What are your thought on dating a coworker?

I'm young and work at a restaurant. My bosses just hired a new guy and the people I work with say he's a pretty good catch, he's really easygoing and we get along great. I'm not saying I would jump into anything at this point in time, but thinking about it got me curious. I've turned down the other opportunities I've had to go out with a coworker because I wanted to avoid getting in a sticky situation. But I'd like to know, what are your thoughts about dating a coworker? Is it worth the risk, or too messy and awkward to even consider it?