WASHINGTON — President Trump was in a Washington food fracas before he was even elected.

He landed in the middle of two lawsuits in the summer of 2016 with restaurateurs who had backed out of opening establishments in the Trump International Hotel near the White House, and by 2017 was tangling with the owners of the Cork Wine Bar, who claimed the hotel amounted to unfair competition.

Those were on top of his eating fried chicken with a fork, and an unfortunate taco bowl incident. His first meal as commander in chief was an overcooked steak with ketchup, which set off a minor freakout among food critics. Local restaurants waited in vain to serve a new president, who they soon discovered prefers burgers and the White House meatloaf at home.

Of the myriad Obama administration policies and practices that have been upturned by Mr. Trump, his approach to dining and nutrition is clearly not the most significant. But it has left a notable mark on the culture of the White House and the nation’s capital.