Here's a quick look at the itinerary for our first Houston BBQ Tour. Last Friday, we headed south down I-45 for a 700-mile journey, searching for the best smoked meats in the Houston area. Over the next two days, we stopped at eight joints stretching from Huntsville to Galveston.

This was our tenth organized BBQ tour since November 2009, when an early-morning visit to Snow's BBQ in Lexington started an obsession to search for the best BBQ in Texas. Barbecue would never taste the same again after that day.

We'll be writing about the tour in an upcoming travel story in The Dallas Morning News and on dallasnews.com, but here's a sneak peak at our itinerary.

HOUSTON BBQ TOUR ITINERARY

FRIDAY June 1
8:30 am: Leave Dallas
11 am: New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Barbecue, 2601 Montgomery Rd, Huntsville, TX 77340, 936-294-0884, Open: Thur-Sat 11 am-7 pm.
1 pm: Fargo’s Pit BBQ, 1220 N. Texas Ave., Bryan, 979-778-3662. Hours: Tue-Sat, 11 am-7 pm.
2:30 pm: Mallett Brothers Barbeque, ‪9339 Texas 6, Navasota, 936-825-9440. Hours Mon-Thurs 11 am-8:30 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am -9 pm, Sun 11 am-3 pm.
7:00 pm: Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue, 1703 Shepherd Dr, Houston, 713-227-2283. Open Mon-Sat 11 am-8 pm.
Overnight in Houston. Sheraton Houston Brookhollow Hotel

SATURDAY June 2
10 am: Stop by Galveston Beach for an hour of fishing and sun.
11 am: Leon's World's Finest In & Out Barbeque, 5427 Broadway St, Galveston, 409-744-9363. Open Sun-Thurs 11 am-7:30 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-8 pm.
1:00 pm: Gatlin's BBQ, 1221 W. 19th St, Houston, 713-869-4227. Open Tues-Sat 11 am-7 pm.
2:30 pm: Virgie’s Bar-B-Que, 5535 Gessner Dr, Houston, 713-466-6525. Open Wed-Fri 11 am-6:30 pm, Sat 11 am-5:30 pm.
3:45 pm: Byron's Gourmet Bar-B-Que, 2101 W Little York, Houston, 713-290-0870. Open Mon, Wed-Sat 10 am-6:30 pm.
4:15 pm: Leave for Dallas, home at 8:15 pm.

Photos ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse