Hawaii’s idyllic scenery and upscale outdoor dining choices has the isles ranked third in the U.S. among the top 100 Best Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America.

The new list by OpenTable.com does not rank the restaurants, but lists them alphabetically.

Hawaii’s 17 restaurants on the top 100 list compare with winners in larger states including the 45 in California and the 18 in Florida. No other state’s al fresco dining scene scored double-digits. Arizona has seven restaurants on the list, while Nevada and South Carolina each have two listed restaurants.

Oahu’s lone winner on the list is Ola at Turtle Bay in Kahuku.

The luxury resorts that line the Kohala Coast gave Hawaii island five of its eight winners including Brown’s Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid; CanoeHouse at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows; Kamuela Provision Co. at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort; Lava Lava Beach Club at Ana‘eho‘omalu Bay and ‘Ulu Ocean Grill and Sushi Lounge at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. 

Three more Big Island winners not set within luxury resorts are Blue Dragon Restaurant across from Kawaihae Harbor, Island Lava Java Bistro and Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai in Kailua-Kona.

Five Maui restaurants — Pacific‘O, Duke’s Beach House Maui, Gannon’s, Frida’s Mexican Beach House, Hula Grill-Kaanapali and Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante — made the ranking.

Two Kauai restaurants made the list: Oasis in Kapaa, and Plantation Gardens, in Koloa.

The list reflects results from five million diner reviews of more than 20,000 restaurants in 50 states and the District of Columbia.  

American fare is on most of the listed restaurants’ menus, but regional Californian and Hawaiian regional cuisines, as well as seafood, also are popular on the menus.

The list was compiled from among more than 5 million reviews submitted by OpenTable.com users between May 1, 2014 and April 30, 2015.

“From beachfront eateries along the shores of Florida and Hawaii to restaurants highlighting Californian nature and those under expansive Arizona skies, the honorees on this year’s list are dining destinations where the setting is as Instagrammable as the food,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable Chief Dining Officer, in a statement. 

http://www.opentable.com/m/best-outdoor-dining-restaurants-in-america/