Joe Francis -- ARRESTED in Alleged Girls Gone Wild Attack

Joe Francis was arrested Friday for allegedly attacking an employee at his old stomping ground -- the offices of "Girls Gone Wild."

Apparently Joe felt like reminiscing ... so he showed up at the L.A. offices Friday night. Problem is -- there's a restraining order prohibiting him from coming within 100 feet of the building.

Joe didn't care, and made his way up to the 10th floor where he got into it with a security guard ... according to law enforcement sources.

Security called the cops as a GGW employee tried to block Joe in the offices. The employee says Joe shoved him, and that triggered a citizen's arrest.

Cops took Joe to the station where he was booked for misdemeanor battery and released.

He's got another problem. There will almost certainly be a court hearing where Joe could be held in contempt for violating the restraining order, and that could mean time in the slammer.

Francis tells us the person he got into it with is the new owner of GGW and says the guy has a "business vendetta" against him.

Francis claims he had every right to be there because the restraining order is no longer active ... and also claims the security guard "manhandled" his pregnant wife.

We got him on the way out of jail ... but at the time, he clearly wasn't in the talking mood.