Adrian Gonzalez, a former San Diego Padres star and Major League Baseball standout, is returning to his roots in Chula Vista — this time as a restaurateur. The binational success story, who grew up in Tijuana and Chula Vista and went on to hit 317 home runs over a 15-year MLB career, has opened Tres Dos Tres, a new restaurant serving Tijuana-style Mexican food. “We got two Tijuana-style tacos — guacamole, onion, cilantro and salsa,” Gonzalez said. The restaurant officially opened with a ribbon-cutting celebration, drawing a crowd of eager customers lining up to build their own tacos, burritos or bowls. Gonzalez spent much of the morning greeting fans, taking photos and thanking supporters. “It means a lot to open up here,” Gonzalez said. “Our plans to open everywhere in the nation, franchise everywhere, but it’s always good to open first one in an area that is dear to you.” The name Tres Dos Tres reflects both his business and baseball roots — a nod to his three business partners and the No. 23 jersey he wore during his career. The restaurant also earned a meaningful stamp of approval. “We got approval from all the abuelitas, that’s for sure,” Gonzalez said. To mark the grand opening, the first 25 customers received a gift bag and a signed baseball personally handed out by Gonzalez. Fans showed up not only for the food but also for the chance to meet the hometown hero. “I want him to pop quiz me, I know everything about him,” said Romeo Montes. “I’m a big Padres fan. I’ve been loving Padres since I was out the womb.” Gonzalez, who played for both the Padres and Dodgers, also weighed in on a favorite topic — which city has the best tacos? “For me it’s Tijuana,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t really get the San Diego-LA rivalry with tacos because any good taco everybody knows comes from Tijuana, and Tijuana tacos came to San Diego. So if you had to say it’d be San Diego because they have more Tijuana influence.” This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less