Photo courtesy of OpenTable.

By Sonia Isotov

Just in time for the summer travel season, OpenTable, Inc., a national provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations, today announced the 50 winners of its Diners’ Choice Awards for Best Outdoor Dining in the United States.  Hawaii boasted eight winners, and half of them were on Maui.

Maui Top Outdoor Dining Spot winners included:

• Capische – Wailea, Hawaii
• Duke’s Beach House Maui – Lahaina, Hawaii
• Hula Grill Kaanapali – Lahaina, Hawaii
• Nick’s Fishmarket Maui – Wailea, Hawaii

The list of winners is derived from more than seven million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Gulf Coast city of Naples, Florida, took the top spot with six places on the list.  Eleven additional restaurants throughout the state of Florida were also winners. Eighteen winners hail from California and are scattered throughout The Golden State, from San Francisco to San Diego.

“Clearly, the cornerstone of great outdoor dining is a great location, but, really, there’s much more to it than that.  The winning restaurants on this list have put great effort into creating an ambiance that maximizes their surroundings while also crafting a menu that will wow foodies,” says Caroline Potter, OpenTable’s Chief Dining Officer.  “These restaurants have shown diners that they don’t have to choose between one or the other.  They can have it all – al fresco dining and amazing eats.”