I’m familiar with it because I love the old Warner Brothers cartoons and, most especially, Bugs Bunny. It was one of his favorite expressions.
Cities do sometimes have weird, and sometimes uncomplimentary, names. Also in California is the city of Atascadero, which any Spanish speaker can tell you means a swamp or bog or mire, literally “a place where you get stuck” (from the verb atascar meaning “to get stuck”).
The city administration prefers to describe the name as meaning “a place of much water”.
In this city, there is a state hospital called Atascadero State Hospital. It looks like a prison from the outside: Tall guard towers, surrounded by a tall fence with razor wire. In fact, it is a prison hospital for the criminally insane. The people there aren’t going anywhere. Truly a well-named, well-located place where you get stuck.
ETA: It’s in the same county (San Luis Obispo) as Pismo Beach. If you turned left at Albakerky on your way to Pismo Beach, be careful you don’t get stuck in Atascadero State Hospital!
That’s where Sarah Connor was incarcerated in Terminator II.
Do you know how Albuquerque got its name?
Way back when the West was full of towns that as yet had no names, John and his son were travelling westward with their friend Al.
Al had told John that his only goal in life was to have a town named after him. He had also told the boy, who was a very very polite young man who said, “Yes, Sir.”
One day Al was terribly ill and could not travel any more. He told John, “Just leave me here so I won’t slow you down. But be sure not to forget … Name A Town After Me.”
“Yeah, sure, Al. I won’t forget.”
Next morning as John and his boy trudged on westward Al shouted one more time, “Name a town after me!”
Then he heard the boy’s voice from the distance saying, “I’ll make sure he does it, Mr. Buquerque.”
One time I shoulda made a left at Espanola which at least is in the right state. I didn’t have a GPS and I didn’t know what road I was on so I couldn’t use my map. I figured out where I was when I mounted a crest and saw Taos Canyon and I recognized it from pictures.
Count me as one of the people who knew before I opened the thread. Gen X '72.
Late boomer and didn’t know it. I didn’t watch cartoons, which is probably why. The first thing that came to my mind was:
I wonder if anybody’d think I’d flipped If I went to L.A. via Omaha.
I’m in my late 30s which makes me on the old end of the millenials and I knew it immediately.
Born in ’57 and recognized it immediately.
Some years ago my SO and I were contemplating a road trip to California(it never happened) and had a map spread before us. From El Paso I-10 shoots straight north into New Mexico before turning westward again at Las Cruces. Gazing at the map and tracing a line with my finger, I said “You know, if we took I-25 north (about 250 miles) before heading west, we could…” Before I could finish he blurted out “Make a left toin at Albuqoikee!”. He’s a Brit born in the late '60s who didn’t come to the US until the ‘80s.
We both thought it might be worth it just so we could say we did.
First year of Gen X and of course!
I was very excited when I stayed in Pismo Beach during a business trip a few years ago. (It was the off-season, so the hotel right on the beach was cheap, which is why they booked us there. But the free hotel breakfast was pathetic so I ended up going to McDonald’s and paying out of pocket for breakfast.) But the little restaurants in the touristy part of town were nice. I brought back salt water taffy for the office.
And by the way, I was born in 1966 and of course I recognize the reference. But a young person today is probably going to associate Albuquerque with Breaking Bad. So you might have gotten recognition with a reference to blue meth or pizza on the roof.
Born in '66 and I knew it immediately.
I do get a lot of blank stares when I say, “You wouldn’t hit a bat with glasses, would you?”. Don’t get a lot of opportunities to pull that one out though.
It always bugged me that he once found a pearl in one.
54, got the reference immediately.
I’m hearing that in Popeye’s voice. But I have no idea where I heard it.
How about “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today?” 
I always like to say it is the inspiration for Hotel California. Even if it isn’t.
The Albikoikie line was used in Ali Baba Bunny, too. As noted, all the clams you can eat at Pismo Beach.
Hasan CHOP!
Born in 1960. I’m sure I never saw the particular cartoon(s) the line comes from. We didn’t have a tv much of my childhood and that wasn’t a show I watched when we got one. But I recognized the line anyway. Guess it’s just “in the air…”
Okay then, who knows where this line comes from:
Okay, too obvious? 
J. Wellington Wimpy. 
“Boris, dahling! Message says ‘Do NOT kill Moose and Squirrel’!” 