TripAdvisor picks SF seafood spot and Monterey tiki bar among its top 25 restaurants in the country

TripAdvisor recognized Hula's Island Grill in Monterey among the top 25 "everyday dining" restaurants in the U.S. It ranked 14. TripAdvisor recognized Hula's Island Grill in Monterey among the top 25 "everyday dining" restaurants in the U.S. It ranked 14. Photo: Hula's Island Grill & Tiki Room Photo: Hula's Island Grill & Tiki Room Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close TripAdvisor picks SF seafood spot and Monterey tiki bar among its top 25 restaurants in the country 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

A San Francisco seafood spot and a Monterey tiki restaurant are among the 25 best "everyday dining" restaurants in the nation, according to TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice awards ranked Fog Harbor Fish House in San Francisco as the sixth best in the "everyday dining" category, while ranking Hula’s Island Grill in Monterey as the 14th best restaurant.

The win was a surprise for Hula Island's chef-owner and creative director, Lynnette Griffin Ting, who says her team didn’t know about the ranking until the results were published.

“We’re super stoked and are grateful for the acknowledgment,” Griffin Ting said.

Since 1998, Hula’s Island Grill has served what Griffin Ting describes as island-inspired dishes. One of the most popular entrees is the Kingston crab curry that’s served on the dinner menu. The dish comes with mounds of Dungeness crab meat and barramundi in spicy yellow curry. It’s served with veggies and steamed white rice.

As for the tiki bar portion of the restaurant, there are 14 different tropical cocktails available. Among the most popular is the Hula’s Mai Tai. It's a drink Griffin Ting prides herself on, and a tough drink to make well.

“Drinks are standard size, but we make strong cocktails with a heavy pour,” she says.

Fog Harbor Fish House, located at Pier 39, has an array of dishes on the menu but their clam chowder is among the most popular items. Last year their chowder won the annual Wharf Fest.

For the 2019 Traveler’s Choice awards, TripAdvisor recognized 584 restaurants around the world and 75 restaurants based in the U.S. within three different categories: fine dining, everyday dining, and casual dining. Restaurant winners were recognized based on factors that included quality and quantity of reviews that were gathered over a 12-month period.

In the "fine dining" restaurant category, two other Bay Area restaurants made the cut: Kokkari Estiatorio in San Francisco ranked 18th while Bistro Jeanty in Yountville came in at 23rd of 25 restaurants in this category.

Hula’s Island Grill is located at 622 Lighthouse Ave. in Monterey. Its Santa Cruz location can be found at 221 Cathcart St. Fog Harbor Fish House is located at Pier 39, Ste A-202 in San Francisco.

Susana Guerrero is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: Susana.Guerrero@sfgate.com | Twitter: @SusyGuerrero3