidedish. So the next time someone says you have "grit" check and see if they are talking about your tough personality or an entree.
The Smoke Cantina features a pork chop to die for. I mean seriously, even though meats already dead you better be willing to take a bullet if anyone ever threatens this masterpiece at gunpoint. I personally never had pork chops growing up because my family was poo..... We couldn't afford the "r" to finish the title....
Nonetheless, my impression of pork chops growing up was a bone with barely any meat on it. Smoke Cantina proved me wrong. According to the waitress, these delicious beef cakes are marinated in some big complicated word I can't pronounce. Who really cares what it's called. It's still freaking delicious!
Stuffed Shrimp
Seafood is a necessity for fine dining and must be done correctly. Presenting low quality underwater delicacies is the ultimate sin in the catering industry. Fortunately, the Smoke Cantina honors the unspoken rule with their delicious Stuffed Shrimp. To be more precise, jumbo coctail shrimp split down the middle served on top of super lump crab. This would be the same crab used to make their popular crab cakes.
To give the shrimp the appeal you would see on the box, it is drizzeled with Lemon Aioli. Another high class sounding word that tastes as good as it implies. Not high class looking enough? First, you're a liar if you think so. Secondly, it comes with an Asian fruit slaw next to the shrimp. This is the kind of slaw they make in Asia as implied by the name.....
Keylime Creme Brulee Spicey Margarita
What we were not prepared for in ordering this dish was the fact that it comes with a jalapeno in the center and a homeade tajin (that means spicey) on the outside of the bowl. Believe it or not, we were in such a daze after ordering the Pork Chops with Grits that we did not notice the word "spicey" in the title of this desert. My only complaint to Smoke Cantina is that in America, desert means sweet flavor. I know this restaurant features recipes from all around the world, but come on now! Putting spice with desert is like putting chicken with waffles. Just because it's popular doesn't mean the idea is good! I'm sorry to be blunt. We're sure this is a quality option for those who like to burn their mouths on their cake. It just was not for us. Please do not bar us from your wonderful establishment!
While eating this dish, we felt like we were playing operation. Just dip the metal utensil into the bowl and remove the contents without accidentally touching the edges. If you do touch the edges, be sure to recieve a massive jolt when the lava crumbs touch your tongue.
Cucumber Zen Garden Vodka
Brewed in the heart of Pittburgh's Boyd and Blair Distillery, the vodka features cucumber flavoring infused into the drink. Additionally, a homade matcha syrup is mixed in to help the flavor taste like tea. Now, you can have a sophisticated Brittish tea gathering mixed with a wine tasting contest courtesy of the Smoke Cantina.
To be honest, we here at the Venango Republic don't drink. We tried to sip this but cringed because we are wimps and cannot handle the strength of alcohol. We are just going to assume based on all the classy information about this drink that it taste good for those of you who can handle booze.
Ramen Bowl
The Ramen Bowl features two chop sticks. Perfect for helping you Americans look clumbsy while eating your dinner. We were going to ask for utensils, but were too embarassed to admit we were American....
The recipe consists of real ramen. That means more authentic than the cheap packs you get from Aldi's. Right off the bat, the flavor of the soup makes you wonder why you have been buying the cheap version all these years. I'm typically one who likes to drain the noodles before applying the flavoring. In this case however, I did not mind it as a soup. All the elements applied to the bowl enhanced the flavor with a slightly salty but not overpowering sensation. The pork was fantastic but could be substituted if you believe pigs should not die in the name of ramen. I do have to thank Smoke Cantina for making the jalapeno's removable. With how much we at the Venango Republic hate spice, having the option to excomunicate our least favorite substance was a great feeling.
The biggest complaint about the bowl is that trying to masterfully pick up the egg is a challenge. We here at the Venango Republic are not skilled in the art of Chop Suey. This means that picking up eggs gently with chop sticks is not our area of expertise. The eggs kept crumbling and eventually we asked for a spoon.
Honey Bee Stinger
The Honey Bee Stinger is a Whisky Coctail infused with hot honey and elder flower. At first, the owner went easy on us giving us a non-spicy option. When we learned this, we told her to give us the full experience. We were immediately put into cardiac arrest as a result.....
All joking aside (until we decide to make another joke), the drink features a tiny plant called a buzz button. For the first half of the drink, you are supposed to chew half the buzz button to influence your taste buds with a particular flavor. The button has an imediate sensation similar to what you smell when you cover your back with Vicks Vapo Rub. It also numbs your tongue slightly. This way, if you are going to a dental proceedure after visiting the Smoke Cantina, you are all set to have your mouth drilled into.
The Vicks Vapo Rub really did conceal the heat of the drinks spicy nature. However, when you swallow a decent portion, there is a bit of a spicy tingle in your throat. The owner described this as just heat resonating from the spices added. As much as we hate spice, we could tollerate this part of the drink. The hardest part was actually enduring the alcohol flavor which we are still not accustomed to. We really need to get out more.....
Sticky Duck with White Mac N Cheese
The Sticky Duck is very unique in that when you throw it up against a wall, it does not detach easily. When the waitress brought this dish to our table, she accidentally slipped, and in slapstick comedy style, threw the duck into the air. We had to get a ladder to remove it from the ceiling.
All joking asside, the Sticky Duck is a phenominal option for unique entree's. Chopped into several strips to ensure the duck can't get away, this option features a spicy Asian glaze and is pan seared to give it that crispy texture. The duck is placed on a portion of fried rice which can also be offered as a side. In this case, we got the Mac N Cheese. I mean..... Why would we get a side of rice for a duck that's already sitting on rice? You aren't making any sense Daffy......
The Mac N Cheese features a white cheese blend with bread crumbs sprinkled on top. The recipe is baked then put through a series of harsh verbal judgement so it's perfection does not get to its head. If you like macaroni, you will fall in love with this. If you do not like macaroni, you are full of bolony.
Water
Inported from all over the world through the pipes leading to their sink, the Smoke Cantina features a clear substance useful for staying hydrated. The properties of this drink are labeled H2O. Some have speculated it is due to the drink consisting of hydrogen and 2 parts oxygen. We have not found conclusive evidence to support this claim.
The water you recieve from the Smoke Cantina sink has likely been to many countries over the course of history and probably was urinated out of other people who drank it before you. This is what Mufasa calls the "circle of life." We're sorry if we spoiled your appetite with that detail, but technically it is true, and you're going to have to drink water eventually despite how we marred your perspective of it.
Snickers Tart
We were cought off guard but not suprised to find that a side of bacon goes well with desert. Unlike spices, bacon goes with everything. The Snickers Tart is a dish you will want to hork down as quickly as you can. Not just for the fact that it is delicious, but for the fact that it is a snicker, meaning it is scornfully laughing at you the longer you wait. Every special feature about the Smoke Cantina recipes are made in house. Chefs prepare this desert by handpressing the Oreo crust as a base for the tart. In the center, you have a thick carmel and peanut butter nougat topped with chocolate ganache along with a housemade carmel glaze graciously drizzled on the top for extra appeal. This desert is so heavenly, we fear Jenny Craig will lose some subscribers this month.
Lemon Basil Spritzer
The Lemon Jello Wine is in no way jello like, leading to the suspicion that they do not actually put jello cubes inside. With fresh basil and lemon, the drink smells like a mixture of a lemon-scented candle and a backyard herb garden — refreshing, confusing, and oddly reminiscent of Grandma’s kitchen in July. Produced by Narcisi, the wine is a popular choice among customers according to the bar tender. Unfortunately, we struggle to tolerate beverages with alcoholic levels above zero percent. Consequently, we had to take the bar tenders word for it that it is really good. We believe you bar tender!
Corn Bread
What was once a recipe consisting of diced jalapeno's inside, according to the waitress, now customers have the option of removing the jalapeno on the top if they want to spare their tongue horiffic torture. You can litterally look at that spicey turd and say "knock knock." The spice will respond "who's there?" And you say "jalapeno." Before they can say "jalapeno who?" you say "jalapeno business" and flick that piece of nonsense off the bread! Sorry. We don't like spice!
The jalapeno is a nice addition for people who want to burn their tongue. Also, the ability to remove it for people who are sane is also a nice touch. As for the bread itself, it crumbles in your mouth with sweet flavoring goodness. The flavor has a slight sweetness that is not overpowering but noticable. It features a honey butter at the base which from our understanding is also made in house. We should also mention that the jalapeno we keep dumping on is cheddar flavor. We cannot be certain, but we are convinced they did not grow it with cheese inside. It is more likely they cooked it on top.
Conclusion
We have two favorite restaurants in Franklin. Smoke Cantina is one of those restuarants. We would like to thank the owner for allowing us the privelege to dine in as our wallets permitted. We had a chance to converse with the owner briefly by phone just days before publishing this article. Because we never reveal the names of people on our site for their confidentiality, we will refer to her by Google's definition of her name. In our conversation with "God Is My Judge," we learned that she started her career in New York City. This restaurant opening propelled her career toward other oportunities around the country and the world. Smoke Cantina is the 14th place she has opened and the first that was primarily her own business. Many of the businesses she helped start were based in several different states including Hawaii, Texas, Chicago, Ohio, and now Pensylvania. She has also traveled the world to study various cuisines and ingredients. The goal being to get the authentic experience so she can provide the same to her guests.
Expanded from a catering business across the street, the Smoke Cantina has become a popular choice for locals. In describing the unique nature of the Smoke Cantina, God Is My Judge states that "if you want something different that you can't find locally and as authentic as you can get, we're the destination you choose." God Is My Judge says that she has a following that stretches all the way to Erie, with guests regularly driving the distance to enjoy the dine in experience. "I could not run it without the team I have. They are the ones who uphold my vision and my culture. I could not do it without them."
Between running the Home Grown Kitchen catering business, to building a restaurant of diverse cuisine, to being a wife and mother of two children, the owner of Smoke Cantina has a lot to be proud of. She is undoubtedly a hardworking individual who has accomplished a lot in her travels. Something she mentioned to me in my short interview with her on the phone is that she was raised in Franklin Pensylvania. Despite traveling the world and having a major part in opening high end restaurants across the country, she chose to come back to her home town and open a restaurant that very well could thrive in a major city like New York. With this in mind, I think it's fair to say that Venango County is lucky to have this kind of entrepenuer around. Not only does it afford us a style of cuisine that is not common in this regione, but it also speaks a message of how contentment with a small town lifestyle does not mean you have to be held back from success. This style of cooking could very well be found in a major city but she is making it work in the small town she grew up in.
By the way, if you think I'm lying about the definition of her name, here's the proof....
Hmmmmm.... I guess you're also an electrochemical cell..... The more you know.....
Comments