Willie McGinest is fighting back in his restaurant attack case ... pleading not guilty to all charges, TMZ Sports has learned.
According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office ... the New England Patriots legend entered the pleas at a hearing on Tuesday.
Willie McGinest Charged With Two Felonies Over Restaurant Attack
McGinest had been first hit with the charges -- one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one felony count of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury -- in March ... after he had been accused of beating the hell out of a man during a December 2022 attack at Delilah in West Hollywood.
A lawsuit filed by the alleged victim in the case claimed McGinest snapped on him after he had made a comment about USC -- Willie's alma mater -- and its Pac-12 title game loss to Utah.
Video of the alleged incident we obtained shows McGinest and several others punching the man repeatedly ... before the ex-NFL star grabs a nearby bottle and hits man in the head with it.
McGinest did publicly apologize over it all days after the allegations surfaced ... saying in a statement, "To my family, community, friends, and youth I mentor, please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility."
He's due back in court for another hearing on the matter in October.