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Why the Sign Says "Chinese Food & Hamburger": The Story Behind Mark's Kitchen
By the Mark's Kitchen crewPublished August 20267 min read
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First-time visitors almost always ask about the sign. "Mark's Kitchen, Chinese Food & Hamburger" isn't a typo or a leftover from an older business. It's a plain description of what the counter sells.
You can order orange chicken and chow mein, or you can order a cheeseburger. Plenty of people order both. This page covers where the building came from, why the menu went two directions, and what you'll find there today.
Quick Facts About Mark's Kitchen
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Address | 4828 E Belmont Ave, Fresno, CA 93727 |
| Building dates to | 1972 |
| What the sign promises | Chinese food and hamburgers |
| Run by | Helen Po's family, for nearly 30 years as of 2024 |
| Hours | Monday to Saturday, 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM. Closed Sunday. |
| Known for | Big plates, the burger side of the menu, and Helen's TikTok fame |
A Building That Goes Back to 1972
The building at 4828 E Belmont Ave, just east of Chestnut Avenue, dates back to 1972. The menu has grown since then. Dishes have been added and the decor has changed here and there.
The basic idea has stayed the same the whole time. One counter serves Chinese takeout and American diner food under one roof.
The 2000 Fresno Bee clipping
A Fresno Bee clipping from August 2000 still hangs, framed, inside the restaurant. Back then the paper described Mark's Kitchen as half burger counter, half Chinese takeout joint.
The clipping also mentions something regulars don't see anymore: padded seats that hung from the ceiling, so customers could swing a little while they ate.
Who Was Mark?
Nobody seems to know for sure, including longtime regulars. The name is older than the current owners by a wide margin, and there's no public record of who Mark was.
We'd rather leave it as an open question than make up an answer.
Regulars who go back further than the current owners
Some customers remember the place before Helen's family took over. Robert Watson told the Fresno Bee in 2024 that he had been coming in for nearly 30 years, starting before the Po family ran the restaurant.
Why Chinese Food and Burgers Ended Up Under One Roof
Nobody wrote down why this particular counter started selling both. But the combination is common in California, and the reasons behind it are well documented.
One kitchen, two kinds of customers
Small restaurants pay the same rent whether they sell one kind of food or two. A 2021 KQED report on California's Chinese food and donut shops quotes a San Francisco owner who put it simply: "We have to sell more stuff to make up the rent and the expense."
A mixed menu also brings in people who want different things. One person in a car wants chow mein. The other wants a burger. A counter that sells both gets both orders.
A very California pattern
KQED traces part of this to Cambodian refugee families who opened donut shops across California after 1975. At the peak, about 90 percent of the state's 5,000 independent donut shops were Cambodian-owned, and many added Chinese food or burgers to stay busy past breakfast.
Chinese-American food has always adapted
Chinese-American cooking grew up by adjusting to local tastes. The Smithsonian's Sweet & Sour exhibit tells that story through restaurants that changed their menus to fit the towns they opened in. A Fresno counter selling burgers next to fried rice fits right into that history.
What Each Side of the Menu Looks Like Today
The sign still describes the menu. Here's what each half covers.
| Side of the menu | What you'll find |
|---|---|
| Chinese food | Orange chicken, chow mein, Mongolian beef, shrimp dishes, pork fried rice and combination plates |
| Hamburgers | Classic burgers, including a triple-patty cheeseburger with bacon |
| Extras on the boards | Teriyaki plates over steamed rice, and Thai tea |
Fresnoland's 2026 eastside food guide put a typical visit at $15 to $25 a person. The guide also notes the portions are huge.
For the full list with prices, see our menu. If you're not sure where to start, these are the 5 dishes regulars order most.
The Woman Behind the Counter Today
Today, Mark's Kitchen is best known for Heak "Helen" Po. Her family has run the restaurant for nearly 30 years, and she works the counter.
She went viral on TikTok in 2023 and 2024 for roasting customers and then handing them a huge plate of food. A later Fresno Bee story put her following at about half a million on TikTok.
Her full story, the numbers and what to expect at the counter are in our article on the viral Fresno Chinese food lady.
The sticker wall
Fresnoland's guide has one more tip for visitors: bring a sticker. Customers add their own stickers to Helen's sticker wall.
How to Spot the Sign on Belmont
If it's your first visit, the sign is the easiest landmark.
- Look for a tall red pole sign with a cream panel.
- "Mark's Kitchen" is in red at the top, "Chinese Food" is in the middle, and "& Hamburger" is in red at the bottom.
- The building behind it is small, with a red tile roof and an OPEN sign in the front window.
- It sits just east of Chestnut Avenue, with a parking lot right in front.
Our photo tour shows the storefront and counter. For hours and directions, see the contact page.
Part of Belmont Avenue's Restaurant Row
Mark's Kitchen isn't the only long-running spot on this road. The Fresno Bee counted at least 10 restaurants locals love along an 8-mile stretch of Belmont Avenue, and called the street a good example of Fresno's food diversity.
To see what else is near the restaurant, read our East Belmont Ave guide. For a look at the kitchen side of things, see a morning before the lunch rush.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Mark's Kitchen really sell hamburgers?
Yes. Burgers are on the menu next to the Chinese dishes, including a triple-patty cheeseburger with bacon.
How old is Mark's Kitchen?
The building dates back to 1972. A Fresno Bee clipping from August 2000 already described it as half burger counter, half Chinese takeout.
Who owns Mark's Kitchen now?
Helen Po's family. They had run it for nearly 30 years as of 2024, according to the Fresno Bee.
Who was Mark?
No one knows for certain. The name is older than the current owners, and there's no public record of who Mark was.
Is Mark's Kitchen open on Sunday?
No. It's open Monday to Saturday, 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM. Call (559) 454-1438 to check holiday hours.
Sources
- A big plate of Chinese food with side of sass. Mark's Kitchen is a Fresno gem, Robert Rodriguez, Fresno Bee (via AOL), April 2024
- This unexpected road hosts 10 classically Fresno restaurants, Bethany Clough, Fresno Bee (via Yahoo News)
- Watch: Fresno Chinese restaurant owner's viral insults draw crowds, NextShark, April 2024
- Why Donuts + Chinese Food = A Very Californian Combination, Asal Ehsanipour, KQED, May 2021
- An eastside local's neighborhood food guide to southeast Fresno, Dayana Jiselle, Fresnoland, April 2026
- Sweet & Sour: A Look at the History of Chinese Food in the United States, Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- American Chinese cuisine, Wikipedia
Reading this made you hungry? Call ahead and we'll have it ready.
(559) 454-1438M
Written by
The Mark's Kitchen crew
Notes on Chinese food in Fresno from the kitchen on E Belmont Ave, what to order, how to order it, and the questions locals actually ask.
